Malang – Public Empowerment Council (MajelisPemberdayaanMasyarakat/MPM) of Muhammadiyah Central Executive held a National Seminar and Workshop by the theme of “MembumikanTauhidSosial, MenujuReformasiSosial” in BAU Hall of UniversitasMuhammadiyah Malang on Friday-Saturday (12/19-20).

This event aimed to encourage Muhammadiyah in not only focus in education and health sector, but also putting more attention on marginalized people.

The Head of MPM PP Muhammadiyah, Said Tuhuleley believed that this was fitted to the spirit of Ahmad Dahlan when he established the organization, which made Muhammadiyah as a movement in which it would benefit many people in all position. “MuhammadiyahFor All,” he concluded.

Said believed that the awareness of tauhid should be able to move Muhammadiyah in its purpose in public empowerment. Through MPM, he added, Muhammadiyah would do intense supervisor for farmers, fishermen, labors, street vendors, pedicab drivers, waste scavengers, small-household industries employers, the disables, and other marginalized groups.

“In this context we have a jargon that as long as people are still desperately in need, there will be no rest,” he affirmed.

The existence of MPM in Muhammadiyah was obviously a unique movement. The Rector of UMM, MuhadjirEffendy even called it as non-mainstream movement. “In Muhammadiyah, the mainstream activities would be those in education, health, and social service field, because Muhammadiyah has a strong and clear foundation in those three fields,” he said.

Furthermore, Muhadjir saw the movement of MPM was somehow invisible, because it did not have clear base but presenting a concrete result. “The movement itself looks latent, but the result is a manifest,” he stated.

Muhadjir called this movement as a characteristic of the former movement of Muhammadiyah. It was the time when Muhammadiyah did not have its own schools, hospitals, and orphanages; the core movement was similar to those done by MPM. He admitted that these were not as popular as those done in education and health sectors, but these movements should be respected as well.

Unfortunately, Muhadjir said, the tradition in respecting others was still lacking within Muhammadiyah. “Because of that, right now, UMM is in the middle of promoting the activities in respecting people who are influential in the society. Their existence can be strongly felt as a role model in the middle of current society who undoubtedly lost their role model,” he explained. (zul/han) (dzar)