Jokowi: Become trendsetters, not followers

JAKARTA: President Joko Widodo made a rallying call for Indonesians to become trendsetters who are globally competitive instead of being mere followers.

Joko, also known as Jokowi, said citizens should strive to outdo the achievements of those from other countries and set new directions, according to the Antara news agency.

He said this when opening the Congress of Alumni Association of the Indonesian National Student Council here on Monday.

“It is important that we forge ahead and aspire to surpass other countries that are more advanced than us.

“We need to leap forward.

“We have to be a trendsetter and not a follower,” Jokowi said.

Indonesia should transcend other countries that had become more competitive in recent times, he said, adding that it would be impossible to achieve the goal if they followed the same path rather than adopt fresh approaches.

“We must not follow the steps that advanced countries had once taken. If so, it is certain that we cannot surpass them,” he said and noted that efforts to surpass those from other countries was also part of the fight for sovereignty.

Jokowi said sovereignty must be gained through innovation and the mastery of science and technology.

He said the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the Covid-19 pandemic, for instance, needed to be addressed through innovation.

“The revolution of Industry 4.0 has disrupted all segments of society’s life. The Covid-19 pandemic has compelled the world to stop for a while and acclimatise to a new normal,” Jokowi said.

Such challenges, however, should be addressed as an opportunity to motivate the nation to discover innovations, he said.