Syamsuddin said he would continue to support the government, but that he would not spare the administration of President Yudhoyono from any criticism if it “should step out of line”.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Muhammadiyah’s foundation. Created in 1910 by Kiai Hajj Ahmad Dahlan, it is the second most important Islamic group in the country with some 40 million members.
It focuses on education and health care, and aims at bringing these services to rural areas.
Muhammadiyah is also actively involved in inter-faith dialogue, and favours a more liberal interpretation of the Qur‘an.
In recent days, it has sharply condemned attacks against the Christian community in Bekasi by members of the radical Islamic Defender Front (FPI), going so far as to demand the Front’s dissolution.