Titus Jonathan's Stories

(published by The Jakarta Post on 26 Jan 2011. Click here ) Referring to Gayus H. Tambunan, people should not simply look at how the “actor” has played his role. He is indeed a real actor who has stolen the show: sometimes smiling, at other times crying, too. He speaks very well and never shows his nervousness when answering the judge. He has been full of confidence. What was his official position? Only that of a low-ranked officer at the tax office! Most people hate Gayus today. If we ask people about him, he will be named as the No. 1 bad guy in Indonesia. We read all the comments posted on Internet by angry members of the public after the seven years’ imprisonment verdict handed-down by Judge Albertina Ho last week. These enraged letters asked police to hand over Gayus to the “people’s court” because the existing court had so far handed down unjust verdicts to money-rich criminals. Gayus, who blatantly paid off the tax office, police corps and the Attorney General’s Office, has bee...

(published by The Jakarta Post on 4 Feb 2011. Click here ) We are in an era of a leadership crisis and Indonesian people have to take the matter seriously. The next election in 2014 is three-and-a-half years away, but it will come very soon. According to the constitution, incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) is not allowed to join the race in 2014 because he has held the position for two terms. These days we are surrounded by news about presidential candidates who will likely participate in the 2014 presidential election, however, none of those figures are convincing enough. The Democratic Party (PD) has no ideal figures, but first lady Kristiani Herawati Yudhoyono has been mentioned many times as a potential candidate. If she’s ready to take the opportunity, she will follow the track of Hillary Rodham Clinton , the former US first lady who failed to secure presidential nomination from the Democratic Party after being defeated by Barack Obama. If Clinton’s political skill...