Remarks of President of the Republic Indonesia During Halal Bihalal with Big Family of Indonesian National Armed Forces and Indonesian National Police at Balai Kartini, Jakarta, Tuesday, May 8, 2025

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good morning,
Peace and prosperity be upon us all,
Shalom,
Salve,
Om swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue.

Distinguished Sixth Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia General (Ret.) Try Sutrisno,

Distinguished Chairperson of Indonesian Army Retiress Association Major General (Ret.) Komaruddin Simanjuntak,

Vice Chairperson of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI) Mr Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono,

Vice Chairman of BPK RI Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mr Budi Prijono,

Distinguished Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X,

Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta as a part of Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) family,

The Cabinet Ministers: Coordinating Ministers of the Red and White Cabinet, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Mr Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Minister of Home Affairs Police General Tito Karnavian, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Sugiono, Mr. Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Mr. Sugiono are actually “young retirees.”

Oh, there are journalists here, so I should not make too many jokes. Minister of Defense retired Lieutenant General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Minister of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. KH Nasaruddin Umar, Minister of Transmigration Mr Iftitah Sulaiman, Minister of National Development Planning, Mr Rachmat Pambudy, Chairperson of the National Economic Council retired General Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister of State Secretary Mr Prasetyo Hadi, Cabinet Secretary of the Republic of Indonesia Infantry Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya who is not retired yet, Head of the State Intelligence Agency Retired Lieutenant General M. Herindra,

Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) General Agus Subiyanto, along with the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Navy, and Air Force,

Chief of the Indonesian National Police, Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo,

Presidential Advisor for Political and Security Affairs Retired General Wiranto,

Presidential Advisor for National Defense Retired General Dudung Abdurachman,
Chief of the Presidential Staff Office retired Lieutenant General A.M. Putranto.

All the retired four-star generals in attendance: Retired General A.M. Hendropriyono Retired General Agum Gumelar, Retired General Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo, Retired General Endriartono Sutarto, Retired General Moeldoko, Retired General Budiman, Retired General Mulyono, Retired General Andika Perkasa, Retired Air Chief Marshal Yuyu Sutisna, Retired Air Chief Marshal Herman Prayitno, Retired Air Chief Marshal Imam Sufaat, Retired Air Chief Marshal Ida Bagus Putu Dunia, Retired Admiral Achmad Sutjipto, Retired Admiral Marsetio, Retired Admiral Ade Supandi, Retired Admiral Siwi Sukma Adji, Retired Police General Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Retired Police General Sutanto, Retired Police General Timur Pradopo, Retired Police General Sutarman,

Deputy Minister for Political and Security Affairs Retired Lieutenant General Lodewijk Freidrich Paulus;
Deputy Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Retired Vice Admiral Didit Herdiawan Ashaf; and
Deputy Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning,retired Major Ossy Dermawan,

Distinguished, honored, and respected leaders and members of the Indonesian Army Retirees Association (PPAD), the Indonesian Navy Retiress Association (PPAL), the Indonesian Air Force Retirees Association (PPAU), and all Esteemed Guests.

First and foremost, as people of faith, let us never cease to offer our praise and gratitude to the Almighty God, the all-powerful, for all the blessings bestowed upon us, for our health, and for the breath of life that is still granted to us. It is by the God’s grace that we are able to gather here today in good health, in this fine place, to attend the halal bihalal (post-Ramadan gathering of forgiveness and togetherness) in the spirit of Eid al-Fitr 1446 Hijri/ 2025 AD.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As this is a halal bihalal gathering, I would like to sincerely ask for forgiveness, both physically and spiritually. May we all be granted protection and guidance in facing the year ahead so that each of us can perform our respective duties in the best way possible and on the right path, the path of truth, the path that is blessed by the Almighty God, for Muslims, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for the honor of allowing me to attend this event. To be honest, I think must apologize since I rarely attend gatherings like this, perhaps because the timing and my schedule often do not align. But alhamdulillah, a few days ago Chairperson of  the PPAD came to extend an invitation (of this halal bihalal event), and when I found out that I could attend this event, I considered it a true honor.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As retirees, we were taught from the very beginning of our days as young soldiers, from our very first days in the military, that once we become soldiers, our lives and souls no longer belong to ourselves, nor to our families. Our body and soul have been dedicated to the nation, to the country, and to the people. That is a lesson that has remained deeply embedded in my heart since my early days as a young soldier.

