Cak Imin: President Committed to Improving Islamic Boarding School Infrastructure

The General Chairman of PKB, Muhaimin Iskandar, also known as Cak Imin, stated that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is committed to improving the infrastructure of Islamic boarding schools (pesantren).

“Infrastructure is something we are continuously improving. As the Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, I, along with Minister of Religious Affairs Nasar, have witnessed the President’s commitment that all pesantren infrastructure must be overhauled,” said Cak Imin during the opening of the National Meeting of Islamic Boarding Schools at the Grand Mercure Hotel Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Monday (18/5/2026).

He noted that these improvements are necessary to prevent unhealthy power dynamics. Reflecting on recent cases of sexual violence in a boarding school in Pati, Cak Imin asserted that the suspects, who were founders and leaders, were not true religious scholars (kiai).

“I dare to state that what happened in Pati and West Java was not caused by true kiai. It was essentially sham practitioners masquerading as kiai,” he said. He further alleged that there are individuals protecting such bad actors, noting that reports of sham kiai have been made for a long time without arrests, suggesting a tendency towards protection by certain parties.

Meanwhile, the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs for Central Java Province has ensured that the educational rights of dozens of students affected by the sexual violence case will be upheld. Learning processes for the students will continue through prepared schemes, despite the boarding school’s operational permit having been revoked since 5 May 2026.