Letter: It is high time to instill Pancasila

I completely agree with M. Syafi’i Anwar that “Indonesia is not an Islamic state. Our state ideology is not based on sharia, but Pancasila,” (The Jakarta Post, May 4).

It is high time to instill Pancasila and Bhineka Tunggal Eka starting from grade school through to senior high. A proper educational guidance should be appropriate for all high school graduates to pass exams on the state philosophy. Any disagreement on this proposal should be investigated to avoid further break-up of our archipelagic nation.

The ongoing Bogor church furor is truly embarrassing, if not actually stupid, in our Pancasila era. All those government officials concerned could not have passed a state philosophy test to have allowed such a thing to occur.

Let us make sure that this Bogor backwardness on religious affairs doesn’t spread to other cities. Otherwise, the responsibility will clearly belong to the religious affairs minister and the home minister. The big question is “Why are they so adamant against solving the problem Pancasila-wise”?

Moeljono Adikoesoemo
Jakarta