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Mr ‘Not Today’ takes on new role as face of investment
Thomas Lembong (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)After a year in top government posts, it seems Thomas Lembong is still getting used to the spotlight
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Thomas Lembong (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
After a year in top government posts, it seems Thomas Lembong is still getting used to the spotlight.
Thomas, better known by his nickname Tom, is a successful businessman with many connections. He joined President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s economic team in August last year as trade minister before being reassigned on Wednesday to lead the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) in a Cabinet reshuffle.
Tom, who speaks English more fluently than Indonesian, has lived overseas for much of his life and owns a private equity firm based in Singapore.
The father of two is notoriously tight-lipped and private when it comes to his job. During his tenure at the Trade Ministry, he led the office with a notably different style to that of his predecessors.
When approached by journalists, Tom, surrounded by bodyguards and staffers, would avoid answering questions by simply saying, “not today” or “next time”.
Such an approach was different to Gita Wirjawan, for example, who led the ministry from 2011 to 2014. Gita was approachable and would make time to answer journalists’ questions, making him a media darling.
During his tenure, the ministry often held press conferences and provided data and information to the media. Gita’s subordinates were encouraged to speak to journalists.
Similarly, Muhammad Lutfi, who served in 2014, was known to be friendly and sociable to the media.
However, the Trade Ministry seemed to take a U-turn when Tom took office last year. The media received little to no information from the ministry, and officials frequently refused to speak to local media, encouraging reporters to “ask Pak Tom” instead.
Even amid food price hikes before and during Ramadhan, Tom refused to comment on the matter. The ministry later held a joint press conference with the Agriculture Ministry, where he finally issued a statement.
Tom’s new post at the BKPM, however, requires him to be more open, according to Padjajaran University communications expert Deddy Mulyana.
The BKPM is the government’s front-line investment institution with a challenging task of bringing in more investors and providing a business-friendly climate. Like Cabinet ministers, the BKPM chief also has budgetary authority.
It is an interesting coincidence that Lutfi and Gita previously led the agency in the 2005-2009 and
2009-2012 periods, respectively.
Deddy acknowledged that Tom was a seasoned businessman, which would greatly help him at the BKPM. However, Tom must change the way he communicates and develop a more open approach, he said.
“This job requires communication skills. Business skills are not enough,” Deddy told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Thursday.
Tom, however, seems to be more comfortable sharing his ideas in English. Australian journalist Greg Sheridan, for example, described Tom as a “high-energy, fast-talking” minister after a conversation with him earlier this year.
Tom’s predecessor at the board, Franky Sibarani, is known to be outspoken and open with the media.
In a handover ceremony on Thursday, Franky highlighted the importance of the BKPM connecting with the media.
“I always try to share BKPM progress with journalists,” said Franky, who was reassigned as deputy industry minister during the reshuffle.
When asked if he would change his communication style, Tom said he needed time to adjust to the new workplace and would remain in contact with Franky for consultation.
“Give me time to improve [my communication style],” he said.
The BKPM is aiming to see Rp 594.8 trillion (US$45.3 billion) of investment come into the country in 2016, up by 9 percent from Rp 545.4 trillion booked last year.
The agency reported on Wednesday that realized investment for the January-June period had reached “half of the full-year target” and said it was upbeat about reaching the full-year target.
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