Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and Culture, Anies Baswedan, Ph.D. stated that Indonesia mostly possesses a huge occasion to hold global roles due to the development of Asia countries for the recent two decades.

In the closing of Muhammadiyah’s national convention on Thursday (24/5) at Sportorium of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Anies told that, before the Industrial Revolution led to the economic growth of European countries, Asian countries had dominated 60 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the world. In the end of 1990, economy of Asian countries such as Japan, Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China, and India rose up, but these Asian countries were not able to cooperate in coping with the cultural and political issues.

On the other hand, Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines possess superb cultural politics so that multilateral cooperation in ASEAN has existed. Anies believed that the future of Asia is in Southeast Asian countries. “As the largest country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has a strategic position so that this country will be the strongest ‘machine’,” he argued.

Anies Baswedam viewed that social assets to Indonesia enable this country to be the greatest country, and other countries in Asia like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Papua New Guinea do not possess these assets. Thus, all Indonesian people should maintain the assets.

“When I am in international forums, I always tell the people that they have to learn democracy in Indonesia, particularly learn how to manage diversity,” Anies told.

Besides, the social assets should be supported by the quality development of the people in education and health. These fields become the focus of Muhammadiyah. The duty of today’s generation is to ensure that education nowadays is in line with the future.

Anies wished that, in the future, Muhammadiyah would be in line with the vision of ‘progressive Indonesia’. “The theme of this convention is significant since Indonesia is now in ‘crossroads’. Muhammadiyah should dare to pioneer to take roles both national and global level,” he expected.

Additionally, Drs. H. A. Dahlan Rais, M.Hum mentioned six main notions of the convention. The notions were revealed from what the convention speakers declared on 23-14 May 2016. The convention was officially closed by chairperson of Muhammadiyah, Dr. H. Haedar Nashir, M.Si.