Just days after an assessment showing that about a quarter of his ministers have missed their performance targets, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday launched a “situation room” to keep an even closer eye on their work.

“I often tell you that running the government in our country should be based on a credible system and management,” Yudhoyono said during a test run of the Rp 8 billion [$880,000] “situation room” at the Presidential Palace.

The room features several big screens that can display the progress of government programs using the Geographic Information System and a real-time map.

Yudhoyono said that the facilities would help the government monitor and speed up its priority programs. They would also help leaders address problem quickly by providing continuous, updated monitoring.

“A decision maker should be able to make decisions day or night, whether at the location or during local or foreign trips,” Yudhoyono said. “A president will be able to make decisions while traveling here or in foreign countries.

“The wheels of the government should not stop moving due to the location of the president, vice president, ministers, governors or district heads.”

Yudhoyono asked Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of the Presidential Working Unit for Development Supervision and Control (UKP4), to record details of certain issues to serve as the basis for government policies and programs.

He said all government officials must truly report what happens in the field.

“We have to convince all regional and district officials that what they report to the president is truly what has been implemented in the field,” Yudhoyono said, adding that the system would show any discrepancy.

“In here, we need good government ethics, accountability for what has been carried out by all of us,” he said.

He also wanted cabinet members to monitor their own areas of responsibility.

In other news, a senior Golkar Party official said the president should use the poor results of the recent six-month evaluation of cabinet members as a basis for reshuffling the body.

Priyo Budi Santoso, Golkar’s leader in the House of Representatives, said Yudhoyono should not hesitate to rearrange his cabinet.

“If the performance is really bad, then the president has to follow it up,” he said. “A reshuffle could be done without having to give much consideration to its political effect.”

The evaluation focused on 14 criteria, including bureaucratic reform, good governance, poverty alleviation, food security, infrastructure, the business and investment climate, energy and the environment.

The secretary general of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Taufik Kurniawan, said the results of the evaluation should have no bearing on possibly reconstituting the cabinet, and called on the UKP4 to explain its findings and the methods used.

“If the red marks were due to not fulfilling the president’s targets or an inability to communicate with the House in the best way, then it should not be a problem,” he said.

“But if the red marks were the result of a minister’s inability to implement the government’s programs because there was no funding for them, then the evaluation is too subjective.”

Taufik added that the evaluation should not be politicized by parties for their own interest.

“Let’s remember that reshuffling is the president’s prerogative,” he said.

Kuntoro did not provide detailed information about the evaluation but revealed that Minister of Communications and Information Technology Tifatul Sembiring, Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar and Minister of Public Works Joko Kirmanto were among those receiving a failing grade.

On June 26, 2010, Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Toronto.

Hu said Chinese-Indonesian relations had shown a sound momentum of development this year. At the start of the year, the two sides signed an action plan for strategic partnership, pointing out the direction for pragmatic cooperation in the next five years. Cooperation in the sectors of economy and trade, culture and education had witnessed smooth development. The two sides also reached an important consensus on deepening defense cooperation and maintained good coordination and cooperation on international and regional affairs within the frameworks of the United Nations and G20, Hu said.

Hu said China attached much importance to boosting strategic partnership with Indonesia. China is ready to take the opportunity of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties to deepen pragmatic cooperation in all areas and continuously open up new aspects for China-Indonesia strategic partnership. The Chinese side proposed the two sides maintain high-level exchanges, welcoming Susilo to visit China to attend the Shanghai World Expo and China-ASEAN Expo, Hu said. Both sides should also expand and deepen economic and trade cooperation. China was also willing to enlarge investment in Indonesia and supported Chinese companies to take part in Indonesia’s infrastructure construction and other major projects, he said. China encourages its tourists to travel in Indonesia. The two sides should work together to hold activities marking the Chinese-Indonesian friendship year to strengthen the traditional friendship between the two peoples, Hu said. He said the two countries should also enhance coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs in a bid to establish a more just and reasonable international political and economic order.

On China’s relations with ASEAN, Hu said China was ready to see a more united, stable and prosperous ASEAN and would continue to support its efforts towards integration and its leading role in East Asia cooperation. Hailing the establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) as an important milestone in the history of bilateral ties, Hu said China would join hands with ASEAN in maintaining and building the CAFTA, step up efforts to advance the interconnection and networking of infrastructures, deepen cooperation in financial fields and expand social and cultural exchanges in a bid to push China-ASEAN relations to a new level, Hu said.

