Foreign Consultants
Aug 1st, 2007, in Business & Economy, News, by PatungNo more foreign consultants should be hired by government agencies.
Vice-president Jusuf Kalla advised all government ministries and agencies to no longer employ foreign experts and consultants, in order that Indonesia learn to develop and move forward under its own steam.
Jusuf Kalla.
Speaking at the opening of the 2007 National Technology Meeting in Serpong, Banten, he said:
If we keep asking for foreign help then let’s just abolish the ministry of Research and Technology. Aren’t you professors and doctors ashamed if everything depends on foreigners and you only serve foreigners?
Kalla also criticised the luxurious lifestyles of high public servants, as to be seen in the expensive cars they are driven around in. The country would advance via hard work, he said, not by those who are supposed to be advancing it living the high life. kompas
50 Comments on “Foreign Consultants”
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KSJ says:
Enigmatic:
Then again since so many people want to get foreign consultants out so much then let it be.
Oh … gee… Enigmatic, I hope you would be someday a consultant in a foreign country where you’re in, and if you become their leader, I’ll be the first to applaud you. I hope being an ‘Indonesian’ student (from ethnic minority, though) would help you to get the toppest position wherever you are.
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Dimp says:
Hi KSJ,
Overassuming me? Excuse me, foreign consultants hired in Indonesia are usually westerners.
Do you have numbers to back up this statement?
As you said, if you don’t have the fact then your arguments are not trustworthy.
BTW, which EU country do you live in? Its a bit weird that you haven’t develop your English by living in a “bule” environment for so many years.
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BTW, which EU country do you live in? Its a bit weird that you haven’t develop your English by living in a “bule” environment for so many years.
Look who’s talking.
You need numbers? I’ll be back with numbers, just give me time to gather proofs. OK?
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Facts:
http://www.expat.or.id/info/expatexperts.html
here we go.
Sorry for those of you who are offended of my ‘language’ towards Westerners. I see the reality here in the West, especially the EU that NO Asians or people from Asian origin (Chinese, Japanese, etc included) are hired as ‘foreign consultants’. No EU country is wooing ‘foreign talents’. They just want foreigners to go back to where they come from, foreign students included. I think all of you whom I offend worship Westerners. Indonesians, they often boast that Westerners like Indonesia and its culture, blah blah blah… just because of a few (tourists) say so. If you live among them and see what their medias tell about Indonesia, you’ll know I’m right.
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Hi KSJ,
I am not saying that I have perfect English, just wondering why someone who claims to be a citizen of an EU country and have stayed there for so many years still haven’t perfected their English. Thus my curiosity for asking which country, if you don’t want to tell then just don’t tell.
Also for your prove can you actually just state the numbers, I don’t have time to read through pages and pages of information. Again this is just for my curiosity, if you don’t want to answer then I won’t hold any grudges against you.
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I am not saying that I have perfect English, just wondering why someone who claims to be a citizen of an EU country and have stayed there for so many years still haven’t perfected their English. Thus my curiosity for asking which country, if you don’t want to tell then just don’t tell.
I didn’t say your english or mine is perfect. The EU comprises of many countries, cultures and languages, UK is one of them and English is one of languages spoken here in the EU and it is not the only one. I won’t complain about someone’s English as the ‘native’ Brits DO NOT complain about it. Native speakers appreciate non-English speakers who try to speak English although not perfect. Even being English native speaker DOES NOT guarantee the quality of English he/she speaks.
I didn’t tell you where I am and I won’t tell, what for?Also for your prove can you actually just state the numbers, I don’t have time to read through pages and pages of information. Again this is just for my curiosity, if you don’t want to answer then I won’t hold any grudges against you.
Ok, I gave you fact but you refused to read it and I won’t summarize it for you. Read it and you’ll know the numbers. You won’t hold any grudges against me? Oh… Thank you, you’re polite.
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Rambutan says:
KSJ
Sorry for those of you who are offended of my ‘language’ towards Westerners. I see the reality here in the West, especially the EU that NO Asians or people from Asian origin (Chinese, Japanese, etc included) are hired as ‘foreign consultants’. No EU country is wooing ‘foreign talents’. They just want foreigners to go back to where they come from, foreign students included. I think all of you whom I offend worship Westerners. Indonesians, they often boast that Westerners like Indonesia and its culture, blah blah blah”¦ just because of a few (tourists) say so. If you live among them and see what their medias tell about Indonesia, you’ll know I’m right.
