Indonesians: Indonesians wait to vote at the Indonesian consulate in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on July 5. (Antara/Tri Saputro)" border="0" height="400" width="600">Indonesians: Indonesians wait to vote at the Indonesian consulate in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on July 5. (Antara/Tri Saputro)

Outside Indonesia, enthusiasm for the July 9 presidential election was unusually high, with Joko “Jokowi” Widodo garnering 86 percent of the overseas votes in Australia in the two-horse race.

Following the final count announcement on July 22 of the 2014 presidential election in and the declaration that Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s 53 percent of the total vote beat Prabowo Subianto’s 47 percent — Indonesians living in Australia had a cause for celebration.

“We cease to be a number in the eyes of the elite. We are now able to monitor the vote counting,” Fenty Forsyth, a multi-cultural activist in Brisbane, told The Jakarta Post.

“As a member of society I feel honored that my vote counts toward the future of the nation.”

Agnes Sumargi, a psychology student who has just earned her PhD from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, says she was elated that so many people were longing for change.

“I wish to have a leader who is righteous, modest and hard working for the sake of the people,” she said.

For Fenty, this election was filled with something new: hope. “It is definitely different from previous years. Gone is voter apathy,” said the election volunteer.

Yenny Tjoe, a PhD candidate at Griffith University, Brisbane, says she truly admires the professionalism of the General Elections Commission (KPU).

“I have no doubts about the July 22 final count,” says Yenny, who is lecturers in international business at the university.

She calls the election the most creative in Indonesian history because it involved so many volunteers and technology was utilized so voters could share information, ideas and monitor the process as a whole.

“The election sends a message to the world that democracy in Indonesia is a step ahead of other ASEAN countries,” says Yenny whose research focuses on values of traditional communities in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Tintin Farihatini who has just earned a PhD in environment and dentistry at Griffith University, Brisbane, says that the elections have steadily improved with every iteration.

“This is a process of a maturing nation,” she said.

“During the Soeharto days, ‘free and secretive’ voting was mere jargon,” she says.

“I am truly grateful that we now have the freedom to choose without being concerned about losing our jobs,” Tintin says.

Indonesians: Indonesians wait to vote at the Indonesian consulate in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on July 5. (Antara/Tri Saputro)

Outside Indonesia, enthusiasm for the July 9 presidential election was unusually high, with Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo garnering 86 percent of the overseas votes in Australia in the two-horse race.

Following the final count announcement on July 22 of the 2014 presidential election in and the declaration that Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s 53 percent of the total vote beat Prabowo Subianto'€™s 47 percent '€” Indonesians living in Australia had a cause for celebration.

'€œWe cease to be a number in the eyes of the elite. We are now able to monitor the vote counting,'€ Fenty Forsyth, a multi-cultural activist in Brisbane, told The Jakarta Post.

'€œAs a member of society I feel honored that my vote counts toward the future of the nation.'€

Agnes Sumargi, a psychology student who has just earned her PhD from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, says she was elated that so many people were longing for change.

'€œI wish to have a leader who is righteous, modest and hard working for the sake of the people,'€ she said.

For Fenty, this election was filled with something new: hope. '€œIt is definitely different from previous years. Gone is voter apathy,'€ said the election volunteer.

Yenny Tjoe, a PhD candidate at Griffith University, Brisbane, says she truly admires the professionalism of the General Elections Commission (KPU).

'€œI have no doubts about the July 22 final count,'€ says Yenny, who is lecturers in international business at the university.

She calls the election the most creative in Indonesian history because it involved so many volunteers and technology was utilized so voters could share information, ideas and monitor the process as a whole.

'€œThe election sends a message to the world that democracy in Indonesia is a step ahead of other ASEAN countries,'€ says Yenny whose research focuses on values of traditional communities in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Tintin Farihatini who has just earned a PhD in environment and dentistry at Griffith University, Brisbane, says that the elections have steadily improved with every iteration.

'€œThis is a process of a maturing nation,'€ she said.

'€œDuring the Soeharto days, '€˜free and secretive'€™ voting was mere jargon,'€ she says.

'€œI am truly grateful that we now have the freedom to choose without being concerned about losing our jobs,'€ Tintin says.

Members: Members of the Indonesian community in Brisbane hold a teleconference with anti-corruption activist Teten Masduki prior to the 2014 presidential election. (JP/Harry Bhaskara)
Tintin said she admired the KPU and was proud of Brisbane'€™s Indonsain community for their enthusiasm.

