Human development with focus on education, health and work is the main determinant for the success of leaders, not only in realizing Indonesian dreams entrusted by Sukarno-Hatta, but also in welcoming Indonesia Gold 2045
By
SUKIDI
·5 minutes read
The republic's architect bequeathed a sweet dream for Indonesia Raya, a prosperous Indonesia, free from poverty. The dream was recorded in the speech of 1 June 1945 when Sukarno promised that "there will be no poverty in an independent Indonesia."
What has happened nearly 78 years later? Poverty and a gaps are a dangerous specter for the sustainability of this republic. Imagine, "Indonesia's [wealth] gap is now relatively high and is increasing faster than most of its neighboring countries in East Asia" (World Bank, 2014) and the "Four richest people in Indonesia have more wealth than the 100 million poorest people" (Oxfam, 2017). The gap is not just a form of injustice that defames the dignity of millions of poor people and the majority of citizens who are vulnerable of becoming poor, but also tears up the core of the republic that serves social justice and mutual prosperity.
Nearly 78 years ago, justice and social welfare were the main dreams of the founders of Indonesia. This dream was reflected in Sukarno's speech on 1 June 1945: "Do we want Indonesia's independence, whose capitalists are rampant, or all of the people are prosperous, where all people eat adequately, have enough clothes, live in welfare, feel to be on the lap of the motherland, which gives enough food and clothing to them? Which one do we choose, brothers and sisters?" Sukarno answered his own question: "The people want to prosper [...] we must make equality, meaning the joint welfare which is as good as possible."
This dream of justice and welfare was formulated brilliantly by Mohammad Hatta, the main architect of the 1945 Constitution in the economic field. Specifically, Hatta formulated the prosperity of the people in Article 23 paragraph (1), work and livelihoods that are appropriate for humanity in Article 27 paragraph (2), the right to education and cultural progress in Articles 31 and 32, the role of the state to realize the welfare and prosperity of the people in Article 33 and state protection for the poor and abandoned children in Article 34.
What has happened nearly 78 years later? The dream of justice and social welfare described so brilliantly by the architect of this republic, Mohammad Hatta, is still far from the reality today.
This nation must dare to be honest with the brutal facts about Indonesia today: ranging from the wealth gap, unemployment, poverty, the problem of stunting, hunger, corruption, collusion, nepotism, the judicial mafia, moral bankruptcy, environmental damage, to low quality of education and human resources.
The existence of a gap between Indonesia’s rich and poor, which was fought against by Sukarno-Hatta, and the fact that Indonesia today incises intellectual anxiety and bitterness in life: what is wrong with the leaders of the nation?
Mistakes deserve to be pinned to the shoulders of the leaders of this nation, not the people. The dreams of the founders of the republic are precisely paralyzed by the soul dwarfism of the country’s own leaders. "One great time was born by the century," Hatta criticized in Our Democracy (1960), quoting German poet Johann CF von Schiller (1759-1805), "but that great time met dwarf-soul humans." Dwarf-soul leaders only think in the short-term, sectarian-oriented, and do not spread awareness about the importance of the dreams and thoughts of the nation's founders for the progress of Indonesia.
Indonesia Raya's dreams inherited by Sukarno-Hatta may only be realized by leaders who think and work for the best of Indonesia. That is the type of leader who does not just want to read, understand and enliven the thoughts of the nation's founders clearly, but one who is also able to emulate their noble struggle and devotion.
A leader who lives for the direction and future of his people always rests on the principle of meritocracy in the implementation of state policies. These policies are based on the full awareness that the determining factor for Indonesia's progress lies in human capital investment. Their success depens on the ability of leaders to think long term and across generations, and fully trust the nation's children to carry out state policy priorities in overall educational reforms, especially free education from early age to universities for poor people and abandoned children; in health reform, especially free health services for poor people and abandoned children as well as the provision of employment and social security for all, especially for the poor and abandoned children, for a decent and dignified livelihood.
Human development with a focus on education, health and work is the main determinant for the success of leaders, not only in realizing Indonesian dreams entrusted by Sukarno-Hatta, but also in welcoming Indonesia Gold 2045. At the celebration of 100 years of independence, we shall have grown and risen together and should be able to stand tall and equal as fellow Indonesian citizens.