Indonesia's President Yudhoyono awarded Order of Temasek by Singapore

By Zakir Hussain, Indonesia Bureau Chief, The Straits Times, 4 Sep 2014

INDONESIAN President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was awarded The Order of Temasek (First Class), Singapore's highest honour for a foreign leader, by President Tony Tan Keng Yam last night in a ceremony at the Istana attended by top ministers from both countries.

Dr Yudhoyono, who will step down on Oct 20, was conferred the award "in recognition of his valuable contributions to regional cooperation and stability, as well as the substantial and vital friendship" between the neighbours.

"During his 10 years in office, President Yudhoyono consolidated Indonesian democracy, restored political stability and fostered steady economic growth," said Ambassador-at- large Tommy Koh, who read the citation.

"A politically stable and economically successful Indonesia has helped ASEAN greatly, both in terms of regional cooperation and in the confidence and security this has created throughout the region. Singapore has benefited greatly from this positive regional climate."

Dr Tan then put a sash on Dr Yudhoyono with the Badge of the Order on his right hip, and pinned the Star of the Order on the left side of his baju kurung Teluk Belanga, a national attire worn by Indonesian officials for special functions. The outfit reportedly got its name from Telok Blangah in Singapore, another reminder of the close ties between the countries.

Earlier in the day, Dr Tan gave Dr Yudhoyono a ceremonial welcome at the Istana before both men held a meeting.

Dr Yudhoyono then met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. They witnessed the signing by their foreign ministers of a treaty demarcating the maritime boundaries in the eastern part of the Singapore Strait.

At a state banquet after the award ceremony, Dr Tan paid tribute to his counterpart's "vision and leadership" that had made Indonesia a "shining example of a democratic nation where ethnic and religious diversity, economic development and traditional social norms and values coexist peacefully".

"By setting the stage for a stable and orderly transition from yourself to your successor, Your Excellency will leave an enduring legacy for Indonesia," he added.

Dr Yudhoyono said he was honoured to receive the Order, which he dedicated to the Indonesian people and to the friendship between the countries.

"It will be a permanent reminder to me of the many wonderful moments that we share together as close neighbours," he added.

Yudhoyono reflects on 'special' bilateral ties
By Zakir Hussain, The Straits Times, 4 Sep 2014

AT THE state banquet in his honour at the Istana last night, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono quipped that the next time he visits, he may just have to take a taxi from the airport.

As the room burst into laughter, he also hinted he would continue to make more trips.

"In my mind, Singapore is an ideal place for me to take a few weeks of sabbatical leave to complete my book project. So if you happen to find me typing in a cafe on Orchard Road, please join me."

Dr Yudhoyono began his speech by saying he would break from protocol and take a little longer than usual, leading some of his officials to worry it would be yet another long speech.

But over the next 20 minutes, he reflected broadly on what he felt was behind the strong ties between the two countries, which he called "special".

In his speech, delivered entirely in English, Dr Yudhoyono noted that of all the countries he visited in the world, Singapore was the one he had lost track of how many times he had visited.

Perhaps, he mused, it was because it took less time to go from Jakarta to Singapore than it did to travel from his private home in Cikeas, West Java, to his office in Jakarta.

"I have come here so often, Indonesian Embassy staff have memorised my habit - a visit to Kinokuniya bookstore, and also Borders before it was closed, and a stop at a noodle stall nearby," he quipped.

He noted that both his two sons got degrees at Nanyang Technological University, and people-to-people ties between both countries were growing alongside strong trade and economic links.

But he also noted how since joining the Cabinet of former presidents Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri, he had always been mindful of the strategic value of Singapore and admired what it had achieved.

"I admit, there were times when relations with Singapore were not easy; perhaps, you think the same of us too. But I am sure there is a mutual feeling that

Indonesia-Singapore relations constitute one of our most important bilateral relations, and we have to get it right."

Valuable contributions to Indonesia and region
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was conferred the Order of Temasek (First Class), Singapore's highest recognition for a foreign leader, by President Tony Tan Keng Yam yesterday. Dr Yudhoyono received the award for his contributions to the bilateral relationship between the two countries during his 10 years in office.

This is the citation:

PRESIDENT Yudhoyono was elected as the sixth President of the Republic of Indonesia in the country's first-ever direct presidential elections in 2004. He secured a strong mandate based on his track record as a distinguished senior military officer and Cabinet minister in successive Reformasi-era administrations. Five years later, he was re-elected with an increased majority.

During his 10 years in office, President Yudhoyono consoli- dated Indonesian democracy, restored political stability and fostered steady economic growth. He oversaw the recovery from the devastating Boxing Day tsunami, restored peace in strife-torn Aceh and neutralised extremist jihadist terror groups. His ministers reformed economic policies and strengthened state finances. In two terms, his administration lifted millions of people out of poverty. These are considerable accomplishments, especially in so diverse and complex a nation as Indonesia.

