Minister Mu'ti Urges Unmuh Babel Graduates to Dedicate Themselves to Society

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti has stated that graduates of Universitas Muhammadiyah Bangka Belitung (Unmuh Babel) must be dedicated and provide benefits to society and the nation. “I hope the students graduating today do not suffer from ‘toga syndrome’, feeling that learning is finished just because they have worn the graduation gown,” said Abdul Mu’ti during the 17th graduation ceremony in Pangkalpinang on Thursday. He urged the graduates to always be grateful, reminding them of the divine message: “If you are grateful, I will surely increase your favour; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.” He advised the graduates to always be grateful and dedicated, bringing benefit to others, as the best of people are those most beneficial to humanity. Citing the thoughts of Ali Syariati in his book on the duties of Muslim intellectuals, he explained four essential tasks. The first is to provide enlightenment, illuminating life through knowledge. The second is to ground a progressive Islam, ensuring it is not merely beautiful in words and scripture but truly presents a mercy that makes human life happier and the universe more prosperous. The fourth task is to fight against stagnation and rigidity, meaning an intellectual must dare to be a trailblazer, be critical for the sake of goodness, and offer solutions to various problems. “An intellectual is someone who is constantly restless seeing something that needs to be fixed. Not someone who merely blames the darkness, but someone who lights a candle in the midst of that darkness. Therefore, after you graduate, never stop creating,” he said.