A warm and familial atmosphere marked the halalbihalal gathering at the Korpagama central office, Bulaksumur B6, Caturtunggal, Depok District, on Friday (Apr. 17). The extended family of the Korps Pegawai Universitas Gadjah Mada (Korpagama) held a Syawalan 1447H/2026 event combined with the presentation of tokens of appreciation and awards to 16 retired employees.
Chair of Korpagama Central, Achmadi Priyatmojo, stated that the event served not only as a moment for fellowship but also as a form of appreciation for employees who had completed their service at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). He noted that the presentation of awards to retirees has even been held monthly in recent years.
“Although they must stop due to regulations, we believe that your service has been highly valuable to UGM. After retirement, you will certainly have more time for family while still being able to contribute to society,” he said.
Achmadi added that the momentum of the Syawal month was also used as an opportunity to seek mutual forgiveness. Representing the Korpagama management, he offered apologies and opened the floor for members’ feedback and suggestions on future program improvements. He believed that such openness would pave the way for better implementation of planned programs.
“Makan ketupat di rendaman santan, menawi wonten lepat nyuwun pangapunten,” he remarked, reciting a traditional Indonesian rhyme to express his apologies.
UGM Director of Human Resources, Suadi, who was present, also emphasized the importance of forgiveness in life. He invited all attendees to sincerely forgive mistakes, whether intentional or not, as part of the Syawalan spirit.
“We often hear during Syawalan that giving forgiveness is greater than asking for forgiveness,” he said.
The event continued with the presentation of tokens of appreciation to 16 employees retiring, with 14 attending in person and 2 represented by their heirs. The awards were presented symbolically as a sign of respect for their years of dedication.
The presentation concluded with Korpagama’s slogan, “Ngaruhke lan nguwongke kabeh pegawai. Bagyo Mulya Saklawase,” which emphasizes caring for and valuing all employees, and fostering lasting harmony and well-being.
Representing the retirees, Sulastriyono expressed gratitude for the attention given. He emphasized that retirement does not mark the end of service.
“Thank you to Korpagama for this appreciation. Hopefully, our contributions so far have brought progress to UGM,” he conveyed.
The event concluded with a religious talk delivered by Professor Chairil Anwar from the UGM Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. In his sermon, he emphasized that the traditions of Syawalan and halalbihalal are distinctive Indonesian cultural practices rooted in the values of fellowship and mutual forgiveness. The essence of Syawalan is returning to purity after observing Ramadan. One manifestation of this is the ability to restrain anger and forgive others.
He stressed that giving forgiveness is more difficult than asking for it, yet it is encouraged. He also highlighted the philosophy behind ketupat (a Southeast Asian rice cake) that is closely associated with Eid. According to him, ketupat symbolizes several meanings, such as “lebat” (completing the fast), “lebur” (sins forgiven), “luber” (sharing with others), and “labur” (returning to purity).
“In line with that meaning, our sins will be forgiven by Almighty God,” he concluded.
Author/Photo: Hanifah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya