The Cooling Warming Up

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

J. Kristiadi

The holy month of Ramadhan, a month-long sacred period to resist all temptation of physical pleasures through self-denial to find our identity as human beings that glorify noble values, has passed and was celebrated with triumph on the first day of Shawwal, 1439 Hijriah. This sense of triumph is heightened through asking for mutual forgiveness in a manifestation of contemplating the ascetic stance and soul-searching through our actions that have hurt and harmed others. The atmosphere of communal spirituality was calm, embraced by the sweeping sensation of peace.

From the perspective of the nation and state, celebrating the triumph of Idul Fitri is Indonesia\'s victory. The rigorous barriers put up by primordial differences melted away as a result of the loving caress of the grace and ability to overcome human temptation and glorify our values. In essence, the nature of all human beings is equal before God. Therefore, Idul Fitri marks a new chapter of living a better life.

The triumph of this year\'s holiday is very meaningful, because the Indonesian nation is facing the contest for power in the 2018 regional elections and 2019 presidential election. Many people are worried that these political challenges will be very difficult, because the "lose-win" nuances seem a battle between life and death, along with the identity politics being wielded to win a political contest that should prioritize rationalism.

However, the spiritual mood of the holy month of Ramadhan and the echoes of triumphant celebration during Idul Fitri have cooled the political heat of the contestation. Sporadic political jargon aimed to tempt the sanctity of the fasting month did not work because the collective determination to achieve ultimate victory was much greater. By capitalizing on this "cooling heat", it is expected that the elections will not be damaged by an excessive lust for power.

This cooler political atmosphere should be maintained so the elections can be an instrument of the nation, not only in choosing its leaders, but also in consolidating the nation’s ideological modalities and insight. Using identity politics as a political tool will only ruin the nation.

Nation’s energy

Realizing the principle of coexistence that upholds the agreed national values is urgently needed, as although the Indonesian nation has been independent for more than 70 years and political reform has been taking place over two decades, the nation can still easily become swept up in the vortex of primordial conflict caused by the overwhelming lust for power. In reality, Indonesia has all the requirements to become a great nation. What is urgently needed today is to consolidate the common desire to realize the national interest. This way, the nation’s energy is not drained merely in taking care of the sectarian issues that are frequently abused for narrow political interests. The national energy must be utilized to face greater challenges: competition and struggle at the international level.

Indonesia is recognized, even praised, as a nation of dignity, tolerance, democracy and other attributes. However, it still faces many other challenges, especially in the poor quality of its economic competitiveness, human resources and other capabilities. Overcoming backwardness and increasing competitiveness take a long time. Therefore, while designing its future agenda, the nation\'s energy should be geared toward developing a strategy to break through the increasingly rigorous global competition. For example, issues that are often the stumbling blocks of Indonesian policy include climate change, palm oil politics, the environment and other issues that big countries raise as instruments of trade politics.

In fighting these super-powerful states, it is not enough just to scream in the streets and curse in front of their embassies. Fighting these big countries must involve the ability to use clever tactics and domestic political force.

To illustrate, the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and American President Donald Trump happened a few days ago. Regardless of Kim\'s despotic character, which might even be deemed brutal today, Kim was crowned the winner. The Economist (June 9-15, 2018) dubbed him Kim Jong-Won to mean "Kim the Winner".

AFP PHOTO/POOL/ANTHONY WALLACE

President Donald Trump (right) walks out with North Korea\'s leader Kim Jong Un (left) after taking part in a signing ceremony at the end of their historic US-North Korea summit, at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore on June 12, 2018. Trump and Kim became on June 12 the first sitting US and North Korean leaders to meet, shake hands and negotiate to end a decades-old nuclear stand-off.

It has even been said that Kim’s main objective in conducting nuclear tests was to force the US to the negotiating table again.

Indeed, Indonesia is not North Korea, which is led by a dictator. However, the lesson to be drawn from Kim\'s victory is his ability to consolidate domestic forces with expert management tactics so as to shake up a state as big as the US.

Indonesia as a country possessing dignity certainly has a different way. However, it is only effective when the domestic political energy can be consolidated democratically and then used to formulate a strategy in the global arena for the national interest – and not as a battle of wits among the nation\'s children to destroy each other. Thus, a just and happy society will soon become a reality.

J. Kristiadi, Senior Researcher, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)