Posted by “Nenek Moyangku Seorang Pelaut” (my ancestor was a sailor), an everlasting Indonesian children`s song with its strong identity on the lyrics: `gemar mengarung luas samudra, menerjang ombak tiada takut, menempuh badai sudah biasa` (sailing throughout wide ocean, fearlessly against the tide, facing the storm is nothing unusual) – is supposedly a remembrance to any Indonesians who are still searching for their originality. Not about digesting whether their great grandmothers were truly mariners, but deriving such values of being courageous and gallant in handling any predicament could be a way to re-build the nationality.
A barometer of nationality is now a glimpse since modernisation skirmishing that brings some, even many Indonesians, to different track of allegiance. This consequence of globalisation is natural and inevitable; but standing on the root is still essential. Thank you president Joko Widodo to remind Indonesian people in recalling maritime as one of the country`s foundations; eventually it also leads to a pride of having an immense scale of sea – not for a display, but a responsibility to be carried.
The ocean, predominantly contains of rich resources, looks like border-less in the eyes but secretly keeping prone complication; boundaries among countries to exclusive economic zone, shipping & transportation to logistics, fishery to deep mining. Not to mention external impacts related to the world`s economy and politics, entirely because of such amplitude of the sea.
Ban Ki-Moon once mentioned, “Although more than 500 million maritime containers move around the world each year, accounting for 90% of international trade, only 2% are inspected. Strengthening customs and immigration systems is essential”. Yes indeed. As the most distinctive nation of archipelago, Indonesia should play a major role here – straightforwardly started from its domestic ocean and be the imminent future of ASEAN.
Anisa Kirana | 2014 | Published on SOROTAN Magazine – column: From the Editor (edition IV/2014) | Photo credit: google
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