GENERATION CARE – LONGING TO LEAVE? © 2007 Duncan Graham
If concern for the nation, a passion to right the wrongs and intelligence are all that’s needed to reform Indonesia, then the Republic can look ahead to a glorious future.
Though only if the young idealists erupting with enthusiasm to create what they call a ‘New Indonesia’ get the chance to apply their vision and realize their hopes. To do that they have to go home.
Returning is something a group of young Indonesians who are working and studying in Perth, Western Australia (WA) talk about a lot. There are the superficial longings – for a warmer climate and rice that tastes the way Mum cooked it – and the more emotional concerns of family reunion.
But overriding nostalgia is worthwhile, well-rewarded work in their chosen field that will provide long-term security. And that’s hard to find in Indonesia.
Badai Fatturrochman, 21, an accounting and finance student would love to return to professional soccer, but reckons he couldn’t score more than Rp 5 million (US $550) a month; he thinks four times that amount would be a fair wage, but knows he’s kicking uphill and against the wind.
James Martin, 26, who despite his name and appearance is an Indonesian Muslim with Arab and Jewish forebears, and his wife Nuraini Kusuma Wardani, 28, understandingly want their firstborn (currently domiciled in Nuraini’s womb), to have a decent chance in life.
So they’re hanging on in Australia hoping to get permanent resident (PR) status so their child will be able to have access to career, lifestyle and other opportunities beyond the archipelago. Nuraini, who has studied hospitality, works as a chef.
Not that James has lacked chances. He got a scholarship to study in Australia, has been in the country six years and will stay till maybe the end of the decade. Although he’s studied economics he works as a waiter for AUD $13 (Rp 100,000) an hour, the sort of money he can’t imagine getting in Jakarta, even as a hot number-cruncher wearing a tie.
“I’d love to go home, but my parents want me to stay,” he said. His military father was determined his son would get a good education – and the insurance of PR should chaos erupt again and the firebrands take to the streets. Perth, a calm and wealthy city is little more than three hours flying time from Denpasar and a popular bolthole.
“I want to help my country,” James said. “I want to know why we have been left behind by countries like Malaysia and Singapore. Why can’t we get ahead? We have the natural resources and the people.
“We need to create better infrastructure, to clean up the country, the get rid of corruption. And we need Australian investment.”
And to this end he and other young Indonesians in Perth are working to help make their country’s presence at the Perth Royal Show in September a stand-out success.
This year the annual week-long showcase of farming and industry, a major event in the WA capital, has invited Indonesia to be the guest nation. Rommy Begenk, who produces a high-quality Indonesian-language giveaway tabloid for the 8,000 Indonesians in Perth and their Aussie friends called Voice of Indonesia, has designed the poster.
Other promotions are being planned to show that the tropical archipelago is really a welcoming wonderland of diversity and charm, not terror central.
In June they ran a concert called Care for Indonesia in the Perth Concert Hall starring, among other pop idols, Glenn Fredly and Dewi Sandra. This was to “create awareness of Indonesia” and raise funds for a mobile library for the poor.
Rommy also says he wants to rush back to the Big Durian and build his design business, but first needs to amass some hard cash. Like others he denied having been seduced by the Australian lifestyle – but having an Australian girlfriend is another reason not to jump the next Boeing heading north.
Jessisca, 19, from Papua is unusual and not because she comes from an outlying province. She’s studying maths and science at the University of WA; business, accountancy and economics are the favored faculties for Indonesians abroad.
She went to school in Singapore and has ambitions of working in New York. But she’s also much taken with Australia because she likes the way that people are treated with respect, “even taxi drivers, bus drivers and teachers.” The downside for this young Christian is the amount of swearing she hears.
“The critical question for all of us is this: How do we survive,” she said. “It’s the financial situation. In Indonesia the chance of getting a good job is remote unless you have the right contacts. But here there are so many opportunities.”
Indeed. WA is leading the Australian mining boom and the only thing in short supply is labor. In Indonesia you scrabble for work; in WA bosses scrabble for workers.
Accountancy graduate Anwar Helmy, 28, can’t get a job in sensitive areas of the Australian economy where citizenship is required, so is working as a book-keeper. Unlike his friends he’s not so upbeat about the future of his country.
His wife Fency Sjafei, 25, who has an Australian master’s degree in information technology, works with the national telco Telstra on data processing. She also spends time as a volunteer on a local Indonesian language radio program.
