Gus Yahya Responds to Cak Imin's Criticism of PBNU: He Has Never Been an NU Official

The General Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), KH Yahya Cholil Staquf, has responded to criticism from the General Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Muhaimin Iskandar, who had previously called for a change in PBNU leadership on the grounds that there had been no change over the past five years. Gus Yahya assessed that Cak Imin’s judgement was not based on a complete understanding of Nahdlatul Ulama’s organisational dynamics. According to him, Cak Imin has never served as an NU official at any level and therefore does not know about the changes that have occurred within the organisation. ‘Please check if Mr Muhaimin made such a statement. But I think this can be verified with the ranks of officials and NU members. If Mr Muhaimin said that, I think it is because he may not fully understand NU, as he has never been an NU official at any level in his entire life,’ Gus Yahya said during a press conference at the PBNU Building in Jakarta on Tuesday. He even stated that Cak Imin has never been an official at the branch level. ‘He has never even been a branch-level official. So he does not know what the changes are like, he simply does not know,’ he remarked. According to Gus Yahya, if asked, officials and grassroots NU members would acknowledge the fundamental progress achieved during this PBNU leadership period. ‘Meanwhile, if you check with the NU ranks down to the grassroots, I think no one can deny the fundamental advances that have been achieved during this management period,’ he said.