Agency of Religious Moderation and Human Resource Development

Agency of Religious Moderation and Human Resource Development

Badan Moderasi Beragama dan Pengembangan Sumber Daya Manusia (BMBPSDM)
Agency overview
Formed	26 January 2023 (2023-01-26)
Preceding agencies	Research, Development, Education, and Training Agency of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Center for Religious Harmony of the Ministry of Religious Affairs
Jurisdiction	Indonesia
Agency executive	Suyitno, Head of BMBPSDM
Parent agency	Ministry of Religious Affairs

The Agency of Religious Moderation and Human Resource Development (Indonesian: Badan Moderasi Beragama dan Pengembangan Sumber Daya Manusia, abbreviated as BMBPSDM) is the supporting unit of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which is responsible for promoting religious moderation and fostering the development of the ministry's human resource and capabilities in Indonesia. It was formed on 26 January 2023.^[1]

The agency is established as a replacement for the Ministry of Religious Affairs' Research, Development, Education, and Training Agency which already integrated with National Research and Innovation Agency (Indonesian: Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, BRIN) as part of the Research Organization for Social Sciences and Humanities (Indonesian: Organisasi Riset Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial dan Humaniora, ORIPSH) and Research Organization for Archaeology, Language, and Letters (Indonesian: Organisasi Riset Arkeologi, Bahasa, dan Sastra, ORARBASTRA). The integration left only the former agency's Education and Training part unintegrated into BRIN. Eventually, the Center for Religious Harmony (Indonesian: Pusat Kerukunan Umat Beragama) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs also merged with the remnant of the former Research, Development, Education, and Training Agency. The amalgamation resulted in the formation of the BMBPSDM.^[2][3]

The agency's first head is Suyitno, a Ministry of Religious Affairs official.^[4]

The agency developed the strategic programs and policies for the Ministry's policies known as The Nine Measures on 5 February 2023.^[5] The Nine Measures are:

1. Acceleration of religious moderation to prevent the misuse of religious teachings for identity politics.
2. The advocation of worship places building.
3. Community empowerment and development of early warning system for intolerant religious activities and religious conflicts.
4. Upgrading the competence and raising the welfare of religious extension officials.
5. Acceleration of the halal certification.
6. Defending and safeguarding the public satisfaction over Hajj, innovation, and optimization in Waqf certification and social funds monitoring.
7. Upgrading the professional capabilities of Ministry of Religious Affairs employees.
8. Acceleration of formulation of the regulations related to religious services.
9. Institutional transformation, status transfer, and independence of religious education institutions.

Aside from being the promoter of religious harmony, the agency is also projected to be one of Indonesia's intelligence agencies. As an intelligence agency, BMPPSDM will work together with National Counter Terrorism Agency in monitoring religious extremism and intolerant religious activities in Indonesia, providing early warning and intelligence on matters related to religious terrorism, and preventing religious terrorism acts.^[6][7]