Singapore’s iconic Merlion statue was damaged by lightning during a thunderstorm. The statue has an Indonesian connection. The lion’s head symbolizes the founding of Singapore by an Indonesian prince, Parameswara of the Palembang Kingdom in 1490. It was said that he was sleeping under a tree when a creature resembling a lion awoke him. He named the place: Singa Pura, Lion City.
Although some may find Singapore a bit boring or perceive it as a favorite refuge for our corruptors, it is hard not to love the city-state for its excellent airport, public transportation system, smooth traffic flow, well-maintained trees and gardens, clean environment, cheap and good food, its reputation as one of the safest places in the world and its high educational standards.
No wonder thousands of Indonesians opt to study here. A heartbreaking report from this closest neighbor came in early in the week that an Indonesian student had fallen to his death from a building on his campus after allegedly stabbing his professor.
David Hartanto Widjaja, 21, is said to be in his final year at the Nanyang Technological University and had good academic records. As a high school student, he once won an award in an international mathematics competition.
This is a tragic story although it is not totally unusual in centers of excellence throughout the world. Our heartfelt condolences go to David’s parents and sympathy to professor Chan and his family as well as to the university community during this difficult time.
Elsewhere, a different kind of lightning has struck. Automobile production in Japan dropped by a record 41 percent year-on-year in January, the sharpest decline in 40 years. Its vehicle shipments to the United States dropped by a quarter and those to Europe by a half. About half a million temporary workers will have lost their jobs in the year to April as battered companies slash their payrolls.
In Thailand, Southeast Asian economic ministers ratified a major free trade agreement with Australia and New Zealand. This region will have a combined population of more than 600 million people and a GDP of more than US$2 trillion.
The grim economic meltdown did not spare Australia as its economy shrank for the first time in eight years. Its GDP fell 0.5 percent last quarter from the third quarter, when it rose 0.1 percent.
At home, Indonesia’s exports dropped 36 percent to $7.15 billion, its lowest level in 22 years as demand dives. Gas and oil exports dropped by almost 24 percent to around $947 million compared to the previous month, while nonoil exports declined by 16.7 percent to $6.2 billion.
The country’s exports have been continuously declining for the last four months.
The World Islamic Forum called for the development of Islamic finance and banking as an alternative to the discredited Wall Street model of doing business. The call, made by the 1,550 delegates from 38 countries in the Jakarta meeting, cannot be better timed as the global economic crisis punishes one country after another. They asked the Islamic Development Bank to take the lead in promoting Islamic finance.
On the political sphere, the temperature is rising ahead of the April 9 legislature elections. The trigger was a controversy over a new regulation to allow double marking on ballots. The regulation that also allows updating of the permanent voter list was signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono only days before the House of Representatives went into recess from March 3 to April 19.
Critics bemoaned the fact that the government regulation-in-lieu-of-law No. 1/2009 has failed to provide clarity over how to mark ballots. They claimed the regulation could also be used to benefit certain parties by allowing new names to be included in the list.
Meantime, legislators earned the public’s ire when only 100 out of 550 House members were present at Tuesday’s plenary session, the end of their 45-day sitting period. It is no secret most of them made a swing tour to the regions campaigning for the legislature elections which are drawing near.
Political temperature surged as 20 legislators filed an inquiry into the Rp3.3 trillion (US$300 million) worth of surplus from the oil subsidy. They represent seven factions in the House, including one from the Golkar Party, and accused Yudhoyono of violating Law No. 41/2008 on the national budget.
The President, they said, had misled the public. Alvin Lie, a legislator from the National Mandate Party, said the President must explain to the public that the reason premium gasoline prices dropped in December was due to a global decrease in oil prices, not to his success as President.
The government has cut gasoline prices three times since December 2008.
As some legislators play politics, at least one seems to be busy making money.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested another lawmaker suspected of taking bribes. Abdul Hadi Djamal is the ninth legislator arrested by the commission since December 2007. Djamal, a legislator from the National Mandate Party, was caught red-handed Monday night with $90,000 and Rp54 million in his possession. The party responded by revoking his membership.
The arrest came only six days after the KPK signed a pact with leaders of the 38 political parties competing in the national election and six other parties running for seats in the Aceh elections agreeing to fight corruption.
Djamal and his fellow legislators have demonstrated the wide gap between words and deeds.
— Harry Bhaskara
