Young People and Alternative Leadership (An analisis of Young People in Indonesian Politic)

Aryanto Abidin
Vice President Excecutive Student Board of Hasanuddin University 2006-2007

Each generation is the property of their masing period, as well as in the case of regenerating leadership. In each of the succession of leadership, the new leader will be born with the characters each time. When, in the early formation of this republic, many of the children born as young leaders capable of emotion, given the strength of the entire nation and to oppose colonialism, both physically and politically. A General sudirman, Soekarno, Hatta, Tan Malaka, Agus Salim, HOS Cokroaminoto, dr. Sutomo, Wahidin Sudiro Husodo, dll. Sutomo, Wahidin Sudiro Husodo, etc. They are all young leaders who influence the world. They were not born for it, but they has been prepared far away the previous day. They realize that they who will inherit this country. Because they are aware aware of their existence, then they prepare to become the most important part of this country. If we read the history of the slabs, then we will find the heritage of the successes of young people in this building and to independence this nation.


Reform in 1998 is proof of how young people are capable of progressive-minded topple the regime in power (new order). The event is a major event in the history of the student movement. How not, the student population at that time only 2 percent of the population of Indonesia is able to overthrow the regime and strong authoritarian rule that has been 32 years. For the student movement, the success of this is a new experience. Order the new regime fall at the same time fall to mark the symbol of dictatorship regime in power. This sense of taste, such as a romantic comedies of the past, but it will be like, but do not like the fact that it is irrefutable from the heroic youth of this nation.

Reform in 1998 to bring fresh wind to create the democratization of the country. Unfortunately, major changes are not colored with the changes in the life of the foundation and stateless. A more rampant corruption, economic conditions exacerbated the exchange, although the change of government several times. Megawati era of government, there sale assets this country to foreign recklessly and blind. During the Megawati government also issued a letter debt remission (release and discharge / R & D) for corruptors high class this country. The more egregious is when the government of Gus Dur. In the reign Gusdur is a controversial figure leaders. Gusdur always remove the controversial political statements and tend to interpret the law and will always oppose the flow.

The degree1998 student movement's struggle to become trite and a little ternodai style of leadership by the government in power after the reform. Bukan memperbaiki dan mensejahterahkan rakyat, justru reformasi dimanfaatkan oleh kelompok tertentu untuk mengeruk keuntungan sebanyak banyaknya, serta menancapkan kuku kekusaan. Not make the better and not improve and people, thus the reform used by certain groups to make as much profit, and drive nails power. This is a indication of how the reform momentum as the tool of power is despicable, without any actual intention to improve this state of decline. Although the new order regime has collapsed, but the nature of the new order is still inherent in the people who control the post-reform government. This indicated that the struggle of students and youth only as a hammer changes. Therefore, important if the young people who become balancing progressive-minded in our national system leadeship today.

Young People, Who is?

In the context keindonesiaan this time, we need an alternative leader who can stir the spirit of the people of Indonesia to move forward. Leadership is leadership is a transformative youth (able to reflect ideas / ideas to the rank praksis). However, we need to first identify the perceptions, who is young? What is the definition of youth is solely determined by the age limit anyway? Or young people is a definition used in the melee thoughts or ideas? If we refer to the big dictionary english second edition (1995), the definition of youth is that they are adults and have started to age to marry. In law marriage, marrying age is 16 years for women and 19 years for men. Meanwhile, in explanation of these laws, adult age is 21 years old. So, the conclusion can be drawn is that young people their age begin the 16 years to 50 years. But there are also limits to the age of 18-50 years. Some opinions say that is the productive age ranged between 25-55 years old.

In the view Pramudya Ananta Tour, young people can not dikotakan merely in terms of age, but young people is that they have ideas that progressif, radical and militant. Therefore, the age limit will be killed if the ideas they tend to the status quo. Although we look in the mirror on Ahmadinejad (Iran), Hogo Chavez (Venezuela) and Evo Morales (Bolivia) and the Soekarno, the founder of indonesian nation. They are leaders and have an intrepid ideas and ideas that progressive, radical and militant. These countries constitute a successful international association in the head, although the three countries are considered controversial by the United States. This is going because they have the courage of leaders of foreign intervention against their country.

