Originally published in The Jakarta Post on Nov. 28, 2017. Aware that President Joko "Jokowi is an ardent fan of heavy metal, visiting Denmark Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen gave him a box-set of Metallica's seminal record Master of Puppets during a bilateral meeting at the Bogor Palace on Tuesday afternoon. The gift surprised Jokowi, who considered it an unusual souvenir. In return, Jokowi, gave Rasmussen a rencong (traditional dagger from Aceh). "Prime Minister Rasmussen … [Read more...]
Jokowi-Kalla administration: Three years of moving forward
Originally published in The Jakarta Post on Nov. 14, 2017. These last few years have seen Indonesia experiencing diverse changes. Some of these changes are critical in paving the way for the country’s development in the years to come. As the World Bank recently reported, Indonesia’s Ease of Doing Business (EODB 2018) saw a momentous increase, moving up to 72 from 106 in 2016. Since sworn in on October 20, 2014, President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, assisted by their … [Read more...]