Bangsamoro chief minister focuses on moral governance

By Sorvar Alam and Riyaz Ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - The newly formed Muslim autonomous region in the southern Philippines has been working on organizing government and ensuring peace.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency in Ankara, Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), said his government is focusing on moral governance.

Ebrahim, who is also the head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, reached an agreement with the Manila government to end the decades long conflict in the Muslim region and was sworn-in as the head of BARMM in February 2019.

He called on international business people to invest in education, healthcare, mining, natural resources and infrastructure sectors in the region home to around 4 million people.

Anadolu Agency: It has been nearly a year now since you were sworn-in as chief minister of the BARMM. Can you tell us how much progress you have made in the last 10 months?

Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim (AHME): Actually, for the past 10 months we are more focused on organizing the government. Now we have organized the different ministries. They are now working; there are 15 ministries in place and they are all organized. They are working, they have their programs already being implemented to the communities.

Then we also have the parliament. The parliament is now numbering to 80. So, the parliament has been regularly working. Usually they hold regular meetings. They meet six times in a month -- six sessions every month. So, they are now fully operational.

And then we are also -- as provided in the law -- now crafting new codes like administrative code, civil services code, we have also the local government code and then we have the human rights code. So, all these codes will be completed within this year.

AA: Your government receives 5% budget from the central government. Is it enough to run the government and what kind of extra things do you need?

AHME: Well, that 5% is translated into about 65 billion pesos that is roughly about $1.1 billion.

So, that will be for the expenditure of the government for the whole year. So, we have already budgeted this one, this includes the salaries of employees, their maintenance and operating expenses, and for infrastructural programs.

To run the government it is enough, but we still need to rehabilitate, to rebuild the Bangsamoro homeland because it has been distracted for so many decades of conflict and war. So many destruction and no development programs are in place. So, that is where we need the rebuilding of our homeland because we need support from both government and non-government [organizations] in order to implement programs, like water system, better roads and highways, hospitals, schools. So, these are the areas where we need help from other countries.

AA: Turkey played a very important role during your negotiation process with the Manila government and Turkey is still trying to help. So in which sectors Turkish investors can invest and Turkish government can help?

AHME: Our priority is education. So, what we need now immediately is establishment of universities, schools in our area. So, this is where we look forward to Turkey, there are many universities here, there are many, then maybe they can establish also schools [in Bangsamoro] and then funding for scholarships for our students. Because we need to send more and more students in other areas to develop their skills. Because due to more than 50 years of conflict, many have not obtained formal education.

AA: What does your government do for the young generation in the region?

AHME: We have a ministry of youth. They are now very active also in social services, trying to implement social services among our people, and then at the same time trying to upgrade the knowledge and capability of the youth also. The ministry of youth is really very active and very helpful in implementing education, medical services, another needed services.

AA: During your speech at an event in Ankara on Saturday, you sought help for transformation of a revolutionary movement into a government institution. Could you please elaborate?

AHME: This is more [about] developing our ability in governance. So, you know, as a revolutionary organization [MILF] it is different. We find it that there is a difference between administering a revolutionary organization and administering a government. So, we need to establish a bureaucracy... in economy, we need to develop the capability of people in government. So, that is where we need help; help in developing the capability of our people.

AA: There are certain groups who are still against your government in the region. What kind of action did you take against them?

AHME: So far they are those who are not yet on board the peace process. Meaning there are small groups who speak against us. They have established a sort of connection with the extremist group outside the country and they are receiving funding from them. So in the present day, they are one of the challenges we are facing. Because they continue to operate. Although for now, we are gradually influencing them. What we do is we strengthen our security structure, at the same time open a dialogue with them in order to gradually win over them to join us.

AA: What would happen if the commitments made to the Bangsamoro people are not kept?

AHME: Well, that will be very challenging for us. But there is a mechanism in the peace process that will really push the government in order to implement the agreed provisions. Then the international community, we have composed them into a certain group in order to pressure both us and the government in order to implement whatever commitment they have in the peace process.

AA: Again, I want to go back to investment. You mentioned education is the top priority. Which other sectors can international investors invest in?

AHME: For the international investors, we look for them to firstly embrace agriculture. Because there are many potentials in agriculture, production of agricultural products. So, we want to develop our economy. The base will be more on agriculture so they can. There is mining sector also. Presently we have identified more than 20 types of mines in our area, including nickel, copper etc. Many other metals can be found even gold can be found.

Aside from that there is also the presence of oil and natural gas in certain areas.

It is still to be explored further but in one area they try to dig 11 wells to explore and nine of them have come out to be positive for natural gas.

Health sector is one of the priorities. We need to build hospitals. But for now, our immediate need is mobile clinics. Because many people in the rural areas cannot reach hospitals. There is no medical facility in rural areas. So, what we need is to reach out to them for the moment. So, we need more mobile clinics in the form of vehicle built in with several facilities. And for the island provinces, we also need a small vessel that will become a mobile clinic for the people in the island provinces.

AA: In your government, you have been focusing on moral governance. What is the basis of moral governance and why is it crucial?

AHME: You know, when we joined the government, we found out that there are so many anomalies in the government. So, what we see, if we cannot change the system, then there is no way we will succeed. For example, corruption. Corruption is built already in the government. It is automatic. Because it's already built in. That's why our advocacy is moral governance.

And for the first time, when people join the government we let them take oath to the constitution and take oath to Allah -- a noble oath -- to ensure that this moral governance will be the basis. So, we say we are not imposing Islamic governance, but we are imposing the moral virtues of Islam. Because if you look at the moral virtues of Islam, it is for mankind, it is not only for Muslims. You will notice in the holy Qur'an that there are many verses which are addressed to mankind instead of only to Muslims. So, we are careful also because maybe they will be saying we are establishing Islamic government, which is not very popular among the other people in the area.

AA: Do you have any message to deliver?

AHME: We always look at Turkey as our mentor, our big brother. We always pray that our relationship with Turkey -- the government, and also the people -- will continue to prosper. We see that it is very, very important that we cultivate the relationship we have with the government and with the people.