House Commission VIII Approves Rp50.10 Billion Top-Up for National Strategic Project at UIN Malang

House Commission VIII and the Religious Affairs Minister have agreed to a supplementary budget worth Rp50.10 billion, sourced from the Foreign Loan and Grant (PHLN) scheme, to complete the national strategic project at the State Islamic University (UIN) of Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang. The decision was formalised during a working meeting in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday. Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII, Abdul Wachid, stated that the approval aims to support the continuity of the religious higher education infrastructure programme. The decision was reached after hearing the urgent presentation from the Religious Affairs Minister to ensure that the state’s educational assets, which have already been constructed, can immediately function fully for the public. Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar said the budget top-up is crucial for financing the procurement of campus furniture and laboratory equipment not yet fully covered in the baseline budget. This follows the completion of physical construction for eight buildings on the campus, which were financed through cooperation with the Saudi Fund for Development. The eight newly completed buildings comprise a male student dormitory, a female student dormitory, the Islamic Tutorial Centre building, the Faculty of Medicine building, the Faculty of Pharmacy building, the Research and Data Centre building, and two Faculty of Engineering buildings. The minister clarified that these buildings cannot be optimally used without furnishings and laboratory equipment. Therefore, the Rp50.10 billion top-up is strictly intended for procuring this furniture and equipment to support the project’s continuation ahead of the final contract closing date on 31 December 2026. He added that fulfilling the supporting facilities for the laboratories and dormitories is a vital effort by the Religious Affairs Ministry to boost the operational quality of lectures. The presence of modern facilities at UIN Malang is expected to expand access, quality, and the relevance of Islamic Higher Education on an international scale.