Hu pointed out that China is ready to work with Indonesia to push for positive and pragmatic outcomes at the G20 Toronto Summit.

Susilo said he was delighted to meet President Hu again during the Toronto Summit. The Chinese-Indonesian strategic partnership was developing well with closer political, economic and security cooperation and deepening traditional friendship between both peoples. Indonesia sincerely hoped to strengthen cooperation with China, a friend and partner of Indonesia, to lift the level of the bilateral relations. He expressed full agreement to President Hu’s proposals on the development of bilateral ties, saying that Indonesia is ready to maintain high-level contacts with China and welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in infrastructure and tourism in Indonesia. He also hoped both sides will further expand bilateral trade and jointly hold activities to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Susilo said China is playing a greater role in Asia and the world at large and Indonesia is ready to enhance cooperation with China in international and regional issues to maintain common interests of developing countries. The relations between China and the ASEAN are very important and both sides should guarantee the implementation of the CAFTA, Susilo said, adding that Indonesia hoped China could keep its important role in G20 to contribute to the Asian and global economic growth.

Wang Qishan, Ling Jihua, Wang Huning, Dai Bingguo and other officials attended the meeting.

Putu Geniki L.Natih, Jakarta | The Jakarta Post | Opinion

April 21, the birthday of Raden Ayu Kartini is here again. And while it is important that today’s youth remember Kartini’s key role in breaking down resistance to women’s education, what is perhaps more important is to remember this Indonesian hero in the context of millennium development goals related to poverty alleviation, education, fraternal death rates and gender issues related to human rights.

Where do we stand now? What programs have been made in Indonesia? Kartini went beyond the norms of her society and although she didn’t live to see the first Kartini schools open in 1916, her courageous and pioneering spirit lived on, making co-education possible.

If we consider current gender issues in Indonesia, we can find that very same pioneering and courageous work is being done this very minute.

Siti Musdah Mulia, who in 2007 was honored with the International “Women of Courage Award”, has long been a source of inspiration for me.

The award she received recognizes women around the globe who have shown exceptional  leadership in promoting women’s rights and advancement.

A prolific writer, Mulia’s publications have been translated into more than 300 Indonesian local languages in order to reach women as far afield as Indonesia’s various island communities.

Just as Kartini sought to make women literate, Mulia’s work today shows women the freedom and choices that literacy can bestow.

During the recent HPAIR Conference that I attended at Harvard University, one of the plenary sessions discussed gender issues, with specific reference to the status and rights of migrant workers, particularly female migrant workers from Indonesia.

Sadly, the films we watched gave details of how unscrupulous middlemen entice poverty stricken women to “work” overseas.

Unprotected, they are cheated out of their salaries and physically abused.

Such abuse of the poor, besides physical and verbal abuse, whether domestic or public, is never to be tolerated.

These are the real crimes that must be eliminated not only from Indonesia’s diverse communities but from every nation on earth through education and protective laws set and firmly implemented by local, national and international bodies. Only then can we have a peaceful nation and in turn a peaceful planet.

Returning to Indonesia following the conference mentioned above, I flew via Doha and after a long
stopover, boarded the eight-hour flight to Jakarta. The plane was packed with returning migrant workers.

They were the lucky ones who had not been cheated out of their money and could return to Indonesia, but my tears fell just the same as I heard of young women, my fellow Indonesians, the victims of unbearably harsh working conditions overseas, offer up prayers of relief and thankfulness as our plane at last flew over Indonesian territory.

I will never forget those whispered words, “Indonesia tanah airku”, Indonesia my beloved homeland.

The hope brought to such women by the unceasing efforts of Ibu Siti Musdah Mulia, shows that Kartini is not just a memory, but an inspiration.

Kartini went beyond the societal norms and although she didn’t live to see the first schools open in 1916, her courageous spirit lived on.

The writer is a student at the Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia and a delegate for the HPAIR 2010 Harvard Conference at Harvard University.

Reva Sasistiya & Yessar Rossendar | The Jakarta Globe

Spending on electricity and fuel subsidies together are expected to account for 13 percent of the government budget. (Antara Photo)

Indonesia to End Energy Subsidies ‘by 2014’

The government plans to eliminate subsidies for electricity and fuel by 2014 to relieve the burden on the state budget as the country struggles to meet the demand for energy, Energy Minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh said on Monday.

