(11A SMA)
Indonesia, such a diverse country, crafted delicately by the hand of God, made of thousands of cultures. However, the hands that were assigned to be responsible for it are not in sight as of now. I would say, Indonesia is facing challenges right now. It has just been four months into 2025, yet so many problems have arisen within the country.
The things I’ve heard or seen about Indonesia are all from others’ point of view, never from mine. It’s been a long time since the last time I was back to my hometown. You could say I’ve forgotten the vibes; the things I remember are just old ones. If I was asked what I want to change or what has changed, I don’t know the answer. I wouldn’t know.
This piece of writing will be personal, filled with my opinions, from my point of view of how I see the country where I’m from and what I wanted from it as the next generation.
Indonesia is such a wonderful country, its countless cultures coloring every inch of the land. The traditions and customs from hundreds of years ago are still preserved, embedded in the heart of its people. Indonesia is also incredibly rich in natural resources, exporting the bounty of its land to various countries every year, while its seas that are adorned with corals, truly make other nations envious.
Looking for natural wonder? Indonesia has it all. Take mountains, for example Gunung Bromo, Gunung Batur, Gunung Rinjani and many more. Beaches? Absolutely, there are Pantai Berawa in Bali, Tanjung Aan in Lombok, and Pantau Merah in Komodo Island. Islands? They’ve got them. Caves? Thousands. Not just that, there are volcanic landscapes for those seeking adventure, diverse wildlife for animal lovers eager to witness their uniqueness. The country offers a staggering variety of natural attractions.
Indonesians are renowned for their spirit of gotong royong (mutual cooperation), a deep sense of community where no one is left behind. Diversity is never a barrier to tolerance—it’s a cornerstone of Indonesian society. One of the nation’s most remarkable traits is the harmony among different religious communities. Despite differing faiths, people forge close friendships and treat one another with respect.
Indonesia is synonymous with warmth and hospitality. It’s home to some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. Wherever you travel across the archipelago, you’ll be welcomed with radiant smiles and genuine kindness. Indonesians take immense pride in their cultural heritage—from their captivating history and vibrant traditions to their extraordinary wildlife and mouthwatering cuisine. They love nothing more than introducing visitors to the beauty of their culture.
Not only that, Indonesians are also incredibly creative and innovative. Just look at the street food vendors—their endless culinary variations are a testament to this. Think martabak with its myriad fillings, Banana fritter topped with everything imaginable, bakso stuffed with surprises, and mouthwatering spice blends. And let’s not forget the refreshing drinks with limitless twists.
Their ingenuity extends beyond food, too. Take Gojek as an example, born out of Jakarta’s notorious traffic jams, it’s a brilliant local solution to urban chaos. But here’s the catch, while Indonesians excel at crafting these resourceful workarounds for local challenges, many struggle to scale them globally without stronger structural support.
Indonesians are remarkably hardworking people. Their creativity shines in how they transform every opportunity into a way to earn a living, all to put food on their families’ tables. This strong work ethic stems from deeply rooted cultural values like gotong royong and the importance of perseverance, which have shaped the resilient character of Indonesian society. Economic and social factors further drive Indonesians to work tirelessly to meet basic needs and pursue their aspirations.
Yet, this admirable determination often faces challenges from systemic realities that don’t adequately support them. Despite their grit and resourcefulness, structural obstacles continue to test the limits of their hard work.
Challenges in a country are something to be expected, but a long-standing challenge, in which the people have protested, they speak up, but are ignored and dismissed, this is unjust. Indonesia, in my opinion, is such a country. Renowned for its countless wonders, breathtaking natural wealth, dazzling diversity, vibrant cultures, rich in their culinary delights, and a people of extraordinary achievements.
To continue to be a vibrant, respected and prosperous country, Indonesia still needs to show a lot of improvement on how to uphold transparency, gain public trust and perform a strong government. The most challenging part is dealing with the corruption in Indonesia.
It is a concerning and an alarming fact that Indonesia is also known as one of the countries with highest in corruption. As reported by Transparency International in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Indonesia scored 34, ranking 99th out of 180 countries. In this index, a score of 100 represents the least corrupt, or cleanest, governance. So corrupt that there is even a “joke” where the public has turned corruption into a league of its own, a perverse ‘sport’ where officials compete for the title of most brazen graft.
Unfortunately, the practice of nepotism whereas those with no proven merit can easily land high-ranking positions because of connections or ‘the insider track is still happening in Indonesia. Such practices are normalized in Indonesia, enabling underqualified individuals to occupy roles mismatched with their abilities. Public outcry persists, yet authorities consistently turn a blind eye. To make it worst, there is also the term of money politics or bribery as the unspoken rule to speed up the process.
