The INDONESIAN — The commemoration of Indonesia’s Youth Pledge Day inspired designer Migi Rihasalay to “retrace the footsteps” of the nation’s heroes by hand-stitching the country’s national symbol, the Red and White flag.
The wife of architect Andrew James took the time to personally sew the flag by hand, a symbolic act of devotion she plans to showcase during a special occasion.
“I deliberately chose to sew it manually so I could feel more connected to the era of our heroes’ struggle, including the historic Youth Pledge declared on October 28, 1928,” said Migi in Jakarta, Wednesday (Oct 29).
She explained that hand-stitching instead of using a machine was her way of honoring Indonesia’s long and arduous fight for independence.
Although sewing by hand was exhausting and time-consuming, Migi carried it out wholeheartedly. For her, every stitch of thread represented love and respect for the Red and White a witness to Indonesia’s long journey as a nation.
>“I sewed this flag myself, by hand, just like the heroes once did — treating it with the deepest reverence,” Migi added.
The flag, she said, will be raised not merely as a ceremonial gesture but as a personal expression of patriotism — one that has been deeply rooted since her teenage years.
From her middle school days, Migi was drawn to discipline and patriotism through the Paskibra (flag-raising corps) extracurricular program. Her passion for marching and flag ceremonies continued through high school, where she successfully passed the selection process to join the DKI Jakarta provincial Paskibra team after undergoing an intensive training period.
Being part of Paskibra opened doors for Migi — including a scholarship that supported her education until graduation. She was later entrusted to serve as the flag bearer at what was then the Department of Education and Culture (Dikbud) of DKI Jakarta, an honor she regards as the highlight of her years as a student.
“From that experience, I learned that being part of Paskibra isn’t just about discipline it’s about responsibility, teamwork, and love for the nation,” she reflected.
“Raising the Red and White flag is not a trivial act. It carries the spirit of struggle and unity the soul of Indonesia itself,” she concluded.
