“I see that the minds of these people are narrow, […] always scared, only living their lives full of suspicion, unable to bear with people who are different [from them], unable to associate with people who are different. They are an alarming future. I am not scared of challenges to debate,” Sri Mulyani said in a speech late on Monday in front of hundreds of alumnae of the Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) higher education scholarship, as reported by kompas.com.

Previously, former Coordinating Maritime Affairs minister Rizal Ramli had challenged Sri Mulyani to a debate about Indonesia’s foreign debt and the country’s management of the state budget.

Sri Mulyani, however, did not specify the names of the "narrow-minded" people she was referring to.

She said the LPDP alumnae were the future of Indonesia, and urged them to make their voices heard.

“This country is in your hands. So if today there are people complaining ‘Ibu Sri Mulyani’s state budget is full of foreign debt’, I challenge you to make your voice heard, give your voice of reason. I am not scared of anything, but I am scared of people's way of thinking, especially the younger generation, who sometimes refuse to be open-minded,” she said.  (dwa)

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