Lessons from Malaysia

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad has again expressed a grand idea. During the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) summit, he proposed the establishment of a NAM Business Council. It was also he who proposed the establishment of the East Asia Economic Group in 1990, which was changed into the East Asia Economic Caucus in 1991.

Again, for Indonesia, it seems that this is worth nothing. What Indonesia needs is very simple. It need not join the council, however useful the council might be. It merely needs to improve its competitive edge.

Indonesia has lost its competitive edge due to the country's tax policy and economic crisis. The high-cost economy has worsened as businessmen have again become the "milking cow" of political parties.

Indonesia, which once played an important role in ASEAN and NAM, should be realistic.

Everything at present is upside down, we are now the ones who have to learn from Malaysia -- how to have a clean government and how not to corrupt the Malays, who have been able to maintain their dignity, above Western pressure and persuasion.

-- Media Indonesia