PP Muhammadiyah Chairman: Political Oligarchy Can Trigger a Fragile National Life

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Chairman of the Central Leadership of Muhammadiyah, Haedar Nashir, warned of the dangers posed by political oligarchy, which can lead to fractures and divisions within society.

This warning was delivered by Haedar in his speech before President Prabowo Subianto during the opening of the 114th Anniversary and Tanwir of Muhammadiyah at the Campus of Muhammadiyah University in Palu, Central Sulawesi.

"Political oligarchy often leads to a national life that is easily fractured and may even result in division," said Haedar, as quoted from the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel on Saturday (14/11/2026).

According to Haedar, democracy in Indonesia must continue to uphold the values of religion and the noble culture of the nation.

"Thus, our democracy should be a democracy that respects the values of religion, the noble culture of the nation, and Pancasila, especially the fourth principle, which emphasizes democracy led by wisdom in representative deliberation," he explained.

The principle of wisdom, Haedar stated, should guide political decision-making and should not merely serve as a formality within the democratic system.

"It is impossible for our political democracy to thrive amidst diversity and the noble aspirations of the nation if we lose the wisdom of governance in political practices," he asserted.

He also noted that political democracy cannot exist in Indonesia as long as many groups aspire to seize power.

"If any group seeks to dominate Indonesian politics, categorized as power-hungry, it will disrupt unity," he explained.

Haedar cited Surah Al-Hasyr verse 7, which emphasizes the importance of equitable wealth distribution and warns against wealth concentrating in a small segment of society.

"The Quran states, kay la yakuna dulatan minal aghniya’i minkum, wealth should not be controlled by only a small group of individuals," he remarked.

He argued that concentration on an elite minority without equitable distribution will trigger the emergence of economic oligarchy.

He emphasized that national unity cannot be achieved if social and economic disparities are continuously maintained.

"This is what leads to economic oligarchy. The key point is that togetherness, unity, and justice will be damaged when this situation perpetuates, when social and economic gaps remain wide due to the presence of economic oligarchy," he stated.