"Although the world ends tomorrow, if you have a date palm in your hand, plant it."

The saying by Prophet Muhammad seems to be Burhanuddin Abdullah's guideline. He uses it to answer many people's questions on his acceptance of the post of Coordinating Minister for the Economy, in a cabinet whose days are numbered. "Although time is short, I want to do something," says Burhanuddin, who was born in Garut on 10 July, 1947.

Many people—including