And to be honest, I consider myself fortunate. My colleagues and I feel fortunate that we had the opportunity to be directly trained, to directly experience the leadership of the Generation of 45. The Generation of 45 was not only from the military or the police but they were the generation that led our independence movement. The Generation of 45 are those who came from a military background and those who do not, but they fought together (for independence of Indonesia).

In my opinion, this generation had a very distinctive character. I believe those who had direct contact with the Generation of 45 would agree with me. Many of us here have experienced that firsthand. I believe Mr Try (Sutrisno) experienced this, as well as Sri Sultan (Hamengku Buwono X) whose father was a fighter, a TNI general who fought the Dutch in Yogyakarta. Many among us surely lived through those times. Regarding the Generation of 45, what I felt, first and foremost, was their blazing patriotism, an extraordinary love for the country, and an unshakable confidence. Confidence because they were part of a generation that fight face to face with the world’s superpowers. At that time, Japan was a superpower, Britain was a superpower, and Netherlands was a superpower. As we know, before the British Empire, the Dutch Empire was immensely powerful.

The Generation of  45 was a generation that saw itself as the continuation of a centuries-long struggle, a struggle carried out by people of all ethnic groups and all regions who declared that Indonesia as a nation would not be colonized, that the Indonesian people would not be a nation of laborers for others, not a nation of servants, not a small weak nation, and not a poor  nation. The Generation of 45 had the courage to take a stand even though the country had no money, no administrative system, and no formal organization. Although weapons were seized and sometimes they need to appoint themselves as leaders, at a time when others were afraid, they stepped forward. General Soedirman became Commander-in-Chief at the age of 29. Ignatius Slamet Rijadi became a brigade commander at the age of 22.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Generation of 45 were young, courageous, and many of them died young. In my family, since I was a child, I was always taken to visit the graves. In the grave, I was told, “This is your uncle’s grave, he passed in Tangerang at the age of 21. This is your other uncle, he passed in Tangerang as a cadet at just 16 years old.” So this nation stands on the foundation of blood, sweat, and tears. The tears of mothers and the sacrifices of the youth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We were shaped by them; we felt their influence deeply. Their spirit remains in our hearts; I am certain of it. It certainly remains in mine. I, together with all of you, many of my seniors and teacher are here today. When we were young, we were ready to give everything for the nation and the country. Our body and soul. We had nothing.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

So, I say all of this today because, honestly, if we are just following the tradition of halal bihalal, then after I ask for your forgiveness, physically and spiritually, that should be it, right? But when else will I have the chance to speak to all of you? I am saying this because after all we have been through, after dedicating our youth, our energy, and our lives to the nation, and now after we look at the condition of this nation that built with blood, sweat, and tears of Soedirman, Slamet Rijadi, Ngurah Rai, Wolter Monginsidi, and thousands of youth, we ask ourselves, why did it become like this? We built this nation, but we see that the wealth of the nation does not seem to be felt by most of the people. We ask, why are so many of my seniors, after retirement, struggling to make ends meet? Why are some still living in rented homes? My Commanders, my Generals, when I see their lives now, I cannot help but feel that there is something wrong (with this country).

