Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – The feud between the National Awakening Party (PKB) and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) intensified on Wednesday as PKB Chairman Muhaimin Iskandar declined to attend a summons from the country's largest Muslim organization, further fueling tensions.

The Nahdlatul Ulama, which has historically been the birthplace of PKB, has formed an inquiry team to investigate Muhaimin's leadership amid allegations that he is steering the party away from its NU roots to serve his personal ambitions.

Umarsyah, a member of the inquiry team, said that Muhaimin was asked to clarify reports suggesting that PKB's advisory council has lost authority, while Muhaimin has consolidated more power within the party.

"That was one of the issues we wanted him to address," Umarsyah said at NU's headquarters in Jakarta.

The inquiry team also intended to question Muhaimin on reports of secrecy surrounding the management of campaign funds and other alleged misconduct.

Muhaimin, who also serves as a lawmaker, has drawn further ire from NU leaders following his initiation of a House of Representatives inquiry into the government's handling of the haj pilgrimage earlier this year.

The inquiry has been widely seen as an attempt by Muhaimin to target Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, the younger brother of NU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf.

Both Yaqut and Yahya have been stripped of their membership in PKB and were excluded from the party's upcoming national congress in Bali.

Muhaimin has consistently maintained that PKB and NU are separate entities and that the party does not function as NU's political arm.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/muhaimin-skips-summons-as-feud-between-pkb-and-nu-deepen