Hopes high for better 2001

JAKARTA (JP): Days come and go. Today, we are at the very end of the year and the second millennium. Tomorrow we enter the New Year, with hopes for improved times and a better life -- and personal resolutions to make the best of who we are.

The Jakarta Post talked to a cross-section of people, ranging from businessmen to artists to sports stars, to find out their New Year's wishes.

Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, former president of The Jakarta Stock Exchange, one of the founders of the Indonesian Society for Transparency and currently president of PT Tambang Timah.

Well, I wish I could cut down on my smoking. I don't want to set a target though. Everyday I smoke one pack of cigarettes; if I can cut back on that, that will already be great.

Personal goals? As a family man, I hope that all of my four children do well in their education. Two boys and two girls aged between 13 and 21. As the president of a company, my goals are those of the company's. We hope to start diversifying our business into other mining products like gold and coal.

For the country, the implementation of regional autonomy is crucial. I hope that autonomy will be implemented smoothly and as soon as possible. On politics, I prefer to use the word attitude stability instead of political stability. Our political elite should be examples to the people, but instead they become a source of instability in this country. Also, the market should become more immune to political bickering. It must learn to differentiate between significant political changes and those that are immaterial ...

Hadi Soesastro, economist of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

My new year's resolution is to become more productive. I want to be more useful to society. People say one should postpone writing books until one is about to retire. But I think I will start the preparations for writing a book next year. The book will discuss social issues and Indonesia's economy in the Asia Pacific region.

The situation for next year is, more or less, the same as this one. We will face another year full of ordeals and challenges. Just sit tight and try to make the best of it. Our job then is to try the best we can to empower a civil society. I hope we can strengthen the peoples' power, for there lies our hope to survive. Let's prevent things from getting worse. A civil society plays a key role to revive the feeling of solidarity among us. We have what is called "social capital", which are the various relations between people within a community.

The social capital is the foundation for the development and the sustainability of a community. Indonesia's social capital could recede to a primordial level if tribal sentiments become stronger. Of course, we expect a social capital that is transcendent, that embraces people of different backgrounds. Our social fabric has been torn apart and it is our duty as the people to renew it. Don't expect much help from the government.

Julia Suryakusuma, sociologist and executive director of the API Foundation for political research, information and publication:

My New Year's resolution is to exercise more regularly, to learn to sing, to write more productively, to be more effective, to be a better friend to myself and others, to get unstuck from the glue of my past, to find my essence.

I don't have anything to regret this year.

Nano Riantiarno, playwright: The year 2000 was a tremendous year for me despite this ongoing crisis. I felt energetic and alive. My work, Sampek Engtay was performed in English by Singaporean artists in Singapore for three months. And it was a big success ... according to The Straits Times.

As an artist, I try to get away from any political intrigue in this country. Since the very beginning I, and my group Teater Koma, have always been government (New Order) victims. But, we can still survive.

The year 2001 will be even more busy for me. I plan to stage Republik Bagong, a satirical comedy. A collaborative work with Japanese and Chinese artists to stage a play in Asia is also in the pipeline.

My wish for the year 2001: I encourage my fellow artists to keep on working and producing. Forget all the political chaos, concentrate on our own fields.

Taufiq Ismail, poet and writer: My New Year's resolution is to get the nation, all of us, out of the total confusion we have been suffering from in the year 2000.

Poppy Dharsono, designer and businesswoman: I hope everything will be better next year in terms of social, economic and political conditions. We need a good environment to work hard and solve our problems.

Next year, I will stage a solo fashion show, the first in two years. The last time I held a solo show, it was only attended by ten people because all the streets in Jakarta were crowded with demonstrators. It was a little bit traumatic.

I will be 50 next year and for me, "Life begins at 50". In past years I have concentrated too much of my energy on business and social activities.

The most important thing, when reaching 50 next year, will be to think more of myself, my life and my individual activities. As I'm getting older now, I hope I will be wiser than ever.

Rexy Mainaky, badminton player: I will start a new career as a coach in England on Jan. 10, 2001. It will be very difficult, not only for me but also my family. We'll have to adapt to every single thing in England, which will all be very new to us.

