Soeharto solutes mothers on Woman's Day
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto paid tribute to mothers and the role they play in family life during his speech commemorating National Women's Day yesterday.
The challenges facing Indonesia require the emergence of a new generation that is capable, highly qualified and able to treat problems with self confidence, Soeharto said in Palembang, South Sumatra, where the celebration was held.
Everything begins with the family, proper nurturing and care, he said. "All of these bring us to the realization of how important the role of a mother is in the caring, rearing and education of her children. It also goes to show how big the role of mothers will be in the nation's future."
Having recognized the role of mothers, Soeharto said the nation must therefore strive to improve the quality of women.
"We need to give greater attention to the education of women. Now their overall education is still behind that of men, even though their duties are increasing."
National Women's Day was held to mark the 66th anniversary of the historic gathering of various women's organizations in Indonesia, then still the Dutch East Indies, on Dec. 22, 1928.
Soeharto said this goes to show that Indonesian women have all along participated in various national endeavors, both before and after independence and including the nation's current development program.
Soeharto combined his commemoration trip to Palembang yesterday with the inauguration of the Sriwijaya Kingdom Ancient Park and also the launching of three industrial plants -- Unit IB of state urea producer PT Pupuk Sriwijaya (PUSRI), a melamine plant owned by PT Sri Melamin Rejeki, and a polystyrene plant of PT Pacific Indomas Plastic Indonesia.
The new PUSRI unit replaced the first plant which was built in 1963 and now considered no longer efficient. The new $267 million unit boosts the capacity of PUSRI to 2.28 million tons a year from 1.52 million previously.
Soeharto also used the occasion to launch a nation-wide campaign for the Development of Workers' Family Prosperity, a plan calling on employers and employees to work shoulder to shoulder to improve the welfare of workers.
The campaign, which Soeharto stressed is in the companies' best interest, is an extension of the national movement of family planning through work places.
In return for additional assistance from employers, he said workers are expected to join the family planning program, send their children to school at least through junior high school and take care of their own health.
"I hope the movement will also strengthen the relationship between employers and workers. Such a partnership will create a healthy working atmosphere which will encourage efficiency and strengthen companies."
At the Sriwijaya Kingdom Park, Soeharto restored a plaque dated year 682 to confirm that the Hindu kingdom which spanned most of Indonesia, had its seat in the area.
The site in Karang Anyar in Palembang has now been turned into a park and also an archeological site as a research center to rediscover the greatness of the empire.
Historians are still debating about the exact locations of Sriwijaya, with some suggesting that it is in Jambi province further north from Palembang. (emb)
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