Pancasila Day: Lukman Hakim Questions Whether Values Still Inspire Nation
JAKARTA – The 22nd Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, has called on the public to mark the anniversary of Pancasila’s birth as a moment for reflection on the implementation of the nation’s foundational values in state and community life.
Through a poem written on 1 June 2026, Lukman questions the extent to which the five principles of Pancasila remain alive and serve as a guide in the life of the Indonesian nation today.
In his poem titled ‘Pancasila’, Lukman recalls that Pancasila emerged from the struggles of the nation’s founders who sought to unite diverse visions to determine Indonesia’s foundation and direction.
‘It feels as though that event happened only yesterday, when the nation’s founders, 81 years ago, shared diverse visions to unite, agree on the foundation and direction of the nation,’ Lukman writes.
The former Minister of Religious Affairs then posed several reflective questions about the realisation of values in each of Pancasila’s five principles. He questions whether Belief in the One and Only God still holds strong meaning in society, whether the value of Humanity is still remembered collectively, and whether Unity, People’s Sovereignty, and Social Justice are truly manifested in national life.
According to Lukman, these questions are crucial to ensure Pancasila remains more than a historical document or national slogan, but continues to inspire the thoughts, hearts, feelings, and actions of citizens.
‘Do you still live with us? Do you still inspire us? Or has your spirit no longer dwelled in our thoughts, hearts, feelings, and actions?’ he writes.
In the final stanza of his poem, Lukman refers to Pancasila as Indonesia’s ‘Guiding Star’. He calls on all segments of the nation to preserve and uphold Pancasila’s values to remain the foundation in facing various challenges of national life and governance.
The annual commemoration of Pancasila’s Birth Day on 1 June serves as a reminder of the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Soekarno’s speech during the session of the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI) on 1 June 1945. In his address, Soekarno introduced the foundational concept of the state, later known as Pancasila.