I'm Well! Australia Allows Muhammadiyah To Establish Muhammadiyah School Australia College

General Chairperson of PP Muhammadiyah Haedar Nasir (center) during a press conference (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Central Executive of Muhammadiyah has obtained permission to establish a kindergarten to elementary school in Australia under the name Muhammadiyah Australia College (MAC).

"Alhamdulillah, the Muhammadiyah Central Executive has obtained the operational permit for Muhammadiyah schools in Australia," said PP Muhammadiyah Chairman Haedar Nashir during a press conference at the PP Muhamadiyah Office in Yogyakarta, Antara, Wednesday, December 29.

Haedar explained that the official permit for MAC establishment at 1-3 Killarney, Drive, Melton Victoria, Australia was obtained from the Australian government through the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) Department of Education Victoria on 21 December 2021.

The establishment of MAC, he said, was intended as an expansion of the movement to educate the nation's life and the development of education in the global sphere which has a strategic function in realizing progress and unity among nations.

"MAC completes a new chapter of Muhammadiyah's commitment to building an enlightening common civilization under the banner of progressive Islam with the perspective of rahmatan lilalamin in the international community through Muhammadiyah's internationalization program," he said.

To establish MAC, PP Muhammadiyah purchased a land area of more than one hectare located at 1-3 Killamey Drive, Melton, Victoria, Australia 3337. The Head of the Australian Special Branch of Muhammadiyah (PCIM) then processed the MAC registration permit to VRQA.

Prior to the MAC establishment process, according to Haedar, PCIM Australia held a meeting with various elements of Indonesian and non-Indonesian communities in Victoria to seek input on the registration process in order to develop steps in accordance with applicable regulations.

After preparing to fulfill all requirements for new school registration and receiving input from VQRA, on December 21, 2021, an operational permit for MAC was issued.

Since December 21, 2021, Muhammadiyah Australia College has been officially and legally operating in Australia. The establishment of schools in Australia is a continuation of the "Internationalization of Muhammadiyah" program.

In addition to developing PCIM-PCIA, scholarships and cadre diaspora, interreligious dialogue forums and peace, as well as humanitarian programs in the global sphere, in particular developing strategic business charities abroad.

After establishing the Da'wah Headquarters and ABA Kindergarten in Cairo, Egypt, PCIM Malaysia Economic Enterprises, Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia (UMAM), continued the establishment of MAC.