35th NU Congress Urged to Restore NU as the Nation's Moral and Intellectual Force

Political observer and former Minister of State for Research and Technology during the era of President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), Muhammad AS Hikam, expressed his hope that the upcoming 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress will be able to produce progressive leadership. Future NU leaders must be able to restore the relevance of NU as the nation’s moral and intellectual force.

These statements were made by AS Hikam during a discussion themed “Seeking the Ideal Format for NU Leadership” in Jakarta on Friday (31/07/2026). The pre-congress discussion also featured UI Professor Dr Hanief Saha Ghafur and pesantren caretaker KH Faris Fuad Hasyim from Buntet. Hikam highlighted the organisation’s closeness to power and legal cases involving members, which he views as an early warning for organisational governance.

“In the last five years, in my view, there has been a sort of setback in NU’s relevance. Especially if we look at what Gus Dur once desired and aspired to. Reviving Gus Dur means reviving that paradigm. NU has almost lost its role as the leading sector of thought leadership,” said AS Hiklyam in Jakarta.

Hikam emphasised that seeking an ideal leadership format does not mean undermining current leadership, but rather responding to the challenges of the era by standing on the heritage of the masters (masyayikh). He highlighted the need to revive Gus Dur’s paradigm, which built NU not merely as a religious movement, but also as an independent and critical centre of thought (fikrah) in responding to social issues and democratisation.

Regarding the dynamics leading up to the NU Congress, Hikam took a relaxed view of differing opinions or minor ripples within the organisation. He believes that the highest consultative forum for Nahdliyin members will proceed smoothly by upholding the tradition of deliberation (musyawarah).

“If NU wants to continue Gus Dur’s paradigm, there are many figures available. It is just a matter of choosing. However, if that paradigm is to be continued, there are certainly consequences, including the need for improvements in the rules of the game and organisational governance, which will be the responsibility of future NU leadership,” he concluded.