Most consumers would pay market prices for electricity and fuel after the subsidies are scrapped, but Darwin vowed that the government would help low-income consumers, although the form of that assistance had not been determined.

He said being forced to pay market prices for energy would “educate” consumers and encourage them to conserve.

The electricity and fuel subsidies together are expected to cost the government a total of Rp 143 trillion ($15.73 billion) this year, 13 percent of total spending, according to the draft revision of the 2010 budget. Those estimates are based on an assumed oil price of $77 a barrel.

State power company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara has been mired in red ink for years, mostly as a result of being forced to sell electricity at below cost. The result has been a lack of development of its generating capacity and frequent blackouts.

The company has embarked on a major expansion of its generating capacity that calls for an average investment of $7.6 billion a year through 2018.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati this month said the government had planned to raise electricity rates by an average of 15 percent in July to help PLN.

Opposition lawmakers and members of the business community immediately voiced opposition to the plan.

Sri Mulyani has said the government might be forced to spend an additional Rp 6.8 trillion on electricity subsidies this year if the rate hike did not pass the House of Representatives, raising the budget deficit from 2.1 percent of gross domestic product to 2.2 percent.

Eric Alexander Sugandi, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank Indonesia, said it was possible to transfer the burden of rising commodity prices to consumers and remove the government’s subsidies, but only if done gradually to muffle “possible political resistance.”

Eric noted that the government had gradually cut the subsidies since 2000, causing the prices of fuel and electricity to rise. The political resistance to the moves did not stop the government, with the House eventually relenting, he said.

He said the move would be positive for the state budget because the government could transfer the funds saved to develop other sectors, creating a multiplier effect.

“It will also reduce the state budget deficit and the need for financing,” he said.

Removing the subsidies would also help PLN and Pertamina by generating more efficiency in both of the companies, Eric said.

The government announced in 2008 that it would phase out the sale of subsidized fuel to private cars and restrict it to public-transport providers and motorcycles because the subsidy was intended for low-income consumers. It said the shift would begin next year and be fully implemented by 2014.

Lukman Hakim

JAKARTA (TPP) – One week after the House probe on Century Bank dealt a severe blow  to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s cabinet by accusing Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati of illegally bailing out Bank Century, speculations are rife over the future of the president’s grand coaltion and the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle.

But a cabinet reshuffle is not likely in the immediate future, political analysts said last week, as President Yudhoyono will not risk appearing to be seeking revenge so soon after three members of his Democratic Party (PD)-led coalition voted to seek a criminal investigation into the handling of the 2008 Bank Century bailout.

“Reshuffling the cabinet would create the image of Yudhoyono being a vindictive person, ” said Burhanuddin Muhtadi, a political analyst at the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI).

He said the president’s Thursday night speech, in which he cited the remarkable achievements of Boediono and Mulyani, signaled an effort to conduct “political introspection.”

Yudhoyono said Boediono and Mulyani were not guilty of illegally bailing out Bank Century and were instead saviors of the nation.

 Burhanuddin also said it would be “too extreme” for Yudhoyono to remove non-Democrat ministers in the near future.

“It would only benefit the opposition, particularly in gathering support for launching a strike at the government, even via impeachment procedures, not only against Boediono, but Yudhoyono,” he said.

Burhanuddin further said the chances of the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) joining the government had increased given Yudhoyono’s disappointment with the stances of the Golkar Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) over the bailout investigation.

The PKS was most in danger of being removed from the government as Golkar was guided by more seasoned and crafty politicians, he said.

Burhanuddin further said the PDIP could make up the PKS’s numbers and was looking for alternative funding sources after being in opposition since 2004, in reference to the financial windfalls associated with being in power.

However, he added, the relationship between former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Yudhoyono was the only obstacle to the PDIP joining the coalition.

Yudhoyono included four PKS members in his cabinet, three from Golkar and two from the Muslim-backed United Development Party (PPP).

But the three parties, together with PDIP, the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura), voted to seek criminal investigations over the bailout.

PD is yet to take a stance on the coalition partners, but one of its  chairmen, Andi Mallarangeng, who is now the minister for sports, said: “We will carry out an evaluation on our coalition and look at ourselves internally, about what we have done and what we will do next.”

Some PD officials have meanwhile warned that the Golkar Party, the PKS and the PPP would be expelled from the coalition after last Wednesday’s vote.

The Democratic Party has previously spoken of the possibility of bringing the PDIP into the coalition, should the time come to replace one of the coalition members.

