DPR Speaker Puan Maharani Reminisces About The 1998 Reformation: At That Time I Was 20 Years Old, Taking Care Of The Public Kitchen In Kebagusan

Chairperson of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, recalled her experience when the reforms broke out in May 1998, when Puan was just 20 years old.

As a young woman who had just graduated from college, Puan was also involved and witnessed the process of the overthrow of President Suharto, who had been in power for 32 years.

"During the reformation, I took care of the soup kitchen at my house in Kebagusan," said Puan in her written statement, quoted from Antara, Saturday, May 21.

She said every day many people took to the streets and were around her house at the time. In fact, she could not even leave the house because many people wanted to overthrow President Suharto's power.

"In front of my fence it happened. I'm still a young girl who can't leave the house," she said.

However, because she still wanted to play a role in the reform process, Puan decided to become a cook to provide food for the activists who passed by in front of her house.

Bung Karno's granddaughter still remembers exactly the menu she cooked at that time, namely fish, tempeh, tofu, and vegetable soup.

"At that time, no matter how much cooking, it wasn't enough. The vegetables came from cemplung. The important thing is that the soup has a lot of water or a lot of vegetables," recalls Puan.

I can't believe it, now 24 years have passed since the reforms that succeeded in overthrowing President Soeharto. Puan has grown from a young girl to a seasoned politician. She has held the position of minister to the chairman of the DPR.

The PDI-P politician assessed that reform had become an important part; not only for her political career, but also as part of the history of this nation.

"The victory of reform brought changes to realize the ideals of an independent nation according to Bung Karno's hopes, which ultimately made this nation more advanced than before," she said.

She also advised the young generation of the Indonesian nation to continue to maintain the spirit of reform.

She did not deny that currently there are still a number of problems that pose a threat to reform, ranging from disintegration, corruption, to social and economic.

"But it is our collective duty to keep the fire of reform burning," said Puan.