The event is probably more for creating awareness than achieving any real tangible outcome, in preparation for the coming election.
All ruling parties are smart enough to control the army hence the possibility of overthrowing the ruling party is NIL.
The few countries that did manage to overthrow the government, from my knowledge, is still in tatters.
Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia.. or look further at Iraq, Afganistan, Egypt, Libya.
Unfortunately the only way to tackle electoral irregularities is through gradual increase in representation.
Demonstrations are a method for the public to put pressure on the gov't. We may not see a direct impact but I bet that the people at UMNO are sitting up & taking notice. I read that the elections in Malaysia will probably be delayed because now the gov't is unpopular because of the heavy handed way they dealt with the demonstrations.
By the way Indonesia under SBY has received high marks from the business community. They are forecasting a positive growth for the Indo economy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204136404577206020099626342.html
Indonesian Economy Grows at Top Clip Since '90s
By FARIDA HUSNA and ANDREAS ISMAR
JAKARTA—Indonesia's economy grew last year at its fastest pace since the 1997-98 Asian crisis, with the country's large domestic market helping to shield it from the global economic turmoil battering its more export-oriented neighbors.
Indonesia is shining as one of Asia's strongest emerging markets given a healthy boost in GDP growth. The WSJ's Deborah Kan speaks to Alex Frangos.
Gross domestic product expanded 6.5% in 2011, affirming Indonesia's position as one of Asia's fastest-growing economies and highlighting its appeal to investors.
In recent years, some companies and investors have touted Indonesia as the next India or China, as strong growth and relative political stability boost confidence in its fortunes, although its growth has lagged well behind those regional giants.
Foreign direct investment in Indonesia grew 20% to a record $20 billion last year as companies invested in areas such as coal mines and car factories to tap the country's vast natural resources and 240 million-strong consumer market.
Executives and investors complain that Indonesia lacks the legal protections and infrastructure needed to bump growth into double digits. Yet its GDP has grown more than 5% in seven out of the past eight years, and even in 2009—when many countries slumped into recession on the heels of Lehman Brothers' collapse—Southeast Asia's largest economy managed to squeeze out 4.5% growth.
The Central Statistics Agency announced Monday that the economy expanded 6.5% from a year earlier in the October-December quarter, driven by strong household consumption and capital investment. That matched the previous quarter's growth and was in line with market expectations.
Economists generally are optimistic that the economy will remain resilient this year, especially with the central bank keeping monetary policy easy. Bank Indonesia is expected to keep its policy rate at 6%, a record low, when it meets Thursday, but has tinkered recently with deposit rates to boost market liquidity.
"Indonesia's GDP growth has been remarkably stable and robust in 2011, in line with our view that Indonesia will remain a beacon of growth in a world where growth is scarce," Credit Suisse economist Kun Lung Wu said. "We expect real GDP growth to remain strong at around 6% in 2012, but we think there is a risk that policy could remain too loose for too long."
The median forecast of 11 economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires was for 6.48% year-to-year growth. Eight of the economists forecast an quarter-to-quarter contraction of 1.52%.
In sequential terms, the economy contracted 1.3% in October-December from the third quarter, when it expanded a revised 3.4%. That decline was attributed to slower economic activity during the year-end holiday season and the hit to exports from economic struggles in the West.
All sectors except mining grew last year, said Suryamin, the statistics agency's acting head, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name. Telecommunications, hotel and restaurant and financial companies showed the biggest growth.
Net profits of companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange may rise an average of 27% last year and 18% this year, said Ferry Wong, head of Indonesian equity research at Citigroup.
[INDOECON]
Indonesia's stable growth also stands out in comparison to more volatile and disappointing results from export-dependent neighbors such as the Philippines and Singapore, highlighting the resilience of its domestic market.
Exports hit a record of $203.6 billion last year yet their share of Indonesian GDP rose only marginally—to 26.3% in 2011, from 24.6% in 2010. Consumption still accounts for more than half of GDP, at 55.5% in 2011 and 56.6% in 2010.
Bambang Brodjonegoro, head of the Finance Ministry's Fiscal Policy Board, said exports will likely contribute less to economic growth this year. "Therefore, boosting private and public investment will be our focus to maintain growth momentum," he said.
Companies profiting from the increasingly confident and affluent Indonesian consumer say times have been good despite the economic turmoil abroad.
Airline Garuda Indonesia saw the number of passengers it carries jump 37% last year and expects similar growth this year. The airline is opening new routes and buying new planes to capture the expected growth.
"The strong middle-class economy really has really been supporting the Indonesian aviation industry," said Pudjobroto, a spokesman for Garuda who uses only one name. "We are optimistic that even with the country's limited infrastructure, the future of the aviation industry is bright here."
Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said he expected total investments made by private sector and the government to grow as much as 10% this year, after rising more than 8% in 2011.
Foreign direct investment is likely to remain robust over the medium term after Moody's Investors Services and Fitch Ratings recently upgraded Indonesia's credit ratings to investment grade.
The passage of a bill in December that aims to expedite land purchases for infrastructure projects bodes well for investment over the long term.
"We're laggards in terms of infrastructure. The land bill could spur growth of the construction sector by around 30% annually," said M. Choliq, chief executive of unlisted state-owned construction firm PT Waskita Karya.
Gatot Suwondo, CEO of PT Bank Negara Indonesia, the fourth biggest bank by assets, said the government can improve the investment climate by revising the country's rigid labor law, among others. Mr. Suwondo remains optimistic for this year, forecasting the bank's net profit to grow by "at least 30%" this year, following an estimated 30% rise in 2011.
"No matter what, we remain of the view that this year's slower growth is likely to be temporary in nature," OCBC economist Gundy Cahyadi said. "We remain fundamentally positive on our medium-term assessment of the Indonesian economy."
