Muhammadiyah Ready to be Critical of Jokowi-JK's Policies

Bekasi, W Java (Antara) - Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Muslim organization, will always be critical of the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla government's policies on Islam, its secretary, Abdul Mu'ti said. "We are ready to be critical of the Jokowi-JK leadership in the next five years," he said at a get-together with the leadership of the organization's branch in Bekasi city, West Java, on Sunday. As an Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah would always monitor every policy taken by the president and vice president for the 2014-2019 period, particularly with regard to Islam, he said. Mu'ti made the remarks in response to the Constitutional Court's verdict rejecting all of the losing presidential ticket Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa's lawsuits against alleged vote rigging in the July 9 presidential poll. "This means that they (Jokowi-JK) will lead Indonesia in the next five years," he said. Muhammadiyah's criticisms of the Jokowi-JK government would be based on the characters of the organization which wants Indonesia to be just and prosperous, he said. On the contrary, Muhammadiyah would laud the Jokowi-JK government's policy if it met the wish of Indonesian Muslims, he said. "Besides being critical, Muhammadiyah will support the Jokowi-JK government if their decisions favor the community," he said. He further called on the entire Indonesian nation to unite to build Indonesia in the wake of the Constitutional Court's verdict on disputed presidential election results. (*) Reporting by Andi Firdaus