Dialogue between President of the Republic of Indonesia and Vaccination Drive Participants from Several Schools (via Video Conference), after the Inspection of COVID-19 Vaccination for Students, 23 September 2021 at State Senior High School SMAN 2, Cilacap Regency, Central Java Province

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Good afternoon,

May peace be upon us all.

Today we are attending a mass vaccination for students carried out by the State Intelligence Agency (BIN). I am here accompanied by Mr. Head of BIN, Mr. Cabinet Secretary, and Governor of Central Java Mr. Ganjar Pranowo.

As many as approximately 107 thousand of students in ten provinces receive vaccine. I hope that after getting vaccinated, you can attend in-person learning again. Even though it is merely the first jab and it takes 2 to 4 weeks to receive the second jab, if your city/regency is at level 3 public activity restrictions (PPKM), please do attend in-person learning by implementing strict health protocols, especially wearing masks. That’s my message to you.

Alkhairaat Islamic Boarding School for Girls of Palu City, please.

Students from Alkhairaat Islamic Boarding School of Palu City, Central Sulawesi Province

[students chanting]

Fatimatuzzahra (Student from Alkhairaat Islamic Boarding School of Palu City, Central Sulawesi Province)

Greetings, Mr. President, my name is Fatimatuzzahra, student from Alkhairaat Islamic Boarding School of Palu. I would like to express our gratitude for we have been vaccinated. If possible, not only us receive the vaccine, but also our parents, brothers and sisters, so that we are healthy and ready to attend in-person learning at school.

We long to meet and chat with our teachers and friends like we used to before COVID-19. I hope you and your family and all children in Indonesia are always healthy. Amen.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Amen. It is our goal to get all the citizens vaccinated, be it the father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister, or student. As you may be aware, every country is currently trying hard to secure vaccine supply. There is a country where 60 percent of its citizens have been vaccinated, some have 50 percent, and some have only 2 percent. [Every country] has to fight to buy [the vaccines], not free of charge. It means that buying vaccines today is also not an easy matter.

Therefore, I hope everyone is enthusiastic to participate in the vaccination drive and can immediately hold in-person learning. So, after receiving the vaccine and your regency or city level’s [PPKM] at Level 3, Level 2, or Level 1, please conduct in-person learning again. It does not matter.

Ari Irwansyah (Student from Alkhairaat Islamic Boarding School of Palu City, Central Sulawesi Province)

Greetings, Mr President. My name is Ari Irwansyah, a student of Alkhairaat, Palu. It is true what my friend Fatima said that not only us who receive the vaccine, but all of us must receive the vaccine, both from the elderly and children.

However, when we received the jab, the doctor said this was the first dose of vaccine and he said there would be a second dose of vaccine that will follow in the next 28 days. Therefore, we hope that the second dose of vaccination can be carried out and run smoothly. And God willing, we are all ready for the second dose of vaccine.

[speaking in local language]

Stay healthy, Indonesia!

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Okay, Thank you Alkhairaat.

Now to Maluku, SMAN 11 of Ambon City, please.

Principal of SMAN 11 Ambon City, Maluku Province (La Ima Kampono)

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Wa’alaikumsalam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Principal of SMAN 11 Ambon City, Maluku Province (La Ima Kampono)

Honorable Mr. President, here is our school chant.

[students chanting]

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

How many students received the vaccine today, sir?

Principal of SMAN 11 Ambon City, Maluku Province (La Ima Kampono)

We aimed [to give a jab to] 3,500 students residing in Ambon City, sir.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Is the vaccine ready?

Principal of SMAN 11 Ambon City, Maluku Province (La Ima Kampono)

Everything’s ready, Mr. President.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Please.

Principal of SMAN 11 Ambon City, Maluku Province (La Ima Kampono)

Dear Mr. President, my name is Drs. La Ima Kampono, Principal of SMAN 11 Ambon. I would like to express my gratitude to you for being so persistent and working so hard to carry out vaccination drives throughout Indonesia. An outstanding leader worthy of emulation. By working hard, God willing, the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia will disappear.

Therefore, we are targeting to provide vaccines to 3,500 participants. Thus, if this has been done, we hope that students in Maluku Province in general and Ambon City in particular, can participate in in-person learning.

There are several messages and impressions that will be conveyed by representatives of students of SMAN 11 Ambon. Thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Wa’alaikumsalam.

Cahya Khurfatul Jannah (Student of SMAN 11 Ambon City, Maluku Province)

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Wa’alaikumsalam.

