The Ministry of Religious Affairs has received the Popular Government Institutions Award 2026 from The Iconomics. The award was presented at the closing of the Indonesia Public Relations Summit 2026, themed “Empathetic Communication: Narrative and Strategy,” held at the Dhanapala Auditorium of the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta.

The award was based on a survey conducted by The Iconomics involving 10,000 respondents across 10 major cities in Indonesia. The survey divided respondents into six to seven groups of roughly 1,700 people each, with a 95 percent confidence level and a margin of error of ±2.5 percent.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Kamaruddin Amin expressed appreciation for the award, noting that it recognizes the Ministry's efforts to build public communication that is increasingly open and responsive.

“The Ministry of Religious Affairs thanks The Iconomics for recognizing the Ministry as the Popular Government Institution 2026,” Kamaruddin Amin said in Jakarta on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

He said the award is an indicator that the Ministry's public communication strategy has been well received by the public. He noted that the Ministry has managed to remain the most popular institution even after the formation of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Halal Product Assurance Agency split off from it.

“This is a fairly proud achievement for the Ministry of Religious Affairs in recognition of its solid public communication,” he said.

The award certificate was presented to Head of the Ministry's Bureau of Public Relations and Public Communication, Thobib Al-Asyhar, who attended on behalf of Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar. Thobib emphasized that the award reflects the collective work of the entire Ministry, both at the central and regional levels, which has actively worked to communicate the institution's programs, services, and achievements to the public.

“This is certainly the result of cooperation and contribution from everyone involved, our colleagues in the regions, our Public Relations Officers, and every unit that has contributed to conveying the Ministry's achievements and best performance,” he said.

“Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar and Secretary General Kamaruddin Amin continue to encourage all Ministry stakeholders to do their best work and to communicate it effectively to the public,” he added.

According to Thobib, public communication plays an important role in improving the quality of public services while also strengthening public trust in government institutions. For that reason, he said, the Ministry will continue to strengthen the delivery of information that is fast, accurate, and easily accessible to the public.

“The Ministry remains committed to delivering public communication that is humane, fast, and trustworthy, in order to maintain public trust through the best possible information services,” he said.

He added that recognition from an independent institution serves as motivation for the entire Ministry to keep improving the quality of its services to the public.

“This external recognition is like a vitamin for the Ministry, encouraging us to keep serving the community. This achievement is truly a reflection of the real work of all Ministry employees, both at the central and regional levels, especially our colleagues in public relations.” (hkp)