Wow! The Manhattan Transfer!

Good old Peter F. Gontha is back! This time, he’s bringing in The Manhattan Transfer, Bobby Caldwell, James Ingram, Baby Face and many other world class musicians to the prestigious Dji Sam Soe Super Premium Java Jazz Festival 2008. Not just core jazz, the festival will offer a diverse range of music, whether its soul, R&B, reggae, hip hop, rap, pop, rock, ethnic, gospel, electro, latin or crossover, at least, something for everyone. This year’s theme “The Spirit of Jazz” woke up my spirit and senses especially after knowing that Manhattan Transfer will be performing. I’ve seen the recording of Patti Austin singing “Smoke in your eyes” with Dave Koz accompanying on saxophone and produced by Razak Satari. Wow! Now Manhattan Transfer, the sui generis vocal quartet that could embrace varied musical styles. I hope tickets are not sold out yet. Just perfect for an atmosphere of collaboration where people with extraordinary talents and creativity of different nationalities meet. Top Indonesian musicians, Erwin Gutawa, Maliq and D’Essentials, Tompi and Groovology and many others will also take part on the collaboration. It’s all about music for peace, a melting pot of cultures and expressions. The sounds of jazz, R&B, pop, rock ‘n’ roll, salsa and swing, whatever, will surely make people in Jakarta rock their senses.

Digging into the statistics

The Biro Pusat Statistik (national statistic bureau) may not be as bad as many people think. The final analysis of an economic issue would depend on how good a person digs into the statistics. Former central bank director Cyrilus Harinowo was probably the only one of the few willing to do so and come out with an interesting finding. Crude palm oil exports in 2007 reached US$ 10.2 billion which surpassed crude oil exports worth US$ 9.2 billion. CPO exports also exceeded export of liquiefied natural gas (LNG). Harinowo, who competed in the race for Central Bank Governor in 2003, predicts that many more businessmen will be in the oil palm business while current data showed he number of plantations has increased significantly. He sees CPO exports will top 20 million tons this year. With CPO fetching US$ 1000 per ton at current rate, it is a great possibility that CPO exports will surpass oil and gas exports in 2008 as well. The former BI director sees further economic growth in the regions outside Java driven by rising commodity prices. Such condition will eventually promote wealth in the regions, encourage more local businessmen and boost welfare of the farmers. The new economic hubs will Palembang, Djambi and Pekanbaru in Sumatra, and Pontianak, Sampit and Pangkalan Bun in Kalimantan. Harinowo, who is good with figures, also attributed increasing growth to the policy of pemekaran wilayah (splitting of the big provinces into smaller regions) in line with the aspirations of the people seeking greater autonomy. But he suggested that a people-based economic policy will be more effective in stimulating growth in the regions. Growth in the provinces will in turn boost national economic growth to a higher level, and perhaps even higher than what the government had anticipated. Harinowo’s finding has signaled a new optimism but it’s a pity that he is no longer with the government.

Lessons to be learned

What can Indonesia learn from the recent visit of US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the recent air show in Singapore? The US wants to strengthen relations to move beyond earlier focus on Indonesia as a potential terrorist flashpoint after the September 11, 2001 attacks and offer to upgrade the country’s defense capability. From the air show, we learned that Indonesia’s defense capability appeared to be less advanced compared to its tiny neighbor, as well as Malaysia (Indonesia ranks only better than the Philippines). Gates, after meetings with Indonesia’s president and the defense minister, said the U.S. was prepared to offer support and training for ongoing military reforms in Indonesia, help update its fleet of military transport aircraft and its F-16s. Indonesia’s military relations with the US prospered in the past. The top generals were trained at West Point. And military hardware were supplied by the US. Then the US imposed an arms embargo on Indonesia for alleged human rights abuses. One day, former president Soeharto summoned air force chief Air Marshall Tubagus Sutria to the Bina Graha presidential office. Tubagus, unaware of what the president wanted to ask him, was surprised he had not proposed to purchase warplanes from elsewhere. “Get the Sukhoi jets if the Americans aren’t selling to us,” Soeharto ordered. Then the US courted Indonesia again and offered F-16s (Congress probably softened a bit). But the F-16 jets offered were intended for sale to the Pakistanis, not Indonesia. The US stalled the sale to Pakistan because the country was suspected of building nuclear weapons. By the time Indonesia wanted to buy US warplanes, they were not available. During President Megawati Soekarnoputri’s term Indonesia then purchased the Sukhoi warplanes. When Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Indonesia, he offered President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono a credit of $ 1.2 billion to buy Sukhois, Kilo-class submarines, helicopters and tanks (this has caused great concern in Australia). We may not be as advanced as Singapore or Malaysia and we do not believe that we will be fighting wars (beware,we have more infantry soldiers.) But the point is that we should never be dictated by any country in charting our own destiny.

