The ASEAN Secretariat Building Was Inaugurated By President Suharto In Today's History, 9 May 1981

The ASEAN Secretariat building which was inaugurated by President Soeharto on May 9, 1981. (pu.go.id)

JAKARTA History today, 42 years ago, May 9, 1981, President Suharto inaugurated the Secretariat Building of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta. The inauguration was carried out so that cooperation between ASEAN countries was maintained.

Everything is because the Secretariat Building is used as the center of ASEAN activities. Previously, Suharto and the New Order (Orba) foreign political steps were no less distant from the Old Order period. Suharto can make Indonesia famous abroad. Mainly, in the ASEAN region.

Foreign politics under the government of Soekarno and the Old Order is fairly brilliant. Big Brother was able to knit friendship with many countries in the world. The eastern block, especially. This friendship made Indonesia able to perpetuate cooperation in all fields.

As a result, the trust of the Indonesian people in Bung Karno and his international politics is unquestionable. However, doubts arose when Suharto and the New Order took the title of government. Many people doubt Suharto's existence in perpetuating foreign politics.

In fact, this concern is not proven. Suharto was actually able to emerge as a leader who was proficient in foreign political affairs. Suharto made adjustments. When the Old Order of the Indonesian government was leaning towards the eastern bloc. Meanwhile, during the Suharto era, Indonesia's qiblat of cooperation began to be directed at the western block.

Not only that, Suharto also helped maintain cooperation with neighboring countries. Andil Suharto behind Indonesia is part of ASEAN, one of which is Andil Suharto.

However, Indonesia's foreign political arrangement is considered more successful. First, after successfully bringing Indonesia into one of the orbits of Western block countries, President Suharto then reversed the image of Indonesia's confrontation with Malaysia in the past to a conducive regional political arrangement for economic development efforts through the establishment of the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations).

The formation of ASEAN is believed to be the turning point of political confrontation against the politics of regional cooperation among nations in Southeast Asia. ASEAN later became the first major pillar of the external aspects of Indonesia's external environment in the formulation of foreign politics under President Suharto, "explained Agus R. Rahman in his writing in the LIPI Political Research Journal entitled Foreign Politics The government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Europe (2005).

Suharto did not want Indonesia's involvement in ASEAN to be half-hearted. He and the New Order wanted Indonesia to be total in maintaining good relations between Indonesia and all ASEAN member countries. Restu Suharto in supporting the presence of the ASEAN Secretariat Building in Jakarta, for example.

The building was inaugurated by Suharto on May 9, 1981. The presence of the ASEAN Secretariat Building is considered by Suharto to be able to show Indonesia's commitment to maintaining the friendship of countries in Southeast Asia.

Secretary General of ASEAN, Phan Wannamethee said, after 10 years of the establishment of the ASEAN Secretariat, there were three signs that showed the growth and progress of the ASEAN Secretariat. namely the inauguration of the ASEAN Secretariat building by President Suharto on May 9, 1981, appointing a Task Force on the improvement of the ASEAN Secretariat in 1981 and the inauguration of a computer center at the Secretariat building.

Sekien ASEAN said that the main function of the ASEAN Secretariat is to coordinate and monitor ASEAN's demands, serve meeting and conference needs, disseminate information about ASEAN's suit, treat ASEAN documents to carry out the administration of Representative Funds (Trust Funds) and act as ASEAN coordinators in dialogue between ASEAN and the UN Development Program, UNDP, written in the Mimbar Kerakyatan Magazine report entitled ASEAN's 10th Anniversary (1986).