Just once. That’s how many times the digital economy was discussed during Indonesia’s vice-presidential debate in late December. The three candidates were eager to convince voters of their ambitions for the country’s economic future.
After all, they’re seeking to form a government that’ll replace the current one under President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, who has the highest approval
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But the discussions on the digital economy during the December debate were just “on the surface and had yet to touch on the candidates’ detailed policies,” said Heru Sutadi, executive director of Indonesia ICT Institute, a think tank. “None of them [candidates] is better than the others.”
For instance, take the response of Mahfud MD, the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs and one of the vice-presidential candidates. When asked about his views on data security, he deflected the question; instead, he opted to highlight his experience in handling complaints against fintech lending platforms.
The same went for another vice-presidential candidate and member of parliament, Muhaimin Iskandar, who only acknowledged the importance of improving the digital literacy of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The other hopeful, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, followed a similar tack, merely pointing out Indonesia’s need to strengthen its cybersecurity and cyber-defence capabilities without elaborating on it. Raka is Widodo’s eldest son and mayor of Surakarta in Central Java.
Jokowi focused on economic
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As a result, the 62-year-old’s legacy will loom large when Indonesians head to polling stations on 14 February to choose his successor.
The candidates—Anies Baswedan, Ganjar Pranowo, and Prabowo Subianto—who are campaigning to become the next president all invoke his achievements and vow to build upon them.
However, these hopefuls and their running mates lack the expertise and vision to strengthen Indonesia’s digital economy, said the experts who spoke with The Ken.
