On Pancasila
On Pancasila
Dr. Hj. Nina Herlina Lubis, M.S., historian at Padjadjaran
University (Unpad) Research Institute and lecturer at the History
Department of the School of Letters of Unpad, wrote in the
Pikiran Rakyat daily on June 5, 2000 an article titled
Straightening out the history of the birth of Pancasila.
The article notes three dates related to the birth of
Pancasila, namely June 1, 1945, the day assumed to be the birth
of the state's five-point principle, Pancasila; Oct. 1, which
during the New Order era (late 1966 - mid 1998) was observed as
the Pancasila Sanctity Day; and Aug. 18, 1945, the date that the
Indonesian constitution, known as the 1945 Constitution, in which
Pancasila is incorporated in its preamble, was adopted.
Historically speaking, therefore, Indonesians commemorated
Pancasila on two dates, namely on June 1 during the Old Order
period and October 1 during the New Order period.
In my opinion, it is not appropriate to say that Pancasila was
established as the state's founding principle on Aug. 18, 1945.
Let me offer an analogy. A Mr. So and So was born on May 20, 1939
but his birth certificate was not issued until July 1939. In this
case, it is obviously wrong to say that Mr. So and So was born in
July 1939, isn't it? Likewise, it is historically evident that
Bung Karno, the name under which Indonesia's first president
Sukarno was better known, gave a speech on the state's foundation
at a meeting of the Council for Examination of Efforts to Prepare
Indonesia's Independence (BPUPKI) on June 1, 1945. However, it
was not until Aug. 18, 1945 that it was officially incorporated
into the state's constitution. Commonly speaking, no sensible
person will celebrate his or her birthday on the date of the
issuance of his or her birth certificate.
Therefore, in the context of confirming the existence of
Pancasila and protecting it against any wild or controversial
notions to get rid of it, members of the today's People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), Indonesia's highest law-making body,
should in their upcoming general session between Aug. 5, 2000 -
Aug. 18, 2000, stipulate June 1 as the day to be commemorated
every year as the anniversary of the birth of Pancasila. Then
they should also amend the 1945 Constitution by supplementing the
word Pancasila in its preamble so that this part, which now reads
" ... a composition of the state of the Republic of Indonesia
with people's sovereignty based on the One and Only God..." and
so forth, will be as follows "...a composition of the state of
the Republic of Indonesia with people's sovereignty based on
Pancasila: The One and Only God..." and so forth.
Another amendment should also be introduced in Article 29 of
the constitution by supplementing a new sub-article, i.e. sub-
article (3), which will read as follows: "The Indonesian
Communist Party (PKI), including its mass organizations, shall be
banned all over the territory of the State of the Republic of
Indonesia and non-academic activities pertaining to the
dissemination or development of Communism/Marxism-Leninism shall
likewise be prohibited."
It is my hope that all reform-minded members of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) will be a hundred percent proactive
in expressing the voice of religious, antiatheism/communism/PKI
people.
SUNGKOWO SOKAWERA
Bandung