Surya Paloh: This Nation Must No Longer Depend on People Like Me

NasDem Party Chairman Surya Paloh stressed the crucial role of the younger generation for the nation’s future during the 3rd Congress and 15th anniversary of Garda Pemuda (GP) NasDem. The event was held at the Mercure Ancol Hotel in North Jakarta on Wednesday (22/7/2026). In his speech, Paloh questioned why Indonesia has not yet been able to stand on par with developed countries, despite being blessed with abundant natural wealth. “What is actually happening? Why haven’t we been able to align our position as a nation with other nations that are approaching full sovereign capability over various aspects of their lives? Where do our shortcomings actually lie?” Paloh said during his speech. Surya Paloh assessed that the quality of Indonesia’s human resources is currently unable to match the abundance of natural resources it possesses. According to him, this is a major challenge for the nation. “The fact is that we have not been able to balance our natural resource wealth with the quality of our human resources. This is actually the challenge for us as a nation,” he said. Therefore, he believes the nation must place great hope in the younger generation. According to him, it is no longer the time to depend on his generation. “So, to whom can this nation place much hope? The answer is the younger generation of this nation. This nation must no longer hope in people like me, whose age is quite advanced, but rather in the young people,” said Paloh.