Living in Harmony

Dr Rizal Ramli, Indonesia’s eminent economist, is fond of music, particularly jazz and classical. For him, music is a source of creativity that can enhance feelings, emotions, and empathy with others and the environment. Novranto Huntua writes

When god created us, He gave us something worth living for. Such an impression is immediately apparent in the figure of the eminent economist Dr Rizal Ramli. Behind his firm, loud, and bold character, he is also known as a music enthusiast, especially fond of jazz and classical music. “Music is our family’s first love,” says Rizal, who was born in Padang, West Sumatra, on December 10, 1954. In Rizal’s family, hardly a day passes without music. In fact, he admits that he fell in love with his late wife, Ir. Herawati Ramli, M.arch., an architect who graduated from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, because she was a piano prodigy.

Their love story was truly a romantic one. They met at a classical music event held at the ITB Student Center in 1976. Rizal, who was an engineering physics major at ITB and who served as Chairman of Jazz and Classical Music Appreciation while there, witnessed Herawati playing classical songs during a piano recital. Rizal was moved and amazed and fell in love at first sight. “I had to struggle to win her heart because she was beautiful, nice, and tidy, while at that time, I had messy and long hair,” he laughs. “However, music was able to transcend our differences and unite us,” he recalls.

Rizal, who served as Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Finance under the government of President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), also admits that when he was young, he was a fan of jazz. For him, the rhythms of jazz are lively, fun, and packed with free-form improvisation. No wonder he has hundreds of collections of jazz recordings from world-famous musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, and many more.

Over time, Rizal’s love of classical music also grew. “You can enjoy classical music while reading and working,” he explains. “Music can be a positive energy to support and encourage us in our activities.” His favourite classical music composers include Gustav Mahler and Richard Wagner. For Rizal, listening to the symphonic compositions of such musicians can uplift one’s spirit and elevate mood.

For Rizal, who earned his doctorate degree in economics from Boston University in the US, music is a source of creativity that can enhance feelings. “Music is the soul and the heart, while the mind is the logic. Ideally, we should be able to combine heart and soul with rationality,” he explains.

Rizal, who served as Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs in the working cabinet of President Joko Widodo, also explains that through art, we can understand emotions and empathy towards each other and the environment. He has travelled across Indonesia in the last four months, taking in Aceh, North Sumatra, Jambi, West Sumatra, Riau, Palembang, West Java, Central Java and East Java—all the way to East Indonesia, including Ternate, Tidore, Halmahera, and Sulawesi.

From his journey, he concluded two things. First, the public has a perception of him as a figure of integrity, courage, assertiveness, and with a drive to consistently defend the people. Secondly, society longs for a figure who can bring change to realise progress in economy, prosperity, and justice for the wider community, especially among the lower middle class.

All these issues require change and improvement in all areas of the nation’s lives. There is nothing wrong with our country— Indonesia is a great nation; its land and oceans are vast. Natural resources are abundant, and there are tens of millions of young people who love the country and who have a strong motivation to achieve a better life. The problem lies in the question of whether we take care of the country correctly and dedicate our minds and souls to be totally oriented to the interests of the people.

In the end, according to Rizal, one of the strategic steps in responding to future economic challenges will be answered by trying to improve Indonesia’s economic growth, and not letting it sit stagnantly at 5 per cent.

“Indonesia has the potential of abundant natural resources and hard-working human capital. I am confident that over the years from 2019-2024, we can achieve economic growth of 10 per cent. Under these conditions, there will be more available jobs, rising wages, and poverty will almost certainly be reduced,” Rizal says, closing the conversation.