Possible new ministerial positions in Indonesia, ministers of happiness and tolerance

House Speaker Bambang Soesatyo suggests the formation of two completely new ministerial positions that focus exclusively on promoting the happiness of Indonesians and tolerance in the country now that the post-election legal battle with failed candidate Prabowo Subianto is finally finished.

One of the state’s goals should be to motivate and inspire citizens to be happy, Bambang said at a seminar titled “Indonesian Culture in the Dimensions of the Present and Future Perspective” at the JS Luwansa Hotel in Jakarta.

The event’s hashtag is #IndonesiaBahagia (#HappyIndonesia).

Other countries such as the UAE have ministries promoting happiness as well as tolerance.

“In the United Arab Emirates, there is already a minister of happiness and minister of tolerance, if our goal is to get there, then these two ministries need to be considered in our country,” he said as quoted by Detik.

In addition, he said if Jokowi did not have enough positions to go around while drawing up a list of ministerial candidates, a minister of happiness and minister of tolerance would be good ones to add.

UAE’s minister of state happiness was established in 2016 to “harmonise all government plans, programmes and policies to achieve a happier society.”

The Middle Eastern country established the position of minister of state tolerance the same year to reinforce “the UAE’s commitment to eradicate ideological, cultural and religious bigotry in society.”

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro created a “vice ministry of supreme social happiness” in 2013.

Based on a survey in 2017, Indonesia is the eighth happiest country in the world.

So does Indonesia still need a minister of happiness?

There’s only one way to find out. -/TISG