20 Years Ago With Rp2.8 Billion, Now How Much Wealth Ketum PBNU Said Aqil Called 212 Is A Political Movement?

The general chairman of PBNU, Said Aqil Siradj. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of PBNU KH Said Aqil Siroj gave an accountability report as part of a series of events at the 34th Nahdlatul Ulama Congress in Lampung. KH Said ensured that NU under his command was loyal and active in maintaining unity and integrity.

Speaking at Raden Intan State Islamic University Lampung, KH Said Aqil explained, in the Indonesian context, NU is an organization that plays an important role in the integration of Islam and the state.

It is proven until now, continued KH Said Aqil, that NU is committed to maintaining the existence of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) and consistently maintaining the ideology of Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution.

"NU has consistently rejected any group that wants to change the shape of the state, whether it is a religious state or a secular state. NU supports the government to disband any organization that wants to promote the caliphate in Indonesia," said KH Said Aqil, quoted Thursday, December 23.

"NU also believes that the 212 movement is not a revival of Muslims but a political movement. The originators clearly have political goals and motives in the name of Islam," he added.

It was also confirmed by KH Saiq Aqil that none of the Islamic boarding schools owned by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) were exposed to radicalism. PBNU understands that radicalism is caused by a narrow and rigid religious understanding. Narrow and rigid religious understanding is usually built by narrow knowledge.

Gait and wealth Said Aqil

Said Aqil's gait apart from being at PBNU, he has also been and is still active as a commissioner in a company. Said Aqil has served as a commissioner at the Indonesia Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (ICDX) or the Indonesian Commodity and Derivatives Exchange. ICDX is an Indonesian derivative commodity futures exchange company that has a permit from the Commodity Futures Trading Regulatory Agency.

The company was founded by Megain Widjaja, the grandson of a prominent Indonesian conglomerate founder of the Sinarmas business group, Eka Tjipta Widjaja. Currently Megain Widjaja serves as one of the directors, and holds a key position as a member of the startup committee at ICDX.

Currently, Said Aqil is still active as a commissioner in one of the leading SOEs. Yes, now he is the President Commissioner of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).

Said Aqil was also included in the list of the top 50 Muslims in the World's 500 Most Influential Muslims for 2021 published by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center (RISSC), an independent research institute affiliated with the Kingdom's Aal Al Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, based in Amman, Jordan. There are three Indonesians who entered The Top 50, namely President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), PBNU General Chairperson Said Aqil Siradj, and cleric/member of the Wantimpres Habib Luthfi bin Yahya.

President Jokowi ranks 12th. In the previous year, Jokowi was ranked 13th. While Said Aqil is in the 18th position and Habib Lutfi is in the 32nd rank.

Said Aqil was confirmed to have a large enough wealth. Although there is no latest update on the total wealth of the PBNU Chairman, Said Aqil had reported his assets when he served as a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in 2001.

In the report, it is noted that the PBNU chairman has a total wealth of Rp. 2.8 billion with zero receivables. The total wealth consists of land and buildings worth IDR 1.2 billion, transportation equipment worth IDR 231.5 million and demand deposits and other cash equivalents worth IDR 1.36 billion.

But then again, that's data from around 2001. It's still possible that Said Aqil's current wealth has increased more than 20 years ago.

For information, Said Aqil was born in Cirebon on July 3, 1953. He is a doctoral graduate from Umm al-Qura University, Mecca, majoring in Aqidah/Islamic Philosophy who graduated in 1994.

In his career at PBNU, Said has served as Deputy Head of PBNU Am (1994-1998), Head of PBNU Am (1998-1999), Rais Syuriah of PBNU (1999-2004) and Chairman of PBNU.

In the political field, he was a member of the DPR/MPR from the group envoy faction in 1999-2004.