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| Rise for Pancasila:: A boy participates in a ceremony to celebrate the 66th anniversary of state ideology Pancasila, which people claim had been forgotten amid the rise of fundamentalism in the country.JP/Ricky Yudhistira |
Radicalism and social injustice are two realities that have become more apparent in modern-day Indonesia, which seems to have forgotten its ideological foundation, former presidents say.
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, the most senior of the lot, said the rapid economic expansion that followed the nation’s euphoria over the demise of Soeharto’s dictatorship had placed the ideals of Pancasila on the back burner.
Although there was significant development in democratic proceedings, Habibie said, growing intolerance, rejection of heterogeneity and repeated abuse of power by majority groups showed that Indonesia had not achieved ideals set by its founding fathers.
The five principles of Pancasila were first introduced to the public by Muhammad Yamin on May 29, 1945, amid preparations for the nation’s independence. The name Pancasila, which literally means five principles, was coined by Sukarno, who later became Indonesia’s first president.
Under Soeharto’s rule, Pancasila was taught in schools and universities and was later seen as a doctrine forced upon the nation’s youth in a bid to mitigate ideas and ideologies subversive to the autocratic status quo.
“Democracy has become nothing but a way for individual groups to ensure their existence. Political participation is based on the interest of individual groups, neglected civil rights and a mockery of the supremacy of law,” Habibie said at a ceremony to commemorate the birth of Pancasila in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The ceremony was also attended by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Sinta Nuriyah Wahid, the wife of the fourth president, Abdurrahman Wahid.
Habibie also underlined a paradox experienced by many resource-rich nations such as Indonesia as they adopted a pro-market approach to policy-making. As markets become more open with nations adopting free-trade mechanisms, the transfer of resources from one nation to another along with the process of value creation forced Indonesia to purchase “working hours” from abroad, he said.
“[This means] the people have to pay for the working hours of labor from other countries. This is a new form of colonialism, or, given our historical context, VOC with a new cloak,” he said referring to the Dutch East India Company that ruled resource trading in the archipelago back during the colonial era.
The fifth principle of Pancasila, Habibie said, demanded social justice for all. “The question now is: How do we implement [Pancasila] given the context of economic globalization?”
The fifth president of Indonesia, Megawati, spoke of Pancasila as her father’s priceless contribution to the nation.
Megawati said Pancasila reflected Sukarno’s hope for Indonesia as a united, multicultural and independent country. She said no country would prevail unless it had a well-constructed ideology.
Megawati supported Habibie’s thought that Pancasila could protect Indonesia from the threats of globalization.
“If we fail to incorporate Pancasila in our way of life and actions, we will become part of a new capitalism and imperialism,” she said.
President Yudhoyono raised similar points.
“I agree that Pancasila has stood the test of time and could survive any situation. However, it is now shackled and forgotten,” he said
Yudhoyono said he would seek to ensure that Pancasila principles in the economic sector, especially those related to foreign investment, would be carefully addressed so that the sector would benefit.
“From now, we must make sure new contracts [signed with foreign partners] are fair and just,” Yudhoyono said.
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, the most senior of the lot, said the rapid economic expansion that followed the nation’s euphoria over the demise of Soeharto’s dictatorship had placed the ideals of Pancasila on the back burner.
Although there was significant development in democratic proceedings, Habibie said, growing intolerance, rejection of heterogeneity and repeated abuse of power by majority groups showed that Indonesia had not achieved ideals set by its founding fathers.
The five principles of Pancasila were first introduced to the public by Muhammad Yamin on May 29, 1945, amid preparations for the nation’s independence. The name Pancasila, which literally means five principles, was coined by Sukarno, who later became Indonesia’s first president.
Under Soeharto’s rule, Pancasila was taught in schools and universities and was later seen as a doctrine forced upon the nation’s youth in a bid to mitigate ideas and ideologies subversive to the autocratic status quo.
“Democracy has become nothing but a way for individual groups to ensure their existence. Political participation is based on the interest of individual groups, neglected civil rights and a mockery of the supremacy of law,” Habibie said at a ceremony to commemorate the birth of Pancasila in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The ceremony was also attended by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Sinta Nuriyah Wahid, the wife of the fourth president, Abdurrahman Wahid.
Habibie also underlined a paradox experienced by many resource-rich nations such as Indonesia as they adopted a pro-market approach to policy-making. As markets become more open with nations adopting free-trade mechanisms, the transfer of resources from one nation to another along with the process of value creation forced Indonesia to purchase “working hours” from abroad, he said.
“[This means] the people have to pay for the working hours of labor from other countries. This is a new form of colonialism, or, given our historical context, VOC with a new cloak,” he said referring to the Dutch East India Company that ruled resource trading in the archipelago back during the colonial era.
The fifth principle of Pancasila, Habibie said, demanded social justice for all. “The question now is: How do we implement [Pancasila] given the context of economic globalization?”
The fifth president of Indonesia, Megawati, spoke of Pancasila as her father’s priceless contribution to the nation.
Megawati said Pancasila reflected Sukarno’s hope for Indonesia as a united, multicultural and independent country. She said no country would prevail unless it had a well-constructed ideology.
Megawati supported Habibie’s thought that Pancasila could protect Indonesia from the threats of globalization.
“If we fail to incorporate Pancasila in our way of life and actions, we will become part of a new capitalism and imperialism,” she said.
President Yudhoyono raised similar points.
“I agree that Pancasila has stood the test of time and could survive any situation. However, it is now shackled and forgotten,” he said
Yudhoyono said he would seek to ensure that Pancasila principles in the economic sector, especially those related to foreign investment, would be carefully addressed so that the sector would benefit.
“From now, we must make sure new contracts [signed with foreign partners] are fair and just,” Yudhoyono said.
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