BISNISTIME.COM, JAKARTA -- Friday, May 30, 2025 – Commemorated annually on May 20th, National Awakening Day serves as a poignant reminder of a pivotal moment in Indonesia's history: when young people, imbued with self-awareness, galvanized a movement for national independence, liberation from oppression, suffering, and tyranny. The struggles championed by the youth in 1908, according to Deputy Minister of Transmigration Viva Yoga Mualadi, were fundamentally a fight for human rights.

This sentiment was conveyed by Viva Yoga Mualadi during a meeting with the Jakarta Raya branch of the Islamic Students Association (HMI), led by its Chairman Ali Loilatu. The meeting took place in Deputy Minister Mualadi's office at the Ministry of Transmigration complex in Kalibata, Jakarta.

Viva Yoga emphasized that the values and spirit championed by those educated and enlightened young people in 1908 need to be contextualized today. This re-evaluation is crucial for Indonesia to develop its true identity as a "self-reliant nation, standing on its own feet in the fields of economy, social affairs, politics, culture, energy, food, and water," stated the Deputy Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN). He added, "What we are fighting for is to improve the welfare of the people."

These remarks align with the theme of the 117th National Awakening Day: 'Rising Together, Realizing a Strong Indonesia.'

Contextualizing the values and spirit of National Awakening Day is deemed vital for the nation to awaken and overcome apathy, ensuring the realization of the aspirations and promises of independence articulated by national leaders and fighters. This, he noted, will enable Indonesia to "stand shoulder to shoulder with other nations."

During the meeting, Ali Loilatu, accompanied by Muhammad Ubaidillah (Head of PTKP), Sri M Mulyani (Chairperson of KOHATI), and other board members, outlined various past and upcoming HMI activities.

In his closing remarks, Viva Yoga Mualadi encouraged HMI cadres to prioritize and expand their cadre development programs, emphasizing that such activities enhance the quality of their members. He particularly stressed the importance of leveraging campuses as a crucial component of the cadre development process.