TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Essayist and prolific writer Goenawan “GM” Mohamad disagrees with the government’s idea of reintroducing the Pancasila moral education (PMP) as it was taught in Indonesia’s New Order era as he deems it mundane.

“The PMP at the time was so tedious that drove my children’s teacher as to whether the students were bored out by the subject,” said the former founder and editor of Tempo magazine at the Presidential Complex in Jakarta yesterday.

GM advised the government to reintroduce a more practical and up to date PMP program such as training students to temporarily live with poor citizens and contribute by working with them.

“But if the PMP is filled with speeches and told to memorize elements within the Pancasila (five state principles), leave that to Pak Jokowi while he hands out bicycles,” said Goenawan, referring to the trivial quizzes often practiced by the president during his numerous work visits in Indonesia.

Goenawan Mohamad argues that teaching the values of Pancasila is necessary especially in the midst of the current social disparity. He also said that it would be effective to teach many groups to respect others, rather than the religious fanaticism often seen today.

“Pancasila talks about indefinite levels of humanism and indefinite levels of deity, each element balances out the other,” said Goenawan Mohamad.

AHMAD FAIZ IBNU SANI