Eps 831| ALASAN PINDAH KEWARGANEGARAAN MENGUAT, #KaburAjaDulu LUHUT BINSAR PANJAITAN KETERLALUAN

Summary

The speaker discusses the frustration and disillusionment of many Indonesians with the country's economic and social conditions. He highlights issues like the lack of job opportunities, low wages, bureaucratic red tape, and corruption, which have driven people to seek a better life abroad. The speaker shares personal frustrations about the education system and government inefficiencies, as well as controversial remarks from political leaders encouraging people to leave Indonesia. The overall message emphasizes the deep dissatisfaction and lack of avenues for expressing grievances within the country.

Takeaways

• 😀 Frustration in Indonesia: A significant portion of the population feels frustration, disappointment, and insecurity, leading to a trending hashtag encouraging people to leave Indonesia.
• 😀 Personal Desire to Move: The speaker, along with his wife, shares their own desire to move abroad for their children's education and to escape the current state of the country.
• 😀 Economic Struggles: The script emphasizes the difficulty of finding a decent and lawful livelihood in Indonesia, with many facing challenges in securing a job with a livable wage.
• 😀 Job Market Decline: Under the leadership of President Joko Widodo, the formal sector's capacity to create jobs has significantly decreased from 16 million to 2 million job opportunities.
• 😀 Wage Struggles: Even with expertise, it’s difficult to secure decent-paying jobs in Indonesia, where the highest minimum wage is around 6 million IDR, and expectations are often low.
• 😀 Challenges for Entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurs face multiple barriers, such as bureaucracy, extortion by criminal organizations, and the risk of punitive taxation, all of which make starting a business challenging.
• 😀 Inefficient Bureaucracy: The complexity and delays involved in obtaining business permits in Indonesia are notorious, and entrepreneurs often have to deal with multiple administrative hurdles.
• 😀 Unpredictable Taxes: The tax system in Indonesia is difficult to navigate, with businesses sometimes facing heavy, unexpected tax penalties, leading many to go bankrupt.
• 😀 Corruption and Safety Issues: Even after overcoming initial business challenges, entrepreneurs risk having their earnings stolen or redirected due to corruption and financial mismanagement.
• 😀 Government Manipulation of Data: The government downplays the severity of poverty, claiming that only 8.5% of the population is living in poverty, while the reality suggests that poverty rates are much higher, around 59%.
• 😀 Political Leaders' Dismissive Remarks: High-profile political figures, like Sri Mulyani and Luhut Panjaitan, have made controversial statements suggesting that people unhappy with Indonesia should leave, further alienating the frustrated population.
• 😀 Lack of Communication Channels: The speaker criticizes the lack of accessible communication channels between the public and the government, leaving citizens feeling unheard and resorting to public criticisms as a form of expression.
• 😀 Growing Exodus of Talented Individuals: A steady stream of educated and skilled professionals are leaving Indonesia every year due to lack of opportunities, seeking better lives abroad where they can thrive.

Q & A

What was the main concern raised by the hashtag 'kabur aja dulu' trending in Indonesia?

The main concern was that a small group of people in Indonesia were encouraging others to leave the country in search of better opportunities such as education, security, and livelihoods. This highlighted a sense of frustration, disappointment, and insecurity among some Indonesians.

What personal sentiment does the speaker express about leaving Indonesia?

The speaker, along with their spouse, also expresses a desire to leave Indonesia, primarily to secure a better education for their children. They feel regretful and even traumatized by the current state of the education system and parenting styles in the country.

What key factors contribute to the growing frustration in Indonesia, according to the speaker?

The growing frustration is largely attributed to economic challenges, such as difficulty in finding well-paying and halal jobs, the decline in available job opportunities, and the increasing cost of living. Additionally, the bureaucratic hurdles and corruption in business and tax systems contribute to the frustrations.

How has the availability of jobs in Indonesia changed under different presidents?

Under President Jokowi's first term, the formal sector created 16 million jobs. However, by the second term, this number dropped to 8 million, and after Jokowi's presidency, only 2 million formal jobs were available. This significant decline has led to job scarcity.

What difficulties does the speaker highlight for Indonesians trying to run their own businesses?

The speaker mentions several obstacles for entrepreneurs in Indonesia, including complex bureaucratic processes, extortion from organized groups (ormas), unfair taxation practices, and the general insecurity regarding the safety of their income due to corruption.

What is the speaker's critique regarding the government's handling of poverty in Indonesia?

The speaker criticizes the government's manipulation of poverty statistics, suggesting that the actual poverty rate is much higher than reported. According to the speaker, the government downplays poverty to maintain an image of economic success, while in reality, a significant portion of the population struggles to make ends meet.

Why does the speaker believe that many Indonesians would prefer to work abroad?

The speaker believes that 67% of the Indonesian workforce would opt to work abroad if given the opportunity. The main reasons are the low salaries, high extortion, tax issues, and bureaucratic challenges faced by workers in Indonesia.

How did the statements made by two political elites, Sri Mulyani and Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, contribute to public frustration?

Sri Mulyani's comment in 2022 about people who don't want to pay taxes should leave the country, and Luhut Binsar Panjaitan's 2023 remark advising critics to leave Indonesia, intensified public frustration. These statements were seen as dismissive of the people's struggles and added to the growing sense of disillusionment with the government.

What is the speaker’s stance on paying taxes in Indonesia?

The speaker emphasizes that they and others are not against paying taxes but find the process to be extremely difficult and inefficient. They point out that the taxation system, especially with the government's digital platforms, is frustrating and time-consuming, making it hard for many to comply.

What does the speaker suggest could improve the Indonesian government's financial situation?

The speaker suggests that instead of increasing taxes, the government should focus on eliminating inefficiencies and corruption. They propose that the government could save a substantial amount by addressing wasteful expenditures, such as lavish spending on bureaucrats, rather than placing the burden on the public.