KBRN, Jakarta: The light drizzle in Jakarta, Tuesday (10/28/2025) did not dampen the enthusiasm of dozens of people to take part in a flag-raising ceremony. It also did not reduce the traffic bustle in front of the Youth Pledge Museum, where the ceremony took place. The flag-raising troop was seen preparing outside the museum complex, while participants had already lined up.

The ceremony was organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Culture to commemorate the 97th Youth Pledge Day. The Youth Pledge Museum was chosen because it was the site where the Youth Pledge was declared during the Second Indonesian Youth Congress in 1928.

The congress was held in Jakarta on October 27–28, 1928, attended by various youth organizations in the Dutch East Indies at that time. The congress resulted in the resolution to unite under one motherland and one nation, Indonesia, and to uphold Indonesian as the language of unity.

Those three-point statements later became known as the Youth Pledge (Sumpah Pemuda). The event became one of the milestones in Indonesia’s national struggle, which culminated in the declaration of independence in 1945.

The flag-raising troops marched during a ceremony marking the 79th Youth Pledge Day at The Youth Pledge Museum, Jakarta on Tuesday (10/28/2025). (Photo: RRI VOI/Rama Shidqi Pratama)

According to a statement from the Ministry of Culture, the ceremony involved around 400 participants from various backgrounds. The flag-raising ceremony at the museum is an annual tradition in every commemoration of Youth Pledge Day.

That morning, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon attended as the inspector of the ceremony. In his address, he described the youth congress participants as people who “did not speak much, but were brave and true to their pledge.”

“Today, our task is different. We no longer raise sharpened bamboo, but we raise knowledge, hard work, and honesty. Yet the spirit remains the same: Indonesia must stand tall, Indonesia must not lose,” he said.

He encouraged the participants not to fear living in today’s challenging and ever-changing era. According to him, everyone must believe that in every village and city, there are still young people who are honest, resilient, and courageous. He quoted a message from Indonesia’s President, Prabowo Subianto, addressed to the country’s youth.

“As always stated and exemplified by the President (Prabowo): do not be afraid to dream big, do not be afraid to fail. You are not mere complements of history, you are the makers of the next chapter of history,” he said.

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After the ceremony, Minister Fadli Zon and his deputy, Giring Ganesha, met with the families of participants from the Second Youth Congress. Speaking to reporters, Fadli expressed hope that they and the current generation would remember the struggle of Indonesia’s youth in the past.

“And hopefully… their families (some of whom) are also here today, their grandchildren, children, and others, can also remember the struggle of their parents, and for us, as the next generation, our government honors the struggle of the Youth Pledge figures as a struggle that brought forth the spirit of nationhood and nationalism,” he said.

Indonesia's Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, attended the ceremony marking the 79th Youth Pledge Day at The Youth Pledge Museum, Jakarta, on Tuesday (28/10/2025). (Photo: RRI VOI/Rama Shidqi Pratama)

In addition to the flag ceremony, a concert will be held at the National Awakening Museum, not far from the Youth Pledge Museum. The concert, held on the same day, marks the beginning of a series of events leading up to the centennial celebration of the Youth Pledge in 2028.

The concert will feature seven songs composed by Wage Rudolf Soepratman, the creator of Indonesia’s national anthem, Indonesia Raya. At the concert venue, there will also be a temporary exhibition about Indonesia Raya, the song first performed during the Second Youth Congress.

“Through the series of activities at the Youth Pledge Museum and the National Awakening Museum, we want to show that the spirit continues to live and evolve, not confined to history, but manifested in the works, expressions, and actions of today’s young generation,” Head of the Indonesian Heritage Agency, Abi Kusno said, who manages both museums.