Annual State President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's of the Nation address marking Independence Day drew fire from political opponents and commentators who said the speech avoided hot-button issues and not solutions to urgent problems to propose.
On issues ranging from education to religious tolerance and LPG gas bottles exploding, critics found the president observations missing.
During Monday's speech before the members of the House of Representatives and Regional Representatives Council (DPD), Yudhoyono praised the country in economic benefits and the restoration of democracy.
He said the economic growth targets for 2014 would be increased from 7 percent to 7.7 percent, with 10.7 million new jobs.
He also said that the country would continue to fight corruption, extremism and terrorism.
"I would like the need for us all to maintain and strengthen our brotherhood, harmony and tolerance to stress," Yudhoyono said, without specifying a number of recent attacks on Christian churches and Ahmadiyah, an Islamic sect, by hard-line groups - omissions that upset some opponents.
House Vice President Pramono Anung, the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the speech, delivered on the eve of the 65th anniversary of independence, was the contact with reality.
"The president should call for action", he said, citing the gas canister explosions, religious intolerance and other issues. "What happens in the area and what the president said different."
The Secretary-General of Golkar Party, Idrus Marham, said Yudhoyono had appeared to ask for patience.
"He was asking us to understand and appreciate his situation," he said. "I think it's a way of saying that he was the problems we face today acknowledges."
Siti Zuhro, a political observer from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said democracies needed to be accountable.
"Our leaders do not complain, but they need to be open and tell the people of the nation's problems, so we can work together for solutions," she said. "I do not see much of that [the speech]. We're not there yet."
Suparman, chairman of the Indonesian independent teachers Federation, said promises a public school teacher salaries to increase by 10 percent in the next budget largely missed the point.
"Many students from poor families are still not in school. We have enjoyed freedom for 65 years, so why is it that some children will not go to school?" He said.
It was the issue of religious tolerance, however, that the anger of most critics drew. Ismail Hasani, a researcher with the Institute for Peace and Democracy Setara, said the president had failed to use his position to growing religious intolerance counter.
"The president did not have to talk about a particular event or group," he said.
"But the president must have made a statement that frankly acknowledged that the country has problems with freedom of religion."
Yuntho Emerson, Vice-President of Indonesia Corruption Watch, said the president had failed to address the problems. "The speech an impression that this is a presidential campaign from the left," he said. "People need evidence, not promises."
