Coordinating Minister Cak Imin Launches 10,000 Sanitation Facilities Programme for Islamic Boarding Schools

“The ratio is simply irrational. There are pesantren with thousands of students, but only 40, 50, or 100 washing and toilet facilities. That is far from adequate.”

Jakarta (ANTARA) — Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment (Menko PM) Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, also known as Cak Imin, has launched a programme to build 10,000 washing and toilet facilities (MCK — mandi, cuci, kakus) for Islamic boarding schools (pondok pesantren) across Indonesia.

Cak Imin launched the programme together with the Forum for Accelerating Pesantren Transformation (FPTP) at the Miftahulhuda Al Musri Islamic Boarding School in Cianjur Regency, West Java.

Speaking further in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Tuesday, Cak Imin said that many pesantren still face serious problems regarding limited sanitation facilities, and not a few pesantren with thousands of students possess only tens of MCK units.

“The ratio is simply irrational. There are pesantren with thousands of students, but only 40, 50, or 100 MCK units. That is far from adequate,” he said.

He therefore views the programme as necessary, because sanitation is a crucial foundation for creating a healthy and comfortable learning environment for students.

“We know that the foundation of progress is knowledge. We know that knowledge is sought in pesantren. We know that the requirement for gaining knowledge is good health, and the requirement for good health is a proper environment. The most fundamental matter is ensuring that MCK facilities meet adequate standards,” said the former Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives.

He also said that the programme is in line with the agenda of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration to transform the nation through the development of excellent human resources.