REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, By Yudi Latif

Indonesian workers in the neighboring country always face a never-ending day-to-day challenge: harassed, oppressed, raped, and even murdered. The treatments indicate various tendencies of our neighboring countries to humiliate our nation.

Our neighboring superiority complex was a hard slap, indicating backwardness of Indonesian development as a nation. Imagine, a nation which, before our independence declaration, begged to join our nation caravan, in its future development, showing its pride upon Indonesia.

In a session of Investigatory Committee for Independence of Indonesia (BPUPKI), Sukarno told the meeting on the coming of three Malay representatives of Syonanto (Singapore) and a leader of Malaya. Lt. Colonel Abdullah Ibrahim, they were asking for Malaya to be integrated in to Indonesia. 

Then he said: "Except for that reason, my honorable gentlemen, except for my belief, that the people of Malaya itself felt themselves as Indonesian, they felt their mother land is  Indonesia, they felt themselves part of us, but from that point on I said, although there is a danger that would say, that I was an imperialist, that Indonesia would not be strong and safe, if not the entire Malaccan Straits on our hands and enemies if any case occupy the East coast of the Malacca Strait, then it means the safety of Indonesia is threatened."

Sukarno's stand gets full support from Soetardjo and Agoes Salim. Soetardjo recounts that when he along with 19 other Indonesian leaders went to Japan and stopped at Syonanto, the group was asked several times to hold a meeting with  representatives of Malayan people. Then he told that the representatives were saying: "If you brothers got the blessing from God to make Indonesia freed, get its independence, do not forget us.

Do not obtain the easement by yourself, but remember us because we are part of the Indonesian nation. Should, our brothers do not forget that."

In short, he says, "their message is loud, so if Indonesia got its independence, Malaya should be included in to Indonesian region." Agoes Salim added that "if not British weapon deliberately distort its history, the Land of Malaya should not be inhabited, but only by Indonesian people."

So how can be, Indonesia which had considered the elder brother and teacher of Malaysian revolution quickly overturned into a nation despised by its neighbors?

Like a prophecy fulfilled by itself, long ago Bung Karno reminds us that the strength of nation is not determined by the extent of its territory and how big the population is. By quoting historian HG Wells, Soekarno stated, "the most important elements that determine the fate of a nation is the quality and quantity of his determination." A determination is as a mental attitude (state of mind) that reflects the power or weakness of a nation.

Bung Karno repeatedly stressed the need for uplifting the soul of people and the nation.

 "Every nation has their own great men, each historical period has its heroes, but something greater than Mahatma Gandhi is the soul of Mahatma Gandhi, greater than Stalin is the soul of Stalin, greater than Roosevelet is his soul... greater than every great man is a great man's soul. The great soul which is invisible existed in every human heart; we even have a soul as a nation. Then we as humans have had a duty to raise our own souls and uplifting our nation which we are part of it."

About the importance of the greatness of the soul, Bung Hatta concerned about the vanishing possibility of Indonesian independence golden opportunity by the dwarf of our nation soul. With Schiller poem, he prophesied, "A great century has been born, but he found the dwarf generations." 

Then he reminded the importance of leadership skills as the anchor of nation greatness.

"Indonesian has a fast land, a large region with widespread location. Such governments can only be led by those who have a responsibility, as much as possible, and have a very broad view. That sense of responsibility will be alive in our chest when we are able to live with the thought for the interests of the community first, homeland security, and national dignity. To get a sense of responsibility as much as possible, we must educate ourselves with the eternal love, truth and justice. Our hearts should be filled with great goals, which are bigger and longer than our own age."

Any contempt for Indonesian citizens in neighboring countries reflected the dishonor of our national leader soul. Leaders who are just busy to look at themselves in the mirror, without a broad senses of services and protection to the lives of its citizens, are unaware sacrificing their own people into the hands of international slavery.

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