Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar confirmed and welcomed the decision, expressing appreciation to all parties who advanced the discussion, particularly Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Muhammad Syafi’i.
Umar delivered the remarks during a Santri Day ceremony at the ministry’s headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Deputy Minister Syafi’i said the State Secretariat had issued a letter approving the drafting of a presidential regulation (Perpres) to amend Perpres No. 152 of 2024 on the structure of the Religious Affairs Ministry.
The letter, signed on Tuesday (October 21) by Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi, stated that President Prabowo had ordered the establishment of the Pesantren Directorate General to give the government a stronger focus on developing Islamic boarding schools.
Syafi’i said he hoped the new directorate general would strengthen pesantrens’ role in education, preaching, and community empowerment.
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“Hopefully, the formation of this directorate will help empower pesantrens and guide them to make greater contributions to the nation,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to President Prabowo and members of the Red and White Cabinet for realizing the long-discussed plan, first proposed in 2019 under then–Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin.
The proposal was later refined and submitted to the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry by Saifuddin’s successors — Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in 2021 and 2023, and Nasaruddin Umar in 2024.
Supporting the initiative, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar said last year it was reasonable for the government to establish a dedicated directorate following the enactment of the Pesantren Law in 2019.
He emphasized that pesantrens, which play a vital role in national development, deserve stronger government support to expand their contributions to society.
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Translator: Asep F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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