Nusron: 27,000 Mosques and Prayer Rooms in Central Java Still Uncertified

Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Nusron Wahid has disclosed that 27,000 mosques, prayer rooms (musala), and other places of worship in Central Java Province remain uncertified. Speaking after symbolically handing over 243 waqf land certificates at the Gradhika Bhakti Praja Building in the Governor’s Office complex in Semarang on Tuesday, Nusron stated that resolving the legal certainty of waqf land for places of worship is a national priority programme in the land sector.

He explained that several obstacles hinder the certification process. “One of the obstacles is, firstly, the donor (wakif) is no longer alive. Secondly, the boundaries of the land plot are unclear. Thirdly, a trustee (nazir) or administrator has not yet been appointed,” Nusron said.

Nevertheless, Nusron noted that overall, the certification of waqf land in Central Java Province has been quite positive. “Nationally, Central Java’s achievement is above the national average, at 73 percent. This is an extraordinary leap,” he said. According to Nusron, public awareness in Central Java regarding the certification of places of worship has developed well over the past three years. “Compared to previous data, the increase is 328 percent over four years. We should be grateful for this,” he added.

For the remaining uncertified mosques, prayer rooms, and other places of worship in Central Java, the Ministry of ATR/BPN has prepared a handling strategy. “We have established cooperation with the Supreme Court, involving an ‘isbat wakaf’ (waqf confirmation). Regarding the absence of a trustee, a certificate can be issued under the name of a temporary trustee, with the condition that it will be transferred once a permanent trustee is appointed,” Nusron explained. He added that his ministry has a strategy to accelerate the certification of waqf land within three years, targeting a 95 percent completion rate, acknowledging that 100 percent may be unattainable due to unresolved land disputes.

Meanwhile, Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin stated that over the past four years, the provincial government has encouraged foundations, mosques, prayer rooms, and other places of worship to certify their waqf land. “We know that many problems have arisen in Central Java, so we have embraced the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI), waqf bodies, and others to campaign and socialise the importance of issuing certificates for waqf land to prevent disputes,” he said.