Being a keynote speaker at the International Symposium of Overseas Indonesian Students Association Alliance (OISAA) 2015
Singapore. “Singapore just turned 50 and Indonesia will celebrate its 70th independence day next week. We as a nation is older than Singapore, but their GDP is much bigger than ours,” said Vice President Jusuf Kalla in an international symposium held by Overseas Indonesian Students Association Alliance (OISAA) in Singapore today. However, he further urged, it is definitely different between managing a country with 5 million people and a country of 250 million people.
According to Mr Kalla, there are small countries like Singapore yet very advanced and there are big countries rich in natural resources, like the US, and very developed. “Indonesia is in between, not yet as matured as them,” he said.
However, Mr Kalla said, as a middle class country we have the chance to be a developed country by enhancing knowledge, technology and spirit to progress. Mr Kalla then took Japan as an example. Although the country is not rich in natural resources, he urged, Japan becomes an advanced country due to their good attitude and strong character.
The bright future of Indonesia
Over the past two days, Vice President said, he had been very happy as this was the third time he met with a group of potential youth. “Yesterday morning I met with students of Assalaam Islamic boarding school in Solo and in the afternoon I met with creative young people at Jakarta Ideafest. And now I met with you, OISAA students,” he said.
Looking at Indonesian youth, Mr Kalla said, makes him sure of the bright future of Indonesia. He then told the youth group to keep the spirit and optimism to build a better Indonesia. “You are the ones who would determine the future,” he said
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