House Speaker condemns FSI study

House of Representatives’ Speaker Marzuki Alie has questioned the credibility of the Washington, DC-based Fund for Peace after it placed Indonesia on the threshold of being a failed state in its 2012 Failed State Index (FSI).

"The indicators are unclear because they contradict the fact that Indonesia's economy is growing. I myself had never heard anything about the organization before," Marzuki told reporters at the House on Thursday.

He added that Indonesia should be aware of some countries that possibly envied the country's continuous development, which more than likely influenced the results of the FSI.

"It's true that there are still gaps in this country in terms of the economy, but that doesn't mean that Indonesia is a failed nation. Such gaps are a call for every Indonesian to work for the country," Marzuki said.

A recent study by the non-profit organization Fund for Peace put Indonesia in 63rd place out of 178 countries surveyed worldwide, using 12 social, economic and political indicators of pressure on the state, along with over 100 subindicators including uneven development, state legitimacy and group grievances.

Indonesia ranked 64th on the FSI last year.