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Prabowo Subianto’s apparent win in Indonesia’s presidential election was helped by the popularity of outgoing leader Joko Widodo, whose son Gibran Rakabuming Raka is Prabowo’s running mate, even though there was a backlash against Widodo’s perceived lack of neutrality.
But from hereon, it will be for Prabowo to carve out his own legacy, despite his pledge to retain Widodo’s policies, including the construction of a new capital city, Nusantara.
Many of Prabowo’s campaign pledges concern the economy, welfare and other issues that strategically resonate with the electorate. On top of announcing a 8 per cent growth target, Prabowo has plans to promote biofuels for energy self-sufficiency, open up new land for agriculture, and build a modern hospital in every municipality.
Prabowo’s priorities also include a 460 trillion rupiah (US$29 billion) free lunch and milk programme for schools. Incidentally, the new capital being constructed is also expected to cost about 460 trillion rupiah.
Thus, concerns about fiscal discipline and risk are high, given that the country is already exposed to Chinese debt.
The former general is also widely expected to bolster Indonesia’s defence capabilities, but without being caught up in the rivalry between the United States and China.
This could create a dilemma for Prabowo. While the quest to modernise the Indonesian military is unlikely to succeed without the support of Washington, he also faces the delicate task of avoiding upsetting Beijing if Jakarta is to play a prominent role in the Global South.
As the world’s third largest democracy, Indonesia stands as a bulwark of democracy in the Asia-Pacific, alongside Japan, India and Australia.
Thus, the Western reception to Indonesia’s next president could be a vital factor in the West’s containment strategy towards China, especially with regard to supply chains, energy and maritime security. In other words, much hinges on how the West, especially the US, pursues a values-based foreign policy with Prabowo.
In making diplomatic overtures and rallying West-friendly powers, the need to get a buy-in from Jakarta should not be met at the expense of democratic ideals and human rights.
Collins Chong Yew Keat, Selangor
Social media is killing art
In the past, people could gain knowledge of history, society and literature from traditional operas, storytellers and dramas.
Today, with the glut of social media content, people are scrolling through funny yet meaningless clips that not only waste time but also shorten attention spans, decreasing our desire to appreciate those works of art that have stood the test of time. This needs to change.
Fung Zhan Hong, Ho Man Tin