EDITOR’S LETTER
As this issue was being finalised, protests were taking place in the streets of Jakarta against moves by lawmakers to restrict free speech, muzzle the KPK anti-corruption agency and even interfere with our private lives. This attempt to turn back the clock is futile, of course. The younger generations simply won’t put up with it.
This became increasingly clear as we put together this year’s The Vanguards: The Prestige 40 Under 40. I was encouraged by many of the answers the impressive men and women in our annual list of rising young personalities gave to questions about the impact of technological change and political turbulence on society.
For example, Affan Helmy, Director of Pisma Putra Textile Spinning, told us: “We’re definitely living in the best time there has ever been in history! I think people are prouder of local goods, traditions and culture. Because of that there are so many new creative products and services popping up. I believe that five to 10 years from now Indonesia will develop in leaps and bounds.”
Lifestyle entrepreneur Carestha Widjaja believes the next 10 years “should be a golden age for Indonesia, as it will have the largest active work force and biggest middle class in Asia. We should take this opportunity to use the strong domestic market as a platform to catapult Indonesian products to the world.”
Otto Putihrai is, at 38, one of the youngest chief executives in Indonesia’s real estate industry. He became President Director of Tamara Group in 2017. “I’m proud to be Indonesian,” he declares, “and I believe that our country is blessed with having abundant natural resources and obviously has the amazing potential to be able to compete and become a world economic player.”
Denica Flesch, aged 29, created SukkhaCitta, a Jakarta-based social enterprise. Her business offers “ethical fashion, handcrafted with pride in villages across Indonesia”. She’s determined to raise the profile of the crafts. “Today, more than ever, there is an imperative way that supports, rather than exploits, the humans who make our clothes and the Earth we live in,” she tells us.
When the leaders of tomorrow talk like this, you know the future of Indonesia is bright. I hope you will continue to be inspired by the gifted, caring individuals we profile in Prestige each month. All you have to do is make sure you never miss a copy by turning to page 204 for details of our latest subscription offer. And you can keep up with us 24/7 on prestigeonline.com and on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages.
Happy reading!