Strengthening Tolerance Through the Social Function of Places of Worship
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUPANG – The Director General of Political and General Governance (Polpum) at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Akmal Malik, conducted a strategic working visit to Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara Province, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. During the visit, Akmal Malik emphasized the importance of strengthening tolerance through a welfare approach and the social-economic function of places of worship.
The ceremonial event, held at the Kupang City Hall, was attended by the Mayor of Kupang, Dr. Christian Widodo, the Kupang City Regional Secretary, the Director of Economic, Social, and Cultural Resilience at the Directorate General of Polpum, assistant regional secretaries, and heads of departments throughout Kupang City.
The Mayor of Kupang, Dr. Christian Widodo, stated in his speech that collaboration between the regional and central governments is key to the success of the President’s programs.
“We invite all elements to participate. If we want to go it alone, we will certainly reach our destination, but if we want to go far, we must go together,” said Dr. Christian in a press release on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
On this occasion, Director General of Polpum, Akmal Malik, gave specific directions for Kupang City to become a role model in the practical implementation of interfaith harmony. According to him, the best way to build tolerance is to provide space for regions to demonstrate best practices in resolving community problems.
“Addressing the issue of differing dogmas has the potential to create problems. Let us look for common ground, one of which is the community’s need for food. President Prabowo’s policy is the best policy that places food as a top priority,” said Akmal Malik.
He added that conflicts often start from disharmony at the household level due to unmet basic needs. Therefore, he asked the region to implement a need-based policy so that limited budgets can be prioritized for basic necessities.
As a form of concrete action, the Mayor of Kupang and the Director General of Political and General Governance planted trees at places of worship together with the heads of departments and the management of the Kupang City Interfaith Forum. This activity was carried out at a church and a mosque to illustrate the support of various community elements for this food security program. The Al Ikhlas Mosque in Bonipoi and the GMIT Horeb Church were chosen as the right places for this pilot planting project.
Before concluding the event with a breaking-fast meal at the Al Ikhlas Mosque in Bonipoi, Akmal and Christian took the time to greet the community while participating in “hunting for iftar snacks” at the MSME Iftar Center in front of the Kupang Cathedral Church.
“This is truly a manifestation of tolerance and harmony between religious communities, Mr. Mayor. Best practices like this should be disseminated and orchestrated to all regional governments so that Indonesian unity can be maintained from the grassroots level,” said Akmal.