Every time we try to take off, we are knocked down. Every time we attempt to move forward, we are struck again. Riots, civil wars, rebellions, conflict of one ethnic group against another, conflict of one religion against another, and the trigger and source of this chaos seems to be blurred. But we, as generals, as soldiers, have come to understand over time that this is the legacy of divide et impera. We have been constantly divided, fragmented, and turned against each other. And because of this division, forgive me for saying it, there has been a gap caused by the negligence of our elites, who have forgotten the blueprint of struggle laid down by our founding fathers.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of the greatest legacies of the Generation of 45, which we must acknowledge, is that
Bung Karno and that generation gave us Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. These have always been our guiding principles. The Sapta Marga (the Soldier’s Oath) includes Pancasila and the Constitution of 1945, and every Soldier’s Oath also contains references to the 1945 Constitution and Pancasila. But, allow me to say this: many among the elite either do not understand or do not want to understand, or pretend not to understand the meaning of the articles regulated in the 1945 Constitution. And because of that, for decades, we have seen our national wealth flew out of the country. Our wealth has not remained within the Republic. That is the root of the problem. And that is why I entered the political arena. I entered politics because the Generation of 45 taught me, and all of us, that we must protect our people, our nation, and our homeland. They taught us the spirit of never giving up. And I cannot accept, I refuse to accept, that the wealth of this nation is not being enjoyed by the Indonesian people. I cannot accept that. That is why I stepped into politics. TNI has often been accused of wanting to be a dictatorship.

We have always been accused of that. But I remind many of our national figures to open the history books and show me an example, in the world history, where a military willingly stepped back from politics and power. And we did it (in the reformasi era of 1998). We stepped back willingly. Reformation era, ladies and gentlemen, was made possible by the figures within the TNI and the Indonesian National Police, or ABRI at that time. We must speak the truth. And forgive me for saying this, but if you ask the Indonesian people today, if a survey is conducted and asks which institution do the people trust the most, then the answer is the TNI, the military. Go ahead and see for yourself. We did not conduct the survey (ourselves), these are results from international surveys.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, what I want to convey is that the TNI, because of its nature, its spirit, and its recruitment process, tends to attract individuals who are patriotic at heart. That is why, after retirement, even after we leave the military, our love for the country, our sense of responsibility, our desire to serve, and our commitment to safeguarding the nation remain strong. And because of that, some of our seniors in TNI have entered politics. Mr Edi Sudradjat and Mr. Try (Sutrisno) founded a political party. Mr SBY founded a political party. Mr Wiranto founded a political party. I founded a political party. Why? Because we want to serve (the country). Because in the end, we recognize the sovereignty of the people, and we obey to the sovereignty of the people. Because of that, we seek power by asking for the people’s mandate, the power has to be mandated by the people. TNI does not want to rule by force of arms. For example, President Soeharto, he did not want to rule by force of arms. He stepped up because there was a vacuum of power, because there was a crisis. Let us not manipulate or distort history. We are patriots, we are warriors, so we must speak the truth, what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong. Every leader of this country has made contributions. I am standing here today, able to move forward with confidence that we will achieve many things because of the foundations laid by my predecessors. We must acknowledge that. It is impossible to build a nation in just five or ten years. No country is built in ten years. But what our previous predecessors have produced, and not just the presidents, laid down the foundation for us to move forward, and nation-building is never the work of just one or two people.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, what is it that I want to say? I want to emphasize that, yes, as retirees, from an official standpoint, we have handed over our duties to the next generations. But as patriots, as citizens of this nation, if we still have the ability, if we still have the spirit, if we still have something we can contribute to our country, we must contribute whatever we can. That is why, Ladies and Gentlemen, we respect all positions and opinions. However, to build a strong country, we must learn from history: we need to see the reality of today’s world, that it is only the strong that survive. That is the fact and the reality. Countries that are not strong cease to exist. Why do they cease to exist? Because they cannot defend themselves. Why can not they defend themselves? Because they are unable to secure control over their own natural resources. If a nation cannot control its own wealth, that nation will be poor. It’s as simple as that.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must understand, especially as former soldiers we have to understand. We do not want war. War is devastating, but sometimes we are forced to go to war. Had we not dared to make the decision to fight, we would never have gained our independence. Because the Dutch had no intention of granting it to us. And now, we can see what is happening in today’s world. The strong country will always impose its will on the weak. That is why, Ladies and Gentlemen, I say this everywhere, we must be fully aware that Indonesia will always be interfered with and is currently being interfered. We do not want to interfere other nations, but other nations are interfering with us. Why? Because we are rich. We have the world’s largest nickel reserves, the sixth-largest bauxite reserves, and we are the largest producer of palm oil in the world. Do not underestimate palm oil. Palm oil has now become a critical and strategic commodity. Everywhere I go, no matter which country, they ask me to give them priority access to Indonesia’s palm oil, from Egypt, Pakistan, India, and even Europe. It turns out that palm oil can produce 65 or 67 different products, including fuel. Yes, we can produce fuel from palm oil which means our country does not need to import fuel. But in reality, we still import fuel worth almost 40 billion U.S. dollars every year when we don’t need to. And under my leadership, my administration, I am determined that within the next five years, Indonesia will achieve self-sufficiency in fuel and energy. Now, some may ask whether it is even possible. My answer is, it has to be possible. At this kind of time, the spirit passed down to us by the Generation of 45, the spirit of no surrender, must be implemented. Freedom or death. We stand on our own feet. We do not want to become servants to other nations. If others (nations) want that, fine. But I don’t.

