Megawati and GNB Discuss National Issues and the Nation's Future
Former Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, representing Gerakan Nurani Bangsa (GNB), revealed that the group met with former President Megawati Soekarnoputri to discuss various social, societal, and governmental issues. Lukman likened the dialogue to a warm conversation within a family, serving as an exchange of ideas among figures who care deeply about the nation’s future direction.
“It was like a meeting between a parent and their children, or between peers who have all been entrusted with steering the wheels of government to safeguard our national life,” Lukman said after the meeting at the Megawati Institute in Menteng, Central Jakarta.
He explained that the visit was part of GNB’s scheduled agenda to engage with national figures, particularly those who have served as head of state or vice president. “This is actually a meeting that has been planned for quite some time. Last year, we visited Mr. SBY, Mr. Jusuf Kalla, and Mr. KH Ma’ruf Amin. Alhamdulillah, today we were able to meet with Ibu Megawati,” he stated.
Cardinal Suharyo emphasised that the nation’s collective conscience must be continuously sharpened through dialogue spaces so it does not become dull in reading social realities. “This movement calls itself Gerakan Nurani Bangsa. Conscience can become dull if it is never sharpened. Therefore, when we gather, discuss, and exchange ideas, our hope is that our conscience within GNB becomes sharper and clearer,” said Cardinal Suharyo.
With a clear conscience, he added, national figures can view societal realities objectively, free from sectoral interests or fleeting emotions, purely for the benefit of Indonesia. “So we can see reality properly and correctly. Not with emotion, not with vested interests, but truly and purely for the sake of our nation,” he continued.
As a platform that receives direct aspirations from the public, GNB considers it important to confirm this information with Megawati, who is regarded as having an extensive track record and political experience in the country. “We at GNB receive a lot of input from the community. Therefore, we need to confirm whether the information we have is also held by Ibu Megawati, as a figure who has truly experienced the salt and acid of a very long life in the political world,” Lukman said.
The meeting was attended by key GNB figures, including Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid, Alissa Wahid, Reverend Gomar Gultom, Father Franz Magnis Suseno SJ, Karlina R. Supelli, and Laode M. Syarif. Also present were former National Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Beka Ulung Hapsara, Andi Widjajanto from Lab45, academic Francisia Seda, and Nalar Institute Founder and Advisor Yanuar Nugroho.