Page 5 - BUKU A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA

FOREWORD FROM THE SPEAKER OF THE INDONESIAN HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES (DPR RI)

IN “A CENTURY OF PARLIAMENTARY LIFE IN INDONESIA”

“NEVER, ever, forget history,” Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno, once
said. He explained, “Hold tight to your history, never leave your own
history! Protect whatever we have today, for it is the accumulation of
our struggle in the past. Never abandon the history of your past, o, my
people, for if you abandon the history of your past, you will find yourself
standing in a vacuum, and then you will become confused, and your
struggle will, at the most, be just mere running amok! Running amok, like
monkey in the dark!”

The statement shows that President Soekarno kept reminding our na-
tion about how vital the history is for the development of a nation, that
a history is not merely a series of past events that fade over time. Yet,
history can be a source of learning and inspiration to make us step for-
ward as a nation.

Thus, the occurrence of “A Century of Parliamentary Life in Indonesia”
history book becomes necessary. It emphasizes the strategic role and
significant position of Indonesian parliament in working together to bring
Indonesia move forward.

This compendium of pentalogy reveals the active roles of Indonesian
parliament in various important events that shaped our nation’s history.
Starting from Volksraad (People’s Council) which held its first session on
May 21, 1918, then Central Indonesian National Committee (KNIP), Old
Order, New Order, to the reformation and post-reformation era.

Hopefully, this book can give great lessons for all of us and create a better
Indonesia in the future, with a strong parliament, to realize the dream of
the Indonesian independence.

Happy reading.

Dr. (H.C.) Puan Maharani, S.Sos

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