Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The government of Indonesia is currently undertaking a comprehensive rewrite of the nation’s official history. Culture Minister Fadli Zon announced that the updated historical narrative is expected to be released on August 17, 2025.
Thirteen years have passed since Indonesia has revised its official historical narrative. The Sejarah Nasional Indonesia (National History of Indonesia) was published in 1984, followed by an expanded version titled Indonesia Dalam Arus Sejarah (Indonesia in the Flow of History) in 2012.
According to Fadli, the recent revised version will include new findings, particularly from the prehistoric era, along with expanded accounts of key historical events.
“It’s still in progress, being written by historians. The plan is to launch it this year as part of Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day celebration,” Fadli Zon states, as reported by Antara on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
More than 100 historians are involved in the project, led by Professor Susanto Zuhdi, a senior historian from the University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Humanities.
“We have over 100 historians involved, with Professor Susanto Zuhdi at the helm,” Fadli said during an event in South Jakarta on Tuesday night.
The updated history will be published in a multi-volume print edition, covering a wide timeline from Indonesia’s prehistoric period to contemporary events, including the nation’s political developments.
“It spans from the prehistoric era through the independence struggle and up to present-day contemporary history,” Fadli explained.
He emphasized that the rewrite does not mean starting from scratch, but rather updating and expanding upon existing historical texts. “We’re building on what has already been written, adding new data and making updates,” he said.
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The current compendium of Indonesia’s official historical narrative, which serves as a primary reference, was last published in 2012. He noted that several sections are now being revised, expanded, or clarified based on the scholarly research.
Fadli said the updated version is expected to be completed by August 2025, in time for the country’s 80th Independence Day celebration. “This must be a kind of gift to mark 80 years of Indonesian independence. We need a formal, official history,” he said.
Once finalized, the new edition will serve as Indonesia’s official historical reference and is set to become the foundation for history education in schools across the country.
(Raidi/Agung)