But Hasto Kristianto, the PDIP’s deputy secretary general, said on Sunday: “I think it’s a bit difficult to do. We have different ideologies. The Democrats stand by a liberal economic system while we uphold a pro-people economy.”

“The way I see it, things will start to become clearer after the PDIP holds their congress in April,” said Burhanuddin.

Stung by three of its coalition partners siding with the opposition in finding the Bank Century bailout was illegal, PD appears to have started courting the PDIP and finding a willing but hamstrung partner in the party’s advisory council chairman, Taufiq Kiemas.

Syarif Hasan, deputy secretary general of PD, dropped in on Taufiq this week and was later asked by reporters whether the Democrats would ask PDI-P to join the coalition.

Syarif said the party was open to any possibility, as “we think positively all the time.”

Despite no official talks between the two parties, Taufiq reiterated his desire to team up with Democrats.

The PDIP needed “renewal,” he said, pointing to its landslide defeat to the Democrats in last year’s legislative elections.

“Why don’t we change?” Taufiq said.

“If we are not in opposition, we will receive benefits,” he said, without elaborating.

Taufiq, who is also the chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), has made no secret of his desire to join the governing coalition, though his wife, Megawati Sukarnoputri, who maintains a firm grip over the PDIP, still harbors deep resentment toward Yudhoyono for daring to contest the presidential elections in 2004.

“I think the chance is small,” the noted political researcher Syamsudin Haris told detikcom last week.

On Taufiq’s desire to bring PDIP into the coalition, Syamsudin said that it has little bezring as it is Megawati who os calling the shots in the party.

“Taufiq may have a wish, but Mega says no then it is finished,” he said.

Megawati is predicted to maintain PDIP’s stance as the opposition as becoming a member of the coalition would only benefit the party’s elite in the form of seats in the cabinet, he added.

“The downside of it is that PDIP will be seen as an inconsistent political party,” said Syamsudin.

PD senior official Marzuki Alie, who is also the Speaker of the House of Reprsentatives, said: “We are ready to cooperate with PDIP.”

Marzuki made it is clear that the present coalition is going nowhere and is not cohesive in ways that warrant “a  re-arrangement” as the coalition agreement calls for.

PD chairman Anas Urbaningrum said: “We are thinking of forming a lean but healthy coalition, which is better than a fat but unhealthy one.”

Golkar Party Priyo Budi Santoso vice-chairman said: ”Our position is that we are a partner of the Dermocratic Party, not a subordinate or whatever. We are equals,” he said.

”Golkar has no plan to leave the coalition, but it all depends on the president,” said Priyo.

Anas, however, gave a positive sign on maintaining the coalition, saying that despite the fact that the three parties gave dissenting votes, PD has yet to decide on revamping the coalition.

“We do not wish to see a divorce within the coalition,” said Anas last week during a political discussion.

In a related development,  National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Hatta Rajasa expressed his disappointment over the results of the House plenary sessions.

“I am disillusioned, but it`s politics. For me, honesty, loyalty, sincerity and truth are the fundamentals of life,” he said.

In the meantime, the market remained buoyant amidst the political cacophony that has inundated the nation for the past three months.

This week the Indonesian shares composite index hit the so-called psychological mark by reaching beyond 2600.

Observers say this is a clear indication that national and foeign investors remain confident in Boediono and Mulyani, both of whom are held in high esteem in business circles for their impeccable professionalism and integrity.

As usual, the solution to this prolonged crisis is a political compromise that should acommodate the interests of related parties, not the least Golkar Party, whose chairman, Aburizal Bakrie has been beleagured by corporate fiscal problems .

In the past Yudhoyono has demonstrated that he is a master in resolving complex national issues; analysts expect him to do the same in the future.

(The President Post printed edition April 11, 2010)

Erwida Maulia ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 03/10/2010 8:55 AM  |  National

While herbal remedies have increasingly gained better place in the society here in Indonesia, the use of them in therapy is still welcomed with indifference by medical practitioners, an observer says.

The reason is simple: Very few of these remedies are clinically tested, Aldrin Neilwan, secretary-general of the Herbal Doctors Association of Indonesian (PDHMI), said.

“So far we’ve never recommended the use of herbal medicine for therapy. We can’t, however, forbid patients from taking them, as long as they consult with us,” he said.

Despite the lack of clinical tests to prove the effectiveness and safety of herbal therapy, he said, there was an increase in its use over the last few years, especially among cancer patients, mainly driven by the prohibitively high cost of imported drugs.

