PBNU Regarding Religious Organizations Managing Mining: Wong We Need

Chairman of PBNU KH Yahya Cholil Staquf. (ANTARA/Sean Muhamad)

JAKARTA - The Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board responded to the news about religious community organizations (ormas) that obtained a Mining Business License (IUP) from the Government. "When the government gave this opportunity, we made this affirmation policy, we saw it as an opportunity and we immediately arrested it. Wong needed it, how else," said PBNU Chairman KH Yahya Cholil Staquf to reporters in Jakarta, Thursday, June 6, quoted by Antara. Gus Yahya, as he is familiarly called, said that PBNU needs are quite a lot to fulfill the interests of its citizens. "We know that NU is a religious and community organization, so it is not just a religious event that is managed, which is taken care of, but community interests including economy, agriculture, education, health and so on," he said. Gus Yahya revealed the results of a survey proving that PBNU has approximately half of Indonesia's population. He added that PBNU also has around 3,000 Islamic boarding schools (ponpes) and madrasas, which to manage it requires a lot of resources.

One of them is Ponpes Lirboyo, which is located in Kediri, East Java. He told that the condition of the boarding school had more than 43,000 students, but with very leveled facilities. He said the students at the boarding school live in a 3x3 meter room, so the students can only put their belongings in their rooms, but sleep in any place such as class employees and mosques. "Well, if we wait for direct government affirmations, we will have to deal with bureaucratic parameters which will take a long time," he said. Gus Yahya also said that his party through the NU Muslimat manages thousands of Kindergarten and Raudatul Athfal (TK and RA), whose teachers have only received minimal fees so far. "Now we know that the reality is that community resources taken from the community itself are no longer sufficient, so there needs to be intervention. In this matter, NU needs revenue," said Yahya Cholil Staquf. Previously, President Jokowi on Thursday, May 30, signed Government Regulation (PP) Number 25 of 2024 concerning amendments to Government Regulation Number 96 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Mineral and Coal Mining Business Activities. Article 83A paragraph (1) of PP Number 25 of 2024 states that the new regulation allows religious organizations, such as Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, to manage the Special Mining Permit Area (WIUPK).