INDONESIA INVITES DIASPORA TO CONTRIBUTE CONCRETELY, POSITIVELY by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 26, 2017 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has pinned high hopes on some eight million members of the Indonesian diaspora living in various countries, as they are viewed as valuable assets and envoys representing the interests of Indonesia.

            In July this year, the fourth Diaspora Congress, organized by the Indonesian Diaspora Network Global (IDN Global), discussed recent issues, including tolerance, diplomacy, business, innovation, and cultural inheritance.

            A month later, the Indonesian Diaspora Global Summit was held for the first time by IDN Global and the Indonesian Diaspora Business Council in Jakarta on Aug 21-22 that focused on three main topics: education and health for Papua and West Papua, contribution of the diaspora to energy savings through the use of cutting-edge technology; as well as protection to the Indonesian diaspora.

           Edward Wanandi, who is in charge of holding the IDN Global Meeting, said the event was organized to exchange ideas between members of the diaspora and national stakeholders for the development of Indonesia.

           "We also want to seek inputs from the Indonesian government regarding the community's needs, so that we can better participate in the development of Indonesia, as sometimes, the things that we consider important are not really needed by our society," he pointed out.

        The Indonesian Government and the people have hoped that the Indonesian diaspora could contribute positively and concretely to national development by using the sciences and knowledge they have obtained overseas.

           "Of course, we hope that the knowledge gained could also be beneficial to the nation," Vice President M Jusuf Kalla said here in his remarks during the Summit opening ceremony.

              Information about Indonesian diaspora, in general, has been positive so far, Kalla noted, adding that what Johannes Marliem had done, causing huge state losses, must not reoccur in the future.

            "Of course, we express our condolences. However, the Indonesian diaspora must not follow what Marliem had done. In fact, he had collaborated to rob the country, causing state losses," the Vice President said, referring to Marliem, a key witness and businessman allegedly involved in the electronic identity (e-ID ) card project corruption case.

            Marliem, an Indonesian who had become US citizen since 2014, reportedly committed suicide in Los Angeles on Aug 8, 2017.

             According to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Marliem's company, PT Biomorf Lone LLC, was the supplier of L-1 automated finger print identification system (AFIS) products used in the e-ID Cards.

             Marliem had reportedly given US$200 thousand to Sugiharto, the then director of the Home Affairs Ministry, as a fee for his company to pass an evaluation to participate in the project procurement.

             Marliem had reportedly gained a total profit amounting to $14.88 million, or Rp25.242 billion, from the project, but he had caused losses worth Rp2.3 trillion to the Indonesian government.

            "Please, do not imitate him (Marliem)," Kalla told Indonesia diaspora members attending the summit.

               The Vice President also called on all members of the Indonesian Diaspora Network to unite in an attempt to develop Indonesia.

         Meanwhile, National Development Planning (Bappenas) Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro has urged the Indonesian diaspora to help boost economic growth in the country.

          "The efforts are intended to make Indonesia a developed and prosperous nation," Bambang Brodjonegoro told the Summit¿s audience.

            Through innovation, research and development, as well as entrepreneurship, the Indonesian diaspora can improve the country's economy.

            "Entrepreneurship is expected to bring foreign investment into Indonesia," he noted.

            Indonesia is currently categorized as a lower middle-income nation, and between 2009 and 2013, the nation had registered an annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 5.8 percent.

            If Indonesia maintains its economic growth at 6.5 percent, the country can avoid the middle-income trap and join the ranks of high-income countries by 2030.      
     IDN Global has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Development Planning Agency in July 2017. The MoU covers several breakthroughs that the diaspora will undertake in Papua and West Papua, such as a boarding school program and the development of telemedicine using an MEO Satellite.

           Herry Utomo, a professor at the Lousiana State University and newly elected president of IDN Global for the 2017-2019 period, has coordinated with 80 Indonesian professors in the US to help mentor and assist in the two programs.

           Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the Indonesian diaspora can help to develop Papua and West Papua, which are both located on Papua Island, through investment in science and technology.

           "Indonesia is currently experiencing a change, as can be seen from the massive development in its various regions. This offers a good momentum for you to invest based on the knowledge you have," he stated.

           The diaspora's contribution to the development of Papua and West Papua is important, considering that the two provinces are still lagging behind despite the government allocating substantial amount of funds for their development.

           In addition, the inefficient use of the budget and the inability of the local government to fulfill the needs of the people have constrained development in Papua and West Papua.

           "(It is not that) we have allocated a small budget for Papua but almost US$10 billion per year for a population of only four million. However, these provinces have not yet progressed due to the lethargy of its local leaders, with most of them spending 50 percent of their time outside Papua," Pandjaitan revealed.

           Hence, he urged the Indonesian diaspora across the globe to be involved in developing vital sectors in both provinces, especially in the education, health, and agriculture sectors.

           The three sectors are expected to be developed through research and technology, which the Indonesian diaspora has mastered.

           "Research in several countries has advanced; for instance, in China, where the government is working with Chinese scientists to bring about innovations and make good products for their country. Probably, we can emulate it," Pandjaitan noted.

           The number of members of the Indonesian diaspora worldwide was higher than those of the Korean and Vietnamese diasporas but lesser than the Indian and Chinese diasporas, Dr Dino Patti Djalal, the then Indonesian ambassador to the US, had stated during the first Congress of the Indonesian Diaspora held in Los Angeles in 2012.

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(T.F001/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 26-08-2017