Ahmadinejad successfully convince the UN that they do not use as nuclear weapons of mass destruction and challenging George W Bush to argue. Evo Morales and Hugo Chávez with the oil producing countries successfully nationalize assets and to expel foreign companies out of the country because they are considered state property dredge them. More mad again, Hugo Chávez mentions George W. Bush as the devil in front of the UN council. Soekarno in the leadership is able to make Indonesia as a sovereign country and respected in the eyes of the world.

Why Must Alternative Leadership?

We know together, although the Soesilo Bambang Yudoyono-Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK) government directly elected by the people in the general election of 2004, but now the government failed to function the people of Indonesia. In this government, the price of fuel has twice increased. Borrowing a knife analysis Firmansyah that we are experiencing a national complexity. He further said that after 100 years and 10 years of reform is still marked by weak structure and the competitiveness of the economy, of law enforcement, corruption eradication, the implementation of autonomy and decentralization, the amount of debt, poverty levels and unemployment, demand democratization, and the threat desintegrasi. Meanwhile, on the international community, marked the situation, conditions, the challenges and demands, increasingly complex, always changing, full of uncertainty, and often not even friendly. The development of the strategic environment demands leaders and a solid, able to anticipate future developments, to build the vision, mission, and strateji and develop policy measures, institutional and management system of governance that are relevant to the complexity of development, problems and challenges faced at the national level and international.

In historikal, Indonesia has the same pattern in terms of national leadership turnover, namely, came from the economic crisis and political crisis. Saiful Mujani (Tempo edition 36/29 October - 04 November 2007) explains that the emergence of the national leadership of the New Order and the Order of the reform / democracy now can not be compared, but there is a very crucial similarities: third order starts from the economic-political crisis. Old Order begins with government instability, separatism, and the constitution crisis; New Order begins with the economic crisis and the conflict between the Old Order, especially the Indonesian communis party/PKI, and their opponent, especially Army; and the Order of Democracy begins with the monetary crisis, and then mass riots.

Two previous birth to a crisis of leadership alternative that is still relatively young (Soekarno and Soeharto), while the monetary crisis in 1997 did not. This shows that our roads kaderisasi leadership in place. We know that the order for ten years of democracy, young people only to be spectators only. This raised a question in our head, whether young people are not given the space to become the main actors in national leadership? If the answer is yes, then the younger generation must merebutnya. Of course, with the preparation of cooked.

Conditions become a mirror for these young people appear to take the leadership position of this country. Young people is the figure as a potential alternative leader. However, leaders not to the alternative discourse to be empty. Leaders alternative is a new bid in the middle of 'famine' public confidence in the government we now this. According to Firmansyah, alternative leadership is a leader who has a typology or pattern of transactional and transformative leadership. Further, he defines leadership as a transformative process that the "leaders and the followers of each other to raise the level of self motivation and morale higher," such as freedom, justice and humanity, and not at the Base of the emotions, such as greed, jealousy social, or hatred.

So, between leaders and led the same perception that they can optimize the efforts and cooperation to realize the vision become a reality towards the goal to be achieved and the nation state. Meanwhile as transactional leadership style of leadership that essentially emphasize transactions between leaders and subordinates, the president / shoots of the selected directly by the people, and become a political and social contract. So that they can complete the tasks and responsibilities in accordance with the agreements made with in accordance with campaign promises.

Become an alternative choice of leaders is not easy, especially for the young leaders of this country. Young leaders must have criteria that the ideal leader, among others, according to Saiful Mujani is, can be trusted (integrity), empathy to the people, have a dignified appearance, quite good views, and are considered able to lead to overcome the problems perceived by the people's most urgent, especially relating to the economy (competence).

In addition to these personal capacity, should be recognized that in terms of the popularity of young far behind compared with the figures of the News which is dominated by elderly people. A Amin Rais, Sutiyoso, Sultan Hamengkubuwono, Megawati and SBY-JK. To push up the popularity, the media is not replaceable container that role until now. In addition, young leaders must also be able to build a network of cross youth and student organizations both regional and national organizations, professionalism, mass organizations and to build cross-party network.

Posted in: Indonesian Politics