Regardless the outcome

Lawmakers have only a few hours left to pass the legislation on parliamentary elections at the grand plenary session slated for February 26, 2008. The heated debates are not over with the larger political parties forcing their will to accommodate their political interests. Eight draft chapters have yet to be agreed upon. While the clock ticks, at stake is a better election than that of 2004 which was based on Law no. 13, 2003 which gave birth to the current assemblies. Deputy chairman of the drafting committee Andi Yuliani Paris expected a miracle to pass the legislation on time as the stages of the elections, including the 2009 elections, will be delayed. Meanwhile, the government is optimistic that the new legislation will be passed soon. Otherwise the old law will be used and voting will take place. The greatest fear will be the issuance of new government decisions (Perppu) to replace some of the draft bill’s missing requirements. The crucial points are among others parliamentary threshold governing a political party’s right to appoint their stalwarts taking seat, the balloting procedure and whether or not a convict can become a people’s representative. Meanwhile, the stipulation on the use of quick count remains unchanged. The hot issue still being debated is how to guarantee that the survey institutions are really independent. But despite the imperfection and weaknesses in the outcome of the legislation, at least Indonesia is learning and quite advanced in what democracy is all about. The question now is whether the 2009 elections will choose a new leader who is strong, consistent and willing to sign a contract with the people to improve their welfare.

Blame it on the weather

The problem with infrastructure is now affecting the economy. Roads are damaged or submerged in flood water, many areas are facing blackouts due to power shortage. And food prices have skyrocketed to a level which is no longer affordable. Inflation looms. But officialdom finds it easy to give reason – blame it on the weather. Never in the history of modern Indonesia one finds a 34 kilometer long trucking queue at the northern coastal roads. Or airports closed due to flooding of the expressway to the airport. Public works authorities blame it on rising tide and flooding while environmentalists accused developers of violating environmental impact analysis requirements. The state electricity company, PLN, reasoned that coal supply didn’t reach power plants in time due to transportation problem. The National Logistics Board (established by former president Soeharto to control food supply) also failed to carry out market operations to stem food price hike. Ten years of reforms did not pay off. The economy is in dire situation (but on paper it grows 6.2 percent). Former president Soeharto built the infrastructure. People believed that his successors failed to maintain them. Nor did they plan to improve or build new ones. Most of the coal is probably exported rather than stockpiling for national interests. What we see and hear now is an awful lot of politics, corruption check and public relations campaign but no new development as far as infrastructure is concerned.

Moral and ethics on high ground

Sultan Hamengku Buwono X may be the most popular figure after incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Megawati Sukarnoputri. But that’s based on existing popularity survey. The LSI (lembaga Survey Indonesia) puts SBY with 34 percent, Megawati with 24 percent and the Sultan with a mere 7 percent. He says if he’s not popular, he’s happy with that. Besides, he has not declared himself a candidate while the draft legislation (RUU) on elections has yet to be passed. Reading his mind is difficult if you are an elitist or a person educated and trained abroad. He will not be accepted and regarded as feudal or absurdly outdated and out-fashioned. But to the Javanese, he’s a born leader, a king and born to serve. And the Javanese make up the majority of the population. Unlike others, he puts moral and ethics on high ground. He can’t and doesn’t want to run at the moment. Besides he doesn’t have the political vehicle. He’s only a governor under SBY. It would be unethical to run against his boss. On paper, SBY and Megawati are on top. But the two haven’t proved themselves as good leaders. The sultan is now building dialogues with all walks of the Indonesian society and tells people that a leadership will not be successful without a cultural strategy putting moral and ethics as the supreme commander of development instead of Western-style economics. Moral and ethics decadence have caused a great difficulty for the nation difficult to rise from the crisis, poverty and backwardness. But Your Majesty, are you going to give it a try in 2009?

Hotel Kurhaus, Scheveningen, The Hague February 2008

It was unimaginable what happened at Hotel Kurhaus, Scheveningen, The Hague, February 2008. Indonesian Ambassador to The Hague, Junus Effendi Habibie hosted a gala dinner to welcome the launch of Visit Indonesia Year 2008 tourism campaign. The campaign was to coincide with Indonesia’s commemoration of 100 years of National Awakening. More than 150,000 Dutch tourists visited Indonesia in 2006 and they stayed in for an average of three weeks based on latest statistics. The Netherlands is Indonesia’s largest tourism market in Europe. Indonesia and the Netherlands have historic and emotional bond and the two countries have very special bilateral relations. More than 200 guests, Dutch officials, tour operators and friends of Indonesia in the Netherlands, attended the dinner. Why did Ambassador Habibie pick Hotel Kurhaus? For sentimental and historic reasons he wanted to remember the hotel where representatives of the Indonesian government to Konperensi Meja Bundar (the round table conference) stayed during negotiations with the Dutch in 1949. He thought the setting would match the theme of the campaign. The Indonesian Director General of Tourism Marketing Thamrin B. Bachri and Indonesian Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union Nadjib Riphat Kesoema were also present. The cultural dances of Bali, West Java, Betawi and Aceh performed by the Indonesian community in the Netherlands caught much attention, the music ensemble performed by Indonesian students was fine and the guests were enthusiastic. But alas! The food is European! For the Dutch guests it was a surprise. They expected Indonesian culinary delights! I have known Ambassador Habibie since the old days and when he was ambassador to the Court of St James. But sorry His Excellency, I think, once again, the tourism campaign is a flop. Mr. Thamrin Bachrie, you have not done well! Enough of this historical and emotional nonsense! Get back to the real business!

