Ministry of Religious Affairs Denies Plan to Manage Mosque Funds

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has affirmed that information circulating on social media regarding the government’s alleged plan to take over the management of mosque funds is untrue or a hoax. Head of the Public Relations and Communications Bureau of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Thobib Al Asyhar, stated that the government has never issued any policy or plan related to establishing a state-managed mosque fund account. “The information circulating on social media about the government’s plan to establish and manage a mosque fund account is untrue. The Ministry of Religious Affairs has never issued such a policy,” said Thobib when confirmed from Jakarta on Wednesday. He explained that content in the form of memes or videos featuring a photo of Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar with narration about establishing a mosque fund account constitutes deliberate disinformation designed to create unrest. “The Minister of Religious Affairs has never spoken about a mosque fund account as framed in that viral content,” he stressed. According to Thobib, the management of mosque funds is entirely the authority of the respective administrators, such as the Mosque Prosperity Council (DKM) or takmir, who carry out management based on principles of independence and the trust of the congregation. He added that the Ministry of Religious Affairs actually encourages professional, transparent, and accountable mosque management without government intervention in the form of control over funds. The Ministry of Religious Affairs also urges the public to be more prudent in receiving information and to verify through official government channels to avoid the spread of hoaxes.