Indonesia and Globalisation according to Amin Rais

Indonesia and globalization according to Amin Rais. Book Title : Selamatkan Indonesia (Save Indonesia). Author : Amin Rais Ph.D Publisher : PPSK, Yogyakarta, 2010. Amin Rais is an influential scholar and Muslim leader in Indonesia. He got his Ph.D degree from Chicago University. Today he is a professor of international relations in Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta. He is also a former chairman of Muhammadiyya, the second biggest Muslim organization in Indonesia. Once he was the chairman of Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat (People’s Consultative Assembly – the most powerful state body in the Indonesian bicameral legislature at the time). He was also the chairman of Partai Amanat Nasional (National Mandate Party). In the presidential election in 2004 he was one of the front runners but he was defeated by Susilo Bambang Udoyono. Amin is a well known critic to the government since the era of President Soeharto. He was the one behind the reform movement, known as reformasi in Indonesian language that overthrew President Soeharto in 1998. This time Amin once again criticizes the present government by writing a book with the above title. Amin believes that history repeat itself. Indonesia was once a colony of the Dutch and Japanese. Today Amin said Indonesia is a colony of global powers. The format is different of course, because there is no foreign army occupying Indonesia but the substance is similar. Indonesia loses its sovereignty over its resources. Foreign domination is so strong that Indonesia is weak in terms of economy, diplomacy and military power. In the past Indonesia was a victim of corporatocracy. This is a combination of government, banks, intellectual, press, and corporate forces to exploit Indonesia. Today globalization opens the way for the same old story. Globalization works best for developed countries but it means economic imperialism for developing countries. But Amin also believes that globalization will weaken and it will works against developed countries as well. He cited many experts who criticize globalization. He further explains how corporatocracy works in international politics and how developing countries like Brazil, Venezuela, and Nicaragua response to it. Amin also presented how Indonesia suffers great losses from the case of mining, trade and investment. He concludes that what happened in Indonesia is state captured corruption. State capture corruption is manifested in purchase of various decree and law by corporate sectors and abuse of power. Corporations through the ruling government can purchase law, dictate contract in mining, banking, education, health, water supply and others. Government is just the expansion of corporations. Consequently the state wealth, including its natural resources is exploited for many years with the help of legislation, rationalization and justification of government. This is what happened in Indonesia. In the last part of the book Amin offers a series of action to overcome the problem. He believes that Indonesia still have abundance of potentials. If those potentials are managed wisely, Indonesia will be able to overcome its problems and become a great nation. Amin Rais is academician and politician. His double position makes him difficult to make an objective judgment on politics. As a politician he has his own interest that may become his obstacle to achieve objectivity. I believe there are some elements of truth in his thesis but I believe he is not fully objective. Perhaps he wants to shape public opinion that he is the one who can find solution to Indonesia’s problems. But apart from this subjectivity, I am sure that this is a good book. It gives a clear picture of problems in Indonesian politics today. He also gives a clear example that politicians should express their ideas in a book. He is one of the few Indonesian politicians who can express ideas in a good book. I believe that this book is worth translating into English. (Bambang Udoyono, Indonesian writer)