SP/Yoseph Kelen – Legislators have commended the East Nusa Tenggara administration for its ability to maintain religious harmony in the province.

"I have to give a thumbs up to the NTT [East Nusa Tenggara] administration and its people," Mahrus Munir, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission VIII, which oversees religious and social affairs, said during a visit on Monday to the provincial capital, Kupang.

"Here, the majority of the people are Christians, but there is no tyranny in NTT. I praise that."

The Democratic Party legislator also praised the heads of several districts in NTT for setting aside funds from their regional budget to provide transportation to the airport for hajj pilgrims.

"It's extraordinary here in NTT. Several districts provide subsidies to take pilgrims to the airport. This is part of the religious harmony in the Unitary Republic of Indonesia," Munir said, adding that he would tell people about the positive attitudes prevailing in NTT.

NTT Governor Frans Lebu Raya, in his presentation before the Commission VIII delegation, said that the proportion of Catholics in the province was 55.9 percent, Protestants 34.3 percent, Muslims 9.6 percent, Hindus 0.21 percent, and Buddhists 0.01 percent. He attributed the religious harmony in to the ability of religious leaders to get along with one another.

"No one sets mosques on fire in NTT. I have repeatedly said that the majority should protect the minorities. In NTT, we truly maintain [religious] harmony and peace," Frans said.

Nurul Iman Mustofa, also from Commission VIII, said the legislators wanted a closer look at the management of religious issues in the province.

"We specifically wanted to know about the implementation of a 2007 government regulation on religious education in NTT, the implementation of religious harmony programs, and alms management in the province," Nurul said.