Slamet Susanto and Sri Wahyuni, Jakarta – Sirajuddin Syamsuddin, known widely as Din Syamsuddin, vowed to maintain neutrality in practical politics on Wednesday afternoon after being officially named Muhammadiyah chairman for a second five-year term.

"Muhammadiyah will maintain neutrality and will not affiliate with any political parties," Din said on the penultimate day of the congress.

Muhammadiyah, the country's second-largest Muslim organization, is holding a six-day congress that ends Thursday.

Din collected 1,915 votes among the 13 new members of the organization's central executive board. Monday saw 2,300 of 2,800 congress participants cast their votes.

"The other 12 members of the board agreed the chairmanship should go to whoever receives the most votes," said chairman of the election committee, Rosyad Sholeh.

Apart from electing Din as chairman, the board members also named Agung Danarto, current chairman of Yogyakarta provincial branch, as board secretary for the 2010-2015 term of office.

"I personally feel happy and honored receiving this trust. However, I also consider this as a mandate that must be performed well and rightfully," Din said.

During his first term of office, Din received strong criticism for his obvious siding with a particular presidential candidates during the 2009 election despite Muhammadiyah's stance on neutrality in politics.

To help maintain neutrality, the other 12 newly installed members of the board said they were ready to remind Din of the organization's stance against aligning with political parties.

"Muhammadiyah should not be brought into the political domain ahead of the 2014 national succession.

The 12 of us are ready to remind the chairman [if he tries to do so]," board member Goodwil Zubir said.

As a large organization, according to Zubir, it is normal if Muham-madiyah is seen by many political parties as a potential source of voters ahead of the 2014 general election.

"Muhammadiyah, however, will concentrate on social and moral issues that, up to present, are still the main problems faced by the country," Goodwill said.

With regard to programs for the next five years, Din said he would obey the congress' decisions. "I will do whatever the congress decides," he said.

He added that with collective-collegial leadership mechanisms, the chairman of the organization can not act individually.

"Whatever a chairman does has to be in line with the mandate of the congress," he said.

He also renewed his stance on Muhammadiyah as a critical partner of the government as part of the organization's pledge to be an amar ma'ruf nahi munkar (do good deeds, abandon bad) movement.

The congress recommended the need for developing pluralism and tolerance among different faiths and civilizations.

"Muhammadiyah supports and develops pluralism but refuses pluralism that leads to syncretism and considers all religions equal," Din said.