PALAS – To celebrate the upcoming 19th Anniversary of Padang Lawas Regency, the regional government of Padang Lawas plans to bring in the famous singer, Jen Manurung, to light up the festivities.
However, this planned agenda—which is highly deemed as a waste of the Padang Lawas regional government’s budget—faced fierce and outright rejection from Sukur Halomoan Harahap, the Chairman of the Branch Executive Board of the Al-Wasliyah Students Association (PC. HIMMAH) of Padang Lawas Regency. This strong stance was conveyed directly to the press on Tuesday (14/07-2026) in Pasar Sibuhuan.
Given the current financial budget deficit, the Padang Lawas regional government should ideally celebrate the anniversary in alignment with the regional vision of being Independent, Trustworthy, Victorious, and Excellent (MAJU), as well as its core mission to improve the quality of religious life and foster a highly religious community.
“Inviting Jen Manurung does not touch upon this mission at all. Instead, it completely contradicts the vision and mission of the Regent and Vice Regent, whose leadership stems from the full backing of various Islamic Boarding School leaders. Everyone knows that the current Regent and Vice Regent of Padang Lawas grew and were brought up by the ulamas (religious scholars), driven dynamically by the boarding school students (santri). Therefore, it is highly irrelevant to act this way just to bring in an artist like Jen Manurung,” he stated firmly.
This disappointment also stems from the fact that this upcoming anniversary, marking the second time under the leadership of Putra Mahkota Alam, highly fails to project the deeply religious character of Padang Lawas. Keeping in mind that Padang Lawas is historically recognized as the “Regency of a Thousand Santri,” it would be far more appropriate if the Padang Lawas anniversary were celebrated by inviting renowned ulamas and holding a grand mass dhikr (zikir akbar), accompanied by famous Qasidah singers, rather than bringing in Jen Manurung.
If this critical demand from PC HIMMAH Padang Lawas is completely ignored by the Regent of Padang Lawas, who continues to insist on bringing in Jen Manurung, then in the near future, HIMMAH will definitely take to the streets to strongly protest and reject Jen Manurung’s presence in Padang Lawas, he asserted.
Jen Manurung and her associates, instead of setting a positive example, are viewed as not providing a constructive role model for the people of Padang Lawas Regency.
Sukur also highly hopes that the ulamas and esteemed teachers (tuan guru) across Padang Lawas can unite their mission to deeply understand the local culture of the society as well as the true essence of the regent’s vision and mission in realizing a religious community, under the profound local motto: “Tano adat di gomgom ibadat” (The land of custom governed by religious worship).
For context, Padang Lawas Regency—often affectionately dubbed the “Land of a Thousand Santri”—boasts a rich history deeply rooted in Islamic education and traditional customs. The presence of dozens of historical Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) across the region has long shaped the socio-cultural landscape, making religious values a central pillar of local governance and community life.
Public discussions surrounding the optimization of the regional budget (APBD) have also intensified recently. Many youth elements and local activists support the stance that during times of financial deficit, public funding should be strictly prioritized for essential public infrastructure, educational aid, and community empowerment programs that yield direct long-term benefits for the grass-roots society.
Furthermore, student organizations like HIMMAH have historically played a vital role as a social control mechanism in North Sumatra. Their active participation in monitoring regional policies ensures that government programs remain aligned with the local wisdom, cultural values, and immediate economic needs of the North Sumatran people.
