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