Response To Paskibraka Prohibited From Wearing Hijabs, Jokowi: We Must Respect Diversity

President Jokowi (Photo: Screenshot of Youtube)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo responded to the rules of the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) which indirectly prevented the women's Heritage Flag-raising Troops (Paskibraka) from wearing headscarves while serving at the State Palace of the Capital of the Archipelago, East Kalimantan.

Presented at the State Palace, IKN, after attending the August 17, 2024 flag lowering ceremony, the President emphasized that diversity must be respected.

"We have to respect diversity, we have to respect diversity because this country is a big country, a different ethnicity, a different race, a different religion, different customs, so it cannot be uniformized," said President Joko Widodo quoting Antara.

Jokowi emphasized that differences and diversity are gifts and wealth that should be grateful for unity, not for differences

When asked whether there were sanctions for the Head of the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) for this incident, the President stated, "Yes, we will see."

Previously, the women's Paskibraka did not appear to be wearing a headscarf when the President was inaugurated at the IKN State Palace and drew public criticism.

Head of BPIP Yudian Wahyudi emphasized that Paskibraka's clothing, attributes, and attitudes as seen during the implementation of state duties, namely the inauguration of Paskibraka, were the volunteerism of Paskibraka in order to comply with existing regulations, and only at the time of the inauguration of Paskibraka and the raising of the Red and White at state ceremonies.

Yudian said that during the proclamation, Indonesia consisted of various diversity. In order to restore unity, Paskibraka is made in a uniform form, to maintain diversity in the context of unity.

"To maintain and maintain this state tradition, BPIP has issued BPIP Regulation Number 3 of 2022 concerning the Implementation Regulation of Presidential Regulation Number 51 of 2022 concerning the Paskibraka program which regulates the procedures for clothing and the attitude of the Paskibraka look," said Yudian.

He said the regulation for 2024 had been emphasized in the Decree of the Head of BPIP Number 35 of 2024 concerning standards of clothing, attributes, and attitudes, looking at the Heritage Flag-raising Troops.

"At the time of registration, every candidate for Paskibraka in 2024 registered voluntarily to take part in the administrative selection by submitting a statement signed on a stamp of IDR 10,000," said Yudian.