'Forbes' may publish Indonesian edition

Forbes magazine, an American business and financial magazine founded in 1917 by BC Forbes, is exploring the possibility of publishing an Indonesian-language edition here.

Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes Jr., Forbes editor-in-chief, president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc., said on Tuesday that he saw no reasons for the magazine not to expand into Indonesia.

"We are looking forward to having an Indonesian edition of Forbes magazine. We already have a number of local language editions in China, Korea, Japan, Russia, Poland and Turkey," he said after a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the presidential office.

He did not elaborate on any expansion plan.

Headquartered at Fifth Avenue in New York City, Forbes magazine has generated several spinoff products, including Forbes FYI, Forbes Asia, Forbes.Com, history magazines American Heritage and American Heritage of Invention & Technology and American Legacy.

Regarding the meeting with President Susilo, Forbes said that it was basically aimed at seeking firsthand information on conditions in Indonesia, specifically on the country's current state of the economy, bureaucracy and legal reform.

"The purpose of our meeting is to get firsthand information on how the President sees the future of Indonesia, not just from reading," said Forbes, who was a candidate in the U.S. presidential primaries in 1996 and 2000. -- JP