Jakarta (ANTARA) - Speaker of the House of Representatives Puan Maharani laid emphasis that the fighting spirit of heroes should serve as a source of inspiration for the nation's children to incessantly strive for the progress of Indonesia.
"We invite all people to commemorate the services of the heroes, who have fought and contributed to the advancement of the country," Maharani noted in a statement in Jakarta, Tuesday.
The house speaker made the statement after leading the celebration of Heroes' Day aboard the Indonesian Navy warship (KRI) in the waters of Jakarta Bay on Tuesday (Nov 10).
After the ceremony, the activity was continued with a showering of flowers to commemorate services of the heroes for the Indonesian nation.
Maharani, dressed in a black and brown kebaya, remarked that following the struggle for independence, heroic figures continued to appear in the history of the Indonesian nation's journey.
The house speaker strongly believes that those who bring about a change and contribute positively in various sectors of life are worthy of being awarded the title of heroes.
"This includes medical personnel, researchers, and academics, who continue to struggle in the face of the COVID -19 pandemic," she stated.
Furthermore, Maharani pointed out that people, who are disciplined in following the 3M movement of washing hands, maintaining safe distance, and wearing masks, have also become heroes to others since they have struggled to suppress the transmission of COVID -19.
The house speaker affirmed that people working together to placate the burden of others affected by the COVID-19 pandemic also deserve to be called heroes since they contribute to saving lives.
"Let us be heroes for others, for society, and for our beloved country by working and contributing positively for the progress of the Indonesian nation and state," she emphasized.
President Joko Widodo led a national devotional ceremony at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta on Tuesday as part of the commemoration of National Heroes Day.
The president, accompanied by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, arrived at the ceremony venue at the heroes cemetery at 8:08 a.m. local time, according to an Antara journalist.
The ceremony commenced with participants paying tribute to the souls of national heroes. They later commemorated the Battle of Surabaya that took place on November 10, 1945, sang a heroic song, and observed a moment of silence.
As the ceremony inspector, President Jokowi laid a wreath of flowers on the grave of a national hero. The 20-minute ceremony concluded with participants reciting prayers and paying their last tributes to the souls of the national heroes.
The ceremony was held solemnly by adhering to health protocols, including wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance.
Following the ceremony, the president, along with the vice president, chief of the National Defence Forces (TNI), chief of the National Police (Polri), and other high-ranking officials placed flowers on the graves of national heroes and prayed for their souls.
Indonesia celebrates National Heroes Day annually on Nov 10 to commemorate the 1945 Battle of Surabaya in which Indonesians fought against British and Dutch troops as part of the national revolution.
EDITED BY INE
