Sumatra Floods, PBNU Chairman Invites The Nation To Repent

PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf when answering reporters' questions after a press conference in Jakarta, Wednesday (3/12/2025). ANTARA/Prisca Triferna

Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board Yahya Cholil Staquf invites all nations to repent in facing disasters in recent times including floods and landslides in a number of locations in Sumatra.

"Yes, our whole nation repents. Because the word of Allah... whatever disaster happened to you, it must be because you have something wrong. You must do it yourself," said Staquf as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, December 3.

"Let's repent. We all repent," he added.

This was in response to journalists' questions regarding the Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar who wrote to three ministers to respond to floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

When asked about whether PBNU encouraged the government to investigate allegations of illegal logging that contributed to causing the disaster, Staquf supported the investigation efforts.

"We see a very strong gesture from Pak Prabowo to improve the situation and of course it is also not an effort that is simple and definitely not without challenges," he explained.

Previously, he also said that NU had coordinated with various parties to support the prevention of natural disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Staquf chaired a coordination meeting between the NU Disaster Management and Climate Change Agency (LPBI) together with the Infak Amil Zakat Institute and the Nahdlatul Ulama Al-Fitr (LAZISNU), as well as the Nahdlatul Ulama (PWNU) Regional Management in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Previously, according to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on its website as of Wednesday (3/12) at 18.30 WIB, the number of fatalities in the disaster in Sumatra had reached 770 people, with 463 people declared missing, and 2,600 people injured.