Young student poses pertinent question at ICT symposium

Kornelius Purba, The Jakarta Post/Laguboti, North Sumatra

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and even Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates might have been impressed had they been present when a young student raised a simple but fundamental question during a two-day international symposium on information and communications technology here on Thursday.

Susilo addressed the symposium earlier on Thursday, while Bill Gates delivered a pre-recorded speech, in which he praised the government's efforts to narrow the digital divide in Indonesia. Microsoft provides technical assistance to the Del Polytechnic of Information, where the symposium was held.

Debora Hutagalung, 18, has just been studying for two months at the five-year-old polytechnic, which is located in remote Laguboti on the shores of Lake Toba in Toba Samosir regency, about 280 kilometers from the North Sumatra capital of Medan.

But her simple question surprised speakers and participants alike at the symposium titled "Maintaining Good Governance Through the Use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)".

"Can't we have good governance without ICT?" Debora asked the speakers, including State Minister of Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman, Bank Indonesia Senior Deputy Governor Miranda Gultom and Henk Sol, a professor from Groningen University in the Netherlands.

Most of the speakers expressed confidence that ICT would be a key, if not the only key, to creating good governance in Indonesia, one of the world's most corrupt nations.

Kusmayanto emphasized the strategic role of ICT in enhancing the government's efforts to achieve good governance.

Meanwhile, Miranda pointed out that IT applications "help banks to improve information quality on borrowers and loan applicant in order to help instill good governance principles in decision-making processes".

In his speech, President Susilo said ICT had played a vital role in helping the government in the war against three major enemies: corruption, terrorism and drug trafficking.

He also echoed Debora's question, saying that ICT alone was far from enough for achieving good governance. "We need to change our mind-sets," the President added.

Minister Kusmayanto lauded Debora for her question, while the Del Polytechnic of Information's founder, Gen. (ret) Luhut Panjaitan, was also effusive in his praise.

"I am proud of you, Debora. You have reminded us that ICT is only a tool for achieving good governance," said Kusmayanto, a former rector of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).

Ilham Habibie, a technology expert and son of former president B.J. Habibie, told Debora that ICT was only a tool and it would not work if the people did not change their mind-sets

Singapore's Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Information, Communications, Arts and Health, Balaji Sadasivan, indirectly responded to Debora's concerns during the second session on Thursday.

In his speech, he said ICT has played a decisive role in accelerating the efforts of Singapore -- one of the world's most corruption-free nations -- to provide better services to its citizens and the business world.

"We now consider our citizens to be our customers," Sadasivan noted smiling.

Gen. Panjaitan, a former Indonesian ambassador to Singapore and former industry and trade minister, established the polytechnic in 2001 in his hometown.

It offers D-3 programs for poor but high-achieving students from North Sumatra. Tuition fees only cost Rp 1 million (US$100) per semester. In 1998, it enrolled 50 students while this year it has registered 75 new students.

On Thursday, the polytechnic signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with ITB and Groningen University. Most of the polytechnic's lecturers are ITB graduates.