Surya Paloh Stresses NasDem's 'Movement for Change' Is About Professionalism and Morality
The Chairman of the NasDem Party, Surya Paloh, has affirmed that the main essence of his party’s mission of change and restoration is not merely a matter of physical development. According to him, the core of the movement is a transformation in ways of thinking and an improvement in the mentality of the Indonesian nation.
Surya highlighted current practices in social and national life, which he judged as still frequently coloured by dishonesty. He emphasised the importance of honesty as the primary foundation of change.
“Take a simple illustration. If only we could reduce pretence in our daily lives, which are accustomed to being full of pretence and hypocrisy — reduce it if we cannot eliminate it entirely — then the essence of the change movement would already have largely succeeded,” said Surya after attending the Second Congress and 15th anniversary of Garda Pemuda NasDem in North Jakarta on Wednesday (22/7/2026).
Furthermore, Surya reminded his audience that mastery of advanced technology or an abundance of natural resources would not deliver optimal results for the nation’s progress without being accompanied by an improvement in the quality of human resources of good character.
He assessed that the strength of human character is an absolute companion to Indonesia’s physical wealth. “This is the most fundamental point. However advanced the technology we master as a nation, and however strong the backbone of our natural resource wealth in this country, that alone is not enough,” he said.
Surya added that Indonesia must be able to add a strength that always stands alongside all existing assets, namely human resources of strong moral and mental calibre.
On that occasion, Surya entrusted this idealistic mission to the young cadres of Garda Pemuda NasDem. He asked them to continue holding firmly to their moral commitment amid the constantly changing dynamics of the times.
He expressed hope that NasDem’s young generation would be able to carry forward the spirit of mental improvement as the primary foundation in building a better future for Indonesia.
“This is what I always emphasise to Garda Pemuda of the NasDem Party: improve your professional capabilities, but remain steeped in and close to morality. This is my hope as Party Chairman,” Surya concluded.