Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Chairman Said Aqil Siroj was one of the first people President Joko Widodo reached out to following the November 4 mass demonstration. The President conveyed his gratitude to the chairman of the country's largest Islamic mass organization, for his calming statements during the protests against Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, for his allegedly blasphemous statements. In fact, just before the protests, the NU had indeed urged all of its memberstotaling more than 40 million peopleto help placate the tension by not being provoked.

The chairman of the Financial Services Authority (OJK), Muliaman Hadad, 56, is optimistic about the coming year. He believes Indonesia will greet the coming year with growth exceeding the 5.2 percent target set by the government. "We can do it if we harness domestic potential optimally and continue with our reforms and transformation programs to enable investment," said Muliaman.