Following The Request Of Kiai Sepuh, Said Aqil Siroj Goes Forward Again As Chairman Of PBNU

Ketum PBNU Said Aqil Siroj/PHOTO: Nailin In Saroh-VOI

JAKARTA - General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board, Said Aqil Siroj, agreed to requests from elderly kiai, regional administrators and NU branches to run again as candidates for the next term of PBNU Chairman. The election for the chairman will be held at the 34th Congress in Lampung at the end of December.

"I am ready to obey the orders of the elderly kiai and grant the PWNU and PCNU requests, so that I am ready to be re-nominated at the upcoming Congress," Said Aqil said at a press conference in the Central Jakarta area, Wednesday, December 8.

Said said that most of the NU administrators in the regions wanted to continue the various NU programs that he had launched in the future. One of them is continuing to build Nahdlatul Ulama universities in various regions. In fact, he also has a scholarship program to send students from undergraduate to doctoral levels abroad.

"In order to produce more reliable NU cadres. Islam is a religion of humanity, a religion of culture," said Said Aqil.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Gathering Forum for Said Aqil Supporters, KH Marsudi Syuhud, said that his party had received many requests from elder Kiai so that KH Said Aqil Siroj would be willing to return to lead PBNU.

"Not only that. There are so many requests from regional and branch leaders throughout Indonesia who urge KH Said Aqil Siroj to come forward and immediately answer requests from old Kiai and regional and branch administrators," said Marsudi.

In order to accommodate the request, he said, Said Aqil Siroj finally stated that he was willing to go forward and was willing to be re-nominated as chairman of the PBNU.

Marsudi explained that there were many innovative programs that Said Aqil Siroj would run for PBNU in the coming period. This includes running programs that still need to be completed.

"Starting from the construction of NU universities and Universities of Science and Technology. Then there is also a program to send master's and doctoral students in science and technology to Europe, America, Australia, Russia and China," explained Marsudi.

In the future, continued Marsudi, there will be data base digitization and services for all NU residents. As well as the mission to move the economy of NU residents through the Nahdlatul Ulama-Owned Enterprise (BUMNU) and the NU Cooperative.

"No less important is that KH Said Aqil Siroj has been specifically asked by the elderly clerics so that they can look after NU residents in difficult times in the next five years. Maslahah for the Ahlussunnah in the Islamic world, especially in the Middle East. Especially peace in the Arab region and the independence of Palestine," he said.

The 34th NU Congress will be held on 23-25 December 2021 in Lampung. The highest decision-making forum within NU has an agenda to elect a new PBNU General Chair.