November 10, 2015 edition

The thick haze blanketing parts of Indonesia compelled Health Minister Nila Djuwita Moeloek to fly back and forth between Jakarta, Sumatra and Kalimantan these past two weeks. She did this to ensure that health services in the provinces affected by the haze were being provided effectively. "I went to Palangkaraya three times these past two weeks," said Nila, last week.
It has been more than four months since the haze engulfed Sumatra and Kalimantan, yet the problem is far from under control. There have been victims, many had to be hospitalized, a few died. Among the fatalities was a baby. Understandably, some of the public anger was directed at her ministry, which was criticized for being slow in anticipating this human disaster.

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More Interview articles in other editions

November 3, 2015 edition

The Go-Jek service online application has multiplied and diversified, in an amazingly short time. Today, customers can get Go-Jek not just to take them somewhere, but also to deliver packages and order their daily needs (through its subsidiary Go-Mart, which is connected to retail stores). If you need a massage, just go to Go-Massage, and if your domestic staff leaves you in the lurch by suddenly going back to their village, call Go-Clean and get a replacement to clean the house or the office.
Nadiem Makarim, 31, is the person behind this ingenious way of shopping by using apps in Indonesia. There is no question that with Go-Jek, he has revolutionized the motorcycle taxi business, which he launched early this year. So far, the Go-Jek app has been downloaded by no fewer than 6 million users and there are now 200,000 Go-Jek motorcycle drivers buzzing around Jakarta and seven other cities in Indonesia with their green helmets and green jackets. All this is somewhat overwhelming to Nadiem, who got his business credentials from the Harvard Business School in the United States. After all, his initial target was a modest 20,000 to 30,000 drivers joining Go-Jek this year.

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October 27, 2015 edition

ONLY two more GP2 auto racing series remain this season, and 22-year-old Rio Haryanto, who hails from Solo, Central Java, needs to set up his Formula 1 team soon to prepare for the next season. Otherwise, he will lose his chance to take part in the world's most famous automobile racing event.
Rio's achievements in the GP2 have been amazing. He was the winner three times and twice the runner-up. Today, he stands in third place of temporary classifications. After he won the GP2 Silverstone Series in the United Kingdom last July, three F1 teamsthe Sahara Force Indi, Sauber and Manorexpressed their interest in Rio and invited him to join them. His consistent performance during the season became quite a conversation topic.

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October 20, 2015 edition

Two months have passed since the onset of the haze over Sumatra and Kalimantan. Even intermittent rains have failed to get rid of the haze. In Riau and Jambi, it continues to cause the death of many who suffered from respiratory diseases.
The government is not being idle. Police is dealing with dozens of companies suspected of setting the forest on fire, and they face penalties ranging from warnings to a revocation of their licenses. The offer of assistance from Singapore was finally accepted because the haze emergency had become impossible to manage alone. Other countries have also offered their help.

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October 13, 2015 edition

For Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, this year's haj pilgrimage turned out to be an ordeal he had never bargained for: having to deal with two major tragedies in the Holy Land in a matter of weeks. One was the crash of a construction crane over the Haram Mosque and the other was the fatal stampede at Mina, when thousands of pilgrims rushed all at once toward the stone-throwing ritual. More than 100 Indonesians died as a result.
Lukman, a United Development Party (PPP) executive and head of the Indonesian haj pilgrims, along with the Haj Pilgrimage Organizing Committee (PPIH), had to bear responsibility for the two tragic incidents. In particular, he felt he needed to be directly involved in the process of seeking and identifying the Mina tragedy victims. It was a heavy burden to bear, given the constant public pressure for an explanation for the two incidents.

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October 6, 2015 edition

Richard Joost Lino, the current CEO of state-owned Pelindo II, is known for his straight talk and penchant for betting. This is evident in how he faces challenges and opposition, whether from his own employees, his colleagues or even government ministers. Recently, Lino was reported to the police by Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, Masinton Pasaribu, who is also a former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) official, for allegedly giving a gratuity to State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno.
The public is unlikely to forget how Lino stood up against Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Natural Resources Rizal Ramli, also known for his sometimes injudicious language, over the damage at the port area caused by a project overseas by Rizal, as well as charges that Lino used State funds to place ads in a number of major media organizations.

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September 29, 2015 edition

The heat did not seem to bother Johannes 'Jan' Pronk, 75, even though it has been 13 years since he last visited Indonesia. Perhaps it was a residue from the past, when he frequently travelled to Indonesia in his capacity as the Netherland's foreign minister and the UN's special envoy, and when he got acclimatized to the tropical, humid heat.
The bespectacled Pronk fits the description of a professor, rather than a politician and a diplomat of his yesteryears, given his current job as visiting professor at the United Nations University of Peace in Costa Rica and a lecturer at Amsterdam University College in the Netherlands.

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