I

n his article, 'Why so pessimistic about Indonesia?' published in The Jakarta Post on May 14, Putera Satria Sambijautro poured his respect, pride and love for his beloved nation onto the page.

The country does not flourish because of government efforts, but also by the input from such beautiful and awakened minds. Such articles are the outcome of immense love for the motherland and they deserve the highest level of appreciation.

International ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) downgraded Indonesia's economy from 'positive' to 'stable'; this matter is naturally a concern for the people who deeply love Indonesia.

In spite of these ratings, there is great optimism among foreign investors toward Indonesia and that is because the workforce is polite and obedient.

The journalist was correct when he said Indonesia does not really deserve to be left out in the cold by S&P, which chose the Philippines for its investment grade credentials. When foreign investors step into Indonesia, they have 240 million citizens to depend upon for support, whereas in the Philippines, it's only 95 million citizens. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia has the largest economy and is one of the emerging market economies of the world.

Growth in Indonesia accelerated because of the optimistic outlook of its leaders and people. To support this, I would like to quote the former British prime minister, Winston Churchill, 'A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.' So, President Yudhoyono's plea to the people to think from a positive point-of-view will take Indonesia to great heights.

Optimism refuses to believe that the road ends without options. The option here is to ignore S&P's rating and move ahead with confidence and positivity.

Indonesia has a middle class around three times bigger than the Philippines and that guarantees more lucrative business opportunities. Therefore, Indonesia will always be the darling of overseas investors.

Hatta Rajasa, when acting finance minister, requested the people not to blow the issue out of proportion. I feel he is correct because when investors have strong faith in this nation, then why this unwanted gloom?

Investors continue to line up to invest in Indonesia in spite of S&P's rating. The change in the rating did not change the minds of the investors and Indonesia will witness many more eras as the darling of foreign investors.

No rating will be able to deter the wave of investors approaching this marvelous country.

Indu Nandal
Purwakarta, West Java