Chairman of Muhammadiyah Dr. H. Haedar Nashir invited freshmen of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) to become young intellectuals possessing strong characters. In Student Orientation (Masa Ta’aruf – Mataf) on Monday (21/8) at Sportorium of UMY, in front of 5,322 freshmen of UMY, Haedar explained that youths should possess characters as progressive people bringing Islam as a religion with unchanging principles in line with every age and as a religion to build more developed nation civilization.
In his remark, Haedar mentioned five criteria characters that freshmen of UMY should have. First, students should be a pious person, should know and can distinguish right and wrong. “Second, students should be intelligent and skilled people. Third, they have to be independent and stand tall. Fourth, they have to have collective solidarity. Fifth, they have to be cadres who can bring enlightenment to his nation. Thus, when being students, they have to be beneficial for not only themselves and family but also all mankind (rahmatan lil ‘alamin),” he stated.
Haedar also said that the freshmen of UMY class of 2017 should be grateful since only 5,233 of 33 thousand applicants are accepted. “This is blessings of Allah SWT so that you have to be because today you have officially become students of UMY. You should be proud of being a part of this university since UMY is the greatest university among 172 Muhammadiyah Higher Education institutions,” he maintained.
In addition, Haedar explained roles of Muhammadiyah in the development of Indonesia. Muhammadiyah is not only a social and da’wah movement but also an organization that has successfully contributed to the enhancement of this nation. Muhammadiyah has taught this nation to be an educated nation having a strong personality and faith. Muhammadiyah has brought changes in order that the people are not in arrears.
“Besides, a Muhammadiyah figure co-founded the Republic of Indonesia that Ki Bagus Hadikusumo also became a determinant person when independence was at a critical condition. He gave a solution that for the sake of the nation and state as well as on behalf of the Muslims he crossed out the seven words in the Jakarta Charter and changed “A dignity that is an ultimate unity” as the first sila (principle). There was a compromise to determine the history of this nation. Muhammadiyah contributed to making this nation history as a nation with diversity that Muslims as majority gave the biggest gift for the independence of this nation thorough its figure. You are now in a university owned by the greatest movement in Indonesia having roles in the history of this nation. Hence, I invite you to build more developed civilization,” encouraged Haedar.
Meanwhile, Rector of UMY Dr. Ir. Gunawan Budiyanto, M.P. declared that students are right to come to UM since they become a part of organization contributing to the birth of Pancasila. “At UMY, you are educated to be people internalizing values of Pancasila as Muhammadiyah was involved in the formulation. You are also educated to be tolerant since education and health of Muhammaidyah are for both Muslims and non-Muslims,” he emphasized.
Additionally, Rector of UMY put on an almamater jacket to six freshmen as a symbol of the conduct of the orientation day. They are Willem Kurniawan (an International Relations student from Indonesia), Saskia Nita K (an Electrical Engineering student from Indonesia), Hu Guangtao (an English Language Education student from China), Ayni (a Governmental Study student from Thailand), Dorothy Guo (an English Language Education student from China), and Nathalia Melissa Pereiro (an student of Program of International Relations –IPIREL from Brazil).
