Ma'ruf Amin: Muslims Should Thank President Jokowi

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said Muslims should be grateful to President Joko Widodo for having the will to strengthen and empower people with great potential for waqf, through the National Movement for Cash Waqf (GNWU).

"We should be grateful to the Government, to the President, because they want to facilitate this, have a willingness to strengthen the people, empower people through the potential that exists in the people themselves", said Ma'ruf in Jakarta, when opening a seminar web seminar on Money Waqf Literacy: Clarifying Confused Public Talk online, reported by Antara, Thursday, February 11.

Waqf money in Indonesia has great potential to be developed, said Ma'ruf. Referring to data from the Indonesian Waqf Board (BWI), the waqf money that can be collected by Muslims in Indonesia is predicted to reach IDR 180 trillion per year.

With such a large potential of funds, the benefits of cash waqf can be used to finance empowerment programs, especially to the poor.

"So we (Muslims) have the potential but we don't know what that potential is. We have community funds that can be managed properly; but because we are lack sensitiveness, lack of thinking, and lack of unity, then we cannot manage the potential and put it to good use", he said.

Ma'ruf also emphasized that the Government only facilitates the movement of cash waqf and will not take these waqf funds. The government only wants to direct, while the management of waqf funds remains under the Indonesian Waqf Board.

The benefits of the cash waqf, added Ma'ruf, will also be given to the recipient who has been determined by the wakif or the party who donated their property.

"This must be understood, that the Government will not take it; and this is not for the Government, but the Government facilitates the interests of the people, the funds are the people's funds", he said.

Through the National Movement for Cash Waqf, it is hoped that more and more Muslims will donate their money or transfer their waqf method. In addition, the Vice President also hopes that the management of cash waqf can become more professional in order to gain the trust of the people.

"We will also carry out structural improvements, including in the Indonesian Waqf Board. Later, there will be supervisors, then there will be investment managers, all for the ummah and transparent. It must be transparent so that all can know what happens", he said.