PPTQ Ponpes Al Hanifiyah Where Santri Died Persecuted Not Having NSP, Ministry Of Religion Admits Can't Intervene

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) has confirmed that the PPTQ Al Hanifiyah Islamic boarding school (ponpes) in Kediri, where Bintang Balqis Maulana (14), a student who died was persecuted by a senior who was not registered or did not have a Boarding School Statistics Number (NSP) from the Ministry of Religion.

"He is not a pesantren but admits that he is a pesantren. He is a pesantren that is not recognized by the state," said Director General of Islamic Education at the Ministry of Religion M. Ali Ramdhani in Jakarta, Tuesday, February 27, as reported by Antara.

Dhani said the Ministry of Religion could not intervene if it was beyond their authority. The handling systematics are left to the police.

According to him, the Ministry of Religion has a regulation of PMA 73 of 2022 and there is PKMA 82 of 2023 concerning the handling and prevention of sexual violence in educational units. It continues to socialize child-friendly pesantren by cooperating with the Ministry of PPA and UNICEF.

"We do not participate and must not participate in law enforcement matters by law enforcement officials," he said.

He said PPTQ Islamic Boarding School Al Hanafiyah in Kedir, East Java (East Java), in general definition is indeed a boarding school. That's because, he said, Islamic boarding schools are born and for the community. However, in the context of the state, the pesantren do not have permits.

"Like, right, people can do anything. Can you go to school? Yes. Can you make a university? Yes. But if permission is not issued, can it be called a university?" he said.

Meanwhile, Plt. Director of Early Education and Islamic Boarding School of the Ministry of Religion, Waryono Abdul Ghafur, said the number of licensed and registered pesantren in the Ministry of Religion was 40 thousand.

For licensed boarding schools, the Ministry of Religion has the structure of the head of the pesantren section to districts/cities. They are tasked with supervising and fostering Islamic boarding schools.

"Then if there is a violation like that what kind of witness is it like? It is also regulated in the Director General's Decree. So it starts from verbal warnings, then it is written, until then it may also be revocation," he said.

He also asked parents to be selective when entering their children into Islamic boarding schools by checking their NSPs to find out about the Sanad from their administrators. Because licensed pesantren will receive supervision and guidance from the Ministry of Religion.

"Because good education is actually born from a good ecosystem. A learning process is not only born, it comes from pesantren products. But also from the coaching process of parents," he said.

Previously, the Kediri City Police, East Java, arrested four students from one of the Islamic boarding schools in Mojo District, Kediri Regency, East Java, related to the case of their friend who died allegedly being abused.

Kediri City Police Chief AKBP Bramastyo Priaji said his party was following up on the family's report. Although the report was in Banyuwangi, the Kediri City Police continued to follow up by examining the scene of the case and examining a number of witnesses.

"This case occurred in one of the Islamic boarding schools in Mojo, Kediri Regency. We have named four suspects and we have detained them for further investigation," he said in Kediri, Monday, February 26.