Chief Justice Anwar Usman speaking at the Congress of the Indonesian Constitutional Law Student Forum on Friday (21/12) at the Sunan Ampel State Islam University Surabaya. Photo by Humas MK/Hendy.

Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Anwar Usman spoke at the Congress of the Indonesian Constitutional Law Student Forum (FMHTN) on “Constitutional Balance in National Unity” at the Sunan Ampel State Islam University Surabaya on Friday (21/12). He said that the constitutional balance in national unity was a very interesting as well as important theme because before and after the reform, constitutional law department was highly popular. "[We] must admit that before the reform, the constitutional law department did not have an important role in this republic. However, post-reform, constitutional law experts always appear in the media," he said.

Discussion about the Constitution cannot be separated from Pancasila, as both are interrelated. The Constitution is related to the third principle of Pancasila, "a unified Indonesia," because it has the national commitment in uniting differences and diversity. "The Constitution is the highest mutual agreement between citizens and guides the implementation of state power. The Constitution is also a reference and source of state law," he said.

These days Pancasila and the Constitution were tested, especially related to the nation\'s unity, for example by the emergence of radical movements has threatened national unity. It is motivated by the existence of certain mass organizations, which whose teachings are considered deviant. "Lately, [the word] radical has a negative connotation. It is identical with violence, terror, aggression, and other negative things. The connotation of a neutral term can turn negative if the term is associated with negative things," he said.

Justice Anwar said that radical was everything that was fundamental to its roots or its principles. A religious community must possess radical thinking as guideline in holding to faith, must study religion as a whole and not in parts, must not only adopt what is beneficial and leave things that do not benefit, because no religion will bring harm for its adherents. Religion is life guidance according to the faith brought by God’s prophets.

“[Radicalism] must be possessed by each adherent, because by [being] radical we study religion thoroughly as a whole. Someone who commits deviant acts or negative acts these days are not those thinking radically, but are ones who do not study their religion thoroughly and deeply,” he said.

At the end of his speech, Chief Justice Anwar also stated that Indonesia has a district legal system, which embodies the state ideology known as Pancasila. He believed that since the independence, the founding fathers had not committed only to establishing a democratic state, but also to realizing the concept of a rule of law. (Bayu/Hendy/LA/Yuniar Widiastuti)