According to Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saefuddin, the list was made to cater to the public’s demand for moderate preachers.

There are three criteria for moderate preachers, according to the ministry: competency in understanding Islamic teachings, experience in preaching and high commitment to preserving the nation’s values of unity.

Abdul Somad was among several preachers who did not make it onto the list.

The Youtube-based preacher, notorious among internet users for his various controversial remarks, said he did not feel disappointed when the ministry excluded him from the list.

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“The ministry did not want to disappoint the public, since I am fully booked until April 2020,” he wrote on his Instagram account @Ustadzabdulsomad.

The list, which can be found on the Religious Affairs Ministry’s website, also excludes popular preachers Felix Siauw and Sholeh Mahmoed Nasution, widely known as Solmed.

Both preachers are also known for their controversial remarks.

Lukman said, however, that preachers not making the list does not immediately mean that they are not moderate preachers.

“The list was made based on input from a number of Islamic figures,” he said as quoted by kompas.com on Friday.