February 20, 2025 | 12:17 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, chairperson of the National Economic Council (DEN) and former Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, has spoken out about the 'Indonesia Gelap' or 'Dark Indonesia' protests, which criticize the policies of President Prabowo Subianto's government.
"If anyone says Indonesia [is shrouded in] darkness, the darkness is within you, not within Indonesia," said Luhut during The Economic Insights 2025 event in Jakarta on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, as quoted by Antara.
He mentioned that people should be proud to be Indonesians, especially since the country has developed well to date.
"Some people say there's a lack of job opportunities here. Where is this shortage? America also has such a problem, every nation has its own problems," said Luhut.
He further stressed that the public should avoid dwelling excessively on the nation's shortcomings, and instead, acknowledge and appreciate its existing strengths.
Luhut cited an example, mentioning that young Indonesian talents are currently developing digital systems at the state-owned money printing, Peruri. Peruri has been mandated by the government to facilitate government digital services or government technology (govtech).
This example, according to him, is a testament to Indonesia's potential that needs to be appreciated by the public. "They say they are proud to be Indonesians because they see hope that their abilities are being put to this meaningful use."
Furthermore, Luhut argued that conditions in Indonesia are much better. Among other reasons, he pointed to the absence of homeless people. This is in stark contrast to the United States, which is grappling with a significant homelessness crisis.
"So, let's not just focus on what's lacking, on what we perceive as inadequate. There are many shortcomings, of course, and it's our responsibility to address them. We are on the right path to fix these issues," said Luhut.
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