“If the right conditions existed we’d really go back,” said Fency. “We feel so emotionally attached to our homeland.” But when will those conditions become apparent?
“That’s the really tough question,” said Anwar. “Our friends in Jakarta say the job situation doesn’t look good, even for people like us. We’re not alone with overseas qualifications; there are thousands more coming in all the time from Britain and the US.”
So here’s another dilemma for these golden lads and lasses; they want Indonesia to introduce transparency and fairness in government and business, but know the best way to get a job is through nepotism.
Fency is also expecting and discussing what language they should use at the home they’re buying when their bi-cultural bub is born. At the moment it’s Indonesian inside the house, English outside – though ready to seep in under the eaves like dust and smother the mother tongue.
Complaints? Nothing worth writing home about. They mix with Aussies, but tend to stick together “because that’s out culture of togetherness.” They hear of racism but say they’ve had no personal encounters, though are distressed at perceived growing public hostility to Islam. They say they haven’t encountered the evil and debauched West of popular mythology.
Any other messages for the folks back home, particularly the old fellows who run the show? “Give the young generation a chance to build our country,” said the effervescent James who doesn’t blush when his wife says that he’d really like to be a future president. “Give us the space, give us the respect. We can do it.”
So while they wait for the economy to bloom back home – and without their help - the roots sink deeper, anchoring them to the ochre-rocks Down Under: Jobs, money and possessions, proper salaries and decent working conditions, cars, Aussie-born babes, friends, romance - even mortgages.
How long before gum trees smell sweeter than mangoes and the dreams of helping the homeland frizzle in the Antipodean sun?
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(First published in The Weekender (JP) September 2007)
FAITH IN INDONESIA
The shape of the world a generation from now will be influenced far more by how we communicate the values of our society to others than by military or diplomatic superiority. William Fulbright, 1964
Showing posts with label expats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label expats. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
EMILIE VIGANO
DON'T CALL ME BULE, MISTER! © Duncan Graham 2007
Standard advice to foreigners in Indonesia is to respect local customs. But when these include stares and verbal harassment then the tolerance gets tested.
French lecturer Emilie Vigano has had enough of being called a bule – the standard kampong and village description of pale-skinned outsiders. This is a contentious issue among many foreigners. Some take it in their stride, a few reckon it's a bit of a hoot, but others (including dictionary makers) say the word is derogatory.
Emilie agrees. After five months in East Java she's now got enough grip on Indonesian to respond with some mild words about politeness. "I want people to call me Ibu or Nyona, as they would if I was an Indonesian woman," she said.
"With men I can't stand their rudeness. So I just plug in the earphones on my I-pod, smile a lot and keep walking."
Because this story starts with complaints you might conclude that the Frenchwoman teaching at Malang's Brawijaya University (a government institution) is a sensitive soul, a fragile francophone easily slighted.
Wrong. She's no stranger to cultural differences and is driven to try and make a positive impact on the world. Back in her hometown of Strasbourg she taught French as a second language to migrants and students and was moved by their problems.
The 2,000-year old city of Strasbourg is a good place to hone global concerns. It's up against the German border and a popular center for students from Asia. It's also headquarters for the Council of Europe and the Court of Human Rights. The European parliament runs sessions in the city.
Emilie's experience as a teacher gave her insights into the lives and concerns of people who'd come to France seeking a golden future far from their economic basket cases – only to tragically find no jobs, or just medial tasks – and discrimination.
Last year's street riots in Paris between mainly Muslim youth and the police, and the torching of hundreds of cars showed the crumbling chasm between those with the Euros and a future – and those without.
After graduating in French literature Emilie could have got a job in government schools. "There was no way I was going to work for national education," she said.
"There's such a great gap between top students in France and the rest, and the government doesn't seem to care. Students are divided – 'you're good, you're not good'.
"Many foreigners in France need help, socially and with language and culture. They're not getting it.
"I wanted to use my skills to help others understand more about the world, and give them the intellectual tools to succeed. My parents were from Italy. They moved to France after World War II for a better life, so I knew something about being an outsider, though in a mild way."
Knowing is not understanding, as Emilie is learning fast in East Java. But she'd already had a taste of that reality when she organized a humanitarian aid mission for a village in Kenya with a group of friends.
It took them two years to raise the cash and work their way through the spaghetti of international aid bureaucracy. But in the end 200 previously homeless families were properly housed.