Another puppet state?

Kosovo is now an independent state. With the backing of the United States, it now strives to get global recognition. It is now the newest country in the world. But many countries such as China , Russia and Spain refused to recognize Kosovo’s sovereignty and independence. Afghanistan, Taiwan, and the new independent states of the former Soviet Union meanwhile were the first to recognize Kosovo’s independence. During the declaration of independence, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci specifically attributed the United States for its role in Kosovo’s independence while US President George Walker Bush admitted that he has advocated the move all the way. Meanwhile, Serbia believes that Kosovo is still an integral part and the heart of of Serbia while the secession of Kosovo is an illegal act and a unilateral move undermining the UN Charter and the role of the Security Council. Europe is also divided over whether to recognize Kosovo. Violence flared across Serbia. Angry protestors stoned the embassies of the United States and Slovenia, current EU president. Russia is concerned with the presence of NATO and US troops there. I have been to the former Yugoslavia in the late 1960s. I recalled the beauty of the towns of Mitrovica and Banja Luka and the hospitality of the people there. Indonesia has long traditional ties with Yugoslavia since the days of Sukarno and Josef Broz Tito, two founding leaders who successfully united diverse ethnic groups, religions and peoples into one sovereign state. If they had been alive, they would cry in resentment to see the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and its peoples. To me, Kosovo is just another puppet state of the United States formed under the pretext of democracy and people’s will. Kosovo’s independence could serve as a terrible precedent for separatist movements. I remember what the late Aceh Muslim scholar Kyai Haji Ali Hasmy told me. He had warned about the possibility of secession of Indonesia’s provinces unless we consistently preserve unity in diversity. Are we going to recognize Kosovo’s independence too Mr. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono?

Shattered dreams

Just recently, (Feb.16-19) the Governor of West Sumatra invited journalists of the local and foreign press to visit his province. The aim was promote tourism and attract investors to develop a region which offers the best of sceneries, natural preserves and culture. It was a good gesture on the part of Gamawan Fauzi, the first person to be elected West Sumatra governor in a free and direct election process in 2005. But three years after his election, many parts of West Sumatra remain under-developed. Except for Padang and Bukittinggi, infrastructure is poor especially in the southern coastal regencies such as Kabupaten Pesisir Selatan where the journalists visited. In 2006, Irul Azwardi, a native villager of Lenggayang, Pesisir Selatan, wrote a letter to the governor. In the letter, Irul said that he didn’t find any significant development when he returned home to his village after eight years living on Java in search for a better life and fortune. He was expecting that his home village had changed and prospered over time. But to his surprise, there were no paved roads yet and everything looked the same. He then called on the governor to pay attention to the village and asked him to call on rich conglomerates of Minang origin living in Jakarta to return home and invest in West Sumatra. Officials have said natural disasters and lack of funding prevented the the region from developing. But such excuses are typical with regional officials and they just don’t make sense. There are many investment opportunities in West Sumatra such as tourism and hotel businesses. But if the local government officials don’t change their mindset and do something to develop roads and a good transportation system, the investors and the tourists will not come.

Political wrangling hurts Indonesia’s image

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 saw the anti-corruption commission KPK questioning central bank (BI) Governor Burhannudin Abdullah over allegations he was involved in misappropriating Rp 100 billion in bank funds to bribe members of the House of Representatives (DPR) in 2004 and to pay lawyers’ fee to defend central bank officials implicated in the 1998 liquidity funds scandal (BLBI). The Central Bank Governor meanwhile denied the accusations. During the opening of the Syariah Festival in Jakarta a while ago, Burhanuddin and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took center stage in promoting Syariah banking in Indonesia. Both seemed to get along well and the president praised Burhanuddin for the work he has done and asked him to continue with his program. Most were convinced that Burhanuddin would assume a second term. But then, in just a few months after the two met, the BI Governor was implicated in the scandal. Most people believe the case was politically motivated, given that it emerged just in time before the DPR is set to appoint a new central bank governor. The president proposed two names, Agus Martowardoyo and Raden Pardede as candidates for new BI Governor. But the two candidates were immediately rejected by opposition factions at DPR. Effendi Choirie of Gus Dur’s PKB faction suspected that Agus Martowardoyo had been a Titiek Soeharto (daughter of former president Soeharto) confidante while a member of House Commission XI admitted he had been offered Rp 500 million in bribes to iron the way for the candidates to pass fit and proper test. If true, such political wrangling between the executive and the legislative branches would only open new opportunities for corruption and sink the image of Indonesia deeper into the abyss.