Cahya Khurfatul Jannah (Student of SMAN 11 Ambon City, Maluku Province)

Pak Jokowi, my name is Cahya Khurfatul Jannah from SMAN 11 Ambon, Maluku Province. I have received the vaccine and I would like to express my gratitude to you because I have received the vaccine, I have been able to gather and meet all my friends here. Before I end my talk, I want to recite a pantun (four-line rhyming poem) for you,

[the student read out a pantun]

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Dear all my children, after receiving the first jab you can immediately participate in limited in-person learning. One class can be 30 or 50 percent. But [this policy is] only for cities and regencies with PPKM Level 3, 2, or 1. I forbid if it’s still at Level 4.

Please, there are no problems as long as you maintain health protocols, especially wearing face masks. That’s all. Thank you. Thank you, Maluku.

Now to Central Sulawesi, SMAN 3 Poso, please.

Student Representative of SMAN 3, Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi Province

Assalamu’alaikum, President Jokowi.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Wa’alaikumsalam.

Student Representative of SMAN 3, Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi Province

Maraso! Thank God, we—students in Poso Regency—finally have received the vaccine. We have longed to meet our friends at school.

Thank you very much to President Jokowi for organizing mass vaccinations for students throughout Poso Regency.

There is a pantun from me, sir.

[the student read out a pantun]

Poso, maraso!

Poso, go together, great together!

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Thank you, Poso.

Just like the others, you may participate in in-person learning after receiving the vaccine. How many students received the vaccine today?

BIN Representative at Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi Province

3,500 people.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Three thousand and five hundred. I see.

Does that number consist of one school or a number of schools?

BIN Representative at Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi Province

Nine schools, Mr. President.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Nine schools, I see.

Thank you, Poso.

Last one, from Central Java. Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School of Magelang Regency, please.

Principal of Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province (Ahmad Soleh Ismail)

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Wa’alaikumsalam.

Principal of Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province (Ahmad Soleh Ismail)

Greetings, Mr. Jokowi, my name is Ahmad Soleh Ismail from Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Sempu, Secang, Magelang.

On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to the President, thank God, for what has been given to our boarding school, namely carrying out vaccination drive for students. It gives us and teachers here a peace of mind and flexibility in the learning process.

Next, there will be some students who will share their stories with you. Please.

Student Representative from Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province

Assalamu’alaikum, Mr. President.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Wa’alaikumsalam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Uliah (Student of Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province)

My name is Uliah. Thank you very much sir, my friends and I have received the vaccine.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Yes.

Uliah (Student of Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province)

Thank God we are all healthy. Honestly, at first, we were all afraid of getting jab, [since we thought] it will be painful, but it did not, instead we wanted more. We are waiting for the second dose, sir.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Yes.

Uliah (Student of Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province)

We hope that after receiving vaccine, PPKM will end soon and we can attend in-person learning.

I have a pantun for you.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Please.

Uliah (Student of Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province)

[the student read out a pantun]

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Mr. Kiai, how many students received the vaccine today?

Principal of Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province (Ahmad Soleh Ismail)

Two thousand five hundred, sir.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Two thousand five hundred, that’s a lot.

Principal of Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province (Ahmad Soleh Ismail)

There are still some stories from male students, sir.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Please.

Student Representative from Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province

Thank God, I have received the vaccine, sir. Thank God again, thanks to your help, God willing, we are all able to carry out learning process comfortably and of course we can travel safely, sir.

There is something I want to tell you, sir.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Please.

Student Representative from Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province

I would like to express my hope that Mr. President can further improve the quality of entrepreneurs, especially from the business school programs. So, when we graduate from the boarding school, we have the knowledge and self-reliance in business or enterprise, so we don’t depend on the Government, sir.

That’s all, sir. Sorry if I can’t deliver it properly.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Is there any Vocational Training Centers (BLK) Community at Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Mr. Kiai?

Principal of Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province (Ahmad Soleh Ismail)

No, sir. Until now, we are still waiting for the BLK program to arrive at the Islamic boarding school. Well, I am sure that after this, Mr. Jokowi will realize this program.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

We will soon build a Community BLK in Nurul Ali. Soon, God willing, especially to enhance entrepreneurship for students.

Student from Nurul Ali Islamic Boarding School, Magelang Regency, Central Java Province

Mr. President, here is our school chant, from Nurul Ali.

[students chanting]

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Thank you, may we all always be healthy.

All of my children, be it from SMAN or Islamic boarding school, can all attend in-person learning again. And we hope that the spread of COVID-19 in our country can be immediately overcome.

That concludes my remarks. I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. (GWH/MUR)