Jakarta, June 25 -- The government has formed a special team to scout and take action against illegal pesantrens , or Islamic boarding schools, in West Java Province, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar stated.

"There are many fake, illegitimate pesantrens , and most of them are operating in West Java. I will soon carry out raids on them," he remarked after attending the International Conference on the Transformation of Pesantren in Jakarta on Tuesday (June 24) night.

Iskandar explained that his initiative is in response to an increase in reports about unregistered and abusive pesantrens , an alarming trend that has tarnished the image of 39 thousand such schools across the country.

He affirmed that ...