Indonesians Commemorate 150th Year Of Independence

Consul General K. Candra Negara honoured two colleagues by way of Jakarta’s ‘Satya Lencana Karya Satya’ and the Consulate General Office’s ‘Annual Best Employee Award’

- Mariecar Jara-Puyod

Indonesians the world over at more than 276 million including an estimated nine million migrants and overseas workers, commemorated their 150th year of independence, officially known as “Kemerdekaan Indonesia,” from The Netherlands on Aug. 17, on Tuesday.

From the scaled-down celebrations – in connection with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID19) health and safety guidelines – at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia-Dubai, Consul General K. Candra Negara not only honoured two colleagues by way of Jakarta’s “Satya Lencana Karya Satya” and the Consulate General Office’s “Annual Best Employee Award;” but, distinguished as well, four countrymen who have become role models through “exemplary actions” within the 50,000-strong Indonesian community and the diverse society in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujeirah, for 10 to 20 years now.

As indicated in the invitation, the celebrations, in part conducted in the national language Bahasa Indonesia, began at 9 am inside one of the two villas of the compound, festooned with the red and white, representing the national flag of the world’s fourth-largest country, population-wise. Unlike in the past, the traditional flag-raising ceremony was held “symbolically” with only the 35-strong consular mission and their spouses in attendance.