“Learn new things without leaving Indonesian culture. Study diligently and consistently, apply what is good for the progress of the nation.”
The bright weather marks the beginning of this morning’s inspirational class.
It’s very special because His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Singapore, Mr. Suryo Pratomo, kindly attended as a speaker, accompanied by the Cultural Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, Mr. IGAK Satrya Wibawa.
The inspirational class began with a welcome speech from the School Principal, Mrs. Yenny Dwi Maria. She expressed gratitude and welcomed with joy and gratitude the presence of the Ambassador this morning.
Good Morning!
Good Morning!
Good Morning!
Ambassador greeted the students with enthusiasm.
Ambassador began his presentation by presenting factual data that stirred national pride and love for the Indonesian nation. He mentioned that Singapore was once a country full of poverty but they committed to progress together so within 57 years they have progressed significantly, having an excellent education system and an economy comparable to developed countries in the world. However, all of that didn’t come overnight, it was certainly full of hard work.
He then showed pictures depicting the development of telecommunications technology.
With his clear and engaging delivery style, he recounted the development of communication technology from sending letters using carrier pigeons, the invention of the telephone, telegraph, fax, to the latest telecommunications technology today.
He shared a unique experience from his early career as a journalist. It was very difficult to send news while on duty covering a remote area in the Philippines. Then the story continued when he covered the World Cup in Italy in 1990. At that time, the coverage photographer had to enter a special room to print negative images into photos. It took about 2 hours to send a photo from Italy to Jakarta.
Fortunately, now there is the internet, everything is very easy. We can send messages from anywhere to anywhere easily. Whatever we want to search for, we can find it in seconds. This is different from when the School Principal or the Cultural Attaché were in school. We had to search from page to page for the desired information. But of course, technology is like a double-edged sword. If used properly, it can be useful for prosperity, but if used for crime, it can be very harmful. For example, in 2022, Singaporeans suffered losses of SGD 660 million due to scams. This happened to Singaporeans with an average education background above high school.
The 3rd President of Indonesia, Mr. BJ. Habibie said, “an open world must be balanced with Indonesian children who are knowledgeable and accompanied by faith and piety, so that technology usage is controlled and used for good.”
He then talked about people whose contributions have changed the world, namely:
1. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone
2. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the mobile phone
3. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple
Furthermore, he talked about Steve Jobs when he started building desktop computers which later evolved into Apple products as they are now. Currently, Apple’s assets are 4 times larger than those of Indonesia and 10 times larger than those of Singapore. Truly an inspiring story.
Technology continues to evolve. This is not the end of technological innovation. He believes that this is the beginning of technological revival, “it is very possible that someday you will be the ones who develop technology.” He said with enthusiasm, followed by applause from the students. He continued, “Diligent, enjoy what we do, and be consistent. That is the key to success.”
“Do you all like K-pop?” He asked.
“Yes, Sir,” The students answered in unison.
He then talked about how South Korea, which gained independence in the same month and year as Indonesia, could become as great as it is today. They became trendsetters, excelling in sports, culture, technology, education, and economy. South Korea educated its people to not want to lose to others, to be diligent, and always strive to be the best.
He continued the story with a flashback to 1991, when China was still backward. But now they have become the second largest economic power after the United States. He emphasized that they could be like that because the entire society had the same commitment to advancing the country through education.
He advised, “Determine your path to contribute to the future of the Indonesian nation. Keep learning and give your best!”
“Learn new things in Singapore without leaving Indonesian culture. Apply what is good for the progress of the nation.”
He shared inspirational stories from various fields in a very interesting way, thus arousing our awareness and increasing national insight for the students.
We are very lucky this morning to receive motivation and inspirational stories from the Ambassador.
Thank you and stay healthy, Ambassador.
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