December 29, 2015 edition
The year 2015 will go down as the year of consolidation, when President Joko Widodo must find his way through the intricate political web he inherited from the previous administration before he can actually begin the job of governing the nation. This is why to many observers, Indonesia seems to fit the description of 'a nation in waiting'. Just how long the waiting is expected to last is anyone's guess but it seems that one year is not enough. The uncertainty, Kuntoro Mangkusubrotoscholar, a former bureaucrat and activistsaid, is likely to carry into the next year when the government feels confident enough to settle down and do the serious job of governing.
Kuntoro has often been called 'a man for all seasons' for his rich and varied background as an academic, a cabinet minister, a successful administrator of billions of dollars worth of post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction program and, lately, as a government watchdog and campaigner for transparency and open government. It's no wonder he is much sought after for his views on a variety of issues and topics. We at Tempo English seek him out at every end of the year for his assessment of the state of the nation and his vision for the future. Last week, he shared his worldview with Yuli Ismartono and Amanda Siddharta. Excerpts:
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More On The Record articles in other editions
December 8, 2015 edition
As the Swedish minister for strategic development and Nordic cooperation, Kristina Persson feels it is important to identify future challenges and assist other institutions to devise policies in response to those challenges. She has had more than 40 years of experience in the public sector. She spent the late 1970s in the Swedish Trade Union Confederation before moving to the Council of Nordic Trade Unions in 1982.
Understandably, she is passionate about developments affecting the workforce in her home country. Persson said Sweden today faced a major challenge with the advent of digitalization and automation that could replace a large number of jobs, especially in the manufacturing and service sectors.
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November 24, 2015 edition
According to Prasada Rao, ignorance has been the biggest barrier in dealing with the decades-old HIV/AIDS epidemic. This is why he speaks openly about the disease, freely discussing such topics as sex and sex education, which most Asians see as taboo, so that the social stigma attached to its victims can be erased, a first step in the prevention and treatment of the disease.
Rao truly believes that an open discussion of the subject would be the best protection against the disease, yet the biggest challenge in addressing this global epidemic. "For Asians, sex is taboo. It's in your bedroom, not on the road. So there's always that challenge," he told Tempo.
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November 10, 2015 edition
The 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair ended in mid-October. As the guest of honor at the world's largest book fair, Indonesia chose the slogan '17,000 Islands of Imagination' to lead its presentation.
It was a huge success, although the team only had two years to prepare for the event, compared to the five to six years other countries had.
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October 27, 2015 edition