Setyo Budiantoro
Fellow IDEAS–UID MIT Sloan School of Management, Advisory Committee Fair Finance Asia, and SDGs–ESG Expert at the Indonesian ESG Professional Association (IEPA) and The Prakarsa
Eighty years after the Proclamation, Indonesia stands at a historical crossroads that only comes once in a generation.
A rare opportunity lies ahead: to become a developed nation before the centenary of independence, to lead shifting global supply chains, and to take a strategic position in the world's transition to a low-carbon economy.
The choice of direction has fallen on a large ship called the developmental state—a state that is present with strong control, directing industry, building giant infrastructure, and orchestrating investment like a conductor guiding the harmony of an orchestra.
However, every experienced sailor knows that a chart isn't the ocean. The sharp lines on a charting table don't always capture undercurrents, shifting winds, or dark clouds in the distance.
Developmental states tend to see things like a state—looking from a height, where everything seems in order, as James Scott put it. Important, but not sufficient.
For this great ship to arrive at the port of history, another lens must be added: seeing like a citizen. This is the ability to capture the everyday realities often overlooked in official documents: signs of changing purchasing power in the market, farmers' adaptations to the weather, or small innovations born in village workshops. All these are pieces of a mosaic that, when assembled, create a more vivid and accurate map.
A large demonstration event involving all components of society Pati recently served as a reminder that the signs cannot be ignored.
The people's voices are part of a living map—giving direction, correcting course, and demanding that policies are not only right on paper, but also right in the hearts and realities of the people.
Our history provides a powerful example. Sukarno, in his role as "the people's voice," was not merely a spokesman.
He went down to the rice fields, had a dialogue with Marhaen—a small farmer who was a symbol of the common people—and from there drew a political and economic direction. He looks from above to read the direction of the times, but also looks from below to ensure that direction is grounded in reality.
This approach—standing among the people but being able to read the entire system—is the essence of leadership that is sensitive to the signs of change. In today's language, this is sensing: reading subtle signs before they become major waves.
And furthermore, presencing is bringing the desired future into today's decisions, a concept pioneered by Otto Scharmer. It is the ability not only to react to change but also to anticipate new directions before they arrive.
Without sensing and presencing, ships can get caught in a blindspot, feeling safe because all the indicators are green, even though a storm is forming on the horizon.
And history also provides an equally clear warning: a country that spends too long simply seeing like a state easily becomes trapped within its own self-drawn map, locked in a lulling “echo chamber” that makes it believe everything is under control, even when signs outside its walls suggest otherwise.
On the map, the rice fields are still green, even though the fields have become rows of houses. Official reports indicate food stocks are safe for months, even though rice prices in the market have already crept up.
In the graph, the poverty rate appears to be decreasing, but in narrow alleys mothers are starting to reduce their children's food portions.
At a bus stop, a group of young people joke around to cover up their anxiety over the lack of work calls. Purchasing power is weakening, the middle class is eroding, and national competitiveness is slowly eroding.
What happened in Pati reminds us that the voice of the people is not a nuisance to be suppressed, but rather a compass to be read carefully.
It points the way that official maps sometimes miss, but is very real on the ground. In the dynamics of democracy, the wave of public aspirations is not only a correction, but also an energy that can strengthen state decisions.
Policy, therefore, must not remain a mere formula behind a bureaucratic desk; it must become a living pulse—felt, understood, and implemented alongside the people.
To ensure that the overall direction of development does not deviate, and to ensure that the nation's adaptive capacity remains sharp in the face of change, the following three strategic steps need to be implemented immediately.
First, build a “National Change Radar”—an integrated system that relies not only on official government data, but also captures early signals from communities, markets, and regions.
This model could be adapted from Singapore's Whole-of-Government Integrated Risk Management System, where all ministries and agencies share a real-time "policy radar." This allows for faster detection of potential storms, allowing for precise, timely, and measured policy responses.
Second, holding a Policy Review Forum every six months, bringing together government, business actors, academics, and civil society representatives.
This forum serves as a shared space to re-examine assumptions, identify implementation gaps, and adapt steps to the latest realities.
South Korea does something similar through cross-sector Economic Policy Review Meetings, ensuring policies remain relevant, adaptive, and aligned with global dynamics and domestic needs.
Third, establish a National Cooperation Index to measure how united the central government, regional governments, and communities are in moving towards common goals.
This index can be based on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development framework, but expanded to capture alignment across dimensions—environment, social inclusion, and economic equity. This approach aligns with Goal 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which emphasize multi-stakeholder partnerships as a key driver for achieving the development agenda.
The impact doesn't stop at improved coordination on paper: inter-agency bottlenecks can be identified more quickly, potential new collaborations mapped, and resources directed to the points of greatest impact.
The end result is consistent policies across sectors, synchronized programs between the central and regional governments, and more equitable development benefits across generations.
History gives us a mighty ship, a clear compass, and favorable tides. But the destination port won't wait.
Our challenge is not just to steer the ship, but to lead with both eyes open: one keeping a sharp eye on the big picture so we don't lose sight of our destination, the other making sure the small signs that could change everything are read in time.
Because in history, it's not just big storms that sink ships, but also small waves ignored for too long. Great leaders not only steer the ship, but also listen to the ocean.
And perhaps, this is the time for Indonesia to sail with all its senses—so that when we arrive at the land of history, we will not only be safe, but also arrive with an intact ship, a steadfast crew, and a future worthy of our inheritance.
Because history does not wait, and the waves of time only favor those who are truly ready to read its direction.
source: Tribunner