Singapore Story: Up-and-Coming Sarah Pei Ling

Singapore can be regarded as a very serious country when its then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew enacted the chewing gum ban. He got very angry for the gum disposal had dirtied public facilities, such as floors, starways, mailboxes, inside keyholes and even on elevator buttons. This ridiculous act implies clearly that the government regulates everything included trivial matters. And if you can’t chew the gums even if you will dispose them properly, let alone you can criticize the government in which you might make it looked dirty.

First Brigadier Norman Camaru: Indonesia’s Yearning for a Hero

He merely tried to give his troubled colleague consolation by lip-synching an Indian song, then uploaded the footage on Youtube and out of the blue he becomes a celebrity. He unintentionally drives the nation into frenzy. He is First Brigadier Norman Camaru, a member of Police Mobile Brigade Unit of Gorontalo.

Free Trade: Good or Bad for Indonesia?

ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) had been inked since 2002 and the agreement would come into effect in 2010. Certainly, it’s not difficult to expect what would happen. Chinese products would overwhelm Indonesia’s market and out-compete locally made products. After a year of implementation, some industries affected by this agreement cry for government’s help. So, what should we do to deal with free trade wisely and effectively?

Free ‘Em All

Published in http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/04/17/blog-imo-free-em-all.html
Twenty Indonesian sailors en route to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, were held hostage by Somali pirates in the Arab Peninsula on March 16, 2011. The pirates had increased the ransom from USD 2.6 million in the beginning to USD 9 million now. The hostages’ health is reportedly worsening, but as usual the government has no response on what to do.

Chinese Wisdom on Western-Style Democracy

I burst out laughing knowing that Indonesia’s Foreign Minister was invited to Egypt to share the democracy experience – its successes and failures, particularly in general election and political party regulation. Are the Egyptians serious?