JEDDAH — Indonesia compatriots gathered early morning on Firday at the front yard of the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh and the Nusantara Hall of the Consul General’s residence in Jeddah to take part in a flag-raising ceremony in commemoration of the 73rd Anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence.

In Jeddah, the proceedings started with hoisting the Indonesia’s red and white national flag carried out by ‘Paskibraka’ or a flag-hoisting squad recruited from the students of Indonesian school in Jeddah. The squad which consists of 28 members were trained a few months in order to perform flawlessly during the official ceremony.

The slowly and carefully raised national flag was accompanied by the Indonesian national anthem sung by all participants of the ceremony, followed by observing a moment of silence in remembrance of the fallen heroes and martyrs in the struggles for the freedom of Indonesia.

Consul General Mohamad Hery Saripudin, who presided over the ceremony, read out the state ideology Pancasila, while Umar Badarsyah, vice consul, acted as the commander of the ceremony.

The text of the proclamation of Indonesia’s independence on Aug.17, 1945 and the preamble of the 1945 Constitution were also read out during the ceremony.

The ceremony, which commenced at 6:00 a.m., was attended by Consulate’s staff and spouses, teachers and students from Indonesian schools of Jeddah as well as prominent members of the Indonesian community.

On this auspicious occasion, the Consul General stressed that the 73rd anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence should be a momentum for all fabric of the nation to continue working and building the nations.

This year’s theme of the 73rd anniversary of the independence day of Republic of Indonesia, “Kerja Kita Prestasi Bangsa”, which emphasizes on collective works and persistent efforts to contribute to Indonesia's development in various areas.

“The spirit of mutual cooperation is the root of our culture as the embodiment of harmony, togetherness that has become social glue regardless of race, ethnicity and religion,” he said

The 45-minute-long ceremony ended with a series of patriotic songs presented by a group of Indonesian school students. — SG