Aldrin, a doctor at state-run Dharmais Cancer Hospital in Central Jakarta, said 80 percent of the hospital’s patients used herbal remedies in combination with the medical treatment they received.
“It is our duty as doctors to educate them in using herbal remedies,” he said.

A common misconception among cancer patients, Aldrin said, was that they can use herbal remedies in place of chemotherapy. “Herbal remedies can only be used to supplement the main treatment.”

He acknowledged, however, that herbal remedies could be effective in preventing disease and promoting health, and could be useful in the palliative and rehabilitative stages of cancer treatment.

Some herbal remedies have proven to be effective on cancer patients, he said, by working to enhance their immune systems so it can fight cancer cells.

Others, Aldrin added, contained high amounts of antioxidants that combat free radicals, often a trigger in the formation of cancer cells.

He was speaking at a seminar entitled “The Use of Herbal Remedies in Supporting Cancer Treatment”, which was attended by cancer patients and their families.

He said the event was aimed at giving cancer patients a better understanding of the effectiveness and safety of herbal remedies, which he said were often mistakenly viewed as effective medication with no side effects.

Dharmais spokesman Bambang Purwanto said the hospital was trying to develop herbal remedies for cancer treatment in an effort to provide more affordable and less toxic alternative treatments for cancer patients.

Aldrin named three other hospitals in Indonesia also developing herbal remedies: Persahabatan Hospital in East Jakarta, Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, and  Kandou Malalayang Hospital in Manado.

Many Indonesians practice the tradition of drinking herbal concoctions called jamu. Several jamu producers have evolved into large companies but traditional producers remain popular and sell their elixirs without certification.

Antara & Jakarta Globe

Dozens of students were arrested on Tuesday when they were caught ditching class to access the social networking Web site Facebook at a number of Internet cafes in Banten.

Rachman Suhendar, the chief of the South Tangerang Public Order Office, said the raid was held in collaboration with the South Tangerang Education Office and the local police, and was aimed at students who skipped school to “hang out” at Internet cafes and malls.

“We managed to detain 65 high school students in the Ciputat area,” Rachman said, adding that the students were caught checking their Facebook accounts at Internet cafes located on Jalan IH Juanda and Jalan KH Dewantoro in Ciputat.

Split in two separate teams, the officers detained students who were in their school uniforms but were found at Plaza Ciputat during school hours.

Officers had to chase down some students who ran away when they found out their friends had been captured.

The raids were also conducted in malls located in Pamulang, Bintaro and Serpong.

Dadang Sofyan, the head of the South Tangerang Education Office, said the raid was a reaction to complaints filed by residents.

Dadang also said that the detained students would be returned to their parents, and schools would be urged to discipline them.

Facebook has recently been thrust into the spotlight as more and more criminal cases among teens are linked to the social networking site.

In February, four students in Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands, were expelled because they posted murder and mutilation threats to a teacher.

In Bandung, police also raided Internet cafes and rounded up dozens of students who were skipping school to play computer games or chat with their friends online. Those raids came in response to complaints from parents and teachers about children cutting classes to spend time online, an official said.

Despite low wages and poor Internet infrastructure, Indonesians are among the world’s most dedicated users of social networking sites like Facebook. The raids come amid domestic debate over how to balance freedom of speech and access to information with protecting society from Internet sites deemed to be indecent or inciting violence.

Ulma Haryanto | Jakarta Globe

Dismissing allegations of corruption, the Transportation Ministry on Monday said it was confident that the first phase of the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit project would be completed as scheduled.

“The MRT will be operational by 2016. Everything is going according to procedure. If we wait too long, the construction will be further delayed. It should begin [at the] earliest by end of 2011,” ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan told the Jakarta Globe.

“Jakarta’s traffic congestion will worsen. We need to begin construction as soon as possible,” he said.

Bambang dismissed allegations made by Indonesian Procurement Watch of collusion in selecting the designer of the MRT system. IPW last year pointed out that the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) had found preliminary evidence of collusion on the part of the ministry and bidders for the project to award the design contract to Japanese engineering firm Nippon Koei.

Bambang acknowledged that the procurement committee had nullified the results of a tender offer for the project, won by Japanese bidder Katahira & Engineers International. Nippon then won the second tender, he said.

