Spirituality in Leadership, Ideas, Thoughts and Actions of BJ. Habibie
Author: Jacob Ereste
Freelance Journalist
The spiritual values in the leadership of Burhanuddin Jusuf Habibie are known to be very obedient in following the guidance and teachings of religion. He diligently prays and reads the Qur’an. The third President of Indonesia always believes that science and technology should not be separated from the values of divinity and morality.
When he served as President of Indonesia during a time of crisis and chaos, he believed that the position was a mandate that must be carried out with the belief that there was help from God’s power. Because prayer and resignation do not stop in the technocratic abilities he has.
Therefore, on various occasions, BJ. Habibie often said repeatedly that life is temporary. Therefore, humans must use their time for things that are useful and in accordance with God’s will. Therefore, he believed that reason and heart – intellectual and spiritual – must run in balance. For him, science must be guided by spiritual values so as not to lose direction. Because everyone can be smart and intelligent, but do not have the conscience to consider bad things and can harm others, or cause damage to the earth due to wild and greedy knowledge and power or the desire to have wealth that can harm others.
The figure of BJ. Habibie is truly a strong and tough believer with a sharp genius and a sincere and honest heart. It seems that this is what built his love story with Hasri Ainun Besari, a doctor descended from a famous kyai, until their love story is very impressive and lasting to the point of being worthy of being made into a film that tells the story until the end of life and becomes an example for the younger generation who watch the film.
The fourth child of Alwi Abdul Jalil Habibie does come from a religious family originally from Gorontalo. His mother, RA. Tuti Marini Puspiowardojo comes from a Yogyakarta noble family who greatly influenced BJ. Habibie’s education and character since childhood who had been abandoned by his father, as an agricultural expert and teacher in Gorontalo.
His two children, Ilham Akbar Habibie and Thareq Kemal Habibie, successfully followed in their father’s footsteps in the fields of technology and management. From a blend of Javanese and Gorontalo culture, BJ. Habibie was born into a religious and educated family as reflected by his two successful children who did not cause much trouble until they held important positions for their work achievements.
BJ. Habibie’s great ideas have been proven by his success in combining science, technology and humanitarian values and spirituality which are truly amazing in building the Indonesian nation. He succeeded in establishing technology as a pillar of national independence that is worthy and appropriate to be continued by the next generation.
Because according to BJ. Habibie, a great nation must have its own technology, not just a user, but must also be a creator, a maker as BJ. Habibie did by building the Aerospace Industry (IPTN) and designing the Aircraft-250 which has become a symbol of Indonesia’s national technological independence.
Through the Crack Progression theory in the world of engineering, BJ. Habibie is famous for the “Habibie Factor” theory to calculate cracks in airplane wings. So that this theory became a reference for the international aviation world.
As the fourth President of Indonesia — in a short period of time — BJ. Habibie opened up press freedom, released all political prisoners who were languishing during the New Order and laid the foundation for decentralized governance in a very short time during his time as President of Indonesia during the reform period, May 21, 1998 to October 20, 1999.
BJ. Habibie died on September 11, 2019, buried at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, Jakarta next to Hasri Ainun Besari. After carrying out his duties known as a fighter from the outskirts of Indonesia to the international world, he returned to serve with all his love and sincerity for the Indonesian nation, starting from the development of the strategic industry IPTN (National Aircraft Industry) since he first returned to Indonesia in 1978 to 1998, after traveling the world and becoming an important official in a foreign country.
Shortly after serving as Vice President of Indonesia with President Soeharto for only a few months. Even as a world-class scientist, BK. Habibie has truly shown that he has no ambition or interest in running as the next President of Indonesia. That is the humble attitude and sincerity of BJ. Habibie for the nation and family which is based on a humanitarian attitude to become the best human being.
Banten, May 30, 2025
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