REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANGKALAN -- Vice presidential candidate KH Ma'ruf Amin met with thousands of community leaders and residents of Bangkalan, Madura, East Java, on Friday. He visited two different locations, one of them at the Islamic Boarding School Hidayatulloh Al-Muhajirin, Arosbaya, Bangkalan.

Ma'ruf came with his wife, Wury Estu Handayani. They were welcomed by the Chairperson of the East Java Regional Campaign Team (TKD), Inspector General of Police (Ret.) Machfud Arifin.

In front of the figures and residents of Bangkalan Ma'ruf expressed his love for Madura. The former rais aam (supreme leader) PB Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) then related that he had Madurese blood from the figures and kings of Madura in the past.

"I am of Madurese descent from Demang Plakaran Kiai, Arosbaya, Bangkalan. He has a son named Raden Kiai Pragalba. His grandson who was in Pamekasan then married King Sumedang Larang who was later given the title Nyai Ratu Harisbaya taken from Arosbaya," said Ma'ruf, who was greeted by applause from the audience.

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Kiai Demang himself was one of the kings in Bangkalan. "Because I am of Madurese blood, how can I forget Madura?" said great-grandson of Syekh Nawawi Al Bantani, an ulama from Banten, who had been the Imam of the Grand Mosque.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the East Java Regional Campaign Team (TKD), Inspector General of Police (Ret.) Machfud Arifin stated, KH Maruf's agenda in Madura was a form of early friendship. In the future, a number of other agendas have been prepared to visit all districts in Madura.

"KH Maruf is a cleric, and has a good understanding of the culture in Madura which is very thick with the typical culture of the pesantren. With this friendship, we are increasingly confident that we can win Pak Jokowi and KH Maruf in Madura and East Java in general," said the former East Java Regional Police Chief.

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