Antara News·Indonesia·Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 05:36 AM UTC

Prabowo tells youth to study nation's history to avoid past mistakes

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Maria Cicilia, Tegar Nurfitra

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto urged young Indonesians to study history and learn from past mistakes to help steer the nation toward a better future.

"Those who are too lazy to study history will be punished by history," Prabowo said during the inauguration of a new campus of Taruna Nusantara High School in Cimahi, West Java, on Friday.

In remarks broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat on YouTube, Prabowo warned students against forgetting or neglecting history, describing it as a weakness that has afflicted some leaders.

The president stressed that understanding history remains essential because human nature changes little despite the passage of time and rapid technological progress.

With that in mind, he encouraged Indonesians to learn from historical experiences, draw lessons from previous mistakes, and use them as guidance for making better decisions in the future.

"If we do not learn from history, we will repeat the mistakes of the past, the mistakes made by those who came before us," Prabowo said.

He particularly highlighted the importance of learning from Indonesia's painful experience under colonial rule, which he said stemmed from a lack of national unity and cohesion.

The head of state noted that some past leaders had opted to accommodate foreign powers, falling victim to divide-and-rule tactics, rather than work together with fellow Indonesians.

"We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes made by our predecessors," Prabowo added.

He also emphasized that the nation's forebears left behind notable accomplishments worthy of recognition.

However, the president stressed that younger generations must understand and learn from past shortcomings as they work to build a stronger Indonesia.

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