Golkar Secretary-General: NU Will Be More Influential If It Plays 'Big Politics'

Secretary-General of the Golkar Party, M. Sarmuji, has called on Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) to begin distancing itself from involvement in ‘small politics’ or practical politics, and instead strengthen its role in ‘big politics’ oriented towards national interests. This was conveyed by Sarmuji at a discussion forum ahead of the NU Congress entitled ‘NU Masa Depan dan Masa Depan NU’ (The Future of NU and NU’s Future), organised by the Talibuana Nusantara Foundation in Jakarta, Thursday, 2 July 2026. ‘Like it or not, NU is closely tied to politics, very closely. But as a member of NU who is not in a party synonymous with NU, I hope that NU’s attachment to small politics can be reduced, and conversely, NU’s involvement in big politics must be strengthened,’ said Sarmuji. According to Sarmuji, there is a fundamental difference between small and big politics. He gave the example that if, during a presidential election, NU is busier forming a campaign team and thinking about which candidate will win, it means the pull of small politics on NU is strengthening. Conversely, if NU focuses more on safeguarding the quality of the election so that the people’s voice is truly reflected correctly, then NU’s position in big politics will become stronger. ‘NU is certainly better off engaging in big politics, namely national politics, by positioning itself as a civil society that can advise the state. This is what is currently very lacking: a civil society capable of advising the state, especially advising in a calm and gentle manner like the NU tradition,’ he said. Sarmuji emphasised the importance of a gentle and refined approach in conveying advice to the state, as a harsh approach is considered unproductive. He touched on the experience of a mass organisation that took a hard line and ended up being disbanded, as a lesson that a confrontational approach is counterproductive. ‘This character has been exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad: if you want to advise a leader, draw him into a closed room. NU has that tradition, able to advise the state without causing offence. This is what is currently missing,’ Sarmuji stated. He added that the challenge for civil society groups wanting to act as a balancing force to the state is that the method of delivery is often difficult for the authorities to accept. This is because, according to him, power has its own character that is not always identical to the character of the individual holding that power.