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When Students Ask: Where is the Country Running?
In the last few days, Fatimah Azzahra’s name suddenly became a topic of conversation. Videos of his orations circulated on various social media. His voice was loud, but what made many people pay attention was not just the way he spoke. But rather the content of the concerns he expressed.
Fatimah is Deputy Chair of the University of Indonesia BEM. In the midst of student actions that highlight the condition of the national economy, he tries to raise a question that may also be on the minds of some people: what is the country actually prioritizing?
In his view, President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran have a big vision for Indonesia. No one doubts the development ambitions they bring. However, according to Fatimah, there is one thing that is noticeably lacking, namely leadership that focuses on the most pressing problems in society.
For Fatimah, the problem is not just a matter of who sits in the ministerial chair or official under the president. The problem is more basic. He saw that there were a number of programs that were being forced to run, while many of the community’s more urgent needs had not been handled properly.
Imagine a house whose roof leaks during the rainy season. Instead of repairing the leak first, the residents of the house were busy building a new garden in the yard. Gardens are important, but water dripping from the ceiling still makes it difficult for residents to sleep.
More or less that is the picture that Fatimah wants to convey.
He believes that too many state resources are allocated to agendas whose goals and concepts are not yet completely clear or are still changing. Meanwhile, on the other hand, problems whose impacts are directly felt by society continue to pile up.
Fatimah then pointed to the health sector as an example. He highlighted concerns regarding the financial condition of BPJS Health, which he said had the potential to experience serious pressure due to the budget deficit. If this problem is not addressed now, the impact could be felt by millions of people who depend on health services.
In the field of education, the criticism is not much different. According to him, various promises to improve education often become the main topic during the campaign period. However, when the campaign period ended, the discussion faded. As a result, many old problems persist without meaningful resolution.
For Fatimah, health and education are not issues whose urgency needs to be debated. Both are basic needs whose benefits are clear and felt directly by society. Therefore, he hopes that the government will place solving these problems as a top priority.
However, Fatimah’s criticism does not stop at the budget or program alone.
He saw that there was a bigger problem, namely the direction of the policy itself. According to him, the government seems confused in determining the concepts and objectives of a number of policies being implemented. When the goal is not completely clear, its implementation risks creating new problems.
It is at this point that Fatimah places the greatest responsibility on the President. Because in the end, the direction of government is determined by the supreme leader. If the root of the problem lies in the way of leadership and setting priorities, then changing officials under the president is not necessarily a solution.
The message that Fatimah wants to convey is actually quite simple. Before embarking on major projects, countries need to ensure that people’s most basic needs are given proper attention. Before running far, make sure there are no residents left behind.
Whether you agree with her views or not, Fatimah’s voice reflects one thing that is important in democracy: the existence of space for the younger generation to question, criticize and remind the government about what they consider to be the people’s priorities.
Because in a democratic country, criticism is not always a sign of hatred. Sometimes, criticism is another way to show you care. And often, big changes start with someone’s courage to ask, “Are we going in the right direction?”.
Source: Liputan6.com https://share.google/BFxePt3vcK34wD5Jm
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