"I didn't want to do this through an established agency," she said. "If I did that I'd have to follow their agendas, rather than mine. I know my own will."
After her Africa experience she wandered Europe in her quest for self-discovery but was keen to get into Asia. The French government offered her a one-year posting in Indonesia. She is now one of ten young French native speakers across the Republic passing on their knowledge of culture, language and teaching skills.
It's time for another pause in this storytelling, because a read back shows Madame is no simpering apologist for her background and views. So what's wrong with being a forceful female? Isn't equality supposed to be universal?
Not in the streets and villages of East Java where a tall, striking young self-reliant woman striding alone, using local transport, maybe smoking a cigarette can be a shocking sight.
"I'm prepared to change to meet local culture and modify my behavior in some ways, like dress. I'll open my mind, but I don't want to change being me," she said.
"I'd like Indonesians to be aware that all foreigners are not the same. I want to show something of European culture. People just know the stereotypes because so few get the chance to travel.
"We don't all want to stick together in groups, stay in big hotels and travel in private vehicles. Some of us want to explore alone, meet locals and understand more.
"I live in a kampong with a nice Indonesian family. Everyone is curious about my private life. In Europe asking such questions shows bad judgment. But I have to accept. I tell the truth, I'm Catholic, 25 and married. My husband is in France and we have no children."
The other shock was her students' attitudes. "I thought they were really lazy," she said. "I lost my temper for the first time, but that didn't do any good. People here are very kind but don't respect you when you get angry.
"I told my students (in the first semester she had about 50) that they were the next generation of hope, and Indonesia needed their knowledge and ability. They had the brains; if they didn't work hard now how could they do so in the future?
"They don't, but can still graduate. Some are very bright, but they have a romantic view of France
"I was advised by colleagues to take things more easily. This is the first time in my life that I've been told I'm working too hard!"
So have you had to lower your standards? "Yes. I expected this, but not so strongly. I appealed to the students to work together with me. That never happened. This has distressed me a lot."
What have you learned? "It is very hard to see things through another culture, but we must try. I know I'll be a better teacher when I go back to France because I'll be able to appreciate how difficult things are for outsiders. I should have done this when I was younger."
What do you miss most apart from family and friends? "Intellectual discussion."
Do you see yourself as a global citizen? "I'm not sure yet. Maybe."
An agent of change? "Ya!"
(First published in The Jakarta Post 13 March 2007)
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">Link
Standard advice to foreigners in Indonesia is to respect local customs. But when these include stares and verbal harassment then the tolerance gets tested.
French lecturer Emilie Vigano has had enough of being called a bule – the standard kampong and village description of pale-skinned outsiders. This is a contentious issue among many foreigners. Some take it in their stride, a few reckon it's a bit of a hoot, but others (including dictionary makers) say the word is derogatory.
Emilie agrees. After five months in East Java she's now got enough grip on Indonesian to respond with some mild words about politeness. "I want people to call me Ibu or Nyona, as they would if I was an Indonesian woman," she said.
"With men I can't stand their rudeness. So I just plug in the earphones on my I-pod, smile a lot and keep walking."
Because this story starts with complaints you might conclude that the Frenchwoman teaching at Malang's Brawijaya University (a government institution) is a sensitive soul, a fragile francophone easily slighted.
Wrong. She's no stranger to cultural differences and is driven to try and make a positive impact on the world. Back in her hometown of Strasbourg she taught French as a second language to migrants and students and was moved by their problems.
The 2,000-year old city of Strasbourg is a good place to hone global concerns. It's up against the German border and a popular center for students from Asia. It's also headquarters for the Council of Europe and the Court of Human Rights. The European parliament runs sessions in the city.
Emilie's experience as a teacher gave her insights into the lives and concerns of people who'd come to France seeking a golden future far from their economic basket cases – only to tragically find no jobs, or just medial tasks – and discrimination.
Last year's street riots in Paris between mainly Muslim youth and the police, and the torching of hundreds of cars showed the crumbling chasm between those with the Euros and a future – and those without.
After graduating in French literature Emilie could have got a job in government schools. "There was no way I was going to work for national education," she said.
"There's such a great gap between top students in France and the rest, and the government doesn't seem to care. Students are divided – 'you're good, you're not good'.
"Many foreigners in France need help, socially and with language and culture. They're not getting it.
