VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker, Puan Maharani, wearing the traditional attire of Jambi. (ANTARA/Hanni Sofia)

House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani urged the nation to use the 75th Independence Day as an opportunity to strengthen unity in diversity and build mutual cooperation among people to create a well-developed Indonesia.

“Our common goal is making Indonesia a well-developed country. We can make it together through mutual cooperation and by directing the politics of our national development (to achieve the goal),” she said in a statement issued in Jakarta on Monday.

The politics of national development could be pushed to accelerate Indonesia's human capital development, strengthen the country's food industry, promote equal infrastructure development, and optimize bureaucratic reform, Maharani said.

Making Indonesia into a well-developed nation, which is independent and a master in science and technology, would require hard work and courage, she added.

Maharani quoted a statement made by the country's founding father and first president, Soekarno, at the Asia African Conference in Bandung, West Java, in 1955 on the threats posed by colonialism.

According to Soekarno, acts of colonialism can be carried out by a small group of foreigners among communities in the form of economic, intellectual, and wealth domination, she stated.

“They are indeed a cunning and resilient enemy who will camouflage in any possible way,” Puan Maharani quoted Soekarno as saying.

Soekarno’s words remain relevant to the current situation and Indonesia must remain cautious as it responds to the challenges of the era, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, she added.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had earlier highlighted the importance of getting through the public health and economic crises amid the novel coronavirus pandemic situation while addressing the People's Consultative Assembly's (MPR's) annual session and joint session of the DPR and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) in Jakarta on August 14, 2020.

President Jokowi reiterated the significance of tackling Indonesia's fundamental problems and making a huge leap for registering significant progress amid the far-reaching impacts and implications of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our current goal is not only to escape the pandemic and to get through the crisis. We are taking measures to make a big leap by making the most of the momentum of the ongoing crisis," President Jokowi affirmed.

The President said he believes the crisis presents a momentum for Indonesia to catch up and to forge ahead to make a major transformation by implementing grand strategies.

"We must make the most of this crisis. We must simultaneously and concurrently capitalize on this momentum," the head of state noted.

"We must work towards making Indonesia stand at par with other countries. We must aspire to make our country an Advanced Indonesia," he added. (ANTARA)