As a coach, I want to see my athletes reach their best under my supervision. England has Olympic medalists now, although only bronze, in the mixed doubles. I have to improve their achievements.

As there will be the World Championships next year, I hope England's men's doubles, especially Simon Archer and Nathan Robertson, can reach the semifinals. It's too extreme to set them a target to win.

I also hope Indonesian shuttlers will be able to achieve their best results next year. I also hope they can solve all problems with the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI), especially regarding contract money. I may not be there in person but I can communicate with them through e-mail.

Eric Meijer, general manager of marketing, Telkomsel:

To be very straightforward, what I hope for the most is peace in Indonesia. Without peace and stability things cannot go forward. And for business that's most important; business, of course, is shown to respond positively to stability.

I'm not really a resolution kind of guy. Whenever I see something needs improving about myself, I try to do it. I don't wait until the beginning of a new year.

Harvey Goldstein, chairman of investment consultant PT Harvest International: I promise to dedicate myself to promoting investment in Indonesia, which is currently very challenging. I will continue to strive to give our professionals opportunities throughout Indonesia, to ensure that our clients' investments will flourish. We continue to bring in people with dedication, heart and passion, because intelligence alone will not overcome the challenges of today.

I hope to see an Indonesia which becomes a target of direct foreign investment, as one of the first countries investors think of, instead of one of the last.

Personally, my own resolution is to eat healthier so that I can lose more weight.

Nungki Kusumastuti, dancer, choreographer, lecturer at the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ): As I am getting older, I hope I can be better in everything, with a better quality of life.

Hopefully in the new year I can finish taking all lessons in my graduate study (S2) at the University of Indonesia's School of Anthropology, so that in 2002 I can start working on my thesis. I want to be able to absorb the knowledge well and get good marks. Even though it's a bit late, I have returned to school because I want to be a person with better qualifications.

In order to study well, I have to maintain my health. Just before the fasting month I suffered from diarrhea for three days. I almost got typhus -- maybe because I was exhausted and there was some hygiene problem with food ...

Irianto Subiyakto, chairman of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH): Challenges will be bigger in the future because of the unpredictable situation here, for example we still don't know whether Gus Dur will still be president, and the matter will continue to cause a big impact on the lives of Indonesians like myself, and also the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute.

So what I will do is work as hard as possible and be more flexible in setting plans so that the institution won't be left behind. Data, however, shows that the number of our clients has decreased from 1,052 in 1999 to just 760 up to November this year.

I don't know whether it shows that LBH Jakarta is no longer popular among people or it is because of the mushrooming of similar organizations lately.

That's why I think that I should be more creative in developing networks with many institutions.

I have no specific personal plans for the future. The only thing my family and I long for is to go on a long holiday together, because I have never taken holidays during my 11-years of employment at LBH Jakarta.

We have been saving money for years to fulfill our dream of having a holiday in Greece, where I have a friend to stay with. I hope we can fulfill that dream next year.

Henky Solaiman, film and TV star: People's private lives are also influenced by the overall condition of our country, that's why my big hope is that Indonesia achieves better conditions so that people can also live peacefully.

I actually have no specific wishes for myself, it's more about my three children, as I work for them. I wish that my youngest daughter can finish her study in the U.S. next year so that my burden is released a little bit.

If I have enough money next year I hope that I can go there to witness her graduation.

I don't think there are things in the past which are deplorable because I believe in the principle that God always has a purpose behind anything which happens, for example the economic crisis has forced my oldest son -- also in America -- to struggle for his life and also financially support his sister.

I always believe that any shortcomings can turn into blessings if we think positively.

Muthu Venkataraman, H.E. the Ambassador of India to Indonesia: The government and people of India have great pleasure in conveying the government and people of Indonesia their greetings for a prosperous and successful New Year.

The restoration of democracy and the positive economic growth evinced in the second half of 2000 are indications of the reemergence of economic prosperity, following the sincere efforts of the common man.

The people and the government of India look forward to increased cooperation with the government and people of Indonesia, at all levels, for the mutual benefit of both peoples. (bkm/ida/raw/hbk/brc/sim/yan/anj)