West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi: Religious Organizations Have More Freedom To Unite People

West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi attended the inauguration of the PUI DPW. ANTARA/Documentation Apim West Sumatra

PADANG - West Sumatra Governor Buya Mahyeldi Ansharullah, said that religious organizations have more flexibility than political parties to become a unifying ummah in the midst of a crisis due to the pandemic and indications of blurring of Islamic teachings from their adherents.

"Even though political parties have religious backgrounds, there is still resistance among some people. However, social organizations can be more accepted so that they are more flexible to provide enlightenment and unite the people," he said while attending the inauguration of the West Sumatra Islamic Community Association (PUI) DPW board in Padang, as reported by Antara, Sunday, October 24.

According to him, religious organizations can fill the void in the development of the people. Currently there are places in West Sumatra that need the role of cadres of mass organizations who really understand religion to revive and spread Islamic teachings in the community.

"There are still areas that need guidance. Many community groups need Islamic strengthening. We have visited the area at sunset, the mosque is good but no one becomes a muezzin, no one becomes an imam," he said.

He hopes that the presence of PUI in West Sumatra can fill these voids and become the glue for the potential of the people in the community.

In the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the economy to weaken, understanding of Islam was obscured, so the unification of the potential of the people was something that had to be pursued as a solution.

General Chairperson of PUI KH Nurhasan Zaidi said the organization actually existed in West Sumatra but did not develop, stagnant. Therefore, the management is currently being renewed in the hope that it will be able to immediately provide service to the people.

"The forerunner of PUI has actually existed since 1911 and was legalized in 1917. However, it has not yet used the name PUO. The merger with another large organization which later became PUI occurred 69 years ago," he said.

Meanwhile, the head of the West Sumatra DPRD, Supardi said that the effort to divide the people was now starting to be felt because it needed the support of religious organizations to be a solution to unite unity.

"Hopefully the presence of PUI in West Sumatra can be a solution for strengthening and bonding the people," he said.

Trusted as the Chairman of DPW PUI West Sumatra, Handanus, S.Fil.I, MSi, General Secretary DPW PUI Jen Zuidi, SH, General Treasurer Yuni Andra, SKM, MM.

Present at the event were the Chairman of the PUI Syuro Council, KH Ahmad Heryawan, leaders of Islamic organizations throughout West Sumatra and members of PUI throughout West Sumatra.