The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) continues to strengthen information openness, closeness with the public through digital channels, and public communication that is relevant and beneficial. These efforts were recognized with three awards at the 8th Anugerah Humas Indonesia (AHI) 2026, the Indonesian Public Relations Awards.

Head of the Bureau of Public Relations and Public Communication (HKP) at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Thobib Al Asyhar, said the awards are not only an institutional achievement but also reinforce Kemenag's commitment to public communication that is ever closer to the needs of the people.

"These three awards represent three things we continue to strengthen: information openness, closeness through digital channels, and public communication that carries messages and values relevant to the public," Thobib said after receiving the awards at the AHI 2026 Awards Night at Balai Tawangarum, Surakarta City Hall Complex, on Thursday, October 8, 2026.

According to Thobib, government public communication is not enough if it only reports activities and policies. The information provided must help the public understand policies, learn what services are available, and obtain the information they need easily and quickly.

"We are grateful for these awards. But the measure of success in public communication is not awards alone. What matters more is the extent to which the information we provide is truly useful and makes it easier for the public to access the Ministry of Religious Affairs' services," he said.

At the AHI 2026 awards night, the Ministry of Religious Affairs won a Silver Winner in the Best PPID (Information and Documentation Management Officer) category, Main PPID subcategory, for its "Gandeng PPID" program. The program is part of Kemenag's effort to strengthen the network and quality of its public information services.

The second award was a Silver Winner in the Digital Channel category, Social Media subcategory, for the Instagram account @kemenag_ri. Kemenag's social media channels have been developed as a space to bring information on policies, services, and programs closer to the public while opening room for interaction.

The third award, a Bronze Winner in the Government Public Relations Program category, Ministry subcategory, was won for the Zikir dan Doa Kebangsaan (National Dhikr and Prayer) program. The program is part of Kemenag's public communication, delivering religious messages that strengthen unity, caring, and national values.

"So for us, all three are not just about channels or programs. There is a public benefit we want to deliver. We are committed to making it easier for people to get information, bringing them closer to Kemenag's services, and offering religious messages that soothe and strengthen togetherness," Thobib said.

AHI 2026 drew hundreds of entries from dozens of corporations, ministries, institutions, and local governments. Judging took place both in person and online over five days, September 1-5, 2026.

Participants went through a rigorous selection process, from administrative screening and presentations to final assessment by a jury of communication and media experts and practitioners, academics, and public information experts.

Thobib hopes the achievement will spur all Kemenag public relations staff to keep improving the quality of communication and information services for the public.

"This recognition is not the final goal. It is an encouragement for Kemenag's public communication to become more open, responsive, easy to understand, and more tangibly felt by the public," he concluded. (HKP)