And of course, “new normal” has become part of our daily lexicon since the coronavirus pandemic, along with work from home (WFH), online schooling, social distancing, wearing masks and frequent handwashing. However, most people aren’t feeling so positive toward this new way of life, with feelings ranging from acceptance to resignation, to frustration, anxiety, depression and severe mental stress.

What if the word “new” is applied to a political system? Well, those of us who lived 32 years under the repressive New Order regime (1966-1998) are wary of the word “new”.

Soeharto, Indonesia’s second president, assumed power after the alleged communist coup in 1965 and called his rule the “New Order” to distinguish it from the Sukarno regime, retroactively named the “Old Order” by the so-called “smiling general”.

Then recently, I came across the term “new despotism” used to refer to a number of world leaders, including President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Really? Many, myself included, have known for a few years that democracy has been sliding under his presidency, but to call him a despot? That’s a bit extreme, I thought.

I got my aha moment last month, when I came across “The New Despotism and the Decline of Democracy” webinar, the 10th in the 100 Social and Political Scientists Forum discussion series of the Institute for Social and Economic Research, Education and Information (LP3ES).

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