Review the Jam'iyah Mahmudiyah Affected by Flooding, the Minister of Culture Hand Over Aid

Fadli Zon reviewing the Jam'iyah Mahmudiyah Institute area in Langkat Regency, North Sumatra, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (IST)

LANGKAT - Culture Minister Fadli Zon reviewed the Jam'iyah Mahmudiyah Institute area in Langkat Regency, North Sumatra, Saturday, March 7, 2026, as part of his working visit. During this visit, in addition to coming to see the impact of the flood on the historic education area, Fadli also handed over assistance for educational institutions and cultural heritage areas at the location.

In the area, Fadli reviewed a number of historical points, including the King's Pool which is known as the bathing place for the kings of the Langkat Sultanate, as well as the tomb of National Hero Tengku Amir Hamzah, the great poet of the New Intellectuals Movement.

"This area has many historical stories and has been designated as a cultural heritage, both at the district and provincial levels," said Fadli.

He highlighted the flooding that hit the area, that the historic area was still vulnerable to disasters. According to the Minister, when the normal condition of the area looked ordinary, but when disaster came, the water could rise quite high. Even the location was used as a place of refuge.

Despite being hit by floods, Fadli emphasized that the Jam'iyah Mahmudiyah area was still important in the history of Indonesian education. The institute and madrasah around it, he said, have long been part of the formation of human resources in the area.

As a form of support, the Ministry of Culture handed over assistance symbolically. Previously, assistance had also been distributed for the renovation of the Tsanawiyah Madrasah in the area. The government hopes that recovery can continue so that educational activities and cultural preservation do not stop.

Jam'iyah Mahmudiyah is known as a historic Islamic educational area that has grown since the early 20th century during the Langkat Sultanate. This area was once a learning center that attracted students from various regions in the archipelago to Southeast Asia.

From this educational environment, a number of national figures were born, including Adam Malik, who was once the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and President of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as Tengku Amir Hamzah. Another name that is also mentioned in relation to this area is Fahri Salim and the late Imaduddin Abdurrahim.

"Hopefully, the Jam'iyah Mahmudiyah Institute and the schools in this area can continue to progress and produce extraordinary human resources," said Fadli.