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| Harmony in Nation-Building at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (Photo: Laili Humas) |
Political education is essential not only for the lower middle class but also for the upper middle class and the educated. This was emphasized by the Spokesperson for the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, M.E., during the discussion "Harmony in Nation-Building" at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) on May 13th. The event, organized by the UMM Center for Islamic and Philosophy Studies and themed "Reflecting on Democratic Maturity Post-2024 Elections," was attended by prominent speakers and hundreds of young people.
Dahnil further explained that most economically disadvantaged communities usually move on with their lives after elections. Meanwhile, some of the upper middle class tend to have a 'political tantrum' and harbor resentment toward the elected political opponents. "If we want our democracy to be healthy, one of the prerequisites is a well-educated populace. However, the average length of schooling for our society is only around 7.2 years, or roughly not completing junior high school. Therefore, political education is important and must reach all groups," he said.
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Dahnil also discussed how Muhammadiyah's founder, KH. Ahmad Dahlan approached politics. According to him, Mbah Dahlan always adopted a cooperative stance. Some researchers refer to this attitude as rival politics or, in today's terms, critical partnership. "In my opinion, Mbah Dahlan's politics was allocative, not openly criticizing the Dutch but continuously accelerating social activities and dawah through Muhammadiyah," he said.
Regarding elections, he mentioned that Indonesian democracy is still quite messy. Good intellect and a strong track record will not significantly matter if there is no money or funds. Currently, politics is dominated by those with political lineage or those with substantial money. However, he also suggested a way to address this: through "taawun" politics or cooperative politics.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of DEEP Indonesia, Neni Nurhayati, M.Ikom., explained the role of young people and the future hopes for Indonesian democracy. According to data, Indonesia's democracy index is still at the flawed democracy level. Neni also stated that 57% of young people under 40 in the DPR are indicated to have connections to political dynasties, kinship, and oligarchy.
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"Given such a situation, it will be difficult to move freely and fairly in the competition to reach parliament. This indication also closes the space for young people to enter the system. There may be some with social capital, but unfortunately, they lack financial capital. This certainly complicates young people's involvement," she said.
Political reform touted by political parties is also challenging to implement. Observing some political parties that do not reform, with leaders holding their positions for years. How can opportunities be given to young people if even the parties themselves are reluctant to reform? Therefore, one role young people can take in facing this issue is by capturing public narratives that are still vacant, including those on social media. "Significant change will not happen without small changes. We must support and collaborate with each other," she emphasized.
Muhammadiyah scholar Prof. Dr. Zuly Qodir, M.Ag., also highlighted the importance of social capital in strengthening post-election democratic harmony. According to him, Indonesian society has social strength that can be used to overcome social challenges. In a political context, he emphasized that selecting candidates should be based on individual conscience, not merely on party affiliations or sweet promises.
"Meanwhile, the role of young people is key in mobilizing change towards better democracy. For that, they need strong social capital, including mutual trust and cooperation to build harmony in democratic life," he stated.
The involvement of young people in political structures is also essential, with attention and empathy toward leaders. This also focuses on educational system reform. Thus, the involvement of young people provides significant changes in creating positive transformations for the future of Indonesian democracy.
On the other hand, UMM Vice-Rector V Prof. Dr. Tri Sulistyaningsih, M.Si., welcomed the discussion. According to her, the theme was interesting and timely because Indonesia had just held a democratic event. She also quoted several politicians' statements about the state of Indonesian democracy.
"Some politicians say that Indonesian politics is unpredictable. Others say that democracy in Indonesia is still at the stomach level and not yet mature. Is this true? Maybe there will be interesting explanations from the speakers. Hopefully, we are also among the society that is mature in democracy," she concluded. (wil/fajr)
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