"I wanted to use my skills to help others understand more about the world, and give them the intellectual tools to succeed. My parents were from Italy. They moved to France after World War II for a better life, so I knew something about being an outsider, though in a mild way."
Knowing is not understanding, as Emilie is learning fast in East Java. But she'd already had a taste of that reality when she organized a humanitarian aid mission for a village in Kenya with a group of friends.
It took them two years to raise the cash and work their way through the spaghetti of international aid bureaucracy. But in the end 200 previously homeless families were properly housed.
"I didn't want to do this through an established agency," she said. "If I did that I'd have to follow their agendas, rather than mine. I know my own will."
After her Africa experience she wandered Europe in her quest for self-discovery but was keen to get into Asia. The French government offered her a one-year posting in Indonesia. She is now one of ten young French native speakers across the Republic passing on their knowledge of culture, language and teaching skills.
It's time for another pause in this storytelling, because a read back shows Madame is no simpering apologist for her background and views. So what's wrong with being a forceful female? Isn't equality supposed to be universal?
Not in the streets and villages of East Java where a tall, striking young self-reliant woman striding alone, using local transport, maybe smoking a cigarette can be a shocking sight.
"I'm prepared to change to meet local culture and modify my behavior in some ways, like dress. I'll open my mind, but I don't want to change being me," she said.
"I'd like Indonesians to be aware that all foreigners are not the same. I want to show something of European culture. People just know the stereotypes because so few get the chance to travel.
"We don't all want to stick together in groups, stay in big hotels and travel in private vehicles. Some of us want to explore alone, meet locals and understand more.
"I live in a kampong with a nice Indonesian family. Everyone is curious about my private life. In Europe asking such questions shows bad judgment. But I have to accept. I tell the truth, I'm Catholic, 25 and married. My husband is in France and we have no children."
The other shock was her students' attitudes. "I thought they were really lazy," she said. "I lost my temper for the first time, but that didn't do any good. People here are very kind but don't respect you when you get angry.
"I told my students (in the first semester she had about 50) that they were the next generation of hope, and Indonesia needed their knowledge and ability. They had the brains; if they didn't work hard now how could they do so in the future?
"They don't, but can still graduate. Some are very bright, but they have a romantic view of France
"I was advised by colleagues to take things more easily. This is the first time in my life that I've been told I'm working too hard!"
So have you had to lower your standards? "Yes. I expected this, but not so strongly. I appealed to the students to work together with me. That never happened. This has distressed me a lot."
What have you learned? "It is very hard to see things through another culture, but we must try. I know I'll be a better teacher when I go back to France because I'll be able to appreciate how difficult things are for outsiders. I should have done this when I was younger."
What do you miss most apart from family and friends? "Intellectual discussion."
Do you see yourself as a global citizen? "I'm not sure yet. Maybe."
An agent of change? "Ya!"
(First published in The Jakarta Post 13 March 2007)
##
">Link
Monday, December 18, 2006
HEALTH CARE FOR INDONESIANS
EXECUTIVE HEALTH CHOICES: HERE OR THERE?
Duncan Graham © 2006
It’s every hard-pressed manager’s nightmare: A gripping, vice-like chest pain. Maybe just indigestion after a rich meal. Maybe not.
Heart attacks are an occupational hazard for people in business and other high stress jobs. Victims are usually middle-age workaholics who smoke, eat the wrong food and don’t exercise. Most are men
They rush to a doctor and the prognosis is bad. Surgery is required. But where to go? Who wields the steadiest scalpel?
When former president Megawati Soekarnoputri had medical check-ups in Singapore she sent a clear message to all Indonesians about the quality of the nation’s health system.
Her husband Taufik Kiemas endorsed his wife’s views by choosing the nearby Western Australian capital Perth for his heart surgery.
It seems that if you’re an Indonesian with a serious health problem and plenty of money you head straight for the nearest airport rather than the closest hospital.
Back in the 90s before the economic crisis, many sick Indonesians chose Australia for treatment. Agents helped patients find the right doctors and hospitals, sort out visas and accommodation for the family, and somewhere to convalesce.
When the rupiah exchange rate multiplied exponentially those agents found business too tough and quit the market. Now the currency seems to have stabilized, and a new Australian company has entered the field.
Validus International is a health services management business linking the sick to the services they need. The company is contracted to Perth’s Mount Hospital to provide an international patient liaison officer and is affiliated to other hospitals and services, including a fertility clinic.