“Katahira won the tender the first time around in December 2008. The Japan International Cooperation Agency asked us to redo the tender because of matters of pricing and because some queries on the tender process didn’t meet their requirements,” he said.

Bambang said IPW and Katahira had a right to object, “but from our side the tender re-evaluation was fully in accordance with the official procedure.”

Last week, Eddi Santosa, corporate and planning director of PT MRT Jakarta, the private company responsible for carrying out the construction project, said the financing from the JICA for the second phase would be received in 2011.

The first phase of the MRT project will serve 12 stations along a 14.5 kilometer route from Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta, just south of the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. The first eight stations will be on 10.5-kilometers of elevated track, while the remaining four will be below ground.

Each train will have six cars and carry about 350,000 passengers daily. Fares will range from Rp 4,000 (43 cents) to Rp 10,000 for a one-way trip.

A second phase, to be operational by 2018, would extend the track north to Kota Tua, and another east-west line is planned.

“PT MRT Jakarta is currently preparing an environmental-impact analysis to be included in our feasibility report, which is required by the lending institution,” Eddi said on Monday.

Manpalagupta Sitorus, chief of corporate communication at MRT Jakarta, said the basic design for the first phase, begun in December, would be finished by February next year.

“After that we are going to initiate the tender process and physical construction can start as soon as the end of 2011 or early 2012,” Manpalagupta said.

As reported earlier by the Jakarta Globe, the JICA has agreed to provide $1.3 billion in loans, to be disbursed in four phases between 2008 and 2014.

The JICA loans carry only 0.2 percent interest, with a 10-year grace period for payments and a 30-year payback timetable.

“The central and Jakarta governments will share the burden of paying back the loans,” Eddi said earlier.

The agreement requires that 35 percent of construction materials be imported from Japan. The majority of consultants and 51 percent of the contractors also must be Japanese.

Aside from the loans, financing for the MRT system will also come from the central government and the Jakarta administration. The state will put up $260 million and the city will pitch in $162 million.

Source: Jakarta Globe

February 02, 2010

Camelia Pasandaran

Cipanas, West Java. When US President Barack Obama and his family finally make their long-awaited state visit to Indonesia in March, it will be for more than just a look at his childhood home in Menteng and a plate of nasi goreng.
Obama and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will formally launch the US-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, an initiative by which the United States will broaden and strengthen relations with Indonesia to tackle regional and global issues.
Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said the two leaders would discuss key issues related to the partnership, an idea now “well accepted” in Washington and first raised by Yudhoyono on a visit there in November 2008.
“There have been discussions on drafting the content of the comprehensive partnership that will be launched,” Dino said. “The significance of the visit is to intensify the Indonesian-American relationship to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century.”
Dino said the relationship had lacked balance in the past, focusing mainly on Indonesia’s record on democracy, human rights and East Timor.
“We want this to be a more comprehensive relationship, covering areas such as energy, the environment, health, science and technology, trade, investment, people-to-people contacts and many others,” he said.
“Trade volume in 2008 was $20 billion. In 2009, it declined due to the economic crisis. Investment has yet to reach its full potential, so there are many aspects of trade that could still be developed.”
As the largest country in Southeast Asia, the unofficial leader of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and one of the Group of 20 nations, Indonesia can play a role in solving world problems, including climate change and extremism, he said.
The precise date of Obama’s visit is still unknown for security reasons. The White House said on Monday that he would visit Indonesia and Australia in the second half of March, but Dino said he expected Obama here in the second week of March.
Obama, who lived in Jakarta for almost four years as a child, will be accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia and Sasha.
“When first lady Ani Yudhoyono met with Michelle Obama in London, Michelle said she had been longing to visit Indonesia, but they wanted to take along their daughters so their father could show them where he lived,” Dino said.

The Crown has evolved into a line of full-size luxury sedans by Toyota. The range was primarily available in Japan and some other Asian countries, originally designed to serve as a taxi. It was in later years sold in the United States during the late 1950s and up until 1971. The Crown is Toyota’s oldest sedan still in production. It is outranked only by the Centuryand the Majesta in social status. The Crown is used by many Japanese companies as the company Limousine. Exports to Europe began in 1964 with the first cars going to Finland. Other European countries which saw imports of the Crown included the Netherlands andBelgium. The United Kingdom was another market until the early 1980s. It was also exported to Canada for a few years—1965–68. In many markets the Crown had become very expensive and was replaced by the Cressida when that model became available for export in the early 1980s.

And each Cabinet Minister has it now…