Beautiful land, but poor

I just got back from West Sulawesi Province for a field research. The area that we went to is a remote area, which probably you have never heard before. It’s a small village called Doda in Mamuju Utara regency. The area was part of Mamuju regency, until 2001 when President Megawati Soekarnoputri signed the presidential decree of Mamuju Utara as a new regency.

The people we met were very friendly. We were warmly greeted and even allowed to stay in their house without expecting something in return. There were no hotels, or even B&Bs, available. So, staying in people’s houses is the only option.

The house itself is very simple. It has no electricity, because the PLN’s service is not available. Also, we couldn’t find any proper sanitation. In a nutshell, poverty in its very basic definition is obviously rampant.

Yet, the area that they live in is very beautiful. The beaches are extraordinary and quiet. You won’t find tourists or bules walking around in their bikinis. So, it’s a perfect place for sanctuary, to get away from your ‘city’-life.

After staying there for three days and got to know about the people, my heart was filled with sorrow. The area is simply too beautiful to be poor. Continue>>

Want to give comments for my forthcoming book?

My friends urged me to publish a compilation of my writings in various newspapers. In the beginning, I didn’t give much attention to the idea, because I wanted to publish my dissertation first. But then, they quickly organised all the processes; from editing, proofreading, cover design, until ISBN registration, and now it is almost ready to be printed.

One thing is still needed, though. That is your comments, which will be presented at the back cover of the book. I have asked several friends personally by e-mail and now I’m asking everyone who reads this blog to join in.

For your reference, five examples of writings are available online and can be accessed at this link. After you read them, you can write down what you want to say in the comments section below. The book’s editor will choose two or three of the best comments. Thank you very much!

PS: Please write in Bahasa Indonesia! :-) Please provide your true and full name, and how you want to be described. For example: Anto Budi, mahasiswa FEUI. Continue>>

The politics of our behaviour on streets

I had a new driver last week and several times we had ‘discussions’ when he’s driving. One time he took the right lane when we were about to turn left, and I asked:

Q: Why are you taking this lane when you know we are about to turn left?
A: Because the queue on the left lane is too long, Pak.

Q: Yes, but by doing this, you disrespect other people’s rights who want to go straight! And, it’s also corruption!
A: Take it easy, Pak, everyone’s doing the same.

Q: Well, that’s exactly the problem. No one is willing to do the right thing and that’s why our country is a mess. You have to respect other people’s rights and follow the rules, even if it’s painful to do so.
A: (silence)

Q: When you’re driving my car, I don’t want to see such behaviour. Do you understand?
A: Yes, Pak. I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.

After the conversation, I kept thinking about it. I then realise that he is actually just someone who is accustomed to the circumstances within his social environment. He probably sees how people in the upper strata do things that are essentially the same. Every day we see our leaders ‘fighting’ only to serve his/her own interests. So, what my driver is doing basically is just a reflection of our leaders’ behaviour. Continue>>

What doest it take to be the Governor of Bank Indonesia?

It is not a surprise to see the DPR’s decision of the proposed candidates, Agus Martowardojo and Raden Pardede, for the Governor of Bank Indonesia (BI). We have known from the beginning that both candidates were nominated without enough support from the public, as well as political support from the Parliament.

However, the comments from the law-makers are surprising. This is what they say:

1. Agus is a brilliant banker, but he is a practitioner rather than a monetary decision maker.
2. Raden has a fantastic academic background in monetary economics and macro-economy. But, he doesn’t have enough experience as the first person in a big institution.
3. Why didn’t the president nominate someone from inside the BI?

Those questions make me wonder; what does it take to be the Governor of BI? Is it a fully-equipped academic background? Is it long-time experience? Is it a career within the central bank?

First, academic background is, of course, important. However, we have learned that a successful governor of central bank does not always have a fantastic academic background. The former chairman of the Fed, Alan Greenspan, for example, was a dropped-out PhD student in economics from New York University. Yet, whether we like him or not, he has been an example of an ideal central bank governor in the US history.

Second, what does it mean by ‘enough experience’? Is it a career in banking or the central bank? Career is a rather vague excuse, especially when it means working in the BI. We know that all members of the current board of governor are now dealing with graft case as investigated by the KPK. In this case, their integrity can be questioned.

In addition, we have also known that the previous BI governors did not always have ‘experiences’ within the central bank or the banking sector. We have a lot of examples that academics were appointed in the BI board of governor, such as Miranda Goeltom, Anwar Nasution and Sudradjad Djiwandono. And, we can say that their performance is ‘not bad’.

Thus, the real reason why they have been rejected is actually politics. I personally think that politics has to come second or third when choosing a crucial position such as the governor of the central bank.

