EN.MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, JAKARTA – The Central Board of Muhammadiyah received a visit from Zulkifli bin Hasan, Malaysia’s Minister of Religious Affair, on Saturday (22/8) at the Muhammadiyah Headquarters Jakarta.
Zulkifli was welcomed by Muhammadiyah President Haedar Nashir, Treasurer General Hilman Latief, Secretary M. Izzul Muslimin, Chairperson of the Department of International Relations and Cooperations Imam Addaruqutni, and Chairperson of the Department of Hajj and Umrah M. Ziyad.
Haedar welcomed the visit. The meeting, held in a cordial atmosphere, covered a range of issues. The issues are ranging from relations between the two countries and the religious behavior of Generation Z to plans for collaboration in humanitarian and education initiatives.
“We also had a relaxed conversation about the close similarities between Muhammadiyah, Indonesia, and Malaysia. We are a people of the same regional heritage. But, we are also bound by a shared faith and a strong commitment to Islam,” Haedar said.
Haedar said the relationship and cooperation between Indonesia and Malaysia could be developed over the long term. This is supported by the many similarities between the two countries.
Muhammadiyah’s Follow-Up Plans
He added that Muhammadiyah would form a team to follow up on the meeting and planning a visit to Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome he received. He described the visit as historic because he had been received directly by the President of Muhammadiyah himself.
“Alhamdulillah, we see great potential for collaboration and cooperation, as well as opportunities to strengthen relations between Muhammadiyah and Malaysia. Insya Allah, we hope to build an even stronger relationship by strengthening silaturahmi, silatul fikri, and silatul fi’li—working together for the common good and for humanitarian causes,” he said.
The Malaysian minister also expressed hope that Muhammadiyah would continue to contribute to humanitarian efforts in an inclusive manner. He praised Muhammadiyah’s humanitarian work, describing it as consistently relevant and at the forefront of humanitarian efforts.
The meeting is expected to be followed soon by cooperation in education between the Universiti Antarabangsa Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP) Malaysia and Muhammadiyah-‘Aisyiyah Universities (PTMA).
