Oake first interview Susilo since tsunami

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's interview on CNBC was his first international TV interview since the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster. It was featured as part of CNBC's occasional interview program, The CNBC Conversation.

The interview, by anchor Lisa Oake, covered various topics, which included the tsunami disaster, security issues in Jakarta and the urgent need to boost the economy. It was aired on CNBC networks across the Asia-Pacific region on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, with a follow-up a week later.

Oake gave candid replies to a number of questions after the interview:

Question:What are your impressions of Indonesia and its people?

Oake: Indonesia has always been one of my favorite places. The people are smart and friendly, the food is amazing. I come from a very small town in Canada and the sense of camaraderie in Indonesia makes me feel very at home.

Please tell us a little about your career

I have been working with CNBC Asia for seven years. I am currently a stockwatcher reporting live from the Singapore stock exchange. Before moving to Singapore I worked as a reporter for NTV News in my home province, Newfoundland, Canada.

I also worked as a radio announcer with OZ FM radio (also in Newfoundland, Canada) for several years while I was in university.

What are your impressions of the Indonesian economy from a business journalist's perspective?

I think Indonesia is one of the most exciting places in Asia right now. The Megawati administration can be credited with stabilizing the economy. The Susilo government seems intent on taking things to the next level.

It's obviously not an easy task but watching it unfold will be fascinating. As a business journalist, I think Indonesia needs to build confidence that business can be done in an efficient and trustworthy way. That trust will unleash investment and get the economy moving again.

Please tell us about your personal life and interests.

My family keeps me very busy. My husband, Keith, is a high school teacher. We have two small boys. Evan is four-and-a-half years old and Logan is one year old. I'm surrounded by boys!

We love doing family-oriented things with the kids: amusement parks, swimming, barbecues. My favorite stress-buster is running: I love hitting the road with my I-pod mini.

what was it like to be part of the first international TV network to land an interview with the President since the tsunami?

We are very appreciative that the President took the time to talk to CNBC Asia. The interview took place just as Susilo was finishing his first 100 days in office -- a busy time for him. It was a privilege to sit down face-to-face with the leader of the country and discuss issues that affect millions of people.

He was very candid. The interview presented on The CNBC Conversation was quoted in news publications around the world. The world is very interested in Indonesia right now.

What was your impression of the President and the highlights of the interview?

What impressed me the most about the President was his warmth.

Sometimes people fall into the trap of thinking you have to be hard as nails to be considered decisive or successful. Susilo is a genuine person who makes a sincere connection with the people around him. That is a real gift.

The highlights of the conversation would have to be hearing him describe his reaction when he saw the devastation in Aceh after the tsunami.

He cares about the people affected by the disaster, and it shows. That concern speaks volumes about him as a person. It was also enlightening to hear his plans for dealing with the economic challenges Indonesia is facing.

What were your general impressions from other interviews conducted in Indonesia?

Our goal was to assess feelings in Indonesia, from the highest levels of government to the poor and the homeless.

We walked away from that week in Jakarta with a sense that Indonesia is a country about to change.

The President seems serious about affecting change in the country and people are sitting up and taking notice.

Economists are optimistic the government's economic goals are attainable. Corruption is under fire. Market analysts think stocks will continue to gain.

I did get the feeling cutting fuel subsidies will be a troublesome issue for the government as it has been for previous administrations.

We took our cameras into squatter areas in Jakarta to ask the poor how they felt about it. The sense of opposition is very strong. Most of the families in that area make only Rp 300,000 a month per household. They say they don't know how they will survive if fuel prices go up.

What lasting impression stuck in your memory?

The most poignant scene we saw while in Indonesia was of a poor boy wearing a T-shirt with the image of Susilo and Jusuf Kalla on the front. He was not even wearing shoes but he looked so hopeful his life was about to change. --JP