IO, Jakarta – The struggles of our armed forces, clergy, and nationalists in achieving independence for Indonesia is something we must all respect and honour. One of the ways to do that is by protecting the concept and ideology of the Unitary Nation of the Republic of Indonesia (Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia – “NKRI”) from any other concepts that seek to replace it. According to the Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat Republik Indonesia – “MPR RI”) Ahmad Basarah, even now some people seek to replace the philosophical basis of Indonesia, as obvious in the 2019 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
Even though threats towards Pancasila and the Constitution of 1945 as the nation’s ideology still occurs. However, our nationalists, Muslim citizens, and our armed forces are the loyal guardians of NKRI from all of these threats to its concepts. “Recently, some parties deliberately attempt to replace the fundamentals of our State. It is obvious that the latest Election was the means to capitalize on final and established historical events in Indonesia. There are conflicts between the Faith and the State,” Ahmad said in the Nationalist, Muslim, and Military Culture dialog titled “Those Who Gave Birth to a Republic Must Dare to Guard It” held at Indonesian National College Student Movement (Gerakan Mahasiswa Nasional Indonesia – “GMNI”) Office in Central Jakarta.
Similarly to Ahmad Basarah, Presidential Chief of Staff Armed Forces General (Ret.) Moeldoko stated that the TNI is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of NKRI. Furthermore, he stated that the nationalists and the religious groups of Indonesia remain pivotal in the maintenance of our country’s ideological and cultural diversity. “There is no doubt about it. When you talk about Islam, the struggle is naturally part of our faith. When we look at the contribution of the nationalists, we humbly admit that the country would collapse without them. They have survived all attacks from the right and the left. And when they collaborate with the Indonesian armed forces, they can floor anyone who dares to disturb RI,” he said.
Moeldoko stated that Indonesia is a country whose democracy is successful. Other countries like Libya, Egypt, and Syria have fallen following their failure to preserve their democracy. He stated that maintaining the tension and balance between the nationalists and the religious is very hard, but it is necessary to maintain our country’s stability. “There is only a slight difference between democracy and anarchy. But democracy is still a part of order, and it must not be disturbed. We need to protect it the best way we can,” he said.
Muhammadiyah General Secretary Abdul Mu’ti stated that Indonesia as a nation is the home of its people. Therefore, the people should believe in Pancasila, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, and the Constitution of 1945 as the basis of the country.
PBNU General Secretary Faishal stated that in order to be able to protect NKRI, PBNU has always prioritized early education. The education provided by pesantren boarding houses is believed to be able to uphold the Archipelago’s citizens in their effort to understand their nation’s ideology. “For NU, politics is meant to help us build a fair and prosperous country, which will generate welfare for the citizens. The policies of a leader must be directly related to the people’s welfare. We will support whoever becomes a leader, as long as they generate welfare for the people,” he said.
PDIP General Secretary Hasto Kristiyanto stated that in terms of leadership, anyone from the military, the Muhammadiyah, and NU would definitely protect Indonesia from any threat to Pancasila as its philosophical basis. However, the Government must also organize its cabinet soon in order to ensure that the State’s programs follow the mandate of the Constitution. “People may be blabbing about the names of possible future ministers now. However, we need to be aware that becoming a minister is more than just individual ambition. Any minister candidate must master history, has good leadership, and have the best interests of the common people at heart,” he said.
Hasto stated that the design for Jokowi-Ma`ruf’s coalition will be divided into four bases. He encourages the Government to firmly stick to these bases in order to ensure that the formation of the cabinet brings with it the spirit of history and cooperation. “The bases are: organization of the presidential system, consolidation of ideology, reference of history, and agreement to strategic agenda,” he said. (dan)