JAKARTA - The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD RI) held their 2024 Joint Session today. In her speech, DPR RI Speaker Puan Maharani touched on the sovereignty of the people and the spirit of togetherness on the 80th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia's independence.
"Today, we gather with a high sense of national spirit. In a matter of days, our nation will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia's independence," Puan began her speech.
"For eighty years, we have stood as one nation, one homeland, united by a unifying language, Indonesian. Furthermore, our unity is upheld by Pancasila, which unites all differences across ethnicities, religions, and cultures," she continued.
The Joint Session of the DPR RI and DPD RI was held at the Nusantara Building, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday, August 15. The Joint Session of the DPR RI and DPD RI was attended by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
In addition to President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran, the Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD), part of the MPR Annual Session, was also attended by ministers from the Red and White Cabinet and heads of state institutions/agencies. These included Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Commander General Agus Subiyanto, and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
Several former presidents and former vice presidents were also invited guests. Those in attendance were the 6th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, the 6th Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Try Sutrisno, the 10th and 12th Vice Presidents of the Republic of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, and the 11th Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Boediono.
In her speech, Puan also emphasized that Pancasila is not merely a set of values, but the soul of national life. However, she cautioned that maintaining Indonesia as a great, sovereign, and resource-rich nation is no easy task.
"This historical mandate demands the presence of true national strength, a strength capable of safeguarding sovereignty, building independence, and preserving culture as the nation's identity," said the granddaughter of the Indonesian Proclaimer, Sukarno.
According to Puan, this strength is not born from weapons or wealth alone, but from the will of the people to collectively become Indonesia. This will, lived in the spirit of mutual cooperation, grows from mutual trust, and is rooted in the collective spirit of all the nation's children.
"As the Javanese proverb goes, 'Mangan ora mangan, sing penting ngumpul' (meaning "Mangan ora mangan, sing penting ngumpul" means prioritizing togetherness over pursuing individual interests," Puan said.
Puan stated that this social spirit is what distinguishes us from other nations. This togetherness, Puan said, is reinforced in the constitution and embodied as a fundamental principle of the state. He emphasized that the people are sovereign over state power, the people are sovereign over natural resources, and the people are sovereign over the nation's culture.
"This is our historical call today: to uphold people's sovereignty as the foundation of national strength. So that every policy, every step, and every state decision truly comes down to the will of the people," he emphasized.
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