JAKARTA (May 15, 2020) - Director General of Social Empowerment Edi Suharto accompanied Minister of Social Affairs through a teleconference with PP Muhammadiyah cadres. Around 70 participants from various regions in Indonesia participated in this teleconference meeting.

Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P. Batubara highly appreciated the Muhammadiyah cadres who helped government in handling COVID-19. One of the things carried out by PP Muhammadiyah is to establish an Muhammadiyah COVID-19 Command Center (MCCC).

The central head of Muhammadiyah through Public Health Board of Trustees (MPKU) and the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC) have jointly formed the Muhammadiyah COVID-19 Command Center (MCCC).

The aim of the MCCC is to coordinate the implementation of the program and the handling of COVID-19.

The MCCC also makes specific guidelines relating to behavior, worship, daily life, that people must live clean and healthy and how to break the spread of the corona virus.

Rahmawati Husein, deputy chairman of the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center (MDMC), Muhammadiyah Central Council, was also participated in the meeting. Rahmawati Husein conveyed some of the roles that must be carried out by Muhammadiyah Youth. First, Muhammadiyah youth must have leadership. Second, Muhammadiyah Youth must be able to advocate the policies and budgets. Third, Muhammadiyah Youth must also monitor data updating.

It is important to have policy innovations, movement innovations, and social service innovations to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, mutual cooperation needs to be developed, so that harmony can be created in the community.

Director General of Social Empowerment responded positively to what has been done by PP Muhammadiyah. He also conveyed the need for a new approach to the community to live in a new normal era. This approach can be carried out by PP Muhammadiyah throughout Indonesia. Educate and prepare people to be able to face the new normal era. In addition, Edi Suharto also hopes that PP Muhammadiyah can help to oversee updating data at the local level because the data in the Ministry of Social Affairs comes from the regions.

Director of Social Empowerment for Individual, Family, and Public Institution Bambang Mulyadi, Head of the Planning Bureau Adhi Karyono, and Head of Public Relations Bureau Wiwit Widiansyah were also attended the meeting