Jakarta – Despite President Prabowo Subianto's repeated assurances that his frequent overseas trips have brought major contributions to serve the national interests, the people's skepticism remains high. This sentiment can be easily found in public discourse on social media.

The President should listen to the people's aspirations more attentively, including their wish that he focus more on the country's pressing economic issues, especially those that cannot be resolved by merely enhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Indonesia should indeed have good relations with all countries, particularly states with strategic global roles.

More importantly, it is about putting our home in order first.

Prabowo has met the world's top leaders such as Chinese President Xi Jinping, United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. And though he did try to lure them with lucrative cooperation and concession agreements, the bigger question is what does Indonesia stand to gain from these sacrifices? So far, the public knows little about this side of the deals.

Speaking in private, Indonesian officials and foreign diplomats revealed that the President often made spontaneous decisions on foreign policy, whereas the normal practice is to announce a visit or plan after thorough preparation and communication among relevant parties.

For example, Prabowo announced his readiness to travel to Iran to serve as a mediator without the prior consent of his foreign counterparts in Tehran and Washington.

Since taking the office in October 2024, Prabowo has made 49 foreign visits to 35 countries, including for multilateral forums. Notably, however, he has visited only four neighboring states: Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

In ASEAN, a newly elected leader is expected to make introductory visits to member states as soon as possible. Not doing so can be seen as an affront or a slight from the head of the bloc's largest and most important member.

Similarly, Prabowo paid state visits to Japan and South Korea only recently, despite their standing among Indonesia's top investors and trading partners.

Earlier this month, he visited with Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron. But the President did not need to travel to Moscow himself just to import more Russian oil and gas; he could have sent Pertamina executives in his stead. As for France, there's nothing more he could get from Macron because the two leaders formalized in May last year several bilateral agreements, including the purchase of fighter jets.

Amid the Middle East crisis, world leaders are now preoccupied with an obligation to protect their own national interests. Against this overriding purpose, accommodating other nations' requests or calls for help is a side quest.

Prabowo believes strongly that maintaining good personal ties with leaders of major countries is among the keys to boosting Indonesia's global stature, including among foreign investors, as is spreading his personal charm in the global arena, of course.

His ministers often flaunt the number and high value of the memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on investment and cooperation signed during the President's foreign trips. But they would do well to keep in mind that the public knows an MoU is not binding and is more an expression of commitment.

No matter how many pledges the President and his counterparts declare, the reality is that economic cooperation and foreign investments are mainly determined by rational market considerations.

In short, they are business-to-business deals. Foreign investors will come only when Indonesia can convince them that the domestic market is competitive and highly profitable. And the fact is, it is clear the country is still unable to compete with its neighbors like Malaysia and Vietnam.

Bapak (Mr.) President, please listen to the people's concerns. Your frequent trips abroad have not produced convincing evidence so far that they are meant to bolster our free and active foreign policy doctrine in safeguarding Indonesian sovereignty.

Source: https://asianews.network/put-country-first-the-jakarta-post