WHN Official Visit to Pulau Medang Welcomed with Traditional Malay Ceremony

Pulau Medang, July 20, 2025 –The Chairman of Wawasan Hukum Nusantara (WHN), Capt. Arqam Bakri, S.E., M.Mar., MBA, made his first official visit to Pulau Medang, Katang Bidare District, Lingga Regency, on July 20, 2025. The visit was both a working trip and a response to a formal invitation from the people of Pulau Medang.

The grand welcoming ceremony began at the village harbor, where residents lined up along the pier to greet the WHN delegation. The event started with a flower garland ceremony and the bestowal of the Tanjak Melayu—a traditional Malay headdress—by respected local adat (customary) leaders, symbolizing honor and unity.

Capt. Arqam and his entourage were then led to the main stage, preceded by a Malay silat performance by the village head, traditional leaders, and local children. Following that, high school students and WHN female students performed traditional Malay dances, and a sacred Tepak Sirih ceremony was conducted by local elders, marking the cultural significance of the visit.

Pulau Medang village head, Mr. Arbain, opened the series of speeches by expressing appreciation for WHN’s commitment to education. He was followed by Capt. Arqam, who in his speech stressed the importance of unity and urged the community not to be swayed by divisive narratives. He noted that 24 students from Pulau Medang are currently part of the 2025 WHN scholarship program, out of a total of 100 recipients across Indonesia.

Arqam firmly stated that no child of fisherman families in Pulau Medang should drop out of school, and assured that those who have will be enrolled in Paket C (an alternative high school equivalency program) and guided through WHN’s educational path—culminating in scholarships for higher education.

Following his speech, the WHN Chairman also distributed laptops to scholarship recipients—donated by WHN’s national board—to assist them in completing college assignments, midterms, and final exams.

The event concluded with a shared meal at the village head’s home and a symbolic planting of five coconut trees by Capt. Arqam, village leaders, Babinsa (military representatives), and adat elders. The coconut, which thrives on mountains, forests, and the sea, symbolizes prosperity and reflects WHN’s vision for coastal youth to thrive wherever they go.

Finally, Capt. Arqam and his team inspected the electricity conditions in Pulau Medang, where power is only available from 5:00 PM to 6:00 AM. He expressed concern that this limited access undermines the government's vision of equitable development and education.

> “We will deliver a formal open letter to President Prabowo,” Arqam said, “because the 24 WHN students from Pulau Medang cannot pursue their studies optimally without reliable electricity and internet access.”