Pancasila and the Lebaran Travel Season

KOMPAS/WISNU WIDIANTORO

This photo shows the Lematang-Kota Baru section of the Bakauheni -Terbanggi Besar toll road project in Lampung on Friday (1/6/2018). The 5-kilometer toll road section is already operational.

Amid controversy over the "salary" of officials at the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency, Pancasila Day was commemorated with events in numerous cities on June 1, 2018.

The administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has declared June 1 a national holiday to celebrate the state ideology of Pancasila. The rituals and ceremonies held on June 1 remind everyone that Pancasila values are important for making Indonesia the home of a diverse people. Pancasila must continue to be realized and practiced in the midst of other ideological offers that are blossoming in line with the freedom afforded by open democracy.

We do not want to discuss the "salary" controversy or the Pancasila Day commemoration ceremonies, but we want to invite all parties to use the values of Pancasila to serve the people as they welcome Idul Fitri. The government has set holidays and collective leave days from June 11 to June 20. The length of the holiday period should make holiday traveling more manageable this year.

Idul Fitri is still far enough off. The remaining time can be used to improve everything from road infrastructure and price controls to security measures. Mass traveling for Lebaran is an annual occurrence; tens of millions of people will hit the roads and take to the skies to get together with their extended families.

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

Builders work on the Pandaan-Malang toll road in Banjararum village Singosari district, Malang regency, East Java, Wednesday (30/5/2018). Even though the 38.5-kilometer toll road has not been completed yet, a part of the toll road section will be utilized ahead of the upcoming Lebaran festivities as an alternative to alleviate traffic on the Malang-Surabaya route.

As the most important program of President Jokowi, infrastructure development, such as the construction of toll roads, should help the people celebrate Lebaran in safety and comfort. People should enjoy the fruits of development. The Lebaran traveling period marks the right time for the state, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and corporations to show presence and help those embarking on long journeys to celebrate Lebaran in their places of origin.

All of this requires good management and communication. Information should be released carefully, so that travelers not only rely on toll roads, so as to prevent congestion at certain times. The availability of supporting facilities on toll roads, such as gas stations and rest areas, should also be communicated, so travelers would not have unrealistic expectations. Toll roads are not the only way, with national roads being a viable alternative.

The movement of people during the Idul Fitri holiday period requires clear organization and command structures. The organization of outbound travel in 2017 with a single command was relatively good, so that should be improved on this year. The single command should aim to keep the flow of traffic smooth and the rate of accidents as low as possible.

State-owned enterprises and big business leaders can also use Lebaran to do something for others. Providing public transportation and paying holiday allowances (THR) on time is one aspect of implementing Pancasila principles while strengthening unity among citizens.

We also note that it is the duty of the government to control the prices of basic commodities that usually soar ahead of Idul Fitri. It is also the duty of the police to maintain security ahead and during Idul Fitri. While there is still time, operational plans must be prepared and deployed.