Constitution Day is not merely ceremonial, says MPR deputy speaker

Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Siti Fauziah stated that the commemoration of Constitution Day is not merely ceremonial, but rather an important moment to strengthen nationalism and honour the struggle of the nation’s founders.

“The constitution is the fundamental foundation of our nation’s existence. The commemoration of Constitution Day is not merely ceremonial, but rather one of the important moments for all of us to remember and honour the struggle of the nation’s founders,” she said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to Siti, the constitution must not only be remembered as a text, but must also be internalised and implemented in daily life.

She said that an understanding of the constitution as the highest fundamental law of the state must continue to be instilled across all levels of society, both at the central and regional levels.

She also emphasised the importance of making the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (UUD NRI 1945) a reference as well as a guide for national life.

“The enforcement of rules and constitutional awareness has not yet fully run perfectly. That is why we still very much need active awareness from all components of the nation to jointly safeguard, uphold, and implement the constitution that we have,” she said.

Siti assessed that constitutional enforcement requires synergy and collective awareness from all elements of society. In that context, she said the MPR has a strategic role in promoting constitutional values to the public, particularly the younger generation.

“The MPR continues to carry out the dissemination of national values and the constitution as a fundamental foundation for the younger generation. This is important to strengthen the mentality, character, and integrity of the next generation so that they are ready to safeguard and preserve the state constitution for the sake of the unity of the Republic of Indonesia in the future,” she said.

Constitution Day is commemorated every 18 August based on Presidential Decree Number 18 of 2008, signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on 10 September 2008.

The date was chosen because it coincides with the ratification of the 1945 Constitution by the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI).