I love the comment "In a country where protocol is more important than policy" - this says it all about Indonesia. They are truly a people obsessed with protocol, hierarchy and petty slights while their country gradually falls apart around them. Useless, vain idiots. Talkers instead of doers.

If PTBI thinks Indonesia has made such fabulous advances since the Dutch discarded Indonesia as not worth keeping, then maybe he should get a plane ticket to anywhere and see where this country is wanting.

@Kvasir:

LOL, what an silly boy. Why don't you try to commit crime in the streets of Indonesia. Let's see whether our police will bother with protocol when arresting you, or whether our active population will bother with protocol when they start lynching you.

On the topic, I think SBY is merely delegating the announcement and communication of controversial or unpopular decisions on his "Bogey (Bugis)-man" Jusuf Kalla, in order to keep his popularity untouched. All cabinet insiders assures every decision Kalla made was formulated and decided upon by President SBY himself.

An enjoyable, well written article. SBY and Kalla are a great improvement over useless Megawati but as the world becomes increasingly divided between muslims and non-muslims Islam will be seen as the true master of Indonesia.

@citizen:

I disagree, Muslim Indonesians generally have been turned-off Islamic law by seeing the terrible religious conflicts in Ambon and Poso between 1999-2002, the terrorist bombings, the thuggery of Islamic groups like FPI and FBR, and other unpleasant incidents that portend for things to come should Indonesia became more Islamic.

That is one good side of the terrible terror bombings which devastate Balinese tourism and killed so many Australians: completely alienating majority of Muslim Indonesians from Islamic law.

Currently, there have been an upsurge of grassroots movements to re-affirm loyalty to good old PANCASILA, which had slightly weaken after the fall of Suharto.

Just look at the relaxed lifestyle of Indonesian girls, do you really think they'll be willing to became second-class citizens under Islamic law? I don't think so.

http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8772&st=2280
http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=72562&st=300

Just as most Muslim Indonesians who enjoyed the freedom of religious tolerance, promiscuous sex, alcohol, and smoking. Indonesian people are willing to kill to defend these freedoms from religious fanatics. Just look at the fate of all leaders of the old DI-TII radical Islamist rebellion, like "Imam" SM Kartosuwirjo, Kahar Muzakkar, and Daud Beureueh. They all met their end after being riddled by bullets of Indonesian army and police.

ADDENDUM:

To fix mistaken impression amongst some Aussie clowns here that Indonesia is "poor", let me clarify that more than 25 million Indonesians are estimated to have disposible income of more than US$ 30,000 in 2005. There are much more rich people in Indonesia than there are people in Australia.

No wonder Indonesia is filled with so many first-class shopping malls that are always filled by customers eager to spend their excess cash. For instance, these malls in Jakarta:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=9270893#post9270893

The booming skyline of Jakarta:
http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=301669&page=1

The booming malls and skyline of other parts of Indonesia:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=402

And typical beautiful tourism destinations of Indonesia which attracts 5 million international tourists each year even after the Bali incidents (same as Australia):
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=241343&page=1

It's still dirty; and you can't drink the water either. PER CAPITA wealth is the only measure that's important. We're not interested in how unevenly and unfairly Indonesia's wealth is split up.