8-7-2023 (JAKARTA) Immigration Director General of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Silmy Karim, has stated that many Indonesian citizens are becoming citizens of Singapore. He estimates that the number reaches around 1,000 people per year.
Indonesia is now competing with other countries to attract talented individuals. He encourages Gen Z not only to be spectators but to compete and not just be bystanders.
“I forgot if it’s not 100,000, 1,000 Indonesian students in Singapore become Singaporean citizens every year. We compete to attract great and talented individuals,” he said at the CentennialZ Festival Gen Z 2023 on Saturday (8/7/2023).
He believes that Indonesia cannot solely rely on natural resources, as they will eventually deplete. Therefore, human resources need to be enhanced.
“In terms of determining our collective destiny, we must unite. The government provides LPDP scholarships, advocates, and provides information so that Gen Z can become outstanding and competitive individuals,” he added.
However, Gen Z currently faces many challenges. For example, the high cost of living, limited access to career support, and issues of inequality and poverty.
“The three issues we address are closely related to the current generation Z, starting from the extremely high cost of living, limited access to job opportunities, building careers, difficulty accessing funding, and the growing economic inequality or poverty,” said CentennialZ Chairman, Dinno Ardiansyah.
Dinno acknowledges that the Gen Z generation is often associated with indulgent and partying activities. However, he strongly believes that the potential of the Indonesian youth is much greater than that. The purpose of the Festival Gen Z is to strengthen the identity and positive contributions of the Gen Z generation.
“We want to invite Gen Z to see themselves as empowered agents of change. This is a platform for Gen Z to speak up, be critical, build narratives, because that is the power of Gen Z. But Gen Z can do more than just criticize; we can take action,” he said.
Coinciding with this momentum, the preparation for the 2024 elections is already being widely discussed, and many parties will have vested interests in the name of the Gen Z generation. Through the Festival Gen Z 2023, CentennialZ aims to emphasize that the voice of the Gen Z generation cannot be bought.
“We (Gen Z) don’t want to be mere political subjects during the 2024 democratic event; instead, we want to fight for the issues that we have comprehensively escalated,” explained Dinno.
The CentennialZ-initiated Festival Gen Z is aimed at providing Indonesian youth with holistic development opportunities. This includes the development of technological skills, entrepreneurship, leadership, and creativity. Additionally, CentennialZ also encourages Gen Z to engage in social and environmental initiatives that have a positive impact.
In recent years, CentennialZ has launched various campaigns and programs that have received positive attention from the younger generation. Dinno believes that by changing perceptions and strengthening the positive identity of Gen Z, they can become a driving force for the progress and prosperity of Indonesia in the future.
