A breath of fresh air

I have always admired the new president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, who was elected to the highest office of his country after serving as the mayor of Surakarta and the governer of Jakarta. The majority voted him in helping him edge out his opponent who disputed the results and withdrew from the race before the count was completed. Since then, Widodo has run a strict and clean government and began healthcare and education programs similar to what he had started while in local government.

Alongside President Widodo, I really respect the way the government is run in Indonesia. There is much transparency and corruption is not tolerated the way it is here. It’s possible that this is because they have stricter sanctions then we do and that says a lot. I’ve written in previous pieces that people who commit crimes and are not properly and severely punished (as is the case with so many here in the country) just serve to embolden others to feel that they too can “get away with murder,” so-to-speak.

I recently just returned from a small family reunion in Bali, Indonesia and I was highly impressed with how the local government officials run the city-state and the efficiency I experienced while we were there. Our driver cum tourist guide was constantly by our side showing us the different historic sites, wide open clean and green public spaces, as well as bargain basement shopping centers in the capital. Even just from simple sight seeing around the area we could see how well maintained it is and get a glimpse of their discipline. Bali remains part of Indonesia and is a veritable tolerant melting pot of a variety of cultures and religions. We encountered Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims living harmoniously together, which is definitely nice to see for a change.

In Indonesia the president is elected to a term of office of five years with the possibility of re-election for an additional five years for a total of ten years as president. I actually think this is a good amount of time because it gives the president time to truly ensure his programs and policies are implemented and carried out with follow through. However, it can be scary as well if the president is not a good leader or is corrupt as it just gives them more time to “steal from the country.” However, in President Widodo’s case that is not a concern, as he is a good and strong president with concrete ideas for Indonesia.

One of his promises to his countrymen is to be able to bring back the Indonesians who are working abroad and give them a chance to create their futures at home. That’s something that deserves deep thought and reflection, especially for the Philippines as we have a big chunk of our population working abroad. While the exposure to different cultures and different working environments is good for us and can help us expand and broaden our horizons, it’s also sad that we are losing so many of our talented Filipinos because they can’t find a sustainable work here at home. And while they are boosting the economy by bringing home their hard earned dollars and other international currencies, it is also hard for them to be away from their families for such long periods of time slaving away at their jobs alone. Perhaps aiming to help bring our fellow Filipinos home too is something we should be looking into as well.

We can truly learn a lot from our neighbors when it comes to different policies and programs that might benefit the country. After all, leaders around the world all do things differently and can certainly learn from one another. Another aspect of President Widodo that I can respect is his courage and fortitude to punish drug dealers. He has firmly told other countries not to intervene in the executions planned for several drug dealers caught trying to smuggle deadly drugs out of the country, reminding them that it is the country’s sovereign right to punish those convicted as per their laws.

I definitely respect his strength considering several countries including Australia, Brazil, and the Netherlands have tried to seek clemency for their citizens who are set to be executed on drug charges in Indonesia including veiled threats of protest should he proceed with the ruling. While I am not saying he is right in pushing this forward despite international pleading, I do respect the courage it takes to stick to his guns – something not often done in our now “politically correct” world.

I can’t definitively say the Indonesian president is right in pushing forward with the punishment, but I do think it’s important to respect the laws of their country. After all, they have a clear stance on drug trafficking and those who were convicted broke their laws. I also can’t fault the other countries though for making a plea for their countrymen. That is also their right. Though they should take into consideration what their countrymen did to get themselves convicted in the first place. I can’t help but feel that sometimes our own country’s tax pesos would be better spent on uplifting the lives of our law-abiding citizens here at home than funding another trip for our Vice President to China, Malaysia, or any other country to plead for clemency for those convicted of drug trafficking.