Validus is seeking patients from Mauritius, Malaysia, China and Indonesia – but according to managing director Mark Riseley the Indonesian market is the company’s priority.
It has opened an office in Jakarta managed by a doctor and will be running seminars for surgeons and general practitioners in the capital and other big cities in the coming months.
“The cost of surgery and other medical treatments in Perth is about the same as Singapore,” said Riseley in his Perth office. “The airfare is a little more expensive but that’s a small amount in the overall cost.
“Australia is ranked second by the World Health Organization for healthy life expectancy which reflects the quality of healthcare available. (Japan is number one.) The facilities in Perth are world class.”
Perth is close - just over three hours flight from Denpasar. The lifestyle is relaxed, the climate benign and the claims by Validus about fees and services may well be correct. But Indonesians (and many expats) prefer instead to head for Singapore where medical care is well promoted.
The tiny city state is closer to Jakarta and has some other significant advantages. It has a no-fuss, no-fee entry system. Most foreigners can just fly or ferry into the island and get stamped in on arrival for a short-term visit.
To visit Australia requires a visa in advance and forms with more than 40 questions. Malaysians and Singaporeans can apply for Australian visas through the Internet, but not Indonesians.
Medical visas are free. Tourist visas cost AUD $70 (Rp 500,000) which is non refundable if a mistake is made on the seven page application form. Although Embassy officials claim around 97 per cent of visa applicants are successful, the perception is that entry into Australia is difficult, and therefore unwelcoming.
Riseley said an Australian health visa can be arranged within three to five days – or 24 hours in an emergency. But however efficient the bureaucracy it can’t compete with Singapore’s simplicity.
“I’ve been talking to the Immigration Department and the current system of sending medical data for visa assessment by locked bag twice a week to Australia will soon be replaced by direct digital transmission,” said Riseley. “That should speed procedures.” A new visa application center has also been opened in Jakarta.
Riseley trained as a physiotherapist in Australia and Canada, then worked in the Middle East where he saw the need for international health care and patient management services.
The chair of Validus is health administrator Glyn Palmer, president of the West Australian Health Care Association. He was previously CEO of St John of God Health Care in Perth.
“In the past there were good contacts between the Catholic hospitals in Indonesia and Australia,” he said. “Australia is the equal of any country in the world in providing the best medical care.
“We also have a large knowledge base in medical care and this has to be shared.”
Palmer said he would organize seminars in Indonesia where doctors could get free information from visiting Australian surgeons and physicians on the latest procedures and medications.
He would also be talking to Indonesian doctors’ associations and working to build relationships with hospitals. He agreed that the pivotal point in getting business was the patient’s doctor who would usually offer advice on the best place for treatment. For Validus to succeed it’s critical that medicos are aware of facilities in Australia.
Doctors who refer patients to hospitals overseas can collect commissions of between four and ten per cent of the hospital bill.
The other gateway is medical insurers who have links with hospitals and laboratories where they direct their members.
Riseley said Singapore currently takes 370,000 overseas medical patients a year – Malaysia 270,000. Validus has set itself modest numbers for starters – just 450 by the end of next year.
“We understand that building relationships in Indonesia is extremely important,” said Palmer. “We must respect cultural differences.
“We’ll be going to Indonesia regularly, communicating and listening. We’re selling a good Australian product and we’d like more Australian government help.
“The visa process is frustrating – it takes too long. Singapore does a wonderful job, and we have a lot to catch up on.
“Australia is a favored education center for about 20,000 Indonesians a year so we can build on those contacts and family ties. Word of mouth is also important. The response so far has been enthusiastic.”
(First published in The Jakarta Post 18 December 2006)
##
">Link
Duncan Graham © 2006
It’s every hard-pressed manager’s nightmare: A gripping, vice-like chest pain. Maybe just indigestion after a rich meal. Maybe not.
Heart attacks are an occupational hazard for people in business and other high stress jobs. Victims are usually middle-age workaholics who smoke, eat the wrong food and don’t exercise. Most are men
They rush to a doctor and the prognosis is bad. Surgery is required. But where to go? Who wields the steadiest scalpel?
When former president Megawati Soekarnoputri had medical check-ups in Singapore she sent a clear message to all Indonesians about the quality of the nation’s health system.
Her husband Taufik Kiemas endorsed his wife’s views by choosing the nearby Western Australian capital Perth for his heart surgery.