So, what does it take to be a governor of the central bank? To find the answer, we need to observe what is now crucially needed by the central bank, that is, to regain trust. Therefore, I think there are five important requirements to be the BI governor. They are integrity, integrity, integrity, integrity and capability. Continue>>

Lunch with Unspun & Pesta Blogger 2008

I had lunch with Ong Hock Chuan (link: Unspun Blog) today. I just realised that it was my first 'Kopdar' with other bloggers! (well, I've also met the blogger Wimar, but that was before we became bloggers)

We talked for about one hour about many things; such as Malaysia, Indonesia, corruptions, current projects, blogging, etc. The last issue that we talked about was the plan for (a bigger) Pesta Blogger 2008. He asked me why I didn't join the Pesta Blogger last year and I said that I simply didn't know about it. I just got back from England, and I didn't have broadband internet yet. So, it made me lazy to open the internet. (forgive my laziness!) But this year, I said to him, I will definitely join the Pesta! *singing mode: "I'm coming up, so you better get the party started!"*

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture during the lunch. So, I can't provide any 'hard proof' about it. :)

Anyway, it was really good to see a blogger in person. So, is anyone interested to be my second Blogger-Kopdar mate? ;) Continue>>

Indonesia’s global political strategy outside the US dominance

Abstract:

The downturn of US supreme economic power is a valuable opportunity for Indonesia to seek more alternative economic supports. If Indonesia can smartly play its role, its advantage as the biggest nation in the Southeast Asia region can be beneficial for making more fair economic deals to foster its development.

Read more in SGP's Analysis Corner (free registration) Continue>>

Beyond Corruptions in the State Bureaucracy

Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC), a Hongkong based firm, released its newest survey result on corruptions in Asian nations. This year, Indonesia ranked third, which is a better position, under the Philippines and Thailand.

"International ratings agencies might have improved Indonesia's foreign and domestic currency debt ratings recently, citing the government's efforts to tackle corruption... however, the problem is still very serious," said PERC. (link)

The result is based on interviews with some 1,400 expatriates during January and February. The survey covered 13 economies in Asia and excluded countries that are notorious for corruption, such as Bangladesh and Myanmar.

However, the perception that corruption is merely about the state bureaucracy can be misleading. Many examples have shown how corruption occurs within the private sector, including those who operate in the industrialised countries. That is not to mention that corruption in the private sector can also have bigger impacts toward the society in general and a country’s economy. The current economic downturn in the US, for example, as many have pointed out, is also caused by accounting and business rating frauds that mislead the people’s and investors’ confidence in the country’s property sector.

My personal experience also teaches me that foreign workers are also corrupt. ‘Corrupt dealings’, as the ABC News says, are also a common practice when you are dealing with expats. Of course, I’m not making a generalisation. We know that not all expats corrupt, as well as not all government officials do.

My point is a narrow perspective on corruption can lead to actions that are merely focused on curbing the state, while leaving another –main- source of corruption behind. If you really want to get rid off corruption, you have to fight it on both fields: the bureaucracy and the private sector.

Click on the link below to see this year’s scores of top twelve countries on perception of corruption.

Rank: Country, this year score (last year score)

1: Singapore, 1.13 (1.20)
2: Hong Kong, 1.80 (1.87)
3: Japan, 2.25 (2.10)
4: Macau, 3.30 (5.18)
5: South Korea, 5.65 (6.30)
6: Malaysia, 6.37 (6.25)
7: Taiwan, 6.55 (6.23)
8: India, 7.25 (6.67)
9: Vietnam, 7.75 (7.54)
10: China, 7.98 (6.29)
10: Indonesia, 7.98 (8.03)
11: Thailand, 8.00 (8.03)
12: Philippines, 9.00 (9.40)

Note: on a scale of zero to ten, zero is the best possible score. Continue>>

The Beginning of Democracy in Malaysia

Sorry for being silent for almost two weeks. I was ill and treated in hospital for typhoid for one week and must rest for recovery for another four days. But now, as you can see, I’m back!

Together with the people of Malaysia, I want to celebrate the beginning of democracy in Malaysia. As widely reported, Barisan Nasional, the ruling coalition, has lost its more than two decades absolute majority in the country’s parliament. Barisan Alternatif, the opposition coalition, now controls 82 out of 222 seats in the parliament, which will make better checks and balances in Malaysia’s political processes.

Nevertheless, as I said earlier, it is still the beginning of Malaysia’s long journey to democracy. The opposition parties need to prove that they indeed can offer a better future for Malaysia. First things first, what is crucially needed after a successful election, is to maintain unity within the coalition and subsequently provide alternative solutions for Malaysia’s current issues, ie. bringing an end to ethnic divisions, expanding civic freedoms, better quality of development, and social justice.

A valuable lesson from Indonesia, after the 1998 reformasi, is a divided opposition will unlikely create a new future. We Indonesians have experienced how difficult it is to start a new era when we failed to make a clear cut to the previous authoritarian regime. This is also the problem faced by other countries which choose reform, other than a revolution.

Lastly, I want to share an email I got last week from a Malaysian friend. I hope the celebration will continue for years to come for the people and democracy.

Today, we Malaysians had made a history. We DAP had successfully captured Penang ruling power, PAS had captured Kelantan & Kedah and DAP together with Keadilan and PAS had captured Selangor & Perak!

Today, we Malaysians had shown the people's power via democratic processes, even though there are so many frauds in this democracy. We have used our power to tell the corrupted BN coalition that we cannot stand anymore.

Today, we Malaysians had united regardless of our background, striving our best to ensure the social justice and equality.

Today, we Malaysians are telling the world that we are proud of our choice.

Today, we lead the Malaysians to move towards a better future!

The victory belongs to the people and democracy!

Congratulations for Malaysian people!

Continue>>