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Muhammadiyah welcomes mining permit policy, sparking grassroots backlash
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Heavy vehicles operate at a coal mine in Sumber Batu village, Meureubo district, West Aceh regency, Aceh, on May 24, 2024. (Antara/Syifa Yulinnas)
M
uhammadiyah, a major Muslim group known for its environmentalist stances, is facing a backlash from grassroots members and activists for welcoming a government policy that allows religious organizations to manage state-owned mines.
After a period of equivocation on the contentious policy, the Muhammadiyah central board officially announced its approval on Sunday. The program was introduced by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo last month.
Muhammadiyah said it would now be ready to operate such mines if it received the permits to do so.
“In managing mines, Muhammadiyah will make the maximum effort to be fully [environmentally] responsible by involving professionals in the mining sector,” Muhammadiyah secretary-general Abdul Mu’ti told the press. “We will also collaborate with universities and apply needed technology that minimizes environmental damage.”
It remains unclear whether Muhammadiyah has applied for a mining concession.
Muhammadiyah joins the country’s biggest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), in welcoming the policy, which was criticized in some quarters as pork-barrel politics and a reward for NU’s support for Jokowi throughout his 10-year presidency, as well as for supporting his preferred candidate in the February presidential election.
Contrary to NU’s move last month, soon after the program’s announcement, to apply for a mining permit in East Kalimantan, the Muhammadiyah central board had refrained from directly opposing or welcoming the policy.
