Jakarta (Antara Babel) - An Indonesian chief cleric said here on Saturday that the country's wealth is not exclusively owned by the rich and must enjoyed by common people too.
The chairman of the Indonesia Ulemas Council (MUI), KH Ma'ruf Amin, made the statement at the opening of the Congress of People's Economy (KEU), which he said was held out of concern over the wealth distribution and the gap that had happened enabling only some to enjoy it.
At the event attended by President Joko Widodo, he added that the rich, constituting only around 1 percent of the population, control around 50 percent of the country's assets, while a lot of people are still poor.
"Islam teaches that wealth must not only be enjoyed by the rich but must also be enjoyed by poor communities too," he stated.
He noted that the cooperatives, which were supposed to be the economic pillars of the country, had not played an important role in wealth management.
He stated that the four pillars of people's economic empowerment, including micro-, small, and medium businesses, empowerment of sharia financial institutions, people's network, and people's economic status, would be raised during the congress.
The economic empowerment of the people must be built upon the foundation of "tauhid" (belief in One God)' morality and sharia (Islamic law), he remarked.
"KEU must be able to create a new economic system in Indonesia," he added.
He reiterated that social justice would only be felt if equal distribution is seen in the community.
"The state must control the livelihood of the people and must not allow them to become mere suffering objects," he pointed out.
The congress, held under the title "Indonesia's New Economic Current," is expected to be able to create a more just, equal, and self-reliant national economic system to overcome economic gaps.
One of the most important topics for discussion at the congress included ways to create a new economic system in Indonesia, which is the establishment of people's economic sovereignty through a concrete step of accelerating redistribution and optimization of natural resources more wisely and sustainably, he noted.
He remarked that the congress would also be critical of certain parties over their capital ownership that has affected the livelihood of the majority, while the country's legal system still widely and uncontrollably accepts foreign participation in the its economy.
The solution to the problem can be achieved through sharia financial institutions, affirmative action policy by the government, establishment of national commission to strengthen people's economy, production of religious edicts to strengthen people's economy, and many others.
The strengthening of micro-, small, and medium businesses based on halal (edible according to Islam) principle would an important topic discussed in the congress because the businesses are relatively more resilient towards economic crisis and able to absorb almost 97 percent of the country's total workforce, he said.
The congress will also strive to boost the people's economy through cooperatives to make micro-, small, and medium businesses based on sharia become the key players in the national economy.
Efforts would also be made to maintain them as equal partners of big businesses in the production system and integrated market, he concluded.
