No Paskibraka Barisan During The 17 August Ceremony At The Merdeka Palace

Commemoration ceremony for the seconds of the 74th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia (Photo: Setkab.go.id)

JAKARTA - The 75th Indonesian Independence Day commemoration ceremony centered at the Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta will be held on a limited basis in order to implement health protocols in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony participants will be limited and there will be no line of troops raising the heirloom flag (Paskibraka) who routinely raise or lower the red and white flag every year.

Based on Circular Number B-492 / M.Sesneg / Set / TU.00.04 / 07/2020 regarding the Guidelines for Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia in 2020, the Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) who is also the Chair of the National Day Celebration and Reception Committee The Head of State, Pratikno said the ceremony would be carried out simply.

"The ceremony was carried out in a simple and solemn manner. Very minimalistic and adheres to the health protocol for preventing COVID-19," said Pratikno in a letter signed last July 6.

Furthermore, the letter regulates the composition of ceremonial officers at the Merdeka Palace. The composition consists of a one-man ceremony commander and a troop raising an heirloom flag of three people taken from the Paskibraka reserve in 2019.

For the ceremonial troops, the letter only allows as many as 20 people consisting of the TNI / Polri. Then the music corps only numbered 24 people, the master of ceremony (MC) was two people and the troops who carried out the honorific shots during the seconds of the proclamation of Indonesian independence totaled 17 members of the TNI.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Presidential Palace will not invite the public or officials to attend the Merdeka Palace like in previous years. This ceremony will only be attended by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) as the inspector of the ceremony, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.

In addition, the Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly Bambang Soesatyo will also attend the text of the proclamation and the Minister of Religion Fachrul Razi as a prayer reader. Later, National Police Chief General Idham Azis and TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto will be scheduled to attend.