By Syeda Amtul
JEDDAH — The Consulate General of Indonesia, Jeddah, on Wednesday organized a flag hoisting ceremony at the residence of the consul general in commemoration of the 71st anniversary of the country's independence.
The ceremony, led by acting Consul General Dicky Yunus, started at 6 a.m.
in the presence of the consulate staff and their families, teachers and students of Indonesian schools in Jeddah and Makkah, and prominent members of the Indonesian community.
The flag-hoisting ceremony was carried out by a squad of students from Indonesian International School in Jeddah. It was followed by the playing of Indonesian national anthem. A moment of silence in remembrance of the fallen heroes who fought for the freedom of Indonesia was observed.
The acting consul general read out Indonesia's philosophy of Pancasila (Five Principles) and the text of the proclamation of Indonesia’s independence.
Yunus said, “71 years ago our heroes struggled and fought for freedom so that we live in an independent country in peace and prosperity. Our expectations are to live side by side with other nations and to contribute to peace all over the world.
"We want to strengthen bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia and we are ready to cooperate in every aspect of life.”
He expressed gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and his government for "the cooperation extended in every field”.
The 45-minute-long ceremony ended with a series of patriotic songs presented by a group of Indonesian school students.
