"So many problems in Indonesia can be solved if there's political will, but I keep laughing about how we shoot ourselves in the foot because we would do some good things, and then we’d do things to hurt ourselves. There's a lot of blaming that shifts around. There's also a lot of victim play. So much of the issue lies in communication. We’re not necessarily known to be the most optimized when it comes to communicating efficiently and effectively, and that's been a big problem for a long time because of how short a time frame people think. That's also common with other countries. People always think it's just a democratic situation because people have to be elected, but it’s also common with emerging markets, just like new economies, new types of worlds, and new types of communities. That's common because no one has a stronghold yet in a very solid and real way." - Gita Sjahrir
"When people look at passports, it's not just about access to countries. In the past, there were questions about national security. If an Indonesian is a dual citizen, how do we know where their nationalism lies? What we realize these days is that with a changing world and changing trends in technology, threats are not necessarily coming out of just that one individual or group. It could also be cyber attacks. So a lot of countries must look inward and ask the question, will the policies that served me decades ago continue serving me decades later? And for Indonesia, when you think about the brain drain problem and the need for talent today in our very rapidly growing economy, then that becomes a question worth pondering." - Gita Sjahrir
"In our world today, there are questions about double standards when it comes to the moral high ground. What is considered to not be fair by a lot of parts of the world? If the West says that is the way it goes, and that's fair, then it almost becomes a standard. And that’s why a lot of Southeast Asian countries are in our own world, in a way, because we also don't want to be taken and dictated by a lot of other influences and powers. In Indonesia, there’s so much pressure from the West about, the country’s relationship with China. We're on the same continent, and if the Chinese are willing to work together with us, collaborate, skill transfer, and do things that are productive together, what's wrong with that? That’s where things are. Just because someone has an enemy, we're almost always getting dragged." - Gita Sjahrir
In this episode, Jeremy Au speaks on Indonesia: Prabowo on Western 'Double Standards', Jakarta City Master Plan, and Microsoft $1.7B investment with Gita Sjahrir.
Keywords: Indonesia, Prabowo on Western Double Standards, Jakarta City Master Plan, Microsoft $1.7B Investment, Gita Sjahrir, Indonesia, VC, Women, Thought Leadership
