REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- As it is no longer enough for Muhammadiyah to merely provide assistance to the government, it must now be involved in it, a former chief of Indonesia's second-largest Muslim organization said.
"Muhammadiyah has now entered the second century of its existence. In the first century, it was only a partner of the government. However, only providing assistance to the government is no longer enough," Syafii Maarif said on Tuesday, during a book launch at the ongoing Muhammadiyah congress in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
According to Maarif, Muhammadiyah's article of association published in 1985 stated that its mission was to conduct "amar ma'ruf nahi munkar" (carry out good deeds and prevent evil ones) for the nation.
Today, evil deeds like corruption, mafia practices and others are on the rise. "The state seems to be powerless in the face of these crimes. Therefore, Muhammadiyah must be directly involved in the government to contribute its services to fight these evil practices," he emphasized.
The organization must encourage its cadres to take up executive posts in the government, such as those of ministers, governors, district heads, mayors and other public posts.
Members assigned to the government positions must continue to uphold Muhammadiyah's mission of eradicating the evils.
Furthermore, Fida Afif, a young figure of the group, said that the new leader of Muhammadiyah is expected to usher in progress for the second-largest Muslim organization in Indonesia.
The 47th National Congress of Muhammadiyah began in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on August 3 and will be held till August 7. At the congress, a new agenda for the next five years will be formulated, and a new leader to replace two-time chairman, Din Syamsuddin, will be elected.
"We hope the new leader elected during the congress will be trustworthy and capable of ensuring progress for Muhammadiyah," Afif remarked here on Monday.
The former chairman of the Central Board of the Muhammadiyah Students Association stressed that the organization was in need of new leaders who can bring about significant progress.
She added that Muhammadiyah had envisioned transforming Indonesia into a more advanced, open, active, responsible, and evolving nation. With this idea, it can address the core issues of the country.
Moreover, the chairman of Muhammadiyah's special branch in Germany, Ridho Al-Hamdi, pointed out that they were seeking a new, ideal leader who can lead both the nation and organization to achieve rapid progress.
"The new leader of the organization is expected to be a perfect, or at least a near-perfect, figure who can promote Muhammadiyah globally," he stated.
According to Al-Hamdi, the internationalization of Muhammadiyah will directly or indirectly promote Islam worldwide and will facilitate rapid growth to enable the religion to have the second-largest following in the world.
During the first plenary session of the congress here on Monday night, special chapters of Muhammadiyah, Muslim communities from 12 countries, and the Executive Board of Muhammadiyah signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation.
According to the chairman of the first plenary session, Malik Fajar, Muhammadiyah has special branches in several friendly nations, and many Muslim communities from numerous countries expressed interest in learning more about the organization in Indonesia.
The Muslim communities are from 12 countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mauritius, and Timor-Leste, among others.
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