JAKARTA (2 July 2020) - Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P. Batubara accompanied by Director General of Social Empowerment Edi Suharto visited Daarul Rahman Islamic Boarding School, Cipedak, Jagakarsa, South Jakarta on Thursday afternoon.

He advised that Islamic boarding schools should be a place to produce national leaders.

"It is from the Islamic boarding schools that the leaders of the nation are born. Therefore, the government must build a close relationship with Islamic boarding schools. The state must be present to pay attention to the existence of Islamic boarding schools in this country. I represent the government, have high hopes, so that children who graduate from Islamic boarding schools can one day become leaders. -the leader of the nation, "said the Minister of Social Affairs.

According to him, the students must have thoughts and aspirations to become leaders, starting with discipline and leading themselves.

"There is no success without discipline. From small things, discipline to clean up, wake up and clean up one's own room. Discipline must start early until later," he ordered.

The Minister of Social Affairs continued that in a new normal condition, facing the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is paramount to be discipline in implementing health protocols such as washing hands with soap, wearing masks, not crowding and others.

"Alhamdulillah, thanks God, with the full support of Mr. Kiai, in this pesantren I see that everyone has done it by providing water and hand washing soap in various places. Hopefully this can also be applied in other Islamic boarding schools," he said.

On the same occasion, the Minister of Social Affairs also symbolically handed over 3000 packages of basic food aid to the Ministry of Social Affairs and 300 packages of Presidential Staples.

"The aid was channelled by the Ministry of Social Affairs through the Ansor Youth Movement (GP Ansor) for the people affected by COVID-19. This aid is to help students and teachers in Islamic boarding schools because they are very affected by COVID-19," said the Minister of Social Affairs.

Secretary General GP Ansor said that the Ministry of Social Affairs' basic needs aid and the President's staple foods were channelled by the Ministry of Social Affairs through GP Ansor to be affected in Jabodetabek and other areas.

"GP Ansor will search islamic boarding school that are in need and have not received aid so we hope that the aid will be right on target and effective," he said.

Meanwhile, Islamic Boarding School Prof. H. Syukron Makmun thanked the government for being there to help. He said that Islamic boarding schools are one of the institutions that have been badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have thousands of students. Many of them come from underprivileged families so that their daily needs are borne by the boarding school. Because of that they can stay here. Thank you for the basic food aid," said Kiai Syukron Makmun.

The Ministry of Social Affairs has intensively formed partnerships with communities and social organizations to accelerate the distribution of social aid such as GP Ansor, the Indonesian Christian Easy Force (GAMKI), caretakers and leaders of the Shohibul Muslimin Islamic Boarding School, Serang, Coordination Forum for the Boys and Girls of the Armed Forces (FKPPI), Film and Art Workers, and the Indonesian Motorcycle Association (IMI), etc.