Max Lane – On 9th February TEMPO media published an interview with me where issues such as the impact of colonialism and challenges today were discussed. TEMPO media puts out a daily and a weekly publication and maintains a major Internet Media presence at https://www.tempo.co/

Below is a (machine translated) English translation of the interview.

For Maxwell Ronald Lane, Indonesia was the second universe in his life. Almost most of his close friends are from Indonesia. The analyst at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, is friends with many cross-generational figures, from Pramoedya Ananta Toer, W.S. Rendra, Hariman Siregar, Daniel Dhakidae, Todung Mulya Lubis, to former President of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur.

He got to know Indonesia when he was in high school in Sydney, Australia, in 1967. At that time, Max Lane took Indonesian subjects. Two years later, he studied at the Department of Indonesian and Malayan Studies at the University of Sydney. He is also married to Indonesian, Faiza Mardzoeki, a playwright, director, and gender equality activist.

For decades, Max Lane researched the history and politics of Indonesia. He poured his research and thoughts into more than seven books. In July 2025, the doctoral graduate of the University of Wollongong, Australia, wrote a column entitled "Why Indonesia is Poor and the Way Out".

According to Max Lane, colonialism made Indonesia poor after independence. Similar conditions are experienced throughout the Global South or third world countries that have been colonized. "Third world countries must unite to break this problem," said Max Lane, Monday, February 2, 2026.

Before leaving for Yogyakarta, Max Lane served an interview with Tempo journalists, Yosea Arga, Friski Riana, and Iwan Kurniawan, at the Mercure Cikini Hotel, Central Jakarta. For three hours, he explained why Indonesia remains poor even after independence. Max Lane also spoke about the essence of opposition in a democratic country.

At the age of 75, he is still actively writing. The Indonesian from Australia is now chasing a deadline. He must complete a book of political memoirs before June 2026. The political memoir, Lane said, was written based on his experiences while working on issues about Indonesia. "It's also hard to write it," he said with a laugh.

Indonesia's biggest problem is that this nation forgets history. Why?

Not only Indonesians. Many people in Australia have forgotten history, too. They forget history because the ruler always serves up a version that suits its needs. Indonesia, a very new country, the concept of Indonesia did not exist before the 1920s. Indonesia is a nation, both in concept and reality, perhaps the newest in the world, and a big country as well. History is important because Indonesia is still in the process of creating and consolidating its nation. If you are disconnected from the process, it can cause many problems.

A country has to know its origins, the problem?

Later you will be stuck to treating symptoms, not looking for a real solution to the problem. One of my impressions, because I often go back and forth to Indonesia, there is one thing that I think is somewhat unique in Indonesia.

What is it?

Indonesia, like most other third world countries, has experienced colonial colonialism. Indonesia is just like India, the Philippines, African countries, and China – it has never been colonized directly, but has been exploited to the fullest by the West. All third world countries or in the current term called the Global South that were colonized when they became independent were left economically very poor. Its economic development was backward due to colonialism.

Why is it that countries that were once colonized remain poor even after independence?

The average person in a third world country is aware that poverty is the result of colonialism. In Indonesia, I find that most people do not have appreciation or awareness that the country is poor. The growing discourse of Indonesia is a rich country. In 2045 it will become a Golden Indonesia. Indeed, Indonesia in terms of natural resources is very rich, but the capital to create or buy technology that can process natural resources does not exist.

Can it be elaborated further?

Capital wealth does not exist because of colonialism. It is not President Prabowo Subianto's fault. Is it because of Suharto's fault that he was in power for 32 years? His poverty was also not caused by Suharto. Perhaps we can analyze that Suharto's development program to deal with the poverty left by colonialism was inadequate. This can be analyzed or debated. I feel that in Indonesia there is minimal debate about it.

What is needed?

Debate about the solutions needed by this nation. Without it, it will create a culture of complaining. This means that this nation will always complain and protest. But don't think: what do you want as the altrenative? In my opinion, it is not enough to reduce corruption or improve the performance of each individual in government. Because, it is the same as accepting what exists as a response to the poverty of the legacy of colonialism.

Do you see Prabowo's policies leading to efforts to overcome poverty?

Prabowo's administration has only been in office for one year. I can't measure it yet because it's still a bit early. I guess the outline is to continue the previous one. More centralistic. With Danantara, for example. I'm not an economist. However, in my opinion, in another year or two, it remains to be seen whether Danantara will succeed in doing something useful.

I can't provide a solution. In the field of economics, I think it would be useful to make a big conference. All parties who have views on the economy must be debated in the forum. Indeed, it will not solve the problem. But maybe it can be clearer and there is a solution. This country needs a more open debate about future economic strategies. Whether it succeeds in finding a better way or not is another matter.

