Good evening Ambassador Hussain From Indonesia, good evening your Excellencies, good evening to our friends who are gathered here tonight.
It is indeed, it gives me great pleasure to take part with our fellow Indonesians also with the Indonesian community in the Maldives in celebrating its independence day.
Indonesian independence for the Maldives also has many resonance and meaning. In 1947 when first Indonesia was striving for passion out of trouble, out of the difficulties against odds and then later on in 1949 finally when Indonesia was, when it became an independent country, but we are now glad that it is again yet recognised as 1947 since 2005 also by other counties.
Indonesian independence is an inspiration for us, it was an inspiration for people of the Maldives back in 1947. It is written very well but our leaders, by our people back at that time and since then Indonesia has been able to succeed, passion and excellent nation, out of the resources out of the huge country and especially the amazing people of Java, of those islands and that nation.
Indonesia today is a member of G20. Indonesia today is fast developing, booming and successful country. It is a pluralistic country, it is a member of international community and it is a leader among international community.
Indonesia is also the biggest Muslim community in the world. It is the biggest Muslim country in the world. And we do look for leadership from Indonesia. Asian Muslims have strived for a very, very long time. Asian Muslims are a very, very old community in the Indian Ocean. We have in a sense been an Islamic nation for far longer than any other Islamic nation. Asian Islamic countries have been able to keep the Islamic Shariah, Islamic way of life intact for more than seven to eight hundred years. And therefore Indonesia is does have the experience, the understanding and the ability and capability to take leadership in the Islamic world. And we do look forward to Indonesia to take that leadership.
As the ambassador has pointed out, Indonesia and Maldives trade is not as much as we would like to see it and I am sure in the future we will be able to develop that trade and increase the volume of that trade. Both Indonesia and Maldives has lot in common, we ha a lot we can learn from the Indonesian experience, specially in democratisation, even Islamic community and no doubt the Ambassador would share our views with the difficulties and challenges many Islamic communities are facing now in Islamic radicalism.
I am very, very glad I am very happy to be present here today to mark the Indonesian Independence Day. I am told that we’ve never had this opportunity for a very, very long time.
It’s been 20 years since the Ambassador last celebrated the Indonesian independence in the Maldives. And therefore we are grateful and thankful for the Ambassador and the Indonesian government for facilitating this opportunity.
Just before I end again, I thank the Indonesian community in the Maldives. I would like to say that you are very welcome. Please feel at home and I am sure your work and your expats are priced and valued here in the Maldives. I would like to thank the President. I would like to raise a toast to the president of the Indonesia and to its people. And I would like to wish good wishes and well wishes to the people of Indonesia.
Thank you very much