Deputy Head Of MUI Wonders Megawati Links Child Nutrition To Recitations Activity, Should Blame The Government

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Anwar Abbas/DOC ANTARA

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairperson (Waketum) of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Anwar Abbas responded to a statement by PDIP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri who alluded to mothers liking to attend recitations. Anwar admitted that he was surprised because the problems with children's health and nutrition were associated with recitation activities.

Initially, Anwar tried to understand Megawati's intention, who actually wanted to talk about the importance and need for mothers to pay attention to the health and nutrition of their children so that they could grow and develop into healthy, intelligent, and productive children.

"Because if children's health and nutrition problems are not paid attention to, then of course later the health and intelligence and productivity of these children will certainly be low and disrupted and we certainly don't want that to happen," said Anwar Abbas in his statement, Thursday, February 23.

However, Anwar Abbas was surprised that Megawati linked this to the problem of women attending recitation sessions. According to him, in the study of Islam, giving attention to children is also taught to mothers.

"It's just that it's surprising why Megawati connected this problem with the involvement of mothers attending the recitation activity, even though in the recitation many things were also mentioned including health-related issues," said Anwar Abbas.

"So in my opinion, there has been a mistake in making a conclusion where she has made recitation a cause of stunting and disruption to children's health," he added.

Anwar also emphasized that the cause of children being stunted was not because the mothers attended recitations. However, families cannot provide adequate nutrition to their children due to poverty.

"As we know, these children will be stunted, the reason is not because the mother attends the recitation, but because the mother and family cannot provide adequate nutrition to the child. That is because of the poverty they face, so not because they take part in the recitation," he said.

In Anwar's opinion, Megawati should have reprimanded the government for not implementing Article 34 of the 1945 Constitution. Where the poor and neglected children are cared for by the state.

"So the blame, in this case, is not the recitation but the government and Mrs. Megawati's own party, namely the PDIP, which is part of the governing and ruling regime," said Anwar Abbas.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the PDI Perjuangan (PDIP) Hasto Kristiyanto asked that the speech by the general chairman Megawati Soekarnoputri at the BKKBN event be seen in its entirety and in context. According to him, the Chairman of the Steering Committee for the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) had no intention of offending anyone, including women attending recitations.

"Yes, it must be seen thoroughly, the speech of the General Chairperson. Mrs. Mega was in her remarks, the theme was about stunting. About how mothers are involved in children's education to prepare for disasters," Hasto told reporters at the PDIP DPP Party School, Lenteng Agung, Jakarta, Thursday, February 23.

Instead of offending, Hasto assessed Megawati as providing education to families to prevent children from being stunted. The 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia wants the nutrition of children in the country to be properly prepared by his family.

After all, Megawati was also one of the mothers who took part in the recitation. Hasto said this had been conveyed in the speech.

"So, it's not about the recitation problem. That's an important thing to say in the speech, Mrs. Megawati (says) 'I also took part in the recitation," he explained.

Even so, Hasto believes there are parties who intentionally misinterpret Megawati's statement. The reason is, 2023 is the beginning of a political year.

Therefore, all parties should listen to Megawati's speech as a whole. "There Mrs. Megawati said, 'sorry, a thousand apologies'. She conveyed a portrait of how mothers' attention to stunting has decreased," said Hasto.

In her remarks at the Pancasila Kick-off event in Action of the Universal Movement Planning to Prevent Stunting, Sexual Violence against Children and Women, Domestic Violence and Anticipating Disasters, Megawati made a controversial statement. This activity was held on February 16 and was organized by BPIP, BRIN, BKKBN.

"I see ladies, sorry, right now, it seems like the culture, thousands of apologies, don't bully me later, why are you so happy to take part in recitations? Yes, sorry, thousands of apologies," said Mega.

"I even thought like that, how long will this recitation last, what are you going to do with your child?" she said at the time.