I hope God always protects our beloved Indonesia and all its people.
DISCUSSING the current condition of our beloved homeland in a straightforward manner feels quite heavy, and I personally find it somewhat sensitive. Therefore, most campuses are relatively quiet, even though the hearts of their academic community may still be passionate.
If I may express my opinion, most of the campus community acknowledges that the current direction of community life, nationhood, and statehood in our beloved homeland seems to be continuously veering to the left, far from the principles laid out in the 1945 Constitution’s Preamble.
This reality aligns with the actual conditions of society, which tend to drift further from empowerment (with growing disparities), with the rich getting richer while the poor on the other side face increasing hardships, and their numbers continue to grow.
It seems that the most important thing in the eyes of those in power is how national strategic assets are systematically shifted to certain parties (facilitated by legislation, as seen in the Omnibus Law), and even foreign entities are given extensive opportunities, especially those with left-leaning tendencies.
State apparatuses, especially security agencies, seem to function as instruments of power but are far from comforting or genuinely protecting the people. Instead, many actions taken by these institutions harm society’s well-being.
In some areas, there have been cases of forced relocation due to new developments, such as the Rempang Eco City Project in Batam, Riau Islands.
Additionally, long-standing issues like the incidents involving polling station officers, the km50 tragedy, and the football tragedy at Kanjuruhan Stadium, among others, have occurred.
The challenges of change and improvement in the future are indeed very heavy, but they must be pursued no matter how difficult they may be.
One of the most crucial strategic steps is to ensure that the 2024 election proceeds in accordance with the current laws and regulations so that it can run smoothly.
Therefore, the 2024 election must proceed as planned, with integrity, fairness, and honesty as its guiding principles. Likewise, those eligible to vote should be adequately and correctly facilitated.
What needs to be further scrutinized is the possibility of a shift from foreigners (WNA) to Indonesians (WNI) for groups systematically brought in as professional workers in various national strategic projects from left-leaning countries. It seems there is an effort to encourage their participation in the 2024 election, supported by security agencies (hopefully not, but this should be anticipated).
Despite the unfavorable situation and conditions, there is still a glimmer of hope that provides strength. Among these are: First, the collective awareness of the people has grown, even though it often remains under certain pressures.
We must strive to persuade those in our respective environments persuasively and elegantly, speaking frankly for the improvement and preservation of our beloved homeland.
Additionally, second, defense institutions have not been fully mobilized by the authorities. It seems that they will do so in the future if the situation requires it.
We hope it does not come to that, as it would open the door for foreign legitimacy, possibly through LCS. Therefore, we must strive to ensure that the 2024 election process towards change and improvement runs smoothly and peacefully.
Furthermore, our efforts should focus on encouraging the masses to be part of an enlightening political process and channel their political aspirations through clear thinking based on common sense.
Simultaneously, it is essential for the institutions responsible for organizing the 2024 election (KPU) to perform their roles honestly and report the 2024 election results as accurately as possible.
Thus, the public should also be encouraged to engage in monitoring solely for the sake of the continuity of our beloved homeland.
May God always protect our beloved Indonesia and all its people.
AMIN
By: Prof. Dr. Amung Ma’mun, Sports Enthusiast and Observer
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