Andi A. Mallarangeng Presidential Spokesman

President’s vision transforms the nation
interview with Presidential Spokesman

Dr Andi A. Mallarangeng, presidential spokesman, speaks on President Susilo’s legacy and continuing reforms

Domestically, regionally and internationally, at what stage of development is Indonesia today?

Domestically, Indonesia is a nation on the move. It is in the transition to democracy. We have almost completed our democratization process, our Reformasi, as we say in Indonesian. With this reform all the sectors in Indonesia are changing. We believe that democracy, Islam and prosperity go hand in hand. In fact we have shown that they do go hand in hand and we are proud of that.

Economically, we are now growing at 6.2 per cent and next year it is likely that we will grow at 6.5 per cent. This is the highest rate of economic growth since the crisis in 1997/98. We also have a low inflation rate and we are breaking record after record in the stock market and in the amount of central bank currency reserves.

We now have a decentralized government structure. At first the decentralization process in Indonesia was thought of as a big bang approach and people were unsure whether or not we could make it work. However, after eight years we have shown that we can make it work and now the regions are demonstrating best practice. Now we are in the process of making sure that good governance is being implemented at all levels of governance. We have an anti-corruption campaign that is one of the highlights of the government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

We do our homework in making sure that Indonesia becomes one of the best places to invest. Now you can see that the investment climate is getting better and better. Our competitive index ranking in terms of investment is getting higher and higher.

What will people remember most about the Yudhoyono administration 2004-2009?

People will remember the consolidation of democracy in the political sector: reform of the TNI continues, good governance and anti-corruption have been institutionalised, while at the same time the economic situation has improved. The way he is tackling the system itself has made the economic system more efficient, whether it is the licensing procedures or making sure that the investment climate is not hampered by regional autonomy.

At the same time security is being handled very well and is improving significantly. Aceh and Papua are now peaceful. If you travel from Aceh to Papua you will see that it is now safe to go anywhere you want to in the country. People in Aceh are now smiling because they can plant their rice in the fields, go fishing and sell their products at the market. They can bring their kids to school without the fear of war threatening them. You don’t see any more violations of human rights. People are now free to do whatever they like.

This is a free country and we are proud of that. Our media is one of the freest in Asia and probably the world. Synergising all the acts of free will of a democratic citizenship in a productive mould is one thing that you can be proud of in Indonesia under the government of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. During the early stages of the Reformasi some people sometimes said that democracy would unleash those freedoms too quickly. They were worried that the demand for whatever happened in the past would not match the capacity of the state to accommodate all the demands at the same time. However the Yudhoyono administration has shown that the state can provide a democratic society without descending into chaos. It can balance democracy with Islam as well as economic prosperity and that is one of the things that makes us proud to be Indonesian today.

How would you define the perception of Indonesia at an international level?

Unfortunately we had the tsunami and we have had earthquakes because we are located in the Ring Of Fire between the Australian and Pacific plates. We have experienced the consequences of those natural phenomena. But I think people are increasingly starting to know Indonesia as a country that is growing and developing. There are a lot of possibilities in terms of investment and prosperity.
The last time the President was at the UN he was asked by the secretary general to be with him at the closing ceremony, presenting together to 192 nations. This shows how Indonesia is now one of the major players in the world. I think that we are now a model for the rest of the world, in so far as we are Muslim and democratic but we are also growing our economy.

This is the first time that Indonesia has been a member of 9 United Nations agencies, including the Security Council, the Human Rights Council and the Peace Building Council. In November, Indonesia will be the President of the United Nations Security Council. Our international presence in ASEAN, East Asian Community and APEC is already well established.

Of course we have to do more to show the other sides of Indonesia that are valuable in terms of our contribution to the world, whether it is in terms of economics, politics or security. Our troops are now in Lebanon with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force. There is a high demand for us to be involved with Africa, in Darfur for example. We are contributing in many different ways. For example Indonesia, together with Norway, sponsors the initiative of an inter-media dialogue between the media of the West and the media of Islamic countries. One event took place in Bali this year and the next one will take place in Norway.

We are making contributions in many fields. At the same time we are also making sure that Indonesia is a place to visit as well as a place to do business, because we are a part of the world community.