A politically stable and economically successful Indonesia has helped ASEAN greatly, both in terms of regional cooperation, and in the confidence and security this has created throughout the region. President Yudhoyono's foreign policy has emphasised ASEAN unity, as well as engaging member states and external partners as friends and equals. In international fora such as Apec, G-20 and the UN, his initiatives and pronouncements have raised Indonesia's stature and strengthened ASEAN's voice in world affairs. When issues have arisen, President Yudhoyono has taken a wise, strategic view, safeguarding Indonesia's interests but main- taining relations and preventing these issues from affecting the overall cooperation and friendship.

Singapore has benefited greatly from this positive regional climate. Indonesia is also one of our most important foreign partners. During President Yudhoyono's tenure, our bilateral ties have deepened considerably. Our trade has grown, cooperation between the Indonesian military (TNI) and SAF is ongoing, and we work closely but quietly together on security and counterterrorism. We have also concluded two long outstanding boundary demarcations, one of which we have just signed today.

At the leaders' level, Singapore and Indonesia have maintained friendly and substantive exchanges through regular Leaders' Retreats as well as discussions on the sidelines of other international meetings. The leaders have set the tone for ministers and officials to work with their counterparts, for example, through the six Working Groups, created to further cooperation in specific areas.

President Yudhoyono is the first Indonesian President in the Reformasi-era to complete two full terms. As he prepares to leave office, President Yudhoyono is actively working on a smooth handover to his successor. In so doing, he is establishing an important precedent for future political leaders in Indonesia.

In recognition of his valuable contributions to regional cooperation and stability, as well as the substantial and vital friendship between Indonesia and Singapore, His Excellency Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia, is awarded the Order of Temasek (First Class), Singapore's highest recognition for a foreign leader.

A friend and a sea of opportunity
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono spoke on the 'strong and special' relationship he has built with Singapore over the past decade at a state banquet in his honour at the Istana on Wednesday. Dr Yudhoyono was awarded the Order of Temasek (First Class) during his state visit to Singapore. Here is an excerpt from his remarks.
The Straits Times, 5 Sep 2014

SINCE joining the Cabinets of (former) presidents Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri, and since becoming President of Indonesia in 2004, I was always mindful of the strategic value of Singapore.

Singapore has achieved remarkable progress as a nation. As a city state, an island state, with small population and no natural resources, Singaporeans faced an uphill struggle to survive, let alone succeed. But as you mark your 49 years of independence, here you are now. You have become a modern, developed nation in the heart of South-east Asia, with high quality of life. From a society of migrants and traders, you have developed a strong national identity and pride as Singaporeans. You have scored impressive gains in global rankings on education, on competitiveness, on innovation, on ease of doing business and many others.

And diplomatically you have punched well above your weight in the world community. You have become a positive example of the good things that come when a nation applies the rule of law, good governance, hard work and sound economic policy.

In the past 10 years, good relations with Singapore have been my government's top priority. I admit, there were times when relations with Singapore were not easy; perhaps, you think the same of us too. But I am sure there is a mutual feeling that Indonesia-Singapore relations constitute one of our most important bilateral relations, and we have to get it right. In pursuing our relations with Singapore, as with all other nations, I have always embraced the principle of equality between nations. This is fundamental to our foreign policy: we respect and will cooperate with all nations - big, medium and small. I have also emphasised the need to cultivate goodwill, trust and confidence. This is why since 2010, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and I have met every year, where we sit together with a minimum of formality to discuss openly the issues that confront our nations. This is followed by even more frequent consultations between our foreign and other ministers.

And, of course, this relationship cannot have a "special" quality unless we are deeply invested in the success of one another and feel each other's pain and are always ready to help in times of need.

This is what transpired when the Singapore Armed Forces came to our aid during the critical hour of the tsunami crisis, a time which shall be remembered as the most difficult time of my presidency. And for my part, that is why in March this year I stopped campaigning for several days during the elections, so that I could personally lead the efforts to reduce forest fires in Riau. After all we have been through - the ups and downs - I believe we have fostered stronger relations.

Indonesia's challenges

I AM now in the final weeks of my term in office. Indonesia still confronts great challenges: poverty, infrastructure, corruption, and many others. But I will leave office knowing that Indonesia has come a long way from the day I took office. Indonesia now has stable democracy, political stability, peaceful elections, better security, law and order, and social progress.

We also have maintained our national unity, and harmonious relations among our religious and ethnic groups, despite the spread of radicalism in some parts of the world. We have the largest and fastest-growing middle-class in South-east Asia. Our gross domestic product per capita has multiplied almost 400 per cent in the last decade. Our domestic demand and purchasing power continue to grow strongly. We are the 16th-largest economy, or 10th largest, according to one World Bank estimate based on purchasing power parity. We registered the second-highest economic growth among the Group of 20 nations, after China.

That stable and growing Indonesia is good for the world, good for the region and good for Singapore. I want Singapore to always see Indonesia not only as a friend, but also as a sea of opportunity for us to grow together.