This is the “fault” of my mentors who raised and shaped me this way. It’s the “fault” of Mr Try, Mr Luhut, Mr Hendro, Mr Agum. These are the elder brothers who set the example, who instilled this spirit in us. So, if Prabowo is the way he is today, do not blame Prabowo. Blame Mr Try, Mr Hendro, Mr Luhut, Mr Wiranto. Right? Because these are the gentlemen who trained me to be this way. Well, what can I do? My stance is I refuse to bow down to any other nation. Indonesia’s wealth must be in the hands of the Indonesian people. And the Generation of 45 has given us an extraordinary ultimate weapon which is the 1945 Constitution. Shall I show you the articles of 1945 constitution (to prove it)? But too bad, I think I can’t since my time is up. So before I get off the stage, let me conclude my speech by showing one final slide.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of Government strategic program is to build at least 100 boarding schools. In most countries, boarding schools are typically reserved for the brightest students. We will still have that, but I am also committed to building at least 100 boarding schools each year, specifically designated for children from the poorest families. This is because I am determined to break the cycle of poverty. If the father is a scavenger, his child must not become a scavenger. If the father is a rickshaw driver, the child should not have to become a rickshaw driver. If the parents struggle and have no steady income, the children must not be condemned to the same life. And to achieve that, there is no other way, we must be brave. Those who brave succeed. Brave, then do it right, and then you succeed. We have to be brave first. If we are not brave, we won’t achieve anything. This program is currently being developed, and Insha Allah by July 2025, we will open the first 53 to 55 schools.

At the moment, the student selection process has already begun. The requirement is that they must come from truly underprivileged families. One of the methods being used by Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB), and Statistics Indonesia (BPS), since they hold the data, is to verify the condition of the family’s home. I’ve asked to display some of the applicants, you can see it here (in the screen).

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, if you look closely, this is the profile of one of the prospective students. Her name is Nayla. Her parents earn less than one million rupiah per month, and they have five dependents. That’s her house, the one on the right. What touched me the most is that despite living in such conditions, Nayla can still smile.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Fellow Retirees,

This is our fight. The remainder of my life, my fight, is dedicated to changing the fate of every “Nayla” across Indonesia. If someone asks whether it is possible, I’ll answer it has to be possible. And we will prove it by giving our all, through courage, through determination, through unwavering belief, and with the determination to lead a clean government, an anti-corruption government, a government that can protect and preserve the nation’s wealth, then every “Nayla” will have a bright future.

Thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

May the Almighty, the Most Powerful, always be with us in this final chapter of our service. You’ve heard the saying, “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.”, but in Indonesia it’s different, it is “Old soldiers never die, and they never fade away until the Almighty God calls us.”. And when that time comes, so be it. But as long as there is breath in our bodies, as our seniors have taught us, taught by figures like Mr Try (Sutrisno), we must fight till the last drop of our blood. As long as life still flows in our veins, with red and white in our hearts, we will never stop fighting.

Thank you.

Let me conclude this speech.

May we all remain spirited.

Thank you for this invitation. I apologize if any of my words were inappropriate. To the journalists, please delete anything inaccurate, and only publish what is right.

Thank you.

That concludes my remarks. (TCUD/EP)