MUI Supports Mining Management by Religious Mass Organizations

JAKARTA – Deputy General Chairperson (Waketum) of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Anwar Abbas supports President Joko Widodo’s policies (Jokowi) which grants mining management permits to religious community organizations (ormas). Because this can be a new source of income to support community empowerment activities.

“This is clearly something encouraging because through this policy it means that religious organizations will be able to obtain a new source of income to support the activities they carry out. Where the activities carried out by religious organizations are also closely related to their duties and functions “government is to protect, educate and prosper the people,” he said, Monday (3/6/2024).

Even in terms of protecting the people, for example, if a disaster occurs in the form of a natural disaster, religious organizations can be present at the disaster location first from the government to help the people affected by the disaster. “But their movements seem limited due to lack of funds. So they are unable to buy and prepare the equipment and other things needed,” he said.

Likewise in terms of educating the nation. Here we can see the role of these religious organizations which helped establish thousands of schools and hospitals independently.

“We know that the government to this day does not appear capable of carrying out this task alone. Indeed, the government is there to help, but the amount is clearly still far from what is needed by educational institutions and health institutions,” he said.

This includes efforts to improve the welfare of the people where in the constitution Article 34 of the 1945 Constitution states that the poor and neglected children are cared for by the state. However, in reality, Anwar sees that the government also has limitations so that the role of religious mass organizations is still needed in assisting the government’s duties and obligations.

Anwar said that generally for empowerment funds, mass organizations only rely on donations from members and sympathizers. As well as from the various efforts he has undertaken. “But sometimes mass organizations are also forced to beg here and there so that the activities they plan can be carried out,” he said.

For this reason, religious organizations can carry out their objectives as well as possible. So these mass organizations must be made financially strong.

“I see that the decree that has just been issued by President Jokowi is part of that effort so it is hoped that the role of this religious mass organization in the future in empowering society and its citizens will be much better. So that our goal is to make this country a developed country “civilized and just will be realized and accelerated,” he said.

(cip)