OPINION

Several days ago, I was interviewed by Rosianna Silalahi from Kompas Television, discussing my four new books recently published by Kompas Gramedia Publisher. The first, “My Story as a teacher and educator”, written in English, as I lectured in the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, and S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. The second, “Pasang Surut Kehidupan” a biodata in Indonesian, the third “Pondering Issues in a World full of Risks and Uncertainties”, a collection of 31 columns written in English, and the last one, “Tantangan dan Peluang Pembangunan Nasional”, a collection of 25 columns written in Indonesian.

There seems to be a competition going on for good cause between the US FED Jerome Powell and his colleagues, and Christian Laggard of the ECB, with her colleagues across the Atlantic. This time the ECB seems to be a little ahead in the game of controlling inflation, and the Board members have started talking about programs to cut interest rates. Meanwhile, Jerome Powell still feels the need to make an official statement that the fight against inflation looks promising. This is certainly the good news that everyone likes to hear and keep healthy. 

On March 22 2024, activity for the Promotion of Indonesia’s Best Experience in the field of Sign Language Literacy was carried out online for the first time, at the forum of the Islamic Cooperation Organization/OIC Subsidiary Body, namely, the Islamic University for Technology/IUT which is headquartered in the City of Ghaziabad-Dhaka-Bangladesh. This online promotional activity was attended by a number of students taking Engineering study programs at undergraduate and graduate levels, attended by at least 89 participants coming from a number of OIC countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Bangladesh. 

“Prabowo-Gibran: “We will fix what needs to be fixed. We will enforce what needs to be enforced, and we are determined to eradicate corruption at its roots.” 

Debates about the State Budget (APBN) always arise at the time national leadership changes. In 2014, discussions regarding cuts in fuel subsidies and infrastructure budgets emerged when President Jokowi began his first term as President. However, in the last decade, regardless of the many ups and downs, Indonesia has admirably survived 2014-2024, despite various challenges. 

Why is ultimum remedium (the last means or last remedy) of the Criminal Law, which has been known for centuries, still used as a reference when several sanctions are available in a legal incident? One example is in the case of buying and selling which is covered by an agreement, where one of the parties commits a breach of contract or an act against the law. 

Before October 7 and the IDF’s siege of Gaza in its war against Hamas the future was shining bright for Israel. Its wealth of human capital and high-tech industries justly earned kudos from around the world. Even its erstwhile and fiercest enemies in the Middle East were ready to open a new chapter in their relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. As one American foreign policy expert put it, there appeared to be a more promising future not only for Israel but the entire region, as well. 

Two days ago, we passed a milestone. 57 years ago, Indonesia witnessed a very important change of the country’s leadership, from former President Soekarno who had been in office since the Proclamation of our Independence on August 17, 1945, to a new leader, General Soeharto, Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic in charge of security and defense, and thus who was anointed by a decree issued on March 11 by President Soekarno, to be the new President and the Supreme Commander.

The 2024 General Election on February 14 still leaves interesting stories to recount. One of those stories would be the engagement of people with mental disabilities in voting. The General Election Commission (KPU) of Indonesia has allowed people with mental disabilities (ODGJ) to vote, which has posed a challenge for election organizers in various regions. The Permanent Voter List (DPT) includes 264,594 people with mental disabilities, out of 1.1 million disabled people eligible to vote in the 2024 election. 

Campaign promises to improve the quality of Indonesian human resources were rife during the last election. The free lunch and milk program for students throughout Indonesia should be put under a spotlight, as it is going to require a monumental sum of money to make a reality. 

The National Capital of Nusantara, abbreviated "IKN," viewing itself as the "World City for All," possesses a vision of becoming a symbol of national identity, a sustainable global metropolis, and a driving force in Indonesia's future economy. Transportation planning is thus a critical factor in support of convenient access and mobility for those traversing the city as well as the logistics of IKN. As an environmentally friendly public transportation option, water transportation tops the choices to improve IKN access. The use of water transportation is expected to reduce pressure on land routes, while also presenting a tourist alternative.