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esides political parties, Muhammadiyah, the country’s second largest Muslim organization, has also secured a ministerial post in Wednesday’s Cabinet reshuffle, with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo having named Muhadjir Effendy, the rector of Malang Muhammadiyah University (UMM) in East Java, as the new education minister. His appointment marks the comeback of Muhammadiyah in holding a post that has traditionally been allocated to members of the organization.

For more than a century Muhammadiyah has been very active in education. It controls more than 10,000 educational institutions, like kindergartens, elementary schools and junior and senior schools, as well as some 60 Islamic boarding schools, 172 universities and 71 special needs schools across the archipelago.

Two of Muhadjir’s immediate predecessors, Anies Baswedan and Mohammad Nuh, did not come from Muhammadiyah, but at least two previous education ministers before Anies and Mohammad Nuh were Muhammadiyah members: Bambang Sudibyo and Abdul Malik Fadjar.

Anies was known as an educational expert, while Mohammad Nuh had a Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) background.

The country’s largest Muslim organization NU, meanwhile, currently controls the Religious Affairs Ministry with one of its members, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, as the minister. In addition, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa is also an NU member.

Jokowi’s move on Wednesday brings to mind the joke about the reshuffle and ministerial seats for Muhammadiyah and NU that the President made last month during an event marking the anniversary of the death of Taufiq Kiemas, the former People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker. During the event, which was attended by numerous leaders of political parties, Jokowi said he found there were six NU-affiliated ministers in the Cabinet. The crowd laughed when Jokowi said he did not count how many Muhammadiyah members held ministerial seats because its chairman did not ask him to.

Muhadjir, who leads the education, culture, research and development department on the Muhammadiyah central board, has held the position of UMM rector for three terms since 2000.

The President’s move is normal in politics and ministerial posts are political appointments, said Abdul Malik Fadjar who is also a member of the Presidential Advisory Board (Wantimpres).

“Well, since [he is now] a minister, [he] must able to position [himself] as a minister. He must focus on a commitment to build the nation,” said Abdul Malik, who attended the ministers’ inauguration ceremony on Wednesday at the State Palace.

Abdul Malik believed that Muhadjir could lead the ministry better because of his experiences and skills related to education development, adding that the Wantimpres did not give any input to Jokowi regarding the reshuffle.

Also, like Muhammadiyah, NU has a representative in the Wantimpres: Hasyim Muzadi.

Suyatno, another Muhammadiyah leader who attended the inauguration ceremony, said Muhadjir is one of organization’s members who has skills and shows professionalism all the time and that having Muhadjir in the Cabinet reflects Muhammadiyah’s moral responsibility to help build the nation.

Tough jobs, including how to reduce an educational gap and to improve the country’s human resources through better education, await Muhadjir, who said he realized that education could only show results in the long run.

“I will do my best to translate the President’s vision [in education],” Muhadjir said, adding that Jokowi has instructed him to also pay attention to developing vocational education in the country.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said Jokowi considered Muhadjir as a figure who not only has expertise in education, but also someone who has the capacity to implement Jokowi’s vision and mission to develop the country’s education system.