Indonesia’s polls impact Filipinos

Wednesday, an estimated 187 million Indonesians voted in 17,000 islands across three time zones. It’s the first election to see power transferred from one directly elected leader to another in what was once a dictatorship.

We won’t know the final tally until late July. But the outcome will largely define the thrust and direction over the next generation for a 250 million country with half the population under 29 years old.

Jakarta Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo is on track to become Indonesia's seventh president, Exit polls, by eight reputable polling companies, show the same trend: Widodo got 52 % of the vote, and former general Prabowo Subianto, 48%. Tarred by human rights violations, Subianto refuses to concede.

Why should that matter to Filipinos?

There are 9,844 Filipinos in Indonesia, government headcounts says. That doesn’t count the illegals—which shove that to 15,000. In contrast, one out of five OFWs worked in Saudi Arabia. Other destinations were United Arab Emirates (15%); Singapore (8%); and Qatar (6%). Laborers and unskilled workers (31%) comprised the largest group.

Filipinos in Indonesia are mostly professionals in in finance, banking and education. They dub themselves as,   “architects of business”. Rappler’s Ayee Macaraig writes. They're a key part of the success story of the world's fourth most populous country, notes Philippine Ambassador Maria Rosario Aguinaldo.

One of them is SGV accountant Rodolfo Balmater, now head of his own Jakarta-based business consulting company. Accountant-turned-investment officer Thelma Victorio has been in Jakarta for 26 years. “Tita Thiel” helped in Jakarta pioneering broadcasting industry.

“In Indonesia’s shoe industry most executives  are graduates of Rubber World Philippines. They design the shoes: New Balance, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, etc. “If you see an ordinary English-speaking Indonesian kid in the mall, chances are, his teacher is Filipino.”

As founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Indonesia and the Philippines work closely in the regional bloc. The most contentious have been issues like advocating for a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea. The two countries’ recent boundary treaty is hailed as a “model for maritime dispute resolution”.

“There are five reasons why Indonesia's presidential election matters,” Kate Lamb wrote in the UK Guardian.

First: Indonesia is a mega democracy. This is the first time power will be handed from one directly elected president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to another.

Second: Indonesia is south-east Asia's largest economy. Jakarta is a member of G20 and one Counted among the Mints (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey), a new group of emerging market economies. By 2030, Indonesia's economy is projected to be the seventh largest globally  and added 90 million people to its consuming class—more than any other country except China and India.

However, around 32 million Indonesians still live below the poverty line. And the country's economic potential is held by back by embedded corruption and infrastructure bottlenecks. The former Indonesian president Suharto was thought to have stolen more than $35billion—triple what the Marcoses ripped of here.

Third: It is a dynamic democratic society. Its transition contrasts with coup-marred Thailand. Quasi one-party-rule in Malaysia and Singapore still fester.

Corruption remains a huge problem. Parliament is dominated by people who wielded power during the Suharto era. But the country's anti-corruption body, the KPK, has made gains. The “graftbusters” have jailed some high-profile politicians and figures in recent years, just this week putting Akil Mochtar, the former head of the constitutional court, behind bars for life.  Filipinos did that with their Supreme Court chief.

Fourth: Indonesia has a “moderate Islam”. There are around 216 million Muslims in Indonesia, more than in the whole of the Arab world. Indonesia is often compared to Turkey as an example of the compatibility of democracy and Islam.

In recent years, Jakarta has worked hard to cripple extremist groups, such as those behind the 2002 Bali bombings. Indonesia's constitution protects religious freedom but under Yudhoyono—whose coalition includes Islamic-based parties—religious intolerance against Christians, Shia Muslims and Ahmadis has been on the rise.

Fifth: If as is likely, Jokowi will be elected president, his greatest challenge will be to forge national unity, if it is to fully realize its potential role on the global stage, Indonesia needs a leader who can unify one of the world's most diverse nations.

Indonesia held together since its foundation in 1945. In a globalized world beset by schism, and break-up, it exemplifies benefits of togetherness. In the campaign, leading candidates wove a nationalist thread to their rhetoric.

The world will face a more assertive, determined Indonesia after 9 July.