'€œOur concerns about their alleged apathy evaporated overnight,'€ she says.

The election, according to Febriana Sidjaja, a PhD candidate at University Queensland'€™s School of Psychology, would go down in history.

'€œIt was the only time we have seen Indonesian students abroad upbeat and happy to volunteer. Thanks to the election, I made a lot of friends,'€ she says.

Many voiced concern over the practice of malicious campaigning; with some saying it had no place in civilized society.

 '€œThe fact is that it is easy to divide Indonesia '€” to pit people against one another '€” is a chronic disease that has to be cured. It is not easy but it is not impossible,'€ Fenty says.

Agnes says the open and free election had unleashed the creative potential of the nation.

'€œSo many talented people were inspired by the election judging from the songs, pictures, writings and critical ideas they produced,'€ she says. '€œI was astounded by the sheer number of people who care about and love their country.'€

Almaududy Amri, a PhD student at Wollongong University, near Sydney, whose research focuses on maritime security in Southeast Asia, says the final result of the election mirrored the mood of the people.

Prabowo is contesting the result through the Constitutional Court, believing that the election was marred with fraud.

Tintin says she hopes the legal channel will be part of a process toward a more mature nation.

'€œAs a lesson learned for political rights rather than something that would split the nation apart,'€ she says, '€œideally Prabowo would be broad-minded enough to concede defeat.'€

Yenny says she knew the Prabowo camp had claimed that it was cheated out of a win but after an extensive search she was convinced that the KPU results were genuine.

Wisnu Wijaya, a PhD candidate at Queensland University of Technology'€™s School of Information Systems, says that win or lose is a fact in an election.

'€œHas Jokowi won? No. He is not the victor. The victor is democracy, people'€™s participation and the election'€™s transparency.'€

'€œHas Prabowo lost? No. He is not the loser and he did not have to call it quit. Life is a game after all. Why should one quit a game?'€

Wisnu'€™s comment is shared by Suharto, a PhD candidate at Griffith Health Institute'€™s School of Human Services and Social Work.

Suharto says he was particularly impressed by Jokowi and his running mate Jusuf Kalla'€™s catchphrase.

'€œForget number one, forget number two, we are now number three,'€ Suharto quoted Jokowi referring to the number of the candidates'€™ tickets. Number three refers to '€œsalam tiga jari'€ (three-finger greeting) for the unity of Indonesia.

Suharto acknowledged Jokowi'€™s phenomenal rise from the mayor of the Central Java town of Surakarta to Jakarta governor and now president-elect.

'€œHe is truly the people'€™s president. People from all levels of society, rich and poor, lined up to give donations to his campaign,'€ he says.

Febriana says she was initially concerned about a possible riot should the July 22 real count be different from the July 10 quick count.

'€œFortunately, it all went peacefully,'€ she says, '€œI am really upbeat about the election outcome.'€

Ratna Sulastin, a housewife who lives in Perth, Western Australia, says although an Indonesian president is not a king, she or he has the tendency to have an absolute power because of the entrenched culture of '€œsungkan'€ (reluctant to oppose one'€™s superior).

'€œThis is the reason why a presidential candidate needs to be free from criminal issues,'€ says Ratna in a veiled reference to Prabowo who has issues with human rights violations in the past.

Candidates also need to learn that an election does not have to be won in a landslide, she says.

'€œAs far as I can remember there has never been a landslide in the election in Australia,'€ says Ratna, who has lived in Australia for more than 30 years.

Ratna said she thought Indonesians were more obsessed with appearances than the mental health of a presidential candidate.

'€œI was disappointed at the outset when someone with past human rights issues made it to the candidacy. How could this happen?'€

Fenty says a friend of her, Suprianto, who is a lecturer in East Java town of Malang, expressed her feeling well when he wrote: '€œPeople on the street like me will not become a top government official overnight following Jokowi'€™s victory. Instead, we will return to our usual jobs.

'€œBut my heart is filled with utter gratefulness because money, appearance and a coalition of political forces is powerless in the face of the strength of conscience, self-determined attitude and sincerity,'€ he said in a clear reference to Jokowi.

'€œI am also grateful,'€ Suprianto continued, '€œthat the incessant fanning of racial and religious sentiment has barely had an impact. This is a sign that our nation is maturing and slowly becoming politically smart.'€