REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Chairman of the Asy-Syafi'iyah Islamic University Foundation (UIA) Prof Dailami Firdaus met Dr Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the residence of the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia in Petaling Jaya on Friday (25/1). Dailami said that the meeting was to convey an invitation to Anwar to deliver a scientific speech at the UIA on March 20, 2019.

"Insya Allah (God willing), I will present to give a scientific speech to the Asy-Syafi'iyah Islamic University on March 20," Anwar said as quoted by Dailami in a press release delivered in Jakarta, Sunday.

According to Dailami, Anwar is committed to the continuity of education. Therefore, Anwar intends to attend the As-Syafi'iyah Islamic University.

"For me education is number one,," said Anwar.

Dailami said Anwar Ibrahim remembered that he had visited the Asy-Syafi'iyah Islamic University several times. Even his wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is now Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, is a friend of the deceased Prof. Dr. Hj Tutty Alawiyah AS (Founder and former Chancellor of the Asy-Syafi'iyah Islamic University).

"We feel honored to be accepted by him and his willingness as a statesman to attend the invitation will really add insight to students," Dailami said.

Dailami believes the students will surely get useful knowledge from competent senior statesmen.

"One thing that made me also heartened, on this occasion Mr. Anwar Ibrahim prayed for me to advance again as the Jakarta senator in 2019, in the hope of providing a good synergy and becoming a bridge between Indonesia-Malaysia friendship relations in the future," Dailami who is a member of the Indonesian Regional Representative Assembly (DPD) and also the DPD member from Jakarta, said.

Dailami was accompanied by H Reza Hafiz (Foundation Trustee) and dra Hj Nurfitria Farhana (Head of Protocol and Foreign Relations) when visiting Anwar's residence. He also was guided by Dr Rahmat Ismail, Anwar's old friend since taking school in Pekalongan, West Java.

Anwar Ibrahim, who turns 72 in August, is a popular figure in Indonesia. The senior politician who has now served on the People's Council since 2018 has also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and President of UNESCO (1989-1991).

He was very attentive to the world of education and became one of the founders of the International Institute of Islamic Thought in Washington, USA.

The coach of the UIA Foundation H Reza Hafiz hopes that in the future, besides Anwar Ibrahim, he can also present other international figures.

"I hope that the Asy-Syafi'iyah Islamic University can also present Recep Tayyip Erdogan," he said.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika