East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa expressed her deep appreciation to the students participating in the flag sewing during a visit to public vocational high school SMKN 8 Surabaya on Wednesday.
The sewing project also aims to set several records with the Indonesian World Records Museum (MURI).
Parawansa noted that 7,200 participants had already joined the effort, and the number continues to grow. The flags sewn by the students will be hoisted on August 17, 2025.
The governor likened the students' work to that of Fatmawati, the original seamstress of the Indonesian flag at the time of independence.
According to Parawansa, the activity serves as a creative way to instill a sense of nationalism.
"The Red and White is a symbol of the nation. It represents our courage to defend the country, and the purity of heart required to become part of a unified whole," she remarked.
East Java Education Office Head Aries Agung Paewai stated that the event aims to set three MURI records.
The first is for the largest participation of students and teachers, involving 5,862 students and 1,314 teachers from 161 schools. The second is for the longest flag stretch, measuring 15,400 meters. The third is for engaging eight thousand students in the flag unfurling and display of the flag in front of the Grahadi Building.
One participant, Zuhriatur Roshima from SMKN 8 Surabaya, said she was inspired by her aunt to learn sewing and aspires to work in a garment factory in the future.
With skillful hands stitching each seam, East Java’s students have shown that celebrating independence is not always about formal ceremonies but can also be expressed through meaningful creations.
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Translator: Willi, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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