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Jokowi declares June 1 as national holiday to commemorate Pancasila
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo officially declared June 1 a national holiday on Wednesday to commemorate the birth of Pancasila state ideology.
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A cleaner dusts inside the Pancasila Building in Jakarta on May 31. It was in this building on June 1, 1945 that president Sukarno explained for the first time the five principles of Pancasila, which he suggested be the foundation of Indonesia's independence. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has declared June 1 a national holiday to commemorate the birth of the state ideology. (Antara/Rosa Panggabean)
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo officially declared June 1 a national holiday on Wednesday to commemorate the birth of Pancasila state ideology.
The official declaration was marked by the signing of a presidential decree during the commemoration of a speech by first Indonesian president Sukarno on June 1, 1945 at the Merdeka Building in Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday.
"With this presidential decree, June 1 is declared and celebrated as the birth of Pancasila," Jokowi said in a speech as quoted in a presidential press release.
As the state ideology, Pancasila must be recognized and preserved by all citizens from generation to generation, he said.
In his speech, Jokowi expressed gratitude for the existence of Pancasila, introduced by founding father Sukarno not only as a state ideology but also as a philosophy of life in the country.
He believed that under Pancasila, Indonesia could overcome adversary and come out the winner even in tight global competition.
"There is no reason to be pessimistic. We must be optimistic facing the future. We should be confident about winning the global competition," he said.
Megawati Soekarnoputri, former president and daughter of Sukarno, also attended the commemoration and urged everyone to preserve Pancasila as a way of life.
"With the spirit of Pancasila Day, make Pancasila the way of life of the nation," Megawati said during her speech on behalf of the family. (rin)
