Mergers Of BTN Syariah And Muamalat Can't Restu, KBUMN Will Meet MUI

Ministry of SOEs (Photo: VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) will soon meet the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) regarding the planned merger or merger of PT Bank Tabungan (Negara) Syariah with Bank Muamalat Indonesia (BMI).

Special Staff to the Minister of SOEs Arya Sinulingga explained that until now the plan to merge BTN Syariah with Bank Muamalat is still in the process of being discussed. Later, MUI will also be talked to regarding the process.

"We will definitely talk about this later to MUI all, these processes," he said when met at the Ministry of SOEs, Jakarta, Monday, February 19.

According to Arya, the merger of BTN Syariah and Bank Muamalat is expected to also increase the growth of the sharia economy in Indonesia.

"We'll see how it goes later, this is a corporate action. In accordance with the exact agreement, he will follow the economic developments," he said.

Regarding MUI's concern that the role of banks to MSMEs will decrease if Bank Mualat is merged with BTN Syariah, Arya said that this merger will have the same fate as PT Bank Syariah Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. (BRIS).

"So this is it, we have proven it, how come it is in BSI and everything is good, the results are good. Why don't we make it even better for others?," he said.

Previously reported, Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) as well as Social and Religious Observer Anwar Abbas rejected the plan to merge or merge Bank Muamalat Indonesia (BMI) with BTN Syariah.

He also highlighted the portion of financing to MSMEs from Bank Muamalat and BTN Syariah. According to him, the merger will only benefit big entrepreneurs and harm MSMEs.

"I firmly state that I do not agree with the merger because it will clearly benefit big entrepreneurs/owners of capital/conglomerates and oligarchs and only be a little profitable for MSMEs," said Anwar in a statement received by VOI, Monday, February 19.

Therefore, Anwar admitted that he wanted Bank Muamalat to survive with his philosophy as a bank belonging to the people and for the people. According to him, the improvement of Bank Muamalat can also be done without the merger.

"For that I want BMI (Bank Muamalat Indonesia) to survive with his identity as a bank that has a philosophy and paradigm of the people, together with the people, belonging to the people and to the people," he said.