Kepri Governor invites public to remember national hero Raja Ali Haji
Tanjungpinang (ANTARA) - Kepulauan Riau (Kepri) Governor Ansar Ahmad has invited the public to remember the services of national hero Raja Ali Haji, who is buried on Penyengat Island, Tanjungpinang City, during the commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia (RI).
“From this Bunda Tanah Melayu, the nation’s history is carved and rooted very firmly. When we speak of Indonesia’s sovereignty and unity, history will never forget the role of the national hero from Kepri, namely Raja Ali Haji,” said Governor Ansar in his speech while serving as inspector of the 81st RI anniversary ceremony at the Regional Building, Tanjungpinang, Monday.
According to Ansar, during his lifetime Raja Ali Haji played a major role in weaving and nurturing the Malay language until it became the primary foundation for the birth of the Indonesian language, which today serves as an instrument of national unity binding thousands of ethnic groups and traditions across the archipelago.
The unifying language inherited from Negeri Segantang Lada became a fighting spirit that surged simultaneously from Sabang to Merauke.
“Therefore, Kepri is not merely a spectator of history, but one of the principal architects of national unity whose history must be immortalised through the monumental work of the National Language Monument on Penyengat Island,” said Ansar.
Furthermore, Ansar said Kepri is no longer just a peripheral region, but a shield of maritime sovereignty, a bastion of economic defence, and a showcase of the nation’s honour in the eyes of the world.
Every inch of coral and every drop of water in Kepri’s seas is the honour of the Republic of Indonesia that must be safeguarded together until the last drop of blood.
“Kepri is the gateway to the maritime sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, because its geographical position borders directly with neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, and lies along the international shipping lane of the Malacca Strait,” said Ansar.
The governor also added that the 81st anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia is a moment of reminder for the people of the homeland to offer gratitude for the gift of independence from God Almighty.
He continued that 81 years ago, Indonesia’s independence was proclaimed by the proclamators Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta. The typing of the proclamation text composed by Sayuti Melik in Pegangsaan Timur was the spark of spirit in fighting for independence that had been woven through the blood, sweat, and sacrifice of the nation’s heroes to break the chains of colonialism and plant the milestone of the founding of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
However, independence is not the finish line of this nation’s journey, but rather a golden bridge towards noble ideals that must continue to be filled and fought for, because independence is the right of all nations and is the foundation for realising a Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous Indonesia.
“Let us prove to the world that Kepri will always be ready to accompany the pace of the glory of a Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous Republic of Indonesia,” concluded Ansar.