Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Opening the 19th Session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC), at the Nusantara Building, Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Alhamdulillahirabbil ‘alamin, washalatu wasalamu ‘ala asrafil ambiya’i wal mursalin, wa ‘ala alihi washahbihi ajma’in. Amma ba’du.
Good evening,
May peace be upon us all,
Honorable Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI) Ahmad Muzani;
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) Puan Maharani;
Speaker of the House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin;
Vice Speakers of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, Adies Kadir, Saan Mustopa, Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal,
Members of the House in attendance,
Honorable speakers and vice speakers of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States (PUIC);
President of the National Assembly of Ivory Coast, His Excellency Mr. Adama Bictogo;
President of the National People Assembly of Algeria, His Excellency Mr. Ibrahim Boughali;
Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Bahrain, His Excellency Mr. Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam;
President of the Transitional Legislative Assembly of Burkina Faso, His Excellency Mr. Bougouma Ousmane;
Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf;
Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malaysia, His Excellency Tan Sri Dato’ Johari bin Abdul;
Chairman of the Shura Council of Oman, His Excellency Mr. Khalid Hilal Nasser Al Maawali;
President of Majlis al-Shura of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Mr. Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim A-Sheikh;
Esteemed leaders of parliaments from Islamic countries in attendance, ambassadors of friendly countries, leaders and representatives of international organizations in attendance, and all the distinguished guests whom I respect and honor;
Respected members of the media.
First and foremost, allow me, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, to express my great honors to be invited and speak before this important assembly. Today, I speak with representatives of a quarter of the world’s population. You are the representatives of Islamic community and Islamic countries. Therefore, it is such an honor for me and I thank you for it.
On this auspicious day, on the warm land of Jakarta, I would like to express my gratitude and pride that Indonesia is trusted to host the 19th Session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC), and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the union. The PUIC was founded on a shared awareness that the Islamic world needs a platform for unity among parliamentary institutions to face global challenges and to defend the interests of Muslims regardless of their locations. Since its establishment in 1999, the PUIC has been committed to serving as a bridge of parliamentary diplomacy which aims at strengthening solidarity, voicing justice, and offering solutions to the global complex problems. In this case, in a world that is currently hit by polarization, conflict, and rivalry among major countries, the role of this organization has becoming more important, more relevant, and more urgent.
Moreover, allow me to emphasize that our constitution, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, mandates the Indonesian nation to participate toward the establishment of a world order based on freedom, perpetual peace, and social justice. These serve as moral compass and fundamental basis for Indonesia’s foreign policy.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before touching on major issues currently faced by the Muslim community, let me invite you to emulate the story and legacy of great figures in Islamic history. Their history is more than historical record but sources for exemplary conduct and inspiration to face challenges we must encounter on a daily basis. We could learn from their bravery, devotion, and knowledge in standing for justice and in their remarkable accomplishments in advancing civilization.
Saladin Ayyubi, the conqueror of Jerusalem, taught us about justice and magnanimity. After conquering the holy city from the Crusaders, he did not seek revenge; instead, he guaranteed the safety of his enemies. He set an example of protecting the weak and standing up for the oppressed. In a world that is still plagued by hatred and violence, this example shows us that the powers of true leaders are compassion, humanity, and strong determination to always protect the weak.
Khalid ibn al-Walid, is a symbol of total devotion for Muslims. He was a prominent military commander who never lost a war or battle. He was undefeated. However, we he was asked to step down from his position, he accepted it without hesitation and remained obedient to both his leader and his people. This sincerity teaches us that power is not a goal, but a trust. It is an important lesson for all of us who hold leadership roles today.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Umar ibn al-Khattab built a just and efficient government. He was also believed to check on his people. He could not stand to see his people treated unjustly, and he did not hesitate to punish his underlings who failed at their jobs and at protecting the people. In present, I believe that our people demand a clean and transparent government. The exemplary conduct of Umar ibn Khattab is a call to action, not merely to rhetoric. For this reason, I deeply respect the theme of this meeting: good governance and strong institutions.
Another prominent figure in Islamic history is Muhammad al-Fatih who conquered Constantinople at the age of 21. He was a symbol of the leader who possessed and combined the knowledge, science, faith, and visions. He conquered the city not merely through power but also technology, logistics, and good moral value. He proved that a young Muslim can lead when equipped with proper education and steadfast faith.
Distinguished Guests,
A couple of days ago, I was honored to speak before Turkish Parliament in Ankara. In the forum, I reaffirmed Indonesia’s unwavering commitment to supporting the independence of Palestine. Once again, through this forum, now is the time to move beyond discussions, beyond drafting more resolutions. The Palestinian people have suffered for far too long. They need solidarity and real, concrete action.
Indonesia will stand with Palestine and support their struggle for independence will become even stronger if Islamic countries, comprising nations that represent a quarter of humanity, can unite. Let us set aside differences. Let us set aside rivalry and focus on an important issue, namely the common interests of the Islamic community. Let us project the future of Islamic civilization.
Islam was once led the world and civilization in science and technology. We should once again lead the science and technology so we can improve the well-being of the people. It is impossible to be a strong nation if our people are still living in poverty. There is none strong poor country. Therefore, we must break free from poverty; we must strive to get our people out of it. And to achieve this, we need a clean government. Only with a clean government can we achieve true prosperity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Challenges we face is not only about Palestinian conflict. We also face challenges in all sectors. As I said earlier, these challenges are the root of our weaknesses, namely poverty, hunger, corruption, unequal access to education, and poor management and protection of our own resources.
For that reason, this year’s theme aligns really well: Good Governance and Strong Institutions as Pillars of Resilience. Without good governance, without strong institutions, without honest leaders and officials who serve the people, a country will never have resilience, let alone competitiveness.
Indonesian Government is currently implementing a national strategic agenda that includes political and bureaucratic reforms, human resource development, achieving self-sufficiency in food and energy, and mastering science and technology. We believe that keys to solving global issues are starting from solving internal problems. Have our respective nations succeeded in overcoming their own internal challenges?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If we cannot manage our own nation, how can we help those in need? If we are weak, we cannot assist Palestine, and even our voice will not be heard. Our voice is heard when we are united and strong.
This afternoon, before arriving at this esteemed assembly, I had the opportunity to speak with my friend, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah in Brunei Darussalam. We agreed that the Islamic world has the potential to be a solution for global peace. We can achieve and must bring world peace.
Therefore, Ladies and Gentlemen, Islamic teachings promote peace. The essence of Islamic teachings is love and compassion. This is the essence of our religion and the heritage we must revive in a world that is losing its way. However, even though we desire peace, if we are weak, there may be parties who do not share that same desire. There may be those who, seeing our weakness, believe we can once again be dominated, treated as pawns, as subordinates, or even as servants.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let us unite. Let us revive the spirit of our great leaders. Let us prove that Islam is a mercy to all creation.
Distinguished Guests,
Let us come together, overcome our differences, and move forward in unity.
Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
May peace be upon us all,
Shalom,
Salve,
Om santi santi santi om,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greeting of virtue,
Rahayu rahayu.
By saying bismillahirrohmanirrohim, I, Prabowo Subianto the President of Republic of Indonesia, on Wednesday, 14 May 2025, officially open the 19th Sessions of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States (PUIC) and related meetings.
Thank you very much.
(RAS/LW)