Bung Hatta: Without Belief in the One and Only God, Pancasila Loses Meaning
The first principle of Pancasila is ‘Belief in the One and Only God.’ According to Indonesia’s first vice-president, Mohammad Hatta, this principle must underpin our national aspirations and promote the people’s welfare.
Bung Hatta stated that acknowledging ‘Belief in the One and Only God’ becomes problematic and loses meaning if not reflected in daily life. Therefore, every citizen must emulate the divine attributes of compassion and justice.
The logical implication of this belief, Hatta argued, obliges us to foster friendship and brotherhood among all people and nations.
Furthermore, upholding this principle requires defending truth and justice, acting righteously, being honest and pure, and appreciating beauty.
In essence, to be a true Pancasila adherent, we must oppose all forms of deceit and oppression, rectify mistakes, eradicate fraud and immoral acts, and eliminate evil.
Hatta said we must seek guidance from the Perfect Being. Such guidance would shape Indonesians into individuals of strong character and high accountability.
This is now increasingly scarce or even disappearing in national life.
Because the public, especially leaders, no longer follow their religious teachings. Instead, they succumb to desires and self-serving interests.
This has led to widespread corruption, collusion, nepotism (KKN), vote-buying, and factional egoism. Leaders, instead of upholding public trust, bow to capital interests rather than truth and justice, resulting in lack of transparency and accountability, and other unethical practices.
There is a Minangkabau and Malay proverb we should heed: ‘When lost at the end of the road, retreat and return to the starting point.’
Meaning, if we have made mistakes or gone too far astray, the best course is to return to the beginning.
In this context, the starting point is the first principle of our national philosophy, Pancasila: ‘Belief in the One and Only God’.
We must uphold this principle as the guiding foundation for community, national, and state life in our beloved country.