President Joko Widodo briefs journalists at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (16/5). The President invited interfaith leaders to discuss issues of national concern.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has just met with the interfaith leaders. The President said he will crack down on actions that disrupt the national unity.
The interfaith leaders demonstrated their commitment to safeguarding and maintaining Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI). The President asked the nation\'s children not to mock each other.
Accompanied by Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, President Jokowi instructed both the TNI commander and National Police chief not to hesitate to take action against all forms of speech and action that disrupted unity and integrity, which disturbed NKRI and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, and which were not in accordance with Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.
We appreciate the steps of the President to meet with the interfaith religious leaders and publicly express his political stance on nationality and statehood. Similar meetings can be developed more broadly, including with leaders of the state institutions as well as political parties to convey a shared vision about NKRI and Pancasila. We must make the Constitution a reference point for our joint life.
After the Jakarta Gubernatorial Election, Indonesia\'s form of nationhood is moving toward worrying extremes. The national fabric has been slightly torn apart in a regional election contestation. The phenomenon of mass mobilization occurs in several places. Prolonged polarization can be exploited by groups with the purpose of disrupting political stability in Indonesia.
Therefore, it is appropriate that President Jokowi urge the nation\'s children not to mock and vilify each other. The President has also ordered law enforcement agencies to crack down on speech and action that violate laws.
In the digital world, we observe how social media users begin to deconstruct and create a negative vision of various issues and work against the leaders of the nation, including President Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla. The way of dividing the leaders of the nation will not be productive for the development of the nation and the development of Indonesian democracy.
We are grateful that President Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who were elected by the people through the mechanism of democracy in the 2014 General Election, have consistently worked to contribute to the maturity of democracy in this nation.
President Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla have to be able to become statesmen and realize the ideals of the state as stated in the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution.
