Menbud Fadli Zon: Indonesia Bukan Sekadar Nation State, Tapi Negara Peradaban - Budaya Harus Jadi Mesin Masa Depan

BOGOR - The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, emphasized that culture should not stop being a slogan, let alone just a ceremonial material. He asked that culture be positioned as the lifeblood of the nation - the main current of development, as well as the capital of diplomacy and creative economy. The statement was delivered while being a keynote speaker at the Sarasehan Kebudayaan Nusantara in Cibinong, Bogor, Sunday, March 1.

Fadli revealed the scale of Indonesia's heritage, which is often boasted, but has not been seriously managed. Currently, there are 2,727 Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTb), while other potential - he said could be tens of thousands - are still in the process of registration and verification. "Our culture is not only rich, but also old," said Fadli, while referring to the distribution of cultural heritage from Sabang to Merauke.

He then linked the data with the latest scientific findings. Fadli said the publication of the Nature journal on January 22, 2026, about the discovery of the world's oldest ancient painting at 67,800 years old in Muna, Southeast Sulawesi. The findings, according to him, strengthen the argument that Indonesia is not enough to be called a nation state, but a civilizational state - a country with a long civilization footprint.

The pressure is clear: culture must be a matter of the present and the future. Fadli assessed that developed countries not only protect culture, but also process it into strategic power through cultural and creative industries (CCI) and an economy based on intellectual property. He called culture a soft power that could raise Indonesia's position on the world stage.

In the forum, the Deputy Governor of East Kalimantan Seno Aji said that Kaltim placed culture as a unifying factor in the vision of "Kaltim Success Towards the Golden Generation". He alluded to the old traces of the Kutai Kingdom in the 4th century through the Yupa Inscription in Muara Kaman, and said that there were 56 Kaltim cultural heritage that had been designated by the Ministry of Culture, including culinary recognition.

West Java Secretary General Herman Suryatman highlighted the support of the Ministry of Culture, including facilitating the manuscript of Sang Hyang Siksa Kandang Karesian which was designated as a UNESCO Memory of the World in April last year. He emphasized two West Java focuses, namely strengthening the character of the younger generation based on ancestral values - the concept of Pancawaluya (cager, bager, bener, pinter, singer) - and environmental preservation through land use control.