Many people ridicule Rhoma Irama (Bang Haji) for his presidential candidacy. Bang Haji is deemed to have no skill or capacity or experience to be a president. His polygamist life also makes things worse.
But is it true that someone like Bang Haji could not lead Indonesia well?
Gautam Mukunda, a Harvard professor, brings us the theory of leadership focusing on background. After conducting research, he divided leaders into two types: filtered and unfiltered. A filtered leader is one who has experience in governing and by contrast an unfiltered leader is an outsider who comes into the system without experience. Mukunda concluded that successful leaders don’t mesh with experience. Unfiltered leaders will likely do extraordinary jobs. Their performance will be either the best or the worst.
The advantage of filtered leaders is they know the system well. They know what works and what doesn’t. Hence they are wont to do things in the same pattern. They usually play safe. Conversely, outsiders don’t know the system well. Their ignorance makes them freely change policies, dogma, old convictions, etc. Breakthroughs most likely came from outsiders.
Let’s look at a prominent example. Fauzi Bowo (Foke) and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) are filtered leaders, while Jokowi and Dahlan Iskan are unfiltered leaders.
Foke was a civil servant from the beginning of his career. SBY was an army officer and then minister with several portfolios. Both have well-rounded experience and education. They developed their career in a normal progression. During their tenure, Foke and SBY didn’t take risks so much. Their policies were predictable. They will leave no memorable legacies. You will forget them after they have retired.
Jokowi was a businessman. Dahlan Iskan was a journalist-turned-businessman. Both are outsiders to government. Jokowi entered public service by becoming Surakarta mayor, Dahlan Iskan was appointed by SBY to manage state-owned electricity company, PLN, and both registered success with innovations and drew admiration and support.
Certainly, this doesn’t mean that any outsider can do the job well. Zumi Zola, an actor, who is leading East Tanjung Jabung district, has no accomplishments. What we hear about are only his personal scandals.
This brings us back to the Bang Haji candidacy. The National Awakening Party has endorsed and held talks with Bang Haji indicating his candidacy is serious. In my opinion the time is not right for Bang Haji to run for president. His lack of managerial experience compared with Jokowi and Dahlan Iskan elicits big doubts.
So far he has only managed the Soneta group with millions of fans. It’s better for him to test his leadership being regent of Tasikmalaya. Take small steps first, before a big leap.
At least, our democracy is tested by Bang Haji’s unfiltered candidacy. In fact actors, actresses, singers even comedians plunging into politics is now much in fashion. This might be an affront to intellectuality, but people must simply accept this. Democracy is messy and risky. Let unfiltered leaders come forward. Sometimes this brings high pay-offs.
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