Other countries hold open debates?

Many countries often hold open debate events. This is because its history gave birth to parties with different visions. In Brazil, for example, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's party is facing a party with a different economic vision, so inevitably there will be a debate. In Indonesia, almost all party visions are more or less the same. I'm not assuming, but it's a fact. In the House of Representatives, there is almost never a vote with a different result.

Is there a need for opposition in Indonesia?

Opposition is necessary and will arise when there is a part of society that has a different opinion from the ruler. Naturally, there will be opposition. If there is an opposition, then it gets repression, it is called anti-democracy. If there is no different view, don't go in this direction.

Do you disagree with the attitude that there should be opposition?

There is no need for opposition if people agree. The Prabowo government – as well as Joko Widodo and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono – did not ban the party. Your media, Tempo, always criticizes and is not closed, right? sometimes people say that Indonesia does not know the opposition. Indonesian culture does not know opposition because the system is deliberation and consensus. It is up to Indonesians to judge whether it is true or not.

Indonesia once adhered to a multiparty system in 1955. Does it reflect the debate on the situation of the state?

People say, we have to be fair from the point of view, ha-ha-ha. The reading of Indonesia's proclamation was in 1945, but its independence was achieved five years later with the signature of the Dutch. In the 1920s, people began to imagine that they wanted to have their own country. Then it was named Indonesia. Fighting for independence really requires commitment, courage, and willingness to sacrifice. As a people who have struggled, they clearly have aspirations, which is what kind of country do they want to have? Some want communist, socialist, Islamic, and other countries. This desire became the basis of their respective parties at that time. A kind of dialectical or difference between parties is very sharp. What unites all the competing streams? Love for Indonesia.

That is, there is a debate?

Indeed, conflicts arise. We can of course assess the quality of the content of the conflict in terms of policies. Five years after independence, Indonesia was still facing the reality that the country was very poor, almost all sectors of the modern economy were still in the hands of the Dutch.

Many believe that improving Indonesia should not be half-hearted, but must reset from the beginning...

You asked me about the fate of your own people, ha-ha-ha. In my opinion, the whole world should be reset. Look at what is happening in Gaza or the United States or in my own country, Australia. I read that since the past week, polls show that supporters of the highly racist party, called One Nation, have jumped to over 20 percent. A lot has to be reset in this world. It's about how to reset it here, it's none of my business. Except, if I become an Indonesian citizen.

One of the ways that Indonesian people are upgraded is cooperation with other countries. What is your response?

The opinion on that is the same as my opinion on finding the right economic strategy. Economic cooperation among Global South countries, one of which is BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). So, what cooperation can be done? And, with whom? Sorry, I don't have an answer myself. But, it should be discussed openly.

Indonesian politicians these days tend to avoid such open debates...

Don't expect it from them. It has to be from you, ha-ha-ha. You have to have a big discussion about economics because none of the problems can be solved locally, only nationally and internationally. Problems can only be solved collectively. You can't solve any problem down to even the smallest village in Indonesia. It cannot be solved without the support of the government.

When did you start coming into contact with Indonesia?

When I was in high school, I learned Indonesian. In 1967-1968, for the first time, Indonesian was provided in my school. I have close Malaysian friends. He introduced me to some Malay. In the entire school there is only one Asian. But what was taught at my school was not Malay, but Indonesian.

Since then, he has started to get to know many Indonesians?

When I took the first year of Indonesian classes, the school still provided its teachers. In the second year, the teacher was transferred to another school. How do I learn Indonesian? I was told by the school that the Indonesian consulate holds Indonesian language classes every week. So I was given permission by the principal to learn Indonesian there. Since then, I have got to know many Indonesians.

What about your latest book?

I must finish writing before June 2026. This book will be my political memoirs.

Related to your experience during the Indonesian issue?

Yes, the Malari activists, namely Hariman Siregar and Mulya Lubis. In addition, Hasta Mitra – an independent Indonesian book publisher founded in April 1980 by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Joesoef Isak, Hasjim Rachman, and others. So I've written about them with an angle that doesn't exist yet. Then about the period of the 1990s and my experiences in the Philippines and Timor Leste. I also tried to campaign about Indonesia in Australia. It's also hard to write, ha-ha-ha.

Did you do your research to write a book of political memoirs?

I write books based on experience. I obtained my doctorate at the age of 59. I learned about Indonesia under the guidance of W.S. Rendra, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Hariman Siregar, and Joesoef Isak for 30 years. I also chatted a lot with Gus Dur, Todung Mulya Lubis, Yopie lasut, and others. I feel lucky to have known them, including the People's Democratic Party (PRD) people.

Source: https://maxlaneonline.substack.com/p/indonesians-dont-realise-that-thei