It seems that if you’re an Indonesian with a serious health problem and plenty of money you head straight for the nearest airport rather than the closest hospital.
Back in the 90s before the economic crisis, many sick Indonesians chose Australia for treatment. Agents helped patients find the right doctors and hospitals, sort out visas and accommodation for the family, and somewhere to convalesce.
When the rupiah exchange rate multiplied exponentially those agents found business too tough and quit the market. Now the currency seems to have stabilized, and a new Australian company has entered the field.
Validus International is a health services management business linking the sick to the services they need. The company is contracted to Perth’s Mount Hospital to provide an international patient liaison officer and is affiliated to other hospitals and services, including a fertility clinic.
Validus is seeking patients from Mauritius, Malaysia, China and Indonesia – but according to managing director Mark Riseley the Indonesian market is the company’s priority.
It has opened an office in Jakarta managed by a doctor and will be running seminars for surgeons and general practitioners in the capital and other big cities in the coming months.
“The cost of surgery and other medical treatments in Perth is about the same as Singapore,” said Riseley in his Perth office. “The airfare is a little more expensive but that’s a small amount in the overall cost.
“Australia is ranked second by the World Health Organization for healthy life expectancy which reflects the quality of healthcare available. (Japan is number one.) The facilities in Perth are world class.”
Perth is close - just over three hours flight from Denpasar. The lifestyle is relaxed, the climate benign and the claims by Validus about fees and services may well be correct. But Indonesians (and many expats) prefer instead to head for Singapore where medical care is well promoted.
The tiny city state is closer to Jakarta and has some other significant advantages. It has a no-fuss, no-fee entry system. Most foreigners can just fly or ferry into the island and get stamped in on arrival for a short-term visit.
To visit Australia requires a visa in advance and forms with more than 40 questions. Malaysians and Singaporeans can apply for Australian visas through the Internet, but not Indonesians.
Medical visas are free. Tourist visas cost AUD $70 (Rp 500,000) which is non refundable if a mistake is made on the seven page application form. Although Embassy officials claim around 97 per cent of visa applicants are successful, the perception is that entry into Australia is difficult, and therefore unwelcoming.
Riseley said an Australian health visa can be arranged within three to five days – or 24 hours in an emergency. But however efficient the bureaucracy it can’t compete with Singapore’s simplicity.
“I’ve been talking to the Immigration Department and the current system of sending medical data for visa assessment by locked bag twice a week to Australia will soon be replaced by direct digital transmission,” said Riseley. “That should speed procedures.” A new visa application center has also been opened in Jakarta.
Riseley trained as a physiotherapist in Australia and Canada, then worked in the Middle East where he saw the need for international health care and patient management services.
The chair of Validus is health administrator Glyn Palmer, president of the West Australian Health Care Association. He was previously CEO of St John of God Health Care in Perth.
“In the past there were good contacts between the Catholic hospitals in Indonesia and Australia,” he said. “Australia is the equal of any country in the world in providing the best medical care.
“We also have a large knowledge base in medical care and this has to be shared.”
Palmer said he would organize seminars in Indonesia where doctors could get free information from visiting Australian surgeons and physicians on the latest procedures and medications.
He would also be talking to Indonesian doctors’ associations and working to build relationships with hospitals. He agreed that the pivotal point in getting business was the patient’s doctor who would usually offer advice on the best place for treatment. For Validus to succeed it’s critical that medicos are aware of facilities in Australia.
Doctors who refer patients to hospitals overseas can collect commissions of between four and ten per cent of the hospital bill.
The other gateway is medical insurers who have links with hospitals and laboratories where they direct their members.
Riseley said Singapore currently takes 370,000 overseas medical patients a year – Malaysia 270,000. Validus has set itself modest numbers for starters – just 450 by the end of next year.
“We understand that building relationships in Indonesia is extremely important,” said Palmer. “We must respect cultural differences.
“We’ll be going to Indonesia regularly, communicating and listening. We’re selling a good Australian product and we’d like more Australian government help.
“The visa process is frustrating – it takes too long. Singapore does a wonderful job, and we have a lot to catch up on.
“Australia is a favored education center for about 20,000 Indonesians a year so we can build on those contacts and family ties. Word of mouth is also important. The response so far has been enthusiastic.”
(First published in The Jakarta Post 18 December 2006)
##
">Link
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