Conquering corruption is not an easy task as it deals with a lot of issues. Indonesia is trying to improve its legal system and legal enforcement to gain people trust. This is not easy as there are many cases where the perpetrators of corruption are not punished and can escape from law. This unhealthy condition brings terrible impact on Indonesia’s rank of doing business in the region.
The corruption is so bad that people lose trust on the system anymore. Why would they, when even small things require under-the-table payments? There’s even a joke going around that firefighters are more reliable for solving problems than the legal enforcement. When things get this broken, all you can do is laugh—or maybe just cry.
So many public protests, yet so little democracy happens. As of these four months, the people have shown protests through demonstrations, to government decisions that are seen as anti-people, like budget efficiency measures, LPG shortages, education budget cuts, which prompted students to hold the ‘Indonesia Gelap’ (Dark Indonesia) protests. There was even recent opposition to the newly passed TNI Law.
Enough listing problems—and trust me, we could fill a library—what I want boils down to four simple words: fast, clean, transparent, and well-planned. Let me explain.
- Fast
A system where problems like legal issues, registrations, public complaints, and such can get solved quickly, without the involvement of bribes or lies. It will be hard at first as our country is still weak at upholding its own laws, and resistance to change runs deep, but it’s crucial. This way, everyone gets fair treatment, it could give fair access for all citizens, not just the wealthy. Indonesia has introduced the so called one-channel system or one-desk service to speed up the process, yet Indonesia is still lack behind compared to other countries in the region.
- Clean
A country free from collusion, corruption, and nepotism, because nations drowning in these practices never progress. When resources are unfairly managed, everyone loses. But with a clean bureaucracy? That’s how you restore public trust – making people believe in their nation again, willing to contribute and invest in its future. This requires integrity not just in the bureaucracy, but also among the people to truly build a nation of integrity. To exercise this, you also need to ensure imposing the law fully and put zero tolerance against combating corruption. This is not easy when you are still facing problems related to prosperity and a huge gap in financial and economic status, not to mention the rising number of unemployment rate.
- Transparent
Budgets and policies must be open. We deserve to know: How is our tax money spent? Why do underdeveloped regions, with so much potential, still beg for scraps? Education equity matters too, as in my opinion, knowledge is a nation’s foundation. Though honestly, even when data is available, it’s often hard to understand, too technical or missing details. Some areas barely have any records at all.
- Well-planned
Let’s be real, a country that is not well-planned, how could it function? There are many programs that are fundamentally good and could greatly benefit the people, but poor implementation renders them ineffective and in the end only causes disadvantages to many parties. Take the hasty construction of Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) as an example, also the Makanan Bergizi Gratis (MGB) program gives the impression it was born from political urgency, merely to fulfill a campaign promise. Even for some of us, trivial things will need a thorough plan, let alone an entire country.
How long will we cling to pride in our “natural wealth” while stripping it bare? Or celebrate “diversity” when we can’t even unite on basic issues? Our cultures? Countless are being forgotten as time moves on.
Quoting from Joseph de Maistre, ‘In a democracy, people get the government they deserve’, criticizing leaders while absolving the people would be unjust. Why does Indonesia’s politics never improve? Perhaps the problem lies not only in the leaders we elect, but in the political culture we tolerate. Voter apathy, short-term memory, money politics, and a weak sense of civic accountability perpetuate a cycle where change is demanded but rarely sustained. Until we, as citizens, hold ourselves as accountable as we do our leaders, meaningful reform will remain elusive.
Lastly, I would also like to add, while systemic corruption persists, Indonesia is still processing to solve those problems, such as having Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK), Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission, the agency fighting corruption and by providing Layanan Pengadaan Secara Elektronik (LPSE) to fight corruption by removing backdoor deals, and platforms like APBN Kita increasing budget transparency for taxpayers. Small steps, but proof change can happen.
Yet, I am certain that Indonesia will continue to develop as a strong and vibrant country…a land of hope to its people and generation, a country that can offer abundant of opportunities and cooperation to its neighboring countries and beyond. There are so many rooms to improve and a lot of untapped potentials to explore. Keep our fingers crossed!
All these are—of course—strictly from my opinion, an Indonesian who has only spent the longest time of less than a year in her home country. I may have been a foreigner to my own country and still have many things to learn about, but I do have best wishes for it. After all, the only thing I want from it is to serve a homeland that I can be proud of—sincerely.