Andung's English irks SBY in India

Andung's English irks SBY in India

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Bangalore, India

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appeared irate -- perhaps the
first time publicly since he was sworn in back in October 2004 --
upon hearing Minister of Industry Andung Nitimihardja's apparent
question during a visit to Indian software giant Infosys
Technologies Ltd. on Monday.

Himself a PhD holder in agricultural economics from the Bogor
Institute of Agriculture and a Webster University alum, Susilo
convincingly delivered his speech in English to executives of the
company.

Everything was running smoothly until Andung raised what is
thought to be a question to Infosys chairman Narayana NR Murthy
and chief executive officer Nandan M. Nilekani. It was unclear
what he meant, but Andung mentioned something to the effect that
software exports from Indonesia were estimated at US$400 million
last year.

Andung's muddled assemblage of apparently English words, left
the executives visibly perplexed and the audience silent for a
long, uncomfortable moment, as everyone attempted to decipher the
verbiage. President Susilo had a disturbed look on his face and
turned and glared furiously at Andung.

"If he is not sure of his English, he must not ask questions.
It is embarrassing. I think he should take an English course to
catch up with fellow ministers, who have shown their
capabilities," said an official from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.

Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal, who is also a
foreign affairs ministry official, was quick to read the awkward
situation and promptly asked another, clearer, question of the
Infosys executives.

"Well, I partly intended to neutralize the situation. It
seemed that President Susilo was not exactly pleased after
Minister Andung asked the question," he explained.

Andung, who holds a degree from a university in Pittsburgh,
might have felt obliged to ask a question after Minister of Trade
Mari Elka Pangestu, who studied at the University of California,
Davis, and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie
successfully asked questions about the Infosys success strategy.

Without a trace of irony, Infosys chairman Murthy told the
audience that among the key successes of Infosys, and India
generally, in developing the software industry was good skills in
English in order to communicate well with the international
community.

"Aside from reform of economic policies and support from the
government, the most important key for developing the software
industry is a good command of English," he said, adding that all
tariffs for the importation of computers and other hardware
should be scrapped in order to create more talented programmers.

With the second largest number of English speakers in the
world, India also ranks as the second largest software producer
after the United States. This year, India's software exports are
estimated to be worth some US$17 billion. The figure is projected
to rise to over $50 billion in 2008.

With $6.85 billion in revenue in the first quarter of this
year, Infosys is India's second-largest software producer after
Tata Consultancy Service Ltd., which recorded net sales of $9.82
billion in the first three months of the year.

Susilo said Indonesia would try to take advantage of its
creative people in order to cater to the development of the
software industry by seeking cooperation with other countries,
particularly India.