President Jokowi: Nation’s Solidity, Unity are Crucial

President Jokowi and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin pose for a photo during the Inauguration Ceremony of the 2019-2024 Central Executive Board of the Crescent Star Party in Aston Kartika Hotel, Jakarta, Thursday (6/2). (Photo: Public Relations/Jay)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo underlined the importance of a nation’s solidity and unity in the life of its nation and state.

“Strengthening ukhuwah (brotherhood), be it ukhuwah islamiyah (Islamic brotherhood), ukhuwah wathaniyah (national brotherhood), and ukhuwah basariah (relationship between Muslims and other nations), is crucial for us in building unity in a big country like our country, Indonesia,” President Jokowi stated at the Inauguration Ceremony of the 2019-2024 Central Executive Board of the Crescent Star Party in Aston Kartika Hotel, Jakarta, Thursday (6/2).

In an increasingly globalized, interconnected, and interacted world, President Jokowi stated, ukhuwah is also increasingly important and predominant.

“All nations can currently feel the impact of a problem in a country, its impact spread to other countries, we can feel the impact of the trade war between China and the United States, the United Kingdom is far away, but we feel the impact of Brexit,” the President stated.

Its solution, the President added, must also be implemented together between countries instead of being carried out by one country.

“Therefore, the brotherhood between nations is also of utmost importance, all the more the brotherhood between nation and state,” he said.

President Jokowi also went on to say that due to the speed of interaction, relations, and connectivity between nations and countries, a disease can also spread very quickly.

“But thank God, to this day in our country, I have not received a single report that our citizens in the country have contracted the Corona Virus, although there is one, but the position of the citizen is in Singapore” the President stated.

For the reason, he further said, the Indonesian Government has quickly decided on a policy to and from China, as well as a temporary ban on imports of livestock from China.

“We are rearranging the granting and issuing of visa because no matter what, national interest is our first priority,” he stated.

The consequence, the President added, is indeed not small due to the huge amount of exports and big numbers of tourists coming from China to Indonesia.

“Thank God, we are not dependent on tourists from 1, 2, 3 countries only. Our tourists come from almost all countries, so we hope this matter does not affect much on tourism in the country,” President Jokowi said.

From an economic standpoint, according to the President, the pressure can now be strongly felt due to the decline in exports and tourists. The President expressed hope that the matter would not affect Indonesia’s economic growth.

On the occasion, President Jokowi also spoke on the new capital. He expressed hope that this month the draft of the law will be sent to the House of Representatives (DPR).

The President stated that the burden of Java Island especially Jakarta is very heavy. “Just imagine, we have 17 thousand islands, but in Java alone, 54% of the population live in it, 149 million,” he explained, adding that the 58% GDP of economic activity is located in Java especially Jakarta causing equity hard to be achieved.

“Through this decision, we want good equity in all islands, provinces, regencies/cities in our country,” he said.

The Government, the President stated, also wants to install a new system, a new way of working in the new capital in hope that it can become an example for other countries.

At the end of his remarks, the President congratulated the newly inaugurated Executive Board. (TGH/EN)

Translated by: Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Reviewed by: Mia M. Bonaedy