Credit : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's X
KUALA LUMPUR, October 21 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday received a courtesy call from Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia (DDII) chairman Fathurrahman Mahfudz, with the two exchanging views on the Islamic dakwah movement in Malaysia and Indonesia, international developments and the challenges facing the Muslim ummah.
“Alhamdulillah, this evening I received a courtesy call from the Chairman of Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia (DDII), Fathurrahman Mahfudz, to exchange views on the Islamic dakwah movement in Malaysia and Indonesia, developments in international issues and the challenges facing the ummah today,” Anwar wrote in a post on X on Wednesday evening.
The Prime Minister said the long-standing close ties between the two sides were also anchored in the legacy of Indonesian dakwah figure and statesman Mohammad Natsir, as well as Buya Hamka, whom he described as a renowned cleric, man of letters and Islamic thinker who contributed greatly to the development of dakwah and Islamic thought in the Nusantara region.
“I pray that DDII will continue to light the path of dakwah and nurture good deeds and service, so that knowledge finds its way to the heart, and service reaches those in need. May every effort be a shade for the weary, a hope for the anxious, and a lasting benefit for the greater ummah,” he said.
A photograph shared with the post showed Anwar and Fathurrahman together during the visit. State broadcaster RTM also reported on the meeting.
Fathurrahman was recently named chairman of DDII’s central leadership for the 2025–2030 term. He previously served as the organisation’s secretary-general and was appointed chairman after Ustaz Adian Husaini stepped down, Indonesian Islamic news portal Suaraislam.id reported. The new central leadership line-up was set out in a decree by DDII’s board of trustees released on October 3, according to Kartanusa.
DDII was founded on February 26, 1967, in Jakarta by Mohammad Natsir together with other prominent Muslim figures, many of them former leaders of the Masyumi party, including former foreign minister Mohammad Roem, Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, Indonesia’s first religious affairs minister H.M. Rasjidi, former prime minister Burhanuddin Harahap, Prawoto Mangkusasmito and Kasman Singodimedjo. Natsir, who served as Indonesia’s prime minister from 1950 to 1951, led DDII as its first chairman until his death in 1993. Headquartered in Central Jakarta, the organisation works in the religious, social and humanitarian fields, including dakwah, education and the training of preachers.
Natsir also had links with Malaysian academia. According to DDII, he received honorary doctorates from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia in 1991 in recognition of his Islamic thought.
Buya Hamka, whose full name was Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, was born in West Sumatra on February 17, 1908, and died in Jakarta on July 24, 1981. A cleric, writer and journalist, he became the first chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in 1975 and is best known for his Quranic exegesis, Tafsir Al-Azhar. UKM conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws on him in 1974, according to the university’s records, and he is listed among Indonesia’s national heroes.
Source : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s X (https://x.com/anwaribrahim/status/2112871948535603538)
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