A Dismal Week

Even in a tough week, one can usually find something positive to cheer about. But last week was a truly depressing one. We witnessed the tragic crash of Trigana Air's flight 257 over Papua that took the lives of all 54 people on board. This was a sad reminder of the poor air safety record of our airline industry and the limited air safety infrastructure in some of our more remote regions.

Also, just one day after being appointed as the new Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Rizal Ramli, could not resist doing what he does best, which is to critize the government, forgetting at that moment that he is now part of it. This time his target was the state's ambitious plan to ramp up its electricity generating capacity and state-owned flag carrier, Garuda's plan to purchase 30 long-range Airbus A350 planes.