President Jokowi: Govt Will Now Focus on Human Resources Development
President Jokowi walked together with artists at Merdeka Palace yard, Jakarta, Friday (6/4). (Photo: PR/Jay).
After focusing on infrastructure development, President Joko Jokowi Widodo stressed that the Governments next focus is investment on human resources.
This means, our cultural and character values will determine whether our nation can compete with other countries, said President Jokowi in a meeting with artists and cultural activists at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Friday (6/4).
These (values) will also relate to work ethic, productivity, and integrity, the President continued.
However, President Jokowi on that occasion also explained the importance of infrastructure development done by the Government in the past 3,5 years. Indonesia is already left behind the neighboring countries in terms of infrastructure, so Indonesia needs to catch up, President Jokowi added.
President Jokowi also said that eastern Indonesia is a region with a very different condition (of infrastructures) compared to what other regions that have enjoyed infrastructure develoment today, particularly in Java Island. However, President Jokowi maintained that infrastructure is not always about economy but it is also something that will unite Indonesia.
If infrastructures such as airports, ports, and roads are not well prepared, inequality among regions will be bigger, the President said.
Mental Revolution
Also on that occasion, President Jokowi also cited the opinion from poet Putu Wijaya who attended the meeting that mental revolution is not a jargon which needs to be shouted out or advertised constantly like in the past years. I think giving an example will be better than shouting. We have to set good examples on how to work with ethical values and to have good integrity. That is what we will do in the future,” said President Jokowi.
Meanwhile, cultural activist Radhar Panca Dahana who also attended in the meeting admitted there were certain discussions with the President which are confidential. Nevertheless, he said, the point is, President Jokowi is fully aware that all development in this country must be based on culture. Culture is the foundation of all. And the foundation of culture itself is human development and how development can create a noble man and humanize human beings, said Radhar.
In addition, Radhar added that other other issue discussed with President Jokowi is religious intolerance, which according to him is the states duty to overcome it and cultural inequality that makes some people more civilized, while the others less civilized. Such condition, he said, has caused harm for the nation.
Present at the meeting were Radhar Panca Dahana, Butet Kertaradjasa, Muhammad Sobary, Putu Wijaya, Nasirun, Lesik Keti Ara, Olga Lidya, Olivia Zalianty, Minister of Education and Culture Muhadjir Effendi, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Chairman of Indonesia Agency for Creative Economy Triawan Munaf, Coordinator of Special Staff to the President Teten Masduki and Special Staff to the President Sunardi Rinakit.
In the meeting, President Jokowi also expressed his willingness to have regular meeting with the artists every 3-4 months. (FID/JAY/ES) (STU/EP/Naster)
