Indonesia's economy
Indonesia's economy
From DR
Observing the economic crises which have hit Asian countries, particularly in Southeast and East Asia, such as Korea, Thailand and Indonesia, unfortunately it is Indonesia which looks as if it will experience difficulty in getting back to its precrisis peak, when its growth was above 5 percent.
South Korea and Thailand have quickly recovered and both are predicted an economic growth of more than 3 percent. This was not caused only by the market's confidence in those countries, but also because they are strongly supported by a ready availability of capable human resources. Like it or not, the growth and recovery of Indonesia's economy depends largely on the country's persons of Chinese descent. Because, so far, it is they who have played the significant role in helping the economic power of Indonesia grow. On the other hand, the role of the indigenous people has been small.
Chinese Indonesians are not only supported by powerful capital and huge funds, but they also have solid and powerful human resources. This in turn provides their children with opportunities to have access to good schooling abroad -- in the USA, Australia, Great Britain and Germany for example. On the other hand, the generally poor indigenous people cannot afford their children's education. Therefore, the ability to absorb and develop natural resources, business activities, sciences and technologies is limited.
The same was true with Malaysia in the 1950's - 1970's. Then Malaysia employed Indonesian teachers and lecturers. Now the country's people enjoy a high level of education. In the 1980's Malaysian leaders, greatly concerned about the need for university level education, sent a large number of students to developed countries: Britain, USA, Germany, and even Japan and Korea, despite the country's limited funds. Now Malaysia has reaped what it sowed. Its per capita income is approaching US$4,000. Like Singapore, apart from being an industrial country, Malaysia really has moved towards becoming a service economy. It has left Indonesia far behind.
What about Indonesia? Right from the start it set aside a very small percentage of the national budget for education. Perhaps the government thinks that education is a long term investment, and cannot yield a quick result. Consequently, we are extremely short of people capable of managing delicate business and other issues, including political, social and cultural crises which may threaten the integrity of Indonesia.
The government should not waste time in addressing the issue of education to ensure that this education gap can quickly be bridged.
SARAH BILQIS
San Diego, CA, USA