PRIME NEWS POST
The INDONESIAN, (Jakarta)– The extended family of the Indonesian Customary Council (MAI) has extended congratulations and best wishes to His Excellency Muhammad Rafik, S.SIT., M.M., Datuk Rajo Kuaso Perkasa, Datuak of the Simabur Clan, on the mandate entrusted to him as Chairman of the Nagari Customary Council (KAN) of Sulit Air for the 2026–2030 term.
The statement was conveyed by Desrianto through the MAI Communication Forum, as a gesture of respect and support for the customary community’s trust in the figure who also serves as Secretary-General of the Indonesian Customary Council.
“Congratulations on assuming this mandate. May Allah SWT grant you strength, health, wisdom, and ease in leading the Sulit Air Customary Council. May KAN Sulit Air grow ever more prosperous and authoritative, serve as a guardian of customary dignity, and bring forth abundant benefit for all the people of the nagari,” Desrianto said on Sunday (19/7).
The trust placed in Dato’ M. Rafik follows his long-standing dedication to Minangkabau customary traditions. Previously, on 30 June 2025, he was formally installed as Datuk Head of the Simabua Sulit Air, Cumati, Koto, and Piliang Clans in a solemn ceremony held at the Simabua Clan Rumah Gadang, witnessed by Datuak elders, Bundo Kanduang, clan relatives, and community leaders.
On that occasion, M. Rafik emphasized that customary titles are not merely symbols of honor, but a profound mandate to preserve, nurture, and pass on the noble values inherited from Minangkabau ancestors to future generations.
He also recalled that in the history of the Pagaruyung Kingdom, the title Datuk Rajo Kuaso formed part of the Langgam Nan Tujuah leadership council, holding a vital role in customary governance and representing leadership rooted in deliberation, justice, and wisdom.
As Chairman of the Association of Minang Youth and Young Women of Indonesia (IPPMI), a national youth figure, and now Chairman of the Sulit Air Customary Council, M. Rafik is expected to bring a spirit of renewal while remaining anchored in tradition—ensuring customary values remain relevant amid modern challenges.
At the national level, M. Rafik’s concurrent role as Secretary-General of the Indonesian Customary Council reinforces the organization’s commitment to positioning customary institutions as strategic partners of the state.
MAI affirms that kings, sultans, datuk, and all customary leaders hold a vital place as guardians of moral, cultural, and national unity. Drawing on moral, historical, and cultural authority, these leaders serve as bridges between the state and customary communities, while strengthening social cohesion and national development.
Guided by the core principle “Adat Basandi Syarak, Syarak Basandi Kitabullah” (Custom is founded upon religious law, and religious law is founded upon the Quran), MAI continues to advance customary values as a source of national ethics and moral guidance in public life.
For MAI, custom and state are not opposing forces, but must advance side by side in harmony to build a civilized, sovereign, and dignified Indonesia.
With his new mandate as Chairman of the Sulit Air Customary Council for 2026–2030, M. Rafik Datuk Rajo Kuaso is expected to strengthen customary institutional capacity, foster unity among the Sulit Air community, preserve Minangkabau cultural heritage, and set an example in integrating customary values with sustainable community development.
Reported from various media sources //photo from Google documents // contribution by Prime News Post international online media // news.paper
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