Fatwa Haram PLTN Muria: When NU Ulama Against National Nuclear Ambition Full Of Disadvantage

The nuclear reactor in Fukushima, Japan, which was damaged in 2011 and displaced residents of the PLTN ring. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Indonesia has attracted the presence of a Nuclear Power Plant (PLTN). The power company has determined the location of the PLTN on the Muria Peninsula, Central Java. The plan to build PLTN is increasingly being seriously echoed in the era of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

PLTN must be built. The postponement of development is considered a setback. This desire was strongly opposed by scholars from the Nadhlatul ulama (NU). Rejection is not in its nuclear energy, but the government's inability to provide a sense of security.

Suharto and the New Order (Orba) are famous for being visionary. The owner of power has thought that not always the Indonesian people must depend on fossil fuels. The New Order has detected the importance of nuclear energy for the progress of the nation.

The desire to have a PLTN emerged from the 1970s. The owner of power is quite serious. The location of the prospective PLTN site was investigated. The choice finally shifted to Semenjuk Muria between Ujung Lemah Abang, Ujung Grenggengan, to the End of Time.

The New Order Government finally chose Ujung Lemah Abang as the site of the PLTN Muria. A location that is considered capable of holding down the construction of the PLTN. Problems arise. The plan to build PLTN became a polemic. The government does not have much money. The local people also refused.

The rejection was not due to the problem of using nuclear energy. However, many are afraid of losing land because the New Order often grabs people's land. The plan was ultimately ignored because Suharto and the mass organization stepped down. Not to mention the economic crisis that hit Indonesia.

Indonesia's enthusiasm for PLTN has then emerged in the era of SBY's leadership since 2007. SBY, through the Minister of State of Research and Technology (Menristek), Kusmayanto Kadiman, who is adamant that Indonesia must build PLTN. The National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan) considers Indonesia to be ready to have a nuclear reactor.

He emphasized that if the development of PLTN continues to be postponed, Indonesia will be far behind. This condition made Kusmayanto targeting the construction of PLTN Muria to take place in 2008, then the plan to withdraw to 2010. If development is smooth, Indonesia will enjoy the benefits of nuclear energy in 2016.

If all goes well, in 2010 the construction of the plant's physical construction could begin. Six years later, this plant will already generate electricity for 4,000 megawatts to supply the needs of Java and Bali.

Even though it only produced in 2016, PLTN's projection was still compatible with the government's electricity needs. As stated in Presidential Decree Number 5 of 2006 concerning National Energy Policy, only in 2025 nuclear energy is targeted to contribute 2 percent of primary energy needs which reach around 100 thousand megawatts," said Untung Widyanto and his colleagues in Tempo magazine entitled Demanding Nuclear Mount Muria (2007).

The government is like a attracted government with large investments in the nuclear energy sector. However, that does not mean that the discourse on the development of PLTN is smooth. The desire to build a nuclear reactor has received opposition from many parties. Mainly, the scholars from NU.

NU scholars consider nuclear energy to be able to supply abundant energy needs. The problem is that there are more harm from nuclear. Moreover, the Indonesian government is often doubtful in handling the management of radioactive waste.

Other facts about the absence of a country that is truly successful in the management of radioactive waste. The narrative confirms that the presence of nuclear energy has a high level of danger. Once the government ignores the management of people's radioactive waste, of course, it is a victim.

The peak of the refusal to make NU issue a PLTN illicit fatwa from 2007. The granting of haram fatwas is carried out as an affirmation and a reminder so that the government does not rashly build PLTN. NU kiai also suggested that the government take advantage of existing energy resources, or cleaner energy.

The decision to prohibit PLTN has received a positive response from all Indonesian people. The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) is one of the supporters. The action against the development of PLTN Muria then took place in various regions. The National Awakening Party (PKB) and Golkar also refused. At its peak, the government no longer advances the discourse on PLTN development.

KH Kholurohman, Chairman of the Perumus Team, explained that the PLTN project contains maslahah and mafsadah aspects. PLTN's benefit is estimated to be able to provide national energy needs of two-four percent. While the mafsadah aspect, the PLTN project must produce radioactive waste whose ability to secure security is doubtful.

Thus, the principle of avoiding mafsadah (bad results) must come first. Before arguing on the basis of fiqih, the kiai received input from a number of experts, both anti-PLTN and Pro-PLTN, including input from the Minister of Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman, "explained Sohirin in his writing in Tempo Newspaper entitledNU Haram PLTN Muria (2007).