Jusuf Kalla Encourages West Sumatra To Introduce National Figures

Jusuf Kalla at the inauguration of the Garegeh Tablighiyah Mosque/Photo: Antara

BUKITTINGGI - Former Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla encouraged West Sumatra to bring back national figures from the local area who were known to be broad-minded and fought using their minds as at the beginning of the founding of the Indonesian nation.

"If in other areas of Indonesia the majority use spears, swords and the like when fighting, then the Minangkabau people appear with brains filled with ideas and thoughts, not muscles," said Jusuf Kalla in Bukittinggi, Friday, March 18.

He highlighted the strategic role of Minangkabau cultural groups through struggle figures who have been in top positions since ancient times.

"I don't know what would have happened if Bung Karno had not been accompanied by Bung Hatta first, Indonesia's history put Urang Minang at the top," he said.

According to him, as a "Sumando" or a person whose wife is Urang Minang, he is familiar with several strategic social positions in West Sumatra.

"There are three elements of the location for the concentration of community activities in Minangkabaau, namely the market as the center of the economy, the school as the center of education and the surau or mosque as the religious center," he said.

He said if these three elements were destroyed, then West Sumatra would be weak from its position.

"Our task is to prevent the quality of schools from being reduced, markets being damaged by other people, and especially mosques that have fewer congregations," he said.

He said that he needed encouragement and evaluation from now on to see how Minangkabau culture and its characters re-emerged as the country's progress.

Jusuf Kalla also reminded the people of West Sumatra not to be too provoked by current national problems.

"Specifically for the statement by the Minister of Religion some time ago, I believe that the intention was not to hurt Muslims, there was only an inappropriate way of conveying it, let's continue to prioritize tolerance and mutual comfort," he said.

Jusuf Kalla was present in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, at the inauguration of the Tablighiyah Garegeh Mosque, which is said to be the largest mosque in the City of Tourism.