A prominent figure from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), HRM Khallilur R\nAbdullah Sahlawiy, commonly known as Gus Lilur, has reminded that the\nupcoming NU Congress must be free from money politics. In fact, if\nnecessary, money politics should be declared haram. According to Gus\nLilur, money politics not only influences the voices of Congress\nparticipants but can also mortgage NU\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the Congress moves too far into candidate dynamics and power\nconfigurations, there is one thing that must be affirmed from the\noutset, clearly, without compromise: money politics is haram, and NU\nmust not be built on something haram,\u201d Gus Lilur told reporters on\nMonday (6\/4).<\/p>\n
The declaration that money politics is haram, said Gus Lilur, is not\nmerely a repetition of norms but a setting of direction. From there, the\nentire Congress process will be tested, whether it becomes a dignified\nelection space or merely a transaction arena that endangers the\norganisation\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most fundamental thing is to ensure that all Congress\nparticipants are not involved in money politics practices. Not\nreceiving, not negotiating, let alone being part of its distribution,\nespecially if the money comes from corruption practices. Because at that\npoint, the issue no longer stops at ethical violations but transforms\ninto legal and institutional risks,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
Gus Lilur also warned that NU could be drawn into corruption\nnetworks, even potentially entering the vortex of money laundering\ncrimes (TPPU). According to him, this is not an excessive assumption but\na real consequence of the relationship between money, power, and\nlaw.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccepting money politics means not only selling votes but also\nmortgaging NU\u2019s future. That awareness should lead to more decisive\nsteps that from now on, PBNU must clean the organisation of those\nindicated to be involved in corruption practices,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
Gus Lilur said that NU cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that\nrecently, NU\u2019s image has been tarnished by issues intersecting with\npower governance, including in the alleged corruption case of Hajj\npilgrimage management. Regardless of the ongoing legal process, he said,\nsuch cases have already damaged public perception.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a morals-based organisation like NU, public perception is the\nmain capital. Therefore, the Congress must become a momentum to restore\nthat trust. Not just with clarifications, but with the courage to\nconduct internal cleansing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNU must show that integrity is not just a slogan but a standard that\nis upheld. The way is to dismiss all people in the management who are\nindicated to be involved in corruption,\u201d added this national\nentrepreneur from Situbondo.<\/p>\n
Gus Lilur also revealed a more structural problem in NU, namely being\nused as a vehicle for political power. According to him, currently, NU\nis not only approached but also contested, so many politicians see NU as\na base for legitimacy and mobilisation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey enter, network, then slowly direct the organisation according\nto their interests. The appointment of Syaifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) as\nChairman of the OC Congress, in this context, cannot be separated from a\nbroader reading. This is not about individuals, but about the boundaries\nbetween service and exploitation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
NU, said Gus Lilur, must firmly protect itself so as not to become a\ntool. He said that once NU loses its independence, it will no longer be\nthe guardian of the nation\u2019s morals but merely part of the power\nconfiguration.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the end, all this boils down to one fundamental question: who is\nworthy to lead NU? This Congress must become a momentum to return NU to\nulama who are truly knowledgeable. Not just figures with political\naccess, but those with depth of knowledge, clarity of vision, and moral\nsteadfastness,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
Gus Lilur emphasised that NU was not founded by politicians. It was\nfounded by ulama. According to him, only by returning to ulama who are\nauthoritative in knowledge and morals can NU maintain its identity. When\nulama are replaced by political logic, what is lost is not only\ndirection but also the spirit of the organisation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Grand Conference to be held on 25 April 2026 should become the\nopening path to that. An initial space to affirm that NU still has the\nawareness to care for itself, cleanse itself, and reorganise its\njourney,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Gus Lilur said that NU still wants and can stand as a\npillar for the Republic of Indonesia, not merely a passenger in power,\nbut also a supporter of a clean and integrity-filled state. Therefore,\nhe said, this Congress is not only about who will be elected but about\nwhat values will be won.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf what is won are values, then NU will remain upright as a moral\nforce. But if what is won are interests, then what remains is a large\norganisation without direction. Therefore, amid all the dynamics that\nwill take place, NU needs to return to one attitude that cannot be\ncompromised: rejecting the haram and making it the foundation for a\nclean future,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nu-figure-reminds-of-the-importance-of-a-clean-and-integrity-filled-congress-1775620406", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }