Jakarta — Bright smiles lit up the faces of hundreds of students from Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) as they performed in the choir at Merdeka Palace on Sunday (Aug 17). With full spirit, they sang Hari Merdeka (Independence Day Song) before President Prabowo Subianto during the celebration of Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day.

Fajar, a student of Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Atas (SRMA) in Bogor, West Java, said he was overwhelmed with excitement.
“Usually, I only watch it on TV and it always looks so amazing and inspiring. But today, being here in person feels absolutely extraordinary,” he said with joy.

The same sentiment came from Yessy, a student from SRMA Jayapura. For her, the chance to sing directly at the State Palace was a once-in-a-lifetime honor.
“I’m very happy because I got the opportunity to represent my friends from SRMA Daop 9 Jayapura to perform at the Palace for Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day in 2025,” Yessy shared.

Both Fajar and Yessy explained that they had been practicing in the choir for a week to prepare for the performance.
“My dream is to become a TNI (Indonesian Armed Forces) officer with the rank of General. Ready!” Fajar declared confidently.

Yessy added, “I feel so happy because I could meet with teachers and friends, and learn together. Without Sekolah Rakyat, I wouldn’t be here today.”

The two students also expressed their hopes for the future of Sekolah Rakyat.
“I hope Sekolah Rakyat continues to grow, becomes more advanced, more efficient, and achieves its goals,” said Fajar.
Yessy concluded, “My hope is that Sekolah Rakyat will keep developing and moving forward.”