Culture Minister Provides Flood Recovery Aid to Jam’iyah Mahmudiyah Institute
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Culture Minister Fadli Zon visited the Jam’iyah Mahmudiyah Institute area in Langkat Regency, North Sumatra, to inspect the flood-affected region and to hand over assistance to the educational institution and the area’s cultural heritage site.
Fadli inspected several historical sites, including Kolam Raja, known as the bathing place of the kings of the Langkat Sultanate, as well as the tomb of National Hero Tengku Amir Hamzah, a renowned poet and a figure of the Angkatan Pujangga Baru literary movement.
According to a press release received in Jakarta on Sunday, Fadli expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet directly with the local community and the academic community in the historic area, particularly during Ramadan.
He explained that the floods in the area reveal that what appears normal under ordinary conditions can pose disaster risk. ‘When conditions are normal, everything looks ordinary. But when misfortune strikes, the water can rise quite high in this area. This place even became a relocation site for evacuees,’ he said.
Despite facing disaster challenges, he stressed that educational institutions in the area play an important role in producing superior human resources.
He noted that Jam’iyah Mahmudiyah Institute and the madrasahs around it have become an important part of Indonesia’s educational history.
As a form of government concern for the impact of the flood, Fadli symbolically provided support. Previously, aid had also been channelled to support renovations of Madrasah Tsanawiyah in the area.
Through the aid provided, the Ministry of Culture hopes the recovery process can continue to progress smoothly so that educational activities and the preservation of cultural values in the Jam’iyah Mahmudiyah area can continue optimally.
The Jam’iyah Mahmudiyah Institute area is one of the historic Islamic educational districts that developed from the early 20th century during the Langkat Sultanate.
Today, the area continues to function as an educational environment housing higher education activities and religious education institutions that continue the scholarly traditions that have developed since its founding.
This education area is also known to have produced several national figures, including Adam Malik, who served as Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Foreign Minister, and President of the United Nations General Assembly.
Additionally, this area produced Tengku Amir Hamzah, a national hero known as a great poet and a figure of the Angkatan Pujangga Baru.
Other figures connected with the educational environment in the area include Fahri Salim, known for his contributions to the writing of the Mushaf Alquran.
There is also Imaduddin Abdurrahim, a prominent ulama who played an important role in developing intellectual dawa at Masjid Salman, Bandung Institute of Technology.
Fadli hopes that Jam’iyah Mahmudiyah Institute and the area’s educational institutions can continue to develop and produce outstanding generations for the nation.
‘May Jam’iyah Mahmudiyah Institute and the schools in this area continue to advance and produce extraordinary human resources,’ he said.