Singapore has always been an important factor for progress. Singapore has ranked among the top investors in Indonesia. You are our top trading partner - at around US$42 billion (S$53 billion). Singaporeans are the largest source of foreign tourists in Indonesia - around 1.4 million last year, and, conversely, there are around three million Indonesians who visit Singapore each year. Jakarta-Singapore is said to be the third-busiest passenger air route in the world, after Hong Kong-Taipei and Dublin-London.

Singapore is also a favourite destination for Indonesian students, including for my two sons Ibas and Agus, who attended master's degree programmes at Nanyang Technological University. There are about 24,000 Indonesian students in Singapore. They are part of a large population of around 200,000 Indonesians who are happily living, working and studying here.

With all the promising things in our relations, we must keep in mind that the significance of our relations goes beyond the bilateral dimension.

Both Indonesia and Singapore find ourselves in a challenging international landscape. The relations between the major powers are becoming unstable. Russia and Europe are in a volatile relationship. The Middle East is boiling, and the international community is still figuring out how to respond to the threat of ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). Relationships in North-east Asia, as well as in South Asia, remain unsettled. There are new tensions in the South China Sea. For that matter, ASEAN must truly transform itself into an effective and proactive community. It needs to demonstrate and deliver on its often-quoted leadership and centrality role in the region.

Today, it means that ASEAN must take the lead in imparting its positive experience - in transforming a trust deficit into strategic trust - to the wider East Asia, Asia-Pacific, indeed, the wider Indian Ocean-Pacific Ocean geopolitical architecture. That is why Indonesia welcomes ASEAN's support for its proposal for an Indo-Pacific Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation - a binding commitment for the non-use of force and peaceful settlement of disputes. Thus, for Indonesia, and I am sure for Singapore also, despite the fact that our international roles are evolving and expanding, I can assure you that ASEAN will always be the cornerstone of our foreign policy. The more the world changes, the more we will cling to ASEAN as our family, our neighbours, our partners. In ASEAN, we rise and grow together.

As Indonesia and Singapore commemorate the 47th anniversary of our diplomatic relations this year, I am pleased that during our meeting today we reaffirmed our commitment to work closer for our bilateral relations and also on regional and global affairs. This is a message that I will be sure to convey to my successor. I have met with President-elect Joko Widodo several times and discussed with him the situation in the region, and he has expressed his commitment to continue Indonesia's good relations and partnership in the region and beyond. As I look ahead, I see many promising developments to come. The ocean of opportunities between us will only grow. I see more of our politicians becoming engaged, adding to the already close relationship between our governments. I see more Singaporean entrepreneurs investing more outwardly in Indonesia's provinces, regents and cities. I see more technology and innovation from Singapore coming to Indonesia. I see more and more of our youth becoming connected, by way of schools and universities, by way of social media and cultural exchanges, and by the workplace and travels. And I see both Singapore and Indonesia evolving a healthy social and economic symbiosis where we both progress and prosper together as close neighbours. All of these developments allow me to leave office with a very big smile.

Building on the legacy of Dr Yudhoyono
Editorial, The Straits Times, 3 Sep 2014

SINGAPOREANS remember how gracious Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had been in acknowledging the distress the seasonal haze causes, notably in Singapore and Malaysia. Also not forgotten is how political dissenters and sections of the Indonesian media had turned on him when he apologised last year for a particularly bad occurrence. These critics were making the case, tinged with nationalist fervour, that Indonesia was too big to be engaging in acts of contrition, more so as their country was no less afflicted. But he knew better.

This was just one instance in a decade-long tenure during which he showed many acts of statesmanship to reinforce a relationship that has been steadily improving despite some outstanding issues. The Order of Temasek (First Class), Singapore's highest honour for foreign leaders, conferred on Dr Yudhoyono on his farewell call here is a measure of how well regarded he is.

Dr Yudhoyono intuited the importance of a steady hand in regional diplomacy that Indonesia is well placed to provide, as the region's largest economy and a pluralistic state with the world's largest Muslim population. Such outward-looking leadership will be needed even more in what Dr Yudhoyono called an era of "hot peace" created by regional tensions. As a thought leader who has espoused diverse causes over the years, the ASEAN community should tap his considerable experience to promote its interests in international councils.

For Dr Yudhoyono's legacy to bear fruit, it falls upon incoming president Joko Widodo to safeguard carefully-built bilateral ties, despite the nationalist impulse of the Indonesian politicians who reflexively resist anything that is perceived as outside pressure.

Insular policies, of course, will not help Indonesia in fulfilling its potential of becoming the world's seventh-largest economy before the middle of this century, as predicted by some economists. Just as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationalist base is seen as a major impediment to much-needed reforms, Indonesia's new leaders will have to contend with the influence of political lobbies.

Executive vigour might then be tempered by the accommodation needed to thwart legislative obstructionism emanating from any disgruntled coalition partners as well as sworn enemies.

Amid the prospect of substantial fuel subsidy cuts and rising prices, the effect of the haze on neighbours would not be a pressing matter to many Indonesian people. But, as Dr Yudhoyono understood well, deep and robust multilateral ties underpin the stability, security and synergy that are essential for the nation to take its place in the world as a catalyst of positive change in the region.