PBNU Affirms PKB Is Established For The Nation, Not For Elites And Family

Deputy Secretary General (Sekjen) of PBNU Suleman Tanjung. (photo: dok ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board emphasized that the National Awakening Party (PKB) was established for the benefit of the nation, not for the benefit of the General Chairperson of the PKB, Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar and a handful of elites and their families. This statement was made by the Deputy Secretary General of PBNU, Suleman Tanjung, at the PBNU Plenary Meeting in Jakarta on Saturday, July 27, 2024.

Suleman considered that currently PKB had deviated from the initial objective of its establishment and was controlled by a handful of elites and families. "PBNU sees an attempt by a handful of PKB elites who want to distort history and keep PKB away from NU," he said. Responding to this, PBNU plans to form a special committee (pansus) to return PKB to the path in accordance with NU principles.

Informal talks about the formation of the special committee or Team Lima are one of the agendas in the PBNU Plenary Meeting. According to Suleman, the meeting participants agreed that PBNU must respond to the behavior and statements of the PKB elite. "We will announce the formation of the PKB Special Committee at the closing of the plenary meeting, Sunday (28/7), to return the PKB to its original home, namely NU," said Suleman.

Gus Saifullah Yusuf alias Gus Ipul, Secretary General of PBNU, previously also revealed that his party was discussing the formation of a special committee to straighten out the history of PKB. Gus Ipul said that this special committee would be called Team Lima, similar to Team Lima which was formed by PBNU at the beginning of the reform when founding PKB.

Tim Lima ini akan bekerja untuk mengembalikan PKB kepada prinsip-principan NU dan akan segera diwujudkan jika mendapatkan persetujuan dari Rais Aam Kiai Haji (KH) Miftachul Ahyar dan Ketua Umum PBNU KH Yahya Cholil Staquf.

Gus Ipul added that all NU figures and activists would be invited to give opinions regarding the formation of this special committee. "We will invite all NU figures and activists to be asked for their opinion regarding this matter," he said.