The Ministry of Religious Affairs has reported a range of programs reaching millions of people during the first two years of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's reign. These initiatives cover access to education, teacher welfare, student and Islamic boarding school student health and nutrition, as well as community economic empowerment.
Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar said the programs represent the Ministry's contribution to implementing four of the government's Asta Cita priority missions closely related to its mandate and functions, namely priorities three, four, seven, and eight.
“If asked what we hope to achieve through all these efforts, the answer is simple. Once again, this is a mandate from President Prabowo: we want the state's presence, through the Ministry of Religious Affairs, to be increasingly felt by the public,” the Minister said at a press conference on the achievements of the two-year Asta Cita agenda on Monday (October 19, 2026).
One of the largest areas of program outreach is education. Throughout 2025–2026, Program Indonesia Pintar or PIP reached 5,216,294 students at madrasahs and Christian, Catholic, and Hindu educational institutions, with a budget allocation of Rp4.07 trillion.
At the higher education level, Kartu Indonesia Pintar Kuliah or KIP Kuliah supported 289,255 students at religious higher education institutions serving Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, and Buddhist communities, with funding totaling Rp3.032 trillion. The Ministry's Indonesia Bangkit Scholarship Program, implemented in collaboration with the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP), also supported 3,659 recipients in 2024–2025, with a total allocation of Rp1.377 trillion.
“In education, our main priority is to ensure that economic hardship does not deprive Indonesian children of the opportunity to learn,” Minister Nasaruddin emphasized.
The Ministry has also expanded religious education opportunities for the Confucian community by establishing the State Confucian Religious College (Sekolah Tinggi Agama Khonghucu Negeri or SETIAKIN) in the Bangka Belitung Islands.
Support for educators' welfare has also been strengthened. In 2025, a total of 452,796 madrasah teachers and religious education teachers serving Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, and Buddhist communities received professional allowances worth Rp19.148 trillion. In 2026, the program covered 671,704 madrasah and religious education teachers, with an allocation of Rp25.996 trillion.
6.3 Million Students and Santri Reached by Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG)
The Ministry has also supported students and santri through the Free Nutritious Meals (Makan Bergizi Gratis or MBG) and Free Health Check (Cek Kesehatan Gratis or CKG) programs. MBG has reached 6,335,217 students and santri, while CKG has served 3,209,783.
The Vice Minister of Religious Affairs Romo Muhammad Syafi'i said meeting nutritional and healthcare needs is essential to improving the quality of future generations.
“Children who are healthy and receive adequate nutrition naturally have better opportunities to learn, grow, and develop their potential,” the Vice Minister said.
He explained that expanding MBG to Islamic boarding schools must be accompanied by accurate student data collection, targeted distribution, and consistent food quality. Islamic boarding schools are also expected to become more involved in the MBG ecosystem, ensuring that the program not only improves nutrition but also stimulates economic empowerment within the pesantren community.
“Strong Islamic boarding schools must be supported by healthy, capable students who have opportunities to grow,” he emphasized.
Presidential Attention to Religious Communities
The Vice Minister added that various policies introduced over the past two years demonstrate President Prabowo's commitment to addressing the needs of religious communities.
He explained that the commitment is also reflected in institutional strengthening and the restructuring of certain religious affairs to ensure they receive more focused attention.
“I would like to invite everyone to recognize that this demonstrates the President's genuine commitment to paying attention to religious communities,” the Vice Minister said.
He stated that institutional strengthening is not merely about changing the structure of government. More importantly, it ensures that every strategic area receives more focused and effective attention.
One example is the strengthening of pesantren institutions through the establishment of the Directorate General of Islamic Boarding Schools. According to the Deputy Minister, this initiative supports the three core functions of pesantren mandated by the Pesantren Law: education, religious outreach (dakwah), and community empowerment.
“Strengthening the Directorate General of Islamic Boarding Schools is not simply about adding another structure within the Ministry of Religious Affairs. What we want to strengthen is the pesantren ecosystem and the benefits it brings to the community,” he said.
