Cak Imin Urges Minister of Religious Affairs to Anticipate Dodgy Pesantren in the Wake of Sexual Violence Case

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Chairman of the Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB), Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar (Cak Imin), has urged the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) to anticipate the proliferation of dodgy pesantren. The call came in his remarks at the National Meeting of Pesantren: The Pesantren Movement Against Sexual Violence, attended in person by Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar in Jakarta on Monday evening, 18 May 2026. ‘To the Minister of Religious Affairs, let us also work together so that our dodgy pesantren can be anticipated,’ Cak Imin said. ‘Let us unite with all parties, with society; if you see something amiss, do not stay silent—report it immediately. God willing, the Police and all of us will safeguard it,’ he added. Cak Imin argued that the rising phenomenon of physical, mental, and sexual violence in a number of educational institutions has reached a level that is worrying and requires firm, collective action. He urged the public not to be easily duped by pesantren offering cheap education fees. ‘To the public, do not easily trust terms such as free boarding, or fee-free arrangements, without checks being carried out,’ Cak Imin said.