Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2019–2024 period, Professor Mahfud MD, emphasized the importance of young people studying Indonesia’s sovereignty from a historical perspective as a foundation for building the nation’s future.
According to Professor Mahfud, history contains many messages about struggle. He recalled Soekarno’s message, the first President of Indonesia, through the phrase “Jas Merah,” an acronym for Jangan Sekali-kali Meninggalkan Sejarah (Never Ever Leave History Behind).
“If you want to succeed, look at the past, what caused failure and success. Learn from history, look at who you were yesterday to build your future,” he said during a tarawih lecture at the Ramadan Public Lecture (RPL) session held at the UGM Campus Mosque on Saturday (Mar. 7).
Professor Mahfud noted that challenges in realizing national sovereignty continue to emerge today. He referred to various global dynamics, including conflicts in the Middle East, which often raise questions among Indonesians about the extent to which the country’s sovereignty is truly maintained. Certain political interventions and influences, he said, may lead to a shift in democratic systems toward oligarchic practices.
“It cannot be denied that this has become an open discourse everywhere. The question is whether our sovereignty is based on democracy, people’s sovereignty, or oligarchy,” Mahfud said.
On the occasion, Professor Mahfud emphasized that efforts to address such conditions must be driven by sincere intentions to build the nation. He reminded Indonesians that each citizen has a role to play in safeguarding sovereignty. He also quoted Al-Ghazali, who said that the corruption of society stems from its government, and that the corruption of government occurs when intellectuals and religious scholars fail to convey their knowledge properly due to the reckless pursuit of position.
“If we want sovereignty to truly rest in the hands of the people, policies must genuinely align with the principles of state governance,” he stressed.
For Professor Mahfud, a country may collapse if the law is not properly upheld and if injustice persists between ordinary citizens and those in power. Therefore, the ambition to maintain sovereignty must be accompanied by the consistent enforcement of law so that the state acts fairly toward its people.
“A country will collapse if it is governed unjustly and tyrannically. The key to sovereignty is justice for all Indonesians,” he concluded.
Author: Diyana Khairunnisa
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photo: RDK UGM Documentation