Ma'ruf Amin Calls The Religious Spirit In Indonesia's Political System Weakening, Even Almost Dead

Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Ma'ruf Amin. ANTARA/HO

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said that the religious spirit in Indonesia's political system has weakened, even dying at this time.

This was conveyed by Ma'ruf when giving a speech at the launch and review of the book 'Historiography of Khittah and the Politics of Nahdlatul Ulama' in Bandar Lampung City, Lampung Province, Wednesday, December 22.

"I found that what KH Hasyim Asy'ari said was a kind of complaint, the religious spirit in the political system in Indonesia has weakened, and has even almost died recently," said Ma'ruf as reported by Antara.

Ma'ruf recounted the journey of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) as an Islamic religious community organization that entered politics and has strengthened Indonesia's political system.

Prior to 1952, he continued, NU channeled the political aspirations of its members through Masyumi, the only political party that channeled the aspirations of Muslims at that time.

Furthermore, when NU did not consider Masyumi to be able to channel the political aspirations of nahdiyin at that time, NU then changed its organization into a political party (parpol).

"When NU became a party, I still enjoyed that period. At the end of 1971, I became a member of the DKI Jakarta DPRD, I even became the Chair of the Islamic Group Faction. I was 26 or 27 years old at that time," said Ma'ruf Amin.

In 1973, NU as an Islamic religious party at that time merged with several other religious parties, namely the Indonesian Islamic Union Party (PSII), Persatuan Tarbyah Islamiyah (Perti), and Parmusi to form the United Development Party (PPP).

The merger of a number of Islamic religious political parties, said the Vice President, aims to simplify the party system in Indonesia leading to the 1973 General Election (Election).

"So, this is indeed the journey of NU, because indeed the state and the law require fusion. Therefore, NU returns as a jamiyah diniyah and its political aspirations in PPP," he said.