Exciting Discussion about Cement

Semarang │ March 20, 2017 University of Muhammadiyah Semarang (Unimus) became the host of a semnar entitled “Ngobrol Gayeng Soal Semen (Exciting Discussion about Cement)” in collaboration with Wisdom and Public Policy Institute (LHKP), Muhammadiyah Provincial Executive Board of Central Java. The event was held to discuss the pro & contra of Cement factory establishment in Rembang Regency. The moderators of the seminar were Wahyu Wibowo and Teguh Hadi Prayitno. Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Sri Suwitri, M.Si. (a professor in Administration Department, UNDIP), Muh. Ngaimi Richard (Commission D, Regional People’s Representative Assembly of Central Java Province), Prof. Dr. Hermawan Sulityo (Indonesian Institute of Science), and Chairman of Law Bureau of Central Java Province became the guest speakers. The event was held in the Nursing Research Center (NRC) building at 9 a.m. – 1.30 p.m. Also participating in the event were Rector of Unimus (Prof. Dr. Masrukhi, M.Pd.), Head of Central Java Province’s Environmental Office, Head of Central Java Province’s Energy and Mineral Resources Office, Chairman of Muhammadiyah Provincial Executive Board, delegations of Muhammadiyah Regional Executive Boards (PDM) in Central Java Province and also Student Executive Boards (BEM) from higher education institutions in Semarang City.

Chairman of the Wisdom and Public Policy Institute (LHKP), Khafid Sirotudin., SH., M.Si. stated in his speech that “LHKP is a new institution under Muhammadiyah. It is an institution that deals with practical politics, which puts anything proportionally. He said that the event aimed at making some decisions from positive perspective. Meanwhile Mr. Rector conveyed in the speech that “…issues dealing with the cement factory in Rembang Regency are occurring in Central Java Province. Thus, they need to be taken into sarasehan (workshop) as well as discussed, especially in accordance with many different opinions and disagreements about it. The discussion is not to support anyone’s opinion or be on a particular side to be then a proposal for the decision maker. It is to participate in supporting the principle of freedom of speech in academic forums for the citizens.

M. Tafsir, M.Ag. as the chairman of Muhammadiyah Provincial Executive Board of Central Java, also added that “in every site building, there are always dilemmas, either related to the city planning or the industrialization or the local harmony.” The dialogue was held to show that is an institution that supports the concept of Unity in Diversity (Bhinneka Tunggal Ika) and tolerance, not just theoretically but also practically in order to give positive impacts toward anyone living in Indonesia. There were various opinions stated in the talk show, such as those seen from the perspectives of public policy, law, science as well as society. The event facilitated all of the audience to give their arguments with justifications and data.