The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has announced a range of programs that have reached millions of people during the first two years of the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The programs focus on access to education, teacher welfare, student and santri health and nutrition, and the economic empowerment of religious communities.

Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar said the programs are part of Kemenag's contribution to four of the government's eight priority agendas (Asta Cita) that align closely with the ministry's duties and functions: the third, fourth, seventh, and eighth.

"If you ask what we hope to achieve through all of these efforts, the answer is simple, and it is also a mandate from President Prabowo: we want people to increasingly feel the presence of the state through the Ministry of Religious Affairs," the Minister said at the Press Conference on Two-Year Asta Cita Achievements on Monday, October 19, 2026.

Education accounts for some of the largest programs. Across 2025–2026, the Smart Indonesia Program (PIP) reached 5,216,294 students at madrasahs and at Christian, Catholic, and Hindu schools, with a budget of Rp4.07 trillion.

In higher education, the KIP Kuliah college scholarship program supported 289,255 students at Islamic, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, and Buddhist religious higher education institutions, valued at Rp3.032 trillion. The Indonesia Bangkit Scholarship, a partnership between Kemenag and the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP), also reached 3,659 recipients in 2024–2025, valued at Rp1.377 trillion.

"In education, our main concern is to ensure that economic hardship does not cut short the opportunity for Indonesian children to learn," the Minister stressed.

Kemenag also strengthened religious education for the Confucian community by establishing the State College of Confucian Religion (SETIAKIN) in Bangka Belitung.

Support for educators' welfare has been expanded as well. In 2025, 452,796 madrasah teachers and religious education teachers (Islamic, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, and Buddhist) received professional allowances totaling Rp19.148 trillion. In 2026, the figure rose to 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

Kemenag has also supported students and santri (students at Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren) through the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) and Free Health Checkups (CKG) programs. MBG has reached 6,335,217 students and santri, while CKG has reached 3,209,783.

Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Romo Muhammad Syafi'i said that meeting nutritional and health needs is essential to improving the quality of future generations.

"Children who are healthy and well nourished certainly have a better chance to learn, grow, and develop their potential," the Deputy Minister said.

He noted that as MBG expands in pesantren, it must be accompanied by accurate santri data, well-targeted distribution, and consistent food quality. Pesantren are also expected to become more involved in the MBG ecosystem so that the program's benefits go beyond nutrition and also drive the economic empowerment of pesantren.

"Strong pesantren must be supported by santri who are healthy, high-quality, and have the opportunity to grow," he said.

The President's Attention to Religious Communities

The Deputy Minister added that the policies of the past two years demonstrate President Prabowo's commitment to the religious life of the nation's people.

He said this attention can also be seen in the strengthening of institutions and the reorganization of certain religious affairs so they can be handled with greater focus.

"I would like us to see that this is the President's commitment to giving attention to religious communities," the Deputy Minister said.

He emphasized that institutional strengthening is not merely a change in government structure. What matters more is ensuring that every strategic matter receives increasingly effective attention and handling.

One example is the strengthening of pesantren institutions through the establishment of the Directorate General of Pesantren. According to the Deputy Minister, this step is part of efforts to reinforce the three functions of pesantren mandated by the Pesantren Law: education, religious outreach (dakwah), and community empowerment.

"Strengthening the Directorate General of Pesantren is not just adding a structure within the Ministry of Religious Affairs. What we want to strengthen is the pesantren ecosystem and its benefits for the people," he said.

He added that the Ministry of Religious Affairs has a broad scope of service, ranging from improving the quality of religious life to education, pesantren, and public services. All of these efforts are part of the ministry's collective work in supporting the agenda of President Prabowo's administration.

Community Economic Empowerment and Interfaith Harmony

Secretary General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Kamaruddin Amin reported that, in the area of community economic empowerment, collections of zakat, infak, sedekah, and other religious social funds reached Rp44.698 trillion, with 149.954 million beneficiary records. Cash waqf assets also reached Rp4.7 trillion and have benefited 750,000 people, including through education scholarships and productive waqf incubation.

"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.

Empowerment programs have also been developed through 267 Zakat Villages (Kampung Zakat), 287 economic empowerment sites based at Offices of Religious Affairs (KUA) that reached 2,141 beneficiaries in 2025–2026, and 25 Waqf Cities (Kota Wakaf). In addition, community funds are managed through the Kasih Persaudaraan Bangsa Foundation (Christian) at Rp6.16 billion, the National Dharma Dana Board (Hindu) at Rp3.17 billion, and Dana Paramita (Buddhist) at Rp11 billion.

"We hope that people will not only be helped today, but will also become more empowered for the future," he continued.

In strengthening interfaith harmony, the Religious Harmony Index rose from 76.47 in 2024 to 77.89 in 2025, exceeding the 2025 target of 76.77 in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN).

Government Communication Agency Commends Kemenag

Head of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) Syahganda Nainggolan commended the Ministry of Religious Affairs for helping religion serve as a force that makes a difference in people's lives. In his view, this role is reflected in strengthening national unity, building integrity, and improving the quality of human resources.

Syahganda said one of the ministry's key roles is positioning religion as a force that strengthens national unity. Amid Indonesia's diversity, he said, religious values can be an energy that sustains togetherness.

"On behalf of Bakom, we greatly appreciate the three points I noted earlier. First, the Minister of Religious Affairs and his team have succeeded in elevating religion as an instrument of national unity," Syahganda said.

In his view, the achievements presented by Minister Nasaruddin Umar and his team show religion's contribution to strengthening national life. He said religion's role as a unifier was one of the aspects Bakom noted in Kemenag's presentation of its results.

Syahganda also commended Kemenag's efforts to make religion a force for freeing society from a culture of corruption. He said religious values can build awareness of living honestly and upholding integrity.

"Second, they have succeeded in making religion an instrument for liberation from a culture of corruption," he said.

He noted that Kemenag's presentation showed how religion can persuade people to avoid corrupt behavior. In his view, the Minister of Religious Affairs continues to pursue this effort by strengthening the role of religion in community life.

The third achievement Syahganda highlighted was Kemenag's role in human development. He cited distance learning and scholarships as examples of programs that support human resource development.

"Third, religion plays a part in advancing human development and human resources, through things like distance learning, scholarships, and more," he said.

On the occasion, Syahganda stressed that presenting the two-year Asta Cita achievements is part of the accountability of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's administration to the public. "Presenting these results is part of the government's accountability and its commitment to public information transparency," he said.

According to Syahganda, the government is obligated to disclose information about its work and results because these programs are funded by money from the public, including through taxes.

He explained that ministries and agencies will share two-year results through various channels, from direct meetings with journalists and press releases to coverage in the mass media.

Beyond presenting achievements, the forum also served as a space to receive feedback on how government programs are being carried out. Syahganda hoped the media would relay public complaints and issues that still need attention, including those related to Ministry of Religious Affairs services.

"The media's responses are what we hope to pass on to the President and the government," he said. (Bureau of Public Relations and Public Communication)