Indonesia’s president Jokowi underscores eminence of Pancasila values in tackling COVID-19

JAKARTA, Jun 1, 2020, ANTARA. Pancasila State ideology serves as a guiding beacon to enliven the spirit of Indonesians’ nationhood, mutual care and cooperation, and brotherhood as they persist ceaselessly in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated, ANTARA reported.

Speaking during a virtual event to commemorate the birth of Pancasila at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Monday, President Jokowi admitted to the novel coronavirus pandemic testing the endurance of Indonesians in their collective struggle.

The coronavirus pandemic has also tested the endurance of the nation’s sacrifice, discipline, obedience, and mental composure in preparing apposite and swift policies to respond to challenges presented during this difficult time, he emphasized.

“In facing this test, Pancasila remains a guiding beacon to encourage us all to continue to forge ahead, stand united, adopt a caring and sharing approach, and strengthen our nationhood,” the president remarked at the virtual event in which the participants comprised Vice President Ma’ruf Amin and cabinet members.

The values of Pancasila have become ingrained in the life of the entire nation to ease its common burden and rouse the fighting spirit and endurance in dealing with all difficulties and challenges, he affirmed.

Apart from Vice President Amin, others taking part in the commemorative event were Head of the Agency for Pancasila Ideology Education’s (BPIP’s) Advisory Council Megawati Soekarnoputri, House of Representatives’ Speaker Puan Maharani, and cabinet members.

The coronavirus disease, which initially struck the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019, has since then spread to at least 202 countries and territories, including Indonesia, with a massive rise in death toll.

The Indonesian government officially announced the country’s first confirmed cases on March 2 this year. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has weakened the purchasing power of scores of Indonesian families, particularly those who lost their jobs.

In dealing with this difficult situation, President Jokowi has repeatedly highlighted the importance of fostering the spirit of “gotong royong”, or mutual cooperation, arguing that the government cannot work alone to fight the spread of coronavirus infections.

The central and regional governments nationwide have been striving persistently to flatten the coronavirus curve by imposing healthcare protocols and social restrictions.

To break the chain of transmission, large-scale social restrictions have been applied in several other cities, including Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi.

The central government also banned homebound travel, locally known as “mudik,” during the fasting month of Ramadhan and the Idul Fitri holiday season.