The Ministry Of Public Works And The Coordinating Ministry For Human Development And Culture Ensures The Security And Legality Of Islamic Boarding School Buildings In Indonesia

JAKARTA - Minister of Public Works (PU) Dody Hanggodo received a visit from the Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment (Menko PM) Muhaimin Iskandar at the PU Ministry Office, Jakarta, Tuesday, October 7.

The meeting discussed concrete steps by the government in following up on President Prabowo Subianto's directives regarding the collapse of a boarding school building in Sidoarjo, East Java, which claimed 67 lives.

Minister Dody emphasized that the readiness of the Ministry of Public Works in providing technical assistance to Islamic boarding schools throughout Indonesia, especially related to building structure security and compliance with the establishment permit.

The Ministry of Public Works will also immediately open a hotline service for consulting the construction of Islamic boarding schools through Call Center 158.

"While time is running, tomorrow Monday we will open a hotline regarding the consultation of Islamic boarding schools. If there is a boarding school that wants to be checked for buildings immediately, it can be consulted on the hotline and the team will immediately come to the location," said Minister Dody in a press statement received by VOI, Sunday, October 12.

Minister Dody also added that technical teams would be deployed from the ranks of the Directorate General of Human Settlements which had spread throughout Indonesia.

"Tim dari Direktorat Jenderal Cipta Karya tersebar di seluruh Indonesia, sehingga harapannya kita bisa cepat mengeksakannya. Kalau terkait anggaran, insha Allah cukup dari APBN. Tapi tidak menutup kemungkinan kalau nanti ada bantuan atau kolaborasi dari swasta," tambah Menteri Dody.

Furthermore, Minister Dody said, the Ministry of Public Works will conduct sampling audits in a number of provinces with the highest number of pesantren.

"For the time being, we are sampling in 9 provinces where the most pesantres are, such as East Java, Central Java, South Sumatra and so on. Meanwhile, what we handle based on sampling first, those who do not enter the sampling may later be assisted through the hotline. We will do it in parallel, we still need input from the community later. And our team in the field has also started working to record and audit, "added Minister Dody.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Human Development Muhaimin explained, the government will form a Islamic Boarding School Development Task Force which focuses on building audits and improvements to the establishment permit.

Cak Imin, as soon as he was greeted, emphasized the importance of compliance with Building Licensing (PBG) and requested that all pesantren construction be temporarily suspended if they do not have a permit.

"We also order pesantren-pestren to update building permits or PBG. The slightest development must be PBG. The slightest development must be licensed, and most importantly we have ordered all pesantren to stop the construction process until they have a permit. Later the task force will conduct cross-check data with the community and local governments for audits and rapid countermeasures so that there will be no more disasters," he said.

Menurut dia, langkah ini penting mengingat rata-rata pesantren telah berdiri selama ratusan tahun.

Pesantren di Sidoarjo yang roboh, misalnya, diketahui telah berusia 125 tahun.

Karena itu, pemerintah akan melakukan audit menyeluruh bersama masyarakat dan pemerintah daerah untuk mencegah kejadian serupa.

“Jangan pernah ada lagi peristiwa musibah yang mengharukan dan mengerikan. Cukup, sekali ini saja. Mari kita bahu-membahu bekerja sama dengan pemerintah agar setiap pesantren dapat berdiri dengan aman dan berizin,” pungkas Cak Imin.

According to him, this step is important considering that the average pesantren has been around for hundreds of years.

Islamic boarding schools in Sidoarjo, which collapsed, for example, are known to be 125 years old.

Therefore, the government will conduct a thorough audit with the community and local governments to prevent similar incidents.

"Never again a touching and terrible disaster. Enough, just this once. Let's work hand in hand with the government so that every pesantren can stand safely and licensed," concluded Cak Imin.