Pancasila an Inspiration in Covid-19 Fight: President

KOMPAS/ANTONY LEE

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (top center) and a number of high-ranking state officials commemorates the birth of Pancasila on Monday (1/6/2020).

In commemorating National Pancasila Day, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said the state ideology must continue to thrive as a set of values in people’s lives. The values of Pancasila could guide people through the Covid-19 pandemic.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The state ideology of Pancasila has been a national inspiration for Indonesians through the ages, including through the difficult time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Amid the struggles the world faces today, Pancasila must thrive as a set of values in people’s lives.

“National Pancasila Day this year is commemorated amid the Covid-19 pandemic that is testing our perseverance as a nation, our capability to sacrifice, our discipline, our obedience and our peace in making effective and efficient policies,” President Jokowi said in his National Pancasila Day speech at Bogor Palace in West Java on Monday (27/5/2020).

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In facing these tests, the President said, Indonesians should be grateful that Pancasila remained a guiding star to mobilize the entire nation. Pancasila boosts our unity in overcoming our obstacles, mobilizing our sense of care for others, fortifying our sense of brotherhood and mutual assistance that eases the burdens of all the nation’s children and nurtures our perseverance in the face of obstacles.

“We must bring forth the noble values of Pancasila in our lives. Pancasila must remain alive and active in our lives, in the policies and measures taken by the government and in the continuous and spirited work of our people,” the President said.

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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo asks for health protocols and new SOPs to be put in place in the world of tourism. This was disclosed by the President in a meeting related to tourism in the so-called new normal era. The meeting was held online at Merdeka Palace on Wednesday (28/5/2020).

The President urged all state organizers in central and regional governments to side with people facing difficulties and to serve anyone without differentiating between social groups, races or religions. The President urged all state organizers to fulfill the duty of protecting all Indonesians.

He then asked all his fellow Indonesians to strengthen the bonds of fraternity, help one another and stay optimistic about Indonesia’s nature as a winner in facing all obstacles. According to him, whatever weaknesses the nation may have must not be obstacles toward progress.

Difficult times may persist through the year and beyond. In order to get through it, persistence and hard work involving all Indonesians were necessary.

The President said that all Indonesians should continue to improve on the nation’s weaknesses and use this as a moment for change to trigger leaps of progress and become resilient and independent. He said the challenges the nation faced might not be easy. Difficult times may persist through the year and beyond. In order to get through it, persistence and hard work involving all Indonesians were necessary.

In this situation, the President continued, Indonesia was fighting alone. All 215 countries in the world were facing the same struggles. “However, we must realize that all countries are racing one another to be a winner in curbing the virus spread and restoring their economy,” he said.

Kompas/Priyombodo

Medical personnel with complete personal protective equipment take blood samples from residents for Covid-19 mass rapid-testing in the CBD Ciledug area, Tangerang city, Banten, on Saturday (30/5/2020).

As a nation, the President said, Indonesia must present itself as a winner. Indonesians must be optimistic and able to create opportunities amid hardship. Therefore, innovation and concrete work had to be the norm.

“We must never stop creating, innovating and achieving amid this Covid-19 pandemic. Let us prove our resilience. Let us win our future. Let us make the noble dreams of our founding fathers a reality,” the President said.

The National Pancasila Day commemoration was carried out through teleconference. State officials attended the virtual event, including Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani, People’s Consultative Assembly Speaker Bambang Soesatyo and Regional Representatives Council Speaker La Nyalla Mattalitti.

Furthermore, former president and Agency for the Implementation of State Ideology of Pancasila (BPIP) steering committee chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri as well as members of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet also attended the event. Bambang Soesatyo read out the Pancasila text, while Puan Maharani read the preamble of the 1945 Constitution.

In his official press statement, Bambang said that Pancasila would always be relevant through the ages. The system of values inherent in Pancasila’s five principles was universal.

According to him, this means that Pancasila is an inspiration and a source of strength and wisdom. Therefore, he requested Indonesian millennials to continue nurturing Pancasila as a unifier of the nation and to make Pancasila values a guidance in life.

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

People\'s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo (second right, facing camera) accompanied by MPR Deputy Speaker Asrul Sani (second left) and Ahmad Basrah (right) holds a press conference after a meeting at the Corruption Eradication Commission in Jakarta on Monday (9/3/2020).

In a contemporary context, Bambang said, the spirit and value of mutual assistance as the core of Pancasila was relevant amid Covid-19. A sense of sharing struggles has emerged in the people through various initiatives of helping those less fortunate.

“The same can be said in the people’s adherence to help the government curb the Covid-19 spread by keeping a physical distance between one another, wearing masks, washing hands and working, studying and praying at home,” Bambang said.