Tough Times

The Jakarta Post - WEEKENDER   |  Tue, 05/19/2009 7:19 PM  |  Editor's Note

The global financial crisis has rocked the world, and its effects are being felt in these parts, too. A onetime favorite restaurant in Kuningan, South Jakarta, closed its doors recently due to poor business, a few friends of friends have lost their jobs and media report a downturn in ad placements after the brouhaha of the election campaign. 

But it’s still hard to figure out the real impact of the crisis on Indonesia, as contributing writer Maggie Tiojakin finds in the cover story this month.  Some are saying that its effects will not be too severe, because the local economy is more reliant on global powerhouse China than the U.S. Others are sounding a more cautionary note, warning that the crisis this time is unlike anything we have experienced before, including the 1998 regional downturn.

Indonesia has been through a lot in its young history and continues to endure, much like the venerable Taman Sari restaurant that we profile in this issue. It is also planning to change with the times, while still retaining its classic core. Whatever happens, survival is the name of the game.

- Bruce Emond

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