The real problem of Indonesia Today

Singapore’s Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, during his visit in Jakarta raised again the classic debate about economic development and liberal democracy. In the 1980s, the issue has sparked debates among top world economists, which include the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. Those debates have subsequently urged Sen to write the book ‘Development as Freedom’ (1999) that is recognized worldwide as a ‘standard textbook’ on democracy and development.

Some excerpts from the article:

...Indonesia’s current state is still too early to be used as evidence of the trade-off between democracy and economic development. It is true that since the 1997 crisis, Indonesia is experiencing a slow economic growth. It is also true that the reform movement in 1998 has transformed Indonesia to be the third biggest democratic country in the world. Nevertheless, the two facts i.e. slow economic growth and democracy, must be cautiously examined and cannot be directly concluded as an indication that democracy is negatively affecting economic growth...

...visionary leadership is certainly vital to manage the transition to achieve a solid democracy. Reactionary leaders who function on a day-to-day basis are definitely not capable to do so. Thus, the real problem of Indonesia today is: we lack visionary leaders...

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