"We are seeking to continuously coordinate so that pesantrens can mitigate risks related to their physical buildings," he said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Iskandar underlined that mitigation efforts are essential to guarantee the safety of students and to prevent building collapses like the one that occurred at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java, recently.
He noted that the majority of pesantrens in Indonesia are old and the buildings are no longer sturdy.
Furthermore, not all pesantrens have adequate resources and knowledge to rehabilitate their buildings, primarily because they tend to prioritize independence in their management.
As a result, he said, pesantrens often use a stopgap approach in carrying out building construction.
To this end, sustainable coordination with the pesantren managers is needed so that they are willing to be adaptive in renovating their old buildings.
"In accordance with the directive of the President, I will continuously take quick measures, prioritizing pesantrens with the highest risks to be handled immediately," the minister affirmed.
Earlier, President Prabowo instructed Minister Iskandar to thoroughly inspect and audit pesantren buildings across Indonesia.
This step is deemed crucial in response to the collapse of a building at Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo on September 29, 2025. The incident occurred while students were performing congregational prayer.
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has officially concluded the search and rescue operations for victims of the collapsed pesantren.
Basarnas Head Mohammad Syafii in Sidoarjo on Tuesday stated that 171 victims were found during the search and rescue operations, including 104 survivors and 67 confirmed dead.
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Translator: Anita Permata, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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