Hopes high for better 2001<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Days come and go. Today, we are at the very end
\nof the year and the second millennium. Tomorrow we enter the New
\nYear, with hopes for improved times and a better life -- and
\npersonal resolutions to make the best of who we are.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post talked to a cross-section of people, ranging
\nfrom businessmen to artists to sports stars, to find out their
\nNew Year's wishes.<\/p>\n
Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, former president of The Jakarta
\nStock Exchange, one of the founders of the Indonesian Society for
\nTransparency and currently president of PT Tambang Timah.<\/p>\n
Well, I wish I could cut down on my smoking. I don't want to
\nset a target though. Everyday I smoke one pack of cigarettes; if
\nI can cut back on that, that will already be great.<\/p>\n
Personal goals? As a family man, I hope that all of my four
\nchildren do well in their education. Two boys and two girls aged
\nbetween 13 and 21. As the president of a company, my goals are
\nthose of the company's. We hope to start diversifying our
\nbusiness into other mining products like gold and coal.<\/p>\n
For the country, the implementation of regional autonomy is
\ncrucial. I hope that autonomy will be implemented smoothly and as
\nsoon as possible. On politics, I prefer to use the word attitude
\nstability instead of political stability. Our political elite
\nshould be examples to the people, but instead they become a
\nsource of instability in this country. Also, the market should
\nbecome more immune to political bickering. It must learn to
\ndifferentiate between significant political changes and those
\nthat are immaterial ...<\/p>\n
Hadi Soesastro, economist of the Centre for Strategic and
\nInternational Studies (CSIS)<\/p>\n
My new year's resolution is to become more productive. I want
\nto be more useful to society. People say one should postpone
\nwriting books until one is about to retire. But I think I will
\nstart the preparations for writing a book next year. The book
\nwill discuss social issues and Indonesia's economy in the Asia
\nPacific region.<\/p>\n
The situation for next year is, more or less, the same as this
\none. We will face another year full of ordeals and challenges.
\nJust sit tight and try to make the best of it. Our job then is to
\ntry the best we can to empower a civil society. I hope we can
\nstrengthen the peoples' power, for there lies our hope to
\nsurvive. Let's prevent things from getting worse. A civil society
\nplays a key role to revive the feeling of solidarity among us. We
\nhave what is called "social capital", which are the various
\nrelations between people within a community.<\/p>\n
The social capital is the foundation for the development and
\nthe sustainability of a community. Indonesia's social capital
\ncould recede to a primordial level if tribal sentiments become
\nstronger. Of course, we expect a social capital that is
\ntranscendent, that embraces people of different backgrounds. Our
\nsocial fabric has been torn apart and it is our duty as the
\npeople to renew it. Don't expect much help from the government.<\/p>\n
Julia Suryakusuma, sociologist and executive director of the
\nAPI Foundation for political research, information and
\npublication:<\/p>\n
My New Year's resolution is to exercise more regularly, to
\nlearn to sing, to write more productively, to be more effective,
\nto be a better friend to myself and others, to get unstuck from
\nthe glue of my past, to find my essence.<\/p>\n
I don't have anything to regret this year.<\/p>\n
Nano Riantiarno, playwright: The year 2000 was a tremendous
\nyear for me despite this ongoing crisis. I felt energetic and
\nalive. My work, Sampek Engtay was performed in English by
\nSingaporean artists in Singapore for three months. And it was a
\nbig success ... according to The Straits Times.<\/p>\n
As an artist, I try to get away from any political intrigue in
\nthis country. Since the very beginning I, and my group Teater
\nKoma, have always been government (New Order) victims. But, we
\ncan still survive.<\/p>\n
The year 2001 will be even more busy for me. I plan to stage
\nRepublik Bagong, a satirical comedy. A collaborative work with
\nJapanese and Chinese artists to stage a play in Asia is also in
\nthe pipeline.<\/p>\n
My wish for the year 2001: I encourage my fellow artists to
\nkeep on working and producing. Forget all the political chaos,
\nconcentrate on our own fields.<\/p>\n
Taufiq Ismail, poet and writer: My New Year's resolution is to
\nget the nation, all of us, out of the total confusion we have
\nbeen suffering from in the year 2000.<\/p>\n
Poppy Dharsono, designer and businesswoman: I hope everything
\nwill be better next year in terms of social, economic and
\npolitical conditions. We need a good environment to work hard and
\nsolve our problems.<\/p>\n
Next year, I will stage a solo fashion show, the first in two
\nyears. The last time I held a solo show, it was only attended by
\nten people because all the streets in Jakarta were crowded with
\ndemonstrators. It was a little bit traumatic.<\/p>\n
I will be 50 next year and for me, "Life begins at 50". In
\npast years I have concentrated too much of my energy on business
\nand social activities.<\/p>\n
The most important thing, when reaching 50 next year, will be
\nto think more of myself, my life and my individual activities. As
\nI'm getting older now, I hope I will be wiser than ever.<\/p>\n
Rexy Mainaky, badminton player: I will start a new career as a
\ncoach in England on Jan. 10, 2001. It will be very difficult, not
\nonly for me but also my family. We'll have to adapt to every
\nsingle thing in England, which will all be very new to us.<\/p>\n
As a coach, I want to see my athletes reach their best under