Sorry, not true. Certain job profiles are very much sought after in the EU; the famous IT experts from India being the prime example. The whole process is of course very much market-driven. If you don’t have the right profile you won’t get a working visa. Pretty simple, really.
Now, talking about Indonesia, I believe that in certain fields foreign consultants are absolutely necessary for the foreseeable future. However, of course the goal should be to develop the required capacity in Indonesia and to become independent from foreign expertise in the long run. But this will take a while; at the current stage it is not helpful to categorically reject hiring foreign experts.
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Sorry, not true. Certain job profiles are very much sought after in the EU; the famous IT experts from India being the prime example. The whole process is of course very much market-driven. If you don’t have the right profile you won’t get a working visa. Pretty simple, really.
Hmm…. Wrong, Europe is seeking for skilled workers from India, not consultants. Consultants still remain ‘western’, like Arthur Andersen, Deloitte, PriceWaterHouseCoopers or Ernst & Young.
Now, talking about Indonesia, I believe that in certain fields foreign consultants are absolutely necessary for the foreseeable future. However, of course the goal should be to develop the required capacity in Indonesia and to become independent from foreign expertise in the long run. But this will take a while; at the current stage it is not helpful to categorically reject hiring foreign experts.
Fine… foreign consultants are expensive, can Indonesian budget afford that? One question, does Indonesia have national qualified consultants? I guess it is time for Indonesia to have them. Why does Indonesia always depend on foreign hands? If Indonesian doesn’t help itself, who will?
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Enigmatic says:
KSJ Says:
August 22nd, 2007 at 12:23 am
Enigmatic:Then again since so many people want to get foreign consultants out so much then let it be.
Oh “¦ gee”¦ Enigmatic, I hope you would be someday a consultant in a foreign country where you’re in, and if you become their leader, I’ll be the first to applaud you. I hope being an ‘Indonesian’ student (from ethnic minority, though) would help you to get the toppest position wherever you are.
Are you trying to dicriminate a particular race group?
Firstly I am still using the green Indonesian passport, not the red one here.
Secondly, remember Black Eyed Peas’ Where is The Love? Here’s an extract of the lyrics to jot your memory. To remind you not to discriminate other races.
What’s wrong with the world, mama
People livin’ like they ain’t got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that’ll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin’
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you’re bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that’s exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y’all, y’allCourtesy of azlyrics.com
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Pena Budaya says:
If we keep asking for foreign help then let’s just abolish the ministry of Research and Technology. Aren’t you professors and doctors ashamed if everything depends on foreigners and you only serve foreigners?
For the first time I agreed with JK. We should not be under representative in our country when the national oriented development takes place. However, we should keep learning from other countries’ mistakes as well. In responding to Kalla, Indonesians should change to be learning societies, open minded, and honest otherwise his speech is worthless.
Take a look at United Nations agencies offices aboard for examples, how many Indonesians are representing there? I bet not many..or perhaps in some offices is none..
It is sad to see how Indonesia could become such under-representative country even internationally…
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Janma says:
quote WP “Actually, the Dutch invented KKN.” Unquote.
I really don’t think that this statement is true…. the dutch invented corruption? that’s like trying to work out who invented prostitution.
The Dutch merely saw the system already prevalent in Javanese society and used it to their own advantage. -
Hi Janma,
As always it is the mentalily of most Indonesians to blame others first. Whatever the problems are, they were all caused by others.
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Dimp,
I know, and the weird thing is that although we address all these issues in IM, nobody ever convinces anyone else of the validity of their position! We all remain steadfast and unassailable.
Cuk will never stop advocating terroisim no matter what we say, Alaung will continue to say all the answers are in the Quran no matter that the Quran raises more questions than it answers. We will never agree to sharia law no matter what they say… and so we go round and round and round…..
It’s friday, maybe I’m just kind of tired. -
Hi Janma,
Some people are just too ignorant to understand the big picture, all they are concern with is what happened to them and them only, they don’t care about the rest. They believe whatever they were told to without even thinking about finding the truth. They were told A from the beginning and when someone says B then they will shout A without even considering that maybe B is correct.