He added that the Ministry has a broad mandate, ranging from improving the quality of religious life and education to supporting pesantren and providing services to religious communities. These efforts form part of the Ministry's collective contribution to advancing President Prabowo's government agenda.
Community Economic Empowerment and Religious Harmony
Secretary General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Kamaruddin Amin reported that the collection of zakat, infaq, sadaqah, and other religious social funds had reached Rp44.698 trillion, with 149.954 million recorded beneficiary instances. Cash waqf assets also reached Rp4.7 trillion and had benefited 750,000 people, including through educational scholarships and productive waqf incubation programs.
“For us, what matters is not only how much money is collected, but how much benefit it brings to the community,” the Secretary General said.
Community empowerment initiatives have also been implemented through 267 Zakat Villages, 287 economic empowerment locations based at the Offices of Religious Affairs (Kantor Urusan Agama or KUA), which reached 2,141 beneficiaries in 2025–2026, and 25 Waqf Cities.
In addition, the Ministry supports the management of religious community funds, including Rp6.16 billion through the Kasih Persaudaraan Bangsa Foundation for the Christian community, Rp3.17 billion through the National Dharma Fund Agency (Badan Dharma Dana Nasional) for the Hindu community, and Rp11 billion through the Paramita Fund for the Buddhist community.
“Our hope is that people will not only receive assistance today but will also become increasingly empowered for the future,” Kamaruddin added.
In efforts to strengthen religious harmony, the Religious Harmony Index increased from 76.47 in 2024 to 77.89 in 2025, exceeding the 2025 target of 76.77 set out in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN).
Government Communications Agency Commends the Ministry's Achievements
Head of the Government Communications Agency (Badan Komunikasi Pemerintah or Bakom) Syahganda Nainggolan commended the Ministry of Religious Affairs for promoting religion as a positive force that contributes meaningfully to people's lives. He said the Ministry's role is reflected in strengthening national unity, building integrity, and improving human resource quality.
Syahganda noted that one of the Ministry's important contributions is positioning religion as a force that strengthens national unity. In Indonesia's diverse society, he said, religious values can serve as a source of solidarity and togetherness.
“On behalf of Bakom, we greatly appreciate three things I noted earlier. First, the Minister of Religious Affairs and his team have succeeded in strengthening religion as a means of promoting national unity,” Syahganda said.
He explained that the achievements presented by Minister Nasaruddin Umar and his team demonstrate religion's contribution to strengthening national life. Religion's role in bringing people together was one of the key aspects highlighted by Bakom in reviewing the Ministry's performance.
Syahganda also commended the Ministry's efforts to position religion as a force for freeing society from a culture of corruption. He said religious values can foster awareness of the importance of ethical conduct and integrity.
“Second, they have succeeded in making religion a means of liberation from a culture of corruption,” he said.
He added that the Ministry's presentation demonstrated how religious values can encourage people to reject corrupt behavior. According to him, the Minister continues to pursue this goal by strengthening the role of religion in public life.
“I saw how religion can convince people to uphold integrity and stay free from corruption,” he remarked.
The third achievement highlighted by Syahganda was the Ministry's contribution to human development. He cited distance learning and scholarship programs as examples of initiatives that support human resource development.
“Third, religion also plays a role in advancing human development and improving human resources through initiatives such as distance learning, scholarships, and other programs,” he said.
On the occasion, Syahganda emphasized that presenting the achievements of the two-year Asta Cita agenda forms part of the accountability of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's administration to the public.
“Presenting these achievements is part of the government's accountability and commitment to public information transparency,” he stressed.
According to Syahganda, the government has an obligation to disclose information about its work and achievements because its programs are funded by public resources, including tax revenues.
He explained that ministries and government agencies would communicate their performance over the administration's first two years through various channels, including direct meetings with journalists, press releases, and mass media.
Beyond presenting achievements, the forum also provided an opportunity to receive feedback on government programs. Syahganda expressed hope that the media would convey public concerns and outstanding issues requiring further attention, including those related to services provided by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
“Feedback from our media colleagues is something we welcome and hope to convey to the President and the government,” he said.
Contributor : I Made Juni Saputra
Photographer : I Gusti Ngurah Sathya Dharma
