Muhammadiyah Condemns Sexual Predator at Pati Islamic Boarding School, Demands Severe Punishment

Muhammadiyah’s central chairman, Anwar Abbas, has strongly condemned the alleged sexual predator case at Pondok Pesantren Ndholo Kusumo, Tlogowungu, Pati, Central Java. He described the perpetrator’s actions as immoral, unethical, and highly reprehensible. According to him, such conduct not only violates religious norms but also destroys the future of the female students who are the victims. Moreover, the perpetrator is suspected of exploiting their position and trust to deceive the victims with various lies to satisfy their lust. “Therefore, we urge the police to process the case as quickly as possible so that the heaviest punishment can be imposed because the individual has tarnished and ruined the future of several of their own students,” stated Buya Anwar, his familiar nickname, when contacted by Republika.co.id on Wednesday (6/5/2026). He also highlighted the broad impact of the case, which he believes has tarnished the reputation of the pesantren world as a whole. For that reason, he encourages concrete steps to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future. Buya Anwar emphasised the importance of implementing strict rules and ethical codes within pesantren environments. One key point raised is the prohibition for male leaders, teachers, or staff to call or interact with female students alone without a chaperone. “To prevent similar events from recurring, in the future life of the pondok pesantren, rules and ethical codes should be established and enforced strictly, where male leaders, teachers, and staff are prohibited from calling or inviting female students without being accompanied by a teacher, friend, or other party,” he explained.