Indonesia needs to build up its international credibility

Indonesia needs to build up its international credibility

Wimar Witoelar

In a recent article for a major Jakarta newspaper, economist
Faisal Basri warned President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to
preserve the moral capital that is the major endowment of his
government. This is a very important message. A singular effort
needs to be specifically aimed at building up, not just
preserving, Indonesia's international credibility.

Undoubtedly President Susilo starts his term with ample moral
capital. This is highlighted by the fact that for the first time
in Indonesian history, leaders of other nations personally
attended the inauguration of the new President. In some cases it
was even the foreign leaders who took the initiative in coming to
Jakarta to show their support for the Susilo presidency.

International credibility is made both within Indonesia as
well as in locations around the globe. It all hinges on proper
means of communications in almost equal importance to the
substance of the policies and actions actually pursued by the
government. There are signs that within Indonesia, President
Susilo will be represented by a communications organization in
the presidential office, which is already being colloquially
dubbed as the "West Wing" of the Presidential palace.

But a special strategy will be required to gain credibility in
the global marketplace. In the world at large, it is plain to be
seen that the medium is the message. An important feature of the
medium is credible spokespersons and effective communication
symbols. The reactions of the media overseas can often be very
different from the domestic Indonesian media.

As an example, while then-President Abdurrahman Wahid was
receiving daily condemnation from the Indonesian press during the
last days of his presidency in 2001, the Australian press
received daily briefings in Sydney. This resulted in a strong
appreciation of Wahid's importance as a leader who was attempting
to transform values in Indonesia in the direction of pluralism
and humanism. The essence of this example is that there are
always positive aspects to be highlighted even in the darkest
periods of public mistrust.

Take the case of the current state of Susilo's credibility.
Faisal Basri is just one of many people who have been critical of
the composition of the Cabinet and the President's perceived
indecision and politicking. International spectators are no doubt
also skeptical of the new Cabinet, but their concerns do not
necessarily parallel the concerns of the Indonesian public.

They are not concerned with individual ministers or by the
murky politics of Cabinet horse-trading, and no doubt they may be
worried that the first impressions they have of the new
President, which are positive, might turn out to be followed by
disappointment as the anticipated changes fails to happen
quickly. In the case of Indonesia, the public watch the political
behavior of SBY (as the President is familiarly known). But
observers abroad, especially those involved in decision-making,
will look at the overall performance of Indonesia, and its
ability to realize the enormous potential of this vast
archipelago.

The message abroad should be that the Indonesian nation is
getting stronger because the democratic process has worked. It is
getting stronger because the people have been empowered.
Indonesia is a stronger nation because public confidence has
overcome state driven violence. We are now applying public
confidence to the battle against international terrorism, and we
need international support in giving us the benefit of the doubt.

While many economic recovery programs have failed, the
grassroots economy is flourishing because state and private
monopolies have come under public scrutiny. The fight against
corruption has become the public's priority; in fact, the
government is reminded every day by the media of the need to
prioritize effective action against corruption.

In light of these signs of improvements, Indonesia is not
totally dependent on the President. As long as SBY stays true to
his stated principles, he may remain moderate if he so wishes,
while the people supply the principal impetus for reform. It is a
new nation, and SBY is just the entrusted leader for the next
five years. This kind of message will increase international
confidence. Foreign investors should be assured that we want a
level playing field, legal certainty and physical security.
Indonesian ambassadors and spokespersons should carry this
message to the world.

Lastly, to create an effective communications presence abroad,
SBY must have a team working on the principles of communications.
People who understand that messages should be tailored to the
cultural idioms of the recipients. Ambassadors who know their
country of assignment almost as well as they know their home
country. People who will defend the nation's image regardless of
their partisan sympathies. The old paradigms of international
public relations are outdated. No more investment missions
abroad, no more duplication of domestic political messages to an
international audience, no more loyalties that overshadow loyalty
to the new Indonesia.

Faisal Basri mentioned a phrase used by Mahatma Gandhi,
abhayam mitra. He says it means "do not be afraid of your
friends," which says that as long as you are on the side of the
people, do not worry about getting the support of the people
around you. Faisal was referring to the pressures SBY reacted to
in the formation of the Cabinet.

In the same article, Faisal quoted The Economist as
commenting, "(Indonesia's new president) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
(...) is a hard man to read. During the month-long transition
between his election and inauguration, he consulted such a motley
array of advisers that it was impossible to tell where his own
instincts lay on any given subject. His public statements,
although unobjectionable, were studiously vague. Many pundits
were hoping that he would at last reveal his true colors when he
announced his Cabinet. The President's choices (of his Cabinet
members) and his intentions remain frustratingly ambiguous. The
economic team is equally muddled".

We do not need to defend SBY against this criticism. But we
must place the increasingly negative opinions in the perspective
of more important positive directions in Indonesian nationhood,
the growth of democracy and public confidence. Context and
background are what Indonesia's spokespeople should be spreading
throughout the world to get the positive side of SBY presidency
across.

* The writer is a communications advisor and founder of
InterMatrix Communication, Jakarta.