The Indonesian House Of Representatives Approves The Rewriting Of Indonesia's History, Focuses On The Indonesian-centric Perspective

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon received support from the Indonesian House of Representatives for the rewriting of Indonesian history. (IST)

JAKARTA, DPR RI said full support for the continuation of the rewriting of Indonesian history initiated by the Ministry of Culture. The agreement was reached at the Commission X Working Meeting with the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon which was held in the Meeting Room of Commission X, Nusantara I Building, DPR RI, Monday, May 26.

The majority of the factions agreed on the importance of continuing the historical writing project. Present at the meeting were Chairman of Commission X Hetifah Sjaifudian, 34 members of the DPR from 8 factions, as well as ranks of echelon I and II officials of the Ministry of Culture, including the Deputy Minister, Director General of Cultural Protection, Director of History and Summary, and the General Editor Team of the Indonesian History Book.

Hetifah emphasized the need for transparency in the process of rewriting history. "We want to know who is involved, and how this process is carried out so that the public gets a true and representative historical narrative," he said.

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon said this project aims to eliminate colonial bias and build a strong national identity through the Indonesian-centric approach. Rewriting is also expected to be able to answer the challenges of globalization, shape the nation's character, and strengthen the relationship between the younger generation and the history of its nation.

There are still many historical narratives that we study today that are not yet completely free from colonial influence. This is not relevant enough for the younger generation. Therefore, rewriting history is no longer an option, but a must, "said Menbud Fadli Zon.

Fadli explained that the writing of Indonesian history this time will be carried out inclusively and multidisciplinaryly, involving cross-field academics and public testing at the final stage. This book will be compiled in 10 volumes, starting from the Early History of the Archipelago to the 1999'2024 Reformation Era.

The big themes to be raised include the Early History of the Archipelago, the Influence of India and China, the Interaction with the Middle East, the Relations with the West, the Resistance to the Colonialization, National Movement, the War of Independence, the Period of the National Struggling and Integration, the New Order (19671998), and the Era of Reform (19992024).

"The content of this book is an outline of history, not a detailed description. What is important is its point of view. We want history to be written from an Indonesian perspective," explained Menbud Fadli.

He added that Indonesia had been on hiatus writing national history for 26 years. When the progress reaches 70 percent, the public will be invited to discuss in a public test forum to perfect the content of the book before it is published.