Is everything OK in Malaysia?

by drrafick

1. I travel regularly to Jakarta for work since 2008. I was there this week and got back late last night. Over the last 3 years certain things caught my attention. Among others is the cleanliness of the city which has improved by leaps and bounds. The travel time from the airport to my regular hotel used to be one hour and during my recent trip it is down to 30 minutes. Traffic is more orderly. My only frustration is that the immigration counter for foreigners seems to be longer every time. More foreigners are flying in lately. The Indonesian government must be doing something right.
   

2. The improvement in traffic flow is not related to construction of new highway. They are taking measures to improve the movement of people by using current infrastructure. According to Yudi, an officer with the Jakarta Governor office whom I met at the hotel said that the new management is looking at improving flow so that economy can improve. The focus is on improving road conditions and creating dedicated bus lanes and upgrade walking path. Taxis are friendly and cleaner as ever. It is cheap and this encourages people to take cabs rather than driving.
   

3. At the airport yesterday, I was shocked to see the major headlines in all newspaper there. Airasia, the Malaysian borne airline has decided to relocate its regional HQ to Jakarta. Tony Fernandez said among others it is because he likes Jakarta. I was lost for words. An airline that started in Malaysia is now relocating away from its birth place. There must be something right in Jakarta.
   

4. The other big news in Jakarta is about corruption. They seem to show greater commitment to eradicate it. Over the last few days the bribery story involving Muhammad Nazaruddin, the treasurer of the governing Democratic party (Susilo Bambang is the president) is also a major new. Susilo fired him from the party. The anticorruption agency there seems to be working overtime to catch this guy who seems to be running from one country after another.
   

5. President SBY should be honored for his conviction in improving the economic scenario and removing corruption in Indonesia. The Indonesian seems to be doing many right things of late and I could sense that economy is really positive there. Unlike Malaysia, the government is saying everything is good when the actual feeling on the ground is the opposite.