The Jakarta Post
Wrapped in the traditional black and golden garb of the people of East Nusa Tenggara, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo made a big ask when he gave his annual state of the nation address in the chambers of the People’s Consultative Assembly in Jakarta on Friday. He asked the people to support his massive development drive, even in the midst of an unfurling multidimensional crisis. “Our current goal is not only to escape the pandemic but also to get through the crisis. We are taking measures to take a big leap by making the most of the ongoing crisis,” Jokowi said. In his speech, held to commemorate Indonesia’s 75th Independence Day that falls on Monday, the President acknowledged that, like most countries in the world today, Indonesia was facing one of the worst economic crises in history, due to a pandemic that has killed nearly 800,000 people g...