Jusuf Hamka Apologizes For Accusing Cruel Sharia Banks: It's Just Spontaneous When Answering Deddy Corbuzier's Questions

JAKARTA - Entrepreneur and head of construction company PT Citra Marga Lintas Jabar (CMLJ) Jusuf Hamka clarified his statement regarding sharia banking which has become viral and has been widely reported in the mass media in recent days.

"I apologize to all parties that I did not mean to accuse or discredit cruel Islamic banking. The statement about Islamic banking which was described as "cruel" in the news was a response to my spontaneous response to questions from journalists and questions from the host of a YouTube podcast," said Jusuf in his official statement, quoted from Antara, Sunday, July 25.

He said that he fully supports Islamic banking and currently uses financing from Islamic banks for the construction of toll road infrastructure in Bandung, West Java, and the company will also obtain Islamic banking financing facilities for other toll road infrastructure projects whose value is quite large.

"The problem that occurs is actually not related to the system and Islamic banking, but is related to customer relationships with banks where there is a negotiation process in the settlement of financing obligations that has not yet been agreed between us as customers and a syndicated sharia bank consisting of several sharia banks," said Jusuf.

Jusuf conveyed that the problem was related to the accelerated repayment of syndicated financing from Islamic banks, where there were differences in perception and calculation of the repayment obligation between his party and the syndicated bank.

"Actually, our side and the syndicated sharia bank have held several meetings and reached an agreement on several matters, but there are still things that have not been agreed upon from us," said Jusuf.

Jusuf added that the financing was disbursed by a syndicate of seven sharia banks to PT Citra Marga Lintas Jabar (CMLJ) in 2016. PT CMLJ received a syndicated financing facility of Rp834 billion, with Al Murabahah financing contract or sale and purchase financing agreement with an indication of yield or margin equivalent to 11 percent with a tenor of 14 years (or 168 months), for the construction project of the Soreang-Pasirkoja Bandung (Soroja) Toll Road.

Previously, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) said it would summon businessman Jusuf Hamka to clarify his statement regarding Islamic banking in the mass media.

Chairman of the OJK Board of Commissioners, Wimboh Santoso, said that the summons was in accordance with OJK's duty to protect consumers in the financial services sector.

According to him, the summons of Jusuf Hamka will be carried out immediately, so that the problem does not drag on and creates a bad image for domestic banks, especially Islamic banking.