Muhammadiyah to Strengthen Supervisory Role over Government

Muhammadiyah is going to hold a tanwir meeting with the agenda to draw up a shortlist of 39 out of 92 names to be forwarded as candidates for chairman in an election at the 48th congress the following day.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Chairman of Muhammadiyah Central Executive Haedar Nashir (left) shakes hands with PP Muhammadiyah General Secretary Abdul Mu'ti after delivering an iftitah or opening speech at the opening of the Muhammadiyah Tanwir Session at Muhammadiyah University Surakarta Campus, Sukoharjo, Central Java, Friday (18/11/2022) .

SURAKARTA, KOMPAS —Muslim organization Muhammadiyah is expected to continue its controlling role over the government. Support for the post-2024 election government being predicted to strengthen formal institutions, such as the legislative body, is believed to be weakening its scrutinizing role over the government.

Meanwhile, civil society will not get consolidated properly enough to take optimal controlling roles.

Muhammadiyah, which was founded by Muslim scholar KH Ahmad Dahlan in 1912, still has to prepare prospective national leaders by encouraging cadres to participate actively in political institutions.

"In the political realm, Muhammadiyah must remain a counterbalance to the government," Ma'arif Institute executive director A Rohim Ghazali said in a forum discussing Muhammadiyah's ideas and vision held virtually on Thursday (17/11/2022).

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Muhammadiyah is scheduled to hold the 48th congress on 19 Nov followed by the organization’s women’s wing Aisyiyah’s gathering the following day. In addition to the election of a new chairman and the formation of the Muhammadiyah Central Board membership, the congress will also discuss work programs and various strategic issues.

There will be 39 prospective candidates for the new chairmanship position shortlisted from 92 names in the tanwir meeting.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Opening of the Muhammadiyah Tanwir Session at the Muhammadiyah University Surakarta Campus, Sukoharjo, Central Java, Friday (18/11/2022).

Futility

Rohim said Muhammadiyah must step up its controlling role over the government. "This is because, I suspect, after the 2024 election, the same pattern will occur, which is the formation of a jumbo coalition of government supporters in the legislative body. That makes them futile," he said.

When the formal institutions are not effective in playing their roles, civil society groups should come up as a counterbalance to the government. However, they do not have enough power to lobby. "Therefore, in the end, it is organizations such as Muhammadiyah and NU that should become the drivers of society," he said, referring to the country’s largest Muslim organization.

Rohim said strengthening power control did not necessarily mean being sarcastic and continuing to criticize partially all government policies. Muhammadiyah should provide constructive criticism as well as solutions to the nation’s challenges and problems.

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Muhammadiyah’s youth wing organization chairman Sunanto pointed out the need for Muhammadiyah to maintain neutrality. While helping in building integrity, such an approach, he said, had become Muhammadiyah’s prominence that made it different from other organizations.

Warning against seeing such an approach as Muhammadiyah’s anti-political stance, he said the organization would continue to push its cadres to promulgate its big vision beyond it.

His predecessor Saleh P Daulay, who now serves as chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction at the House of Representatives (DPR), said Muhammadiyah had to continue maintaining its role as guardian of human and religious values ​​as well as social norms.

This article was translated by Musthofid.