Nezar Patria, an alumnus of the UGM Faculty of Philosophy, took the oath of office on Monday, July 17, as the Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology of the Republic of Indonesia in the Cabinet of Indonesia Maju.
The gratitude was manifested through a joint prayer with all Philosophy alums and the academic community at UGM on Saturday morning, July 22.
“I express my gratitude, alhamdulillah, for the mandate given by President Jokowi to serve as the Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology,” said Deputy Minister Patria.
“I believe this is a significant responsibility, and there are high expectations for the ministry to address several issues effectively.”
He requested support from the alums family so that he could fulfill the president’s mandate effectively. This is especially important as President Jokowi also hopes for the prompt resolution of infrastructure development issues and services to the 3T (frontier, outermost, underdeveloped).
As the first alumnus of the faculty to become a deputy minister, Patria received a warm welcome from Kagama Filsafat (Philosophy Alums Family).
“My friends initiated this event. The main purpose is to foster camaraderie, have conversations with friends, and, of course, take a morning walk together,” he said.
He and the alums gathered at the Faculty of Philosophy before walking to SGPC Bu Wiryo for breakfast.
“Besides improving our health, walking is good for our body and soul. With prayers and support from all friends, I hope to carry out this challenging task to the best of my abilities,” he explained.
His inauguration as the Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology is the culmination of his career journey as a journalist since 1998. His passion for journalism has driven him to keep learning.
He has been entrusted with various critical roles, such as Chair of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (2008-2011), Member of the Press Council (2013-2019), and Special Staffer V for Communication at the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises (2022-2023).
“There are several programs as initial steps, as mentioned by the minister, particularly the construction of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS). About 5200 BTS constructions need to be completed soon. We have mapped these BTS, and hopefully, we can meet the targets,” said Patria.
The BTS program is targeted to complete by the end of this year to achieve a faster and more equitable internet connection in Indonesia, allowing the public to access information more effectively.
Author: Tasya