Breadfruit (malangkota.go.id) – Malang City is known as an area with a fairly high level of harmony and tolerance. It is no wonder that the second largest city in East Java has become a destination for study tours from various regions related to harmony that has been beautifully depicted from the various colors of community diversity. This is reinforced by the making of Karangbesuki Village as a pilot project for the Harmony Aware Village which was declared on December 22, 2023.

In order to strengthen the Karangbesuki Harmony Village, the Malang City Government (Pemkot) through the Malang City National Unity and Politics Agency (Bakesbangpol) held coordination between residents representing 10 RW, regional stakeholders, and related regional apparatuses on Monday (25/3/2024). Also present at the discussion held at the Trio Indah Hotel were various forums that support the realization of community harmony, such as the National Integration Forum (FPK), the Community Early Warning Forum (FKDM), and the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB).
Head of Bakesbangpol Malang City Dra. Rinawati, MM expressed her pride in the growing awareness in Karangbesuki Village to jointly create harmony. She said that the Karangbesuki Harmony Awareness Village is different from similar villages in other areas. In other areas, the Sadar Kerukunan Village is the result of government formation, while the Karangbesuki Sadar Kerukunan Village was born from community initiative. The community's commitment to becoming an area that upholds harmony was finally declared.
"I highly appreciate the initiative and awareness of the community to declare themselves as a sub-district that is aware of harmony. Hopefully Karangbesuki can also be an inspiration and motivation for other sub-districts to always create conduciveness in their respective areas," he said.
Rina said that the residents of Malang City, totaling 874.660 people (based on data from the Population and Civil Registry Service in December 2023) with diverse religious, ethnic, and racial backgrounds, are willing and able to live side by side in harmony. For Karangbesuki Village itself, there are 19.681 people, for residents who embrace Islam as many as 15.938 people, Christians 1.630 people, Catholics 1.911 people, Hindus 44 people, Buddhists 154 people, and the rest are believers.
In this forum, Rina hopes that a discussion can be held regarding the problems encountered in the implications of this harmony-conscious village. "We, together with the Ministry of Religion, regional apparatus, and other agencies, will provide support and assistance to be able to build, develop the potential and resources that are owned so that Karangbesuki can become more advanced with the existing diversity," said Rina.
Present as speakers in this activity were Sukun Sub-district Head IK Widi E. Wirawan, S.Sos, MM, Head of Community Welfare and Society Drs. R. Achmad Mabrur, Head of FKUB Drs. H. A Taufiq Kusuma, and Representative of the Malang Ministry of Religion Febrian Taufiq Sholeh, M.Pd.I moderated by the Head of Ideology, National Insight and Economic Resilience, Socio-Cultural, Religion Sukristyono A., S.Sos., M.AP. The discussion went smoothly, several inputs were submitted by Karangbesuki residents in order to build a better harmony-conscious village including in terms of the economy and education of its residents. (ari/yon)