It Seems That Prabowo's Roadshow To Ponpes In East Java-Central Java Is For The 2024 Presidential Election

The Minister of Defense who is also the General Manager of Gerindra Prabowo Subianto with the Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa/DOK PR SETJEN KEMHAN

JAKARTA - General chairman of the Gerindra Party Prabowo Subianto moved to a number of Islamic boarding schools in East Java to Central Java during the Eid holiday. He kept in touch with many kiai and even prayed for the presidency in the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election.

Seeing this condition, the Executive Director of Political Review, Ujang Komarudin, assessed that Prabowo was indeed moving to increase his electability to fight in the 2024 presidential election.

This step is important because Prabowo's electability will be overtaken by other names, such as DKI Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo if he remains silent. Moreover, Prabowo's electability level is also felt to be stagnant.

"If you stay still and don't move, Anies and Ganjar can pass the electability," said Ujang when contacted by VOI, Friday, May 6.

Prabowo's efforts to visit the ulama in East Java are also considered to attract public interest, especially those from the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) circle.

"We know that East Java is the mass base of NU. NU residents are usually sami'na wa athona or listen and obey their kiai," said Ujang.

So, Prabowo took this year's Eid moment to stay in touch and increase his electability.

"The direction is there (increasing electability, ed). Diving while drinking water," said the political observer.

"And also to maintain and even expand the vote acquisition. During the 2019 presidential election, even though Prabowo lost to Jokowi in East Java, he got approximately 34 percent of the vote," added Ujang.

Since Wednesday, May 3, Prabowo has been visiting a number of Islamic boarding schools in East Java. Starting his visit, he came to the Al-Qodiri Islamic Boarding School in Jember and was received by its leader, Kiai Achmad Muzakki Syah.

Prabowo deliberately came to stay in touch and visit Kiai Muzakki who was reportedly sick. From there, Prabowo then visited the Walisongo Islamic Boarding School in Situbondo, East Java to meet Kiai Kholil As'ad.

Regarding these two meetings, Gerindra Party Secretary General Ahmad Muzani said Kiai Kholil and Kiai Muzakki were longtime friends of Prabowo. In fact, Prabowo has actually wanted to visit both of them for a long time.

It's just that, because he was busy serving as Minister of Defense, the visit was only made at this time in the midst of the Eid al-Fitr momentum.

"Pak Prabowo is planned to stay in touch with scholars and figures in East Java. One of them is Kiai Kholil and Kiai Muzakki, who have always wanted to visit Pak Prabowo," said Muzani.

"(However, ed) Due to his busy schedule as Defense Minister and now is the Eid holiday, Pak Prabowo has finally been able to visit his old friends' places now," he added.

Muzani denied there was any political discussion in the meeting with the religious leaders. Prabowo, he continued, actually received good prayers from his friends so that he would always be healthy and his good intentions to become president could be smoothed out.

"There is no political discussion. The meeting is only limited to halal bi halal and strengthens the relationship between old friends, accompanied by eating together with typical pesantren food such as eggplant pecak and fried fish," explained the Deputy Chair of the MPR RI.

"Earlier, Kyai Kholil and Kyai Muzakki prayed for Pak Prabowo, praying for Pak Prabowo to always be healthy, so that his abilities and good intentions can be smoothed out to become president in the 2024 presidential election," added Muzani.

Not only that, Prabowo also visited the grave of the 4th Indonesian President Abdurrachman Wahid or Gus Dur. There, the Minister of Defense was prayed for as president by the grandson of NU founder Kiai Haji Hasyim Asyari, Kiai Haji Irfan Yusuf Hasyim.

This is like Gus Dur's statement before he died. "I quote Gus Dur's words, he once said Pak Prabowo will become president at an old age. God willing, 2024," said Kiai Haji Irfan Yusuf.

Most recently, Prabowo also visited the Al-Anwar Islamic Boarding School in Rembang, Central Java on Thursday, May 5. Arriving at the boarding school, the former Danjen Kopassus was greeted by Mbah Moen's son, Kiai Haji Muhammad Najih Maimoen or Gus Najih and other families.

Next, Prabowo performed prayers and prayed led by Gus Najih. The former Danjen Kopassus revealed a number of messages that Mbah Moen had conveyed to him, namely his commitment to fighting for the little people.

"His message has always been ingrained in my mind, 'Mas Prabowo must always defend the people, Mas Prabowo must always defend the little people'," Prabowo said, imitating Mbah Moen's statement as quoted on Friday, May 6.

Not only that, Prabowo reminisced about his togetherness with Mbah Moen. He seemed moved to remember his memories with the deceased to the point where he could not hold back his tears.

Prabowo said that for him it was a privilege to be able to pray and pray in the rooms of Mbah Moen who died on August 9, 2019.

The cleric was declared dead during the pilgrimage and was buried in the Al-Ma'la cemetery, Mecca.

Meanwhile, Mbah Moen's son, Gus Najih, said that Prabowo had considered Mbah Moen like his own father.

"Pak Prabowo has considered the late Mbah Moen like his own father," he said.