Jakarta. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) reiterated on Tuesday that accepting cash payments or any form of rewards from political candidates goes against Islamic teachings.

This message was conveyed just a day before the country holds the presidential and parliamentary elections.

“Voting for a candidate in exchange for money or gifts is forbidden. All candidates must refrain from any wrongful actions aimed at winning the elections, including bribing voters,” Asrorun Niam Sholeh, the head of MUI’s Fatwa Division, said in a statement. "It is considered haram to accept payment meant to influence voters into electing incompetent leaders.”

Asrorun, who is also an Islamic law professor at Jakarta State Islamic University (UIN), urged voters to exercise their constitutional rights and choose leaders who uphold Islamic values.

"Having listened to the programs and missions of all candidates during the campaign period, it is now time for us to reflect and make decisions with a clear conscience. We should seek help from Allah so that we can have honest, reliable, and trustworthy leaders,” Asrorun said.

He pointed out that the fatwa against election bribery was issued during a gathering of ulemas in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, in 2018.

Indonesia, which has the biggest Muslim population in the world, is set to elect a new president on Wednesday. Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, and former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo are competing to become a successor of President Joko Widodo.

Additionally, voters will elect members of the parliament at the national, provincial, and mayoral levels. Election authorities have registered more than 204 million voters for Wednesday's polls.

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