\nmy supervision. England has Olympic medalists now, although only
\nbronze, in the mixed doubles. I have to improve their
\nachievements.<\/p>\n
As there will be the World Championships next year, I hope
\nEngland's men's doubles, especially Simon Archer and Nathan
\nRobertson, can reach the semifinals. It's too extreme to set them
\na target to win.<\/p>\n
I also hope Indonesian shuttlers will be able to achieve their
\nbest results next year. I also hope they can solve all problems
\nwith the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), especially
\nregarding contract money. I may not be there in person but I can
\ncommunicate with them through e-mail.<\/p>\n
Eric Meijer, general manager of marketing, Telkomsel:<\/p>\n
To be very straightforward, what I hope for the most is peace
\nin Indonesia. Without peace and stability things cannot go
\nforward. And for business that's most important; business, of
\ncourse, is shown to respond positively to stability.<\/p>\n
I'm not really a resolution kind of guy. Whenever I see
\nsomething needs improving about myself, I try to do it. I don't
\nwait until the beginning of a new year.<\/p>\n
Harvey Goldstein, chairman of investment consultant PT Harvest
\nInternational: I promise to dedicate myself to promoting
\ninvestment in Indonesia, which is currently very challenging. I
\nwill continue to strive to give our professionals opportunities
\nthroughout Indonesia, to ensure that our clients' investments
\nwill flourish. We continue to bring in people with dedication,
\nheart and passion, because intelligence alone will not overcome
\nthe challenges of today.<\/p>\n
I hope to see an Indonesia which becomes a target of direct
\nforeign investment, as one of the first countries investors think
\nof, instead of one of the last.<\/p>\n
Personally, my own resolution is to eat healthier so that I
\ncan lose more weight.<\/p>\n
Nungki Kusumastuti, dancer, choreographer, lecturer at the
\nJakarta Arts Institute (IKJ): As I am getting older, I hope I can
\nbe better in everything, with a better quality of life.<\/p>\n
Hopefully in the new year I can finish taking all lessons in
\nmy graduate study (S2) at the University of Indonesia's School of
\nAnthropology, so that in 2002 I can start working on my thesis. I
\nwant to be able to absorb the knowledge well and get good marks.
\nEven though it's a bit late, I have returned to school because I
\nwant to be a person with better qualifications.<\/p>\n
In order to study well, I have to maintain my health. Just
\nbefore the fasting month I suffered from diarrhea for three days.
\nI almost got typhus -- maybe because I was exhausted and there
\nwas some hygiene problem with food ...<\/p>\n
Irianto Subiyakto, chairman of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute
\n(LBH): Challenges will be bigger in the future because of the
\nunpredictable situation here, for example we still don't know
\nwhether Gus Dur will still be president, and the matter will
\ncontinue to cause a big impact on the lives of Indonesians like
\nmyself, and also the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute.<\/p>\n
So what I will do is work as hard as possible and be more
\nflexible in setting plans so that the institution won't be left
\nbehind. Data, however, shows that the number of our clients has
\ndecreased from 1,052 in 1999 to just 760 up to November this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
I don't know whether it shows that LBH Jakarta is no longer
\npopular among people or it is because of the mushrooming of
\nsimilar organizations lately.<\/p>\n
That's why I think that I should be more creative in
\ndeveloping networks with many institutions.<\/p>\n
I have no specific personal plans for the future. The only
\nthing my family and I long for is to go on a long holiday
\ntogether, because I have never taken holidays during my 11-years
\nof employment at LBH Jakarta.<\/p>\n
We have been saving money for years to fulfill our dream of
\nhaving a holiday in Greece, where I have a friend to stay with. I
\nhope we can fulfill that dream next year.<\/p>\n
Henky Solaiman, film and TV star: People's private lives are
\nalso influenced by the overall condition of our country, that's
\nwhy my big hope is that Indonesia achieves better conditions so
\nthat people can also live peacefully.<\/p>\n
I actually have no specific wishes for myself, it's more about
\nmy three children, as I work for them. I wish that my youngest
\ndaughter can finish her study in the U.S. next year so that my
\nburden is released a little bit.<\/p>\n
If I have enough money next year I hope that I can go there to
\nwitness her graduation.<\/p>\n
I don't think there are things in the past which are
\ndeplorable because I believe in the principle that God always has
\na purpose behind anything which happens, for example the economic
\ncrisis has forced my oldest son -- also in America -- to struggle
\nfor his life and also financially support his sister.<\/p>\n
I always believe that any shortcomings can turn into blessings
\nif we think positively.<\/p>\n
Muthu Venkataraman, H.E. the Ambassador of India to Indonesia:
\nThe government and people of India have great pleasure in
\nconveying the government and people of Indonesia their greetings
\nfor a prosperous and successful New Year.<\/p>\n
The restoration of democracy and the positive economic growth
\nevinced in the second half of 2000 are indications of the
\nreemergence of economic prosperity, following the sincere efforts
\nof the common man.<\/p>\n
The people and the government of India look forward to
\nincreased cooperation with the government and people of
\nIndonesia, at all levels, for the mutual benefit of both peoples.
\n(bkm\/ida\/raw\/hbk\/brc\/sim\/yan\/anj)<\/p>",
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