Don’t worry about these people, they were never taught to listen. Tell them once, and it is up to them if they want to listen to you.
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Dragonwall says:
But his majesty Jusuf Kalla
Wow some secret admirer. The next thing is that he will crown him self like the King of Central Empire having a golden throne.
hiring consultants is one way of getting kickbacks
Gross manipulations rather than kick bakc taking the foreign help as a scapegoat. Daylight robbery.
the next thing he will do is to have a consultant company comprising of people from him providing service to every government sectors and drain the blood out of the government coffer. Bone Dry.
I hate democracy
Did I see wrong. I thought the last I saw your economic update you were doing purty good analysis. Now you are to social reform!
It’s a label for a cause – truth is, behind it is simply theories of a mix. You can mix supply side, classical, protectionism, monetarism, fiscal –
Domocracy is all about openness. Transparency. KKN are the works of most socialist. Modern world need no media black out. Everyone need open space.
English are imperialist. They are democratic but not so democratic. Socialistic but not so social.Social reform?
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financial aids and loans to the government carry covenants where foreign consultants must be employed and it simply indicates that public servants are incapable
Don’t blame others. It is the Indonesians to be blame honestly speaking. The covenants in employing foreigners are perhaps to make it more transparent. capable or not the Indonesians is for one to know and the others to find out.
Singapore employ foreigners to make proposals and study on the MRT. hundred of millions were spent for consultancy fees. Is that worth it? Judge for yourself.
During the Marcos Era 500 million were allocated for the monorail, but that thing was left to rot when I was last in Manila before Ninyo was shot.
Chengdu employ singapore consultant to built the city. Have you seen the place. it operates just like Singapore.
Look how high profile was Habibie and the IPTN. N250 etc. If it is that good a tech can anyone name a country buying the aircraft.
Come on lets not fool ourself. Be realistic and be in this world. China absorbs almost every thing they coudl get hold of. Not that they don’t have the right but they are good listener than talker.have you seen Zhu Rongji, Hu Jintao at work. They given their people free hand to work, employ any tactic, end results speak for themselves.
Chinese saying “A picture is worth a thousand word”.
One other thing is a classic example is the Lapindo Brantas with Aburizal Bakrie. He even get the government to pick up the tab.
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Daniel Khaleel says:
This is interesting. I admire him for his criticism of the high public servants living lavish lives at the expense of the people they are supposed to be serving. I think that all public servants need to re-examine the word “servant”.
I also think his call to prevent foregin consultants is foolish. It would be good to minimise dependence on foreign consultants and experts, but it’s ignorant to assume that he can do without them. Perhaps a more appropriate stance would be to only engage consultants that have a strong desire to see Indonesia advance rather than worrying about their own pockets.
Someone might want to remind Yusuf Kala that good leadership involves (1) identifying your weakness and finding the appropriate resource to help, and (2) empowering people within your own team to do the job. Yusuf’s stance forsakes both of these principles.
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It is a very good analogy and this gives an understanding that there are many capable people around but lack the opportunity given due to such cronism.
But in politics it is all about cronism because they feel that are the people they trust but failing to feel their bottomline on qualifications and professional ethique.
There were several quite capable finance ministers being replace with considered to be academically highly qualified but unprfessional to take the job.
Bulog is a milk cow. Public Works Department is a place where daylight robbery takes place in and out.
Unless there in another Soeharto coming in, no one could save Indonesia from these rampage misdeeds.
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Lorenzo says:
Hi Everyone,
Although a bit off topic because its not a government position but i need advice about work in Indonesia. I have been offered a management position in Bali and was wondering should i accept.
I do have experience working in Asia as a consultant, the industry i work in was developed in my home country and i have spent many years traveling and setting up similar programs else where.
My concerns are after hearing about thinks that happen in Indonesia, I’m concerned of my safety, many things have happened to westerners in Indonesia. I’m also worried after reading posts that I may not be liked as I will be seen as a job stealer from a foreign land. Because I will lead the project I’m worried that local staff and people there will not want to work with me because I’m what is termed a “bule” and my position is performance based and I will not be able to do my role.
The position has had the former employee leave after a few months as they hated working there!
Please can anyone give me advice??
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Overassuming me? Excuse me, foreign consultants hired in Indonesia are usually westerners.