TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto highlighted the strong foothold of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in national politics, pointing to the Islamic organization’s representation in his Red and White Cabinet and across political parties.
“The Red and White Cabinet consists of many NU members. It is a great, omnipresent organization. Being represented in all parties, NU can never lose,” he remarked in Bangkalan District, East Java, on Tuesday.
He made the statement during the closing ceremony of the National Conference of Islamic Scholars and the NU Grand Conference 2026, according to a Presidential Secretariat release cited in Jakarta.
Prabowo went on to say that NU is an ideal place to “learn politics,” citing its extensive organizational structure that reaches grassroots communities across the country.
The president also described NU as a religious community organization long associated with nationalism and patriotism, dating back to the pre-independence era.
On a personal note, he recalled growing up in the same neighborhood as the family of Indonesia’s fourth president, Abdurrahman Wahid, an NU figure popularly known as Gus Dur.
He further emphasized that his grandmother was also a member of the organization.
Moreover, the head of state praised NU for standing firm as a reliable element capable of helping steer the nation through difficult times.
“The big family of NU has always been present whenever the Indonesian nation faces hardship. The big family of NU serves as a stabilizing factor that helps ensure the safety of the nation and the state,” Prabowo affirmed.
He delivered the speech at the Syaichona Mohammad Cholil Islamic Institute in Bangkalan on Madura Island.
Several senior officials were in attendance, including Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar, and Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Arifah Fauzi.
Read: Chaos at NU Conference Raises Concerns Among Religious Scholars
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