A Brief Consideration on Pancasila as Ideology

Since it was proposed on May 2020 as a Pancasila Ideology Bill Draft (RUU HIP), it has become a polemic among various national organisations. The bill drew a strong reaction, especially to the fraction of the initiating party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI P) as. Religious organisations such as Muhammadiyah, Nadhatul Ulama, along with the Indonesian Ulama Council criticised the bill, expressing the lack of urgency regarding the bill. The demonstration that was carried out in response to the bill also ended with a flag burning incident which left embers between the parties, both pro and contra. All of this took place at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic had not yet been successfully controlled by the Government.

The media reports announced the rejection of various elements of this religious organisation because of several things, including, first, the HIP bill was considered not urgent to be discussed at this time given the pandemic that was still raging, so the government should focus on handling the pandemic. Secondly, this bill does not include the TAP MPRS relating to the prohibition of banned organizations and the spread of Marxism, communism and Leninism. Third, the articles in the HIP Bill are considered to have many problems, such as articles that mention the Pancasila, Trisila, and Eka precepts. These divergences, which were even accompanied by demonstrations by religious organisations, ended with the postponement of the deliberation of this bill in the House of Representatives (DPR). Even so, this does not seem to deter the PDI-P faction's efforts as the initiator to re-submit the HIP Bill, even though it is likely to have a different header.

The discussion of the HIP Bill seemed to reopen the ideological debate that had once surfaced in the formation period of the Republic of Indonesia, where the idea of ​​nationalism was debated. Pancasila became the basis of the state after the speech of Sukarno, the Proclamator of Independence, on June 1, 1945 before the session of the Indonesian Independence Preparatory Investigation Agency (BPUPKI). June 1 is then celebrated as the Birth Day of Pancasila.

Suharto's New Order had applied the Pancasila single principle. Law Number 3 of 1985 which was passed on February 19, 1985, requires Pancasila to be the sole principle in every organisation. This implies that all groups of community organisations include Pancasila as the basis of their organisation. In practice, the new principle of the Pancasila was used by the New Order as an instrument of suppression of the opposition, both secular and religious.

Taken this historical background on the practice of the application of Pancasila, it's no wonder the polemic of the HIP Bill has led to controversy. In essence, ideological revitalization is indeed needed to answer the challenges of different times. Even so, this does not mean then close the door for possible discussion of this HIP Bill. Pancasila contains the ideals of the founders of the Republic. The principles of God, Humanity, Unity, Society and Social Justice must continue to be rolled out as a process of building the character of the Indonesian nation.