I don't want to get into politics, the mod's in here will not like it. However which government/administration that you meant ?
As I have said, all of them. I said they dont pay
much attention on research, and I dont say they dont pay any attention at all on research, they do. One of the main reason of why I said it due to the fact that our researcher in all of the administration dont get enough salary from the government. Their salary dont have any different with other civil servant despite their strategic role in our technology development.
Even when Finance ministry civil servant get better salary starting at SBY administration, our researcher working in BPPT/LIPI/LAPAN still have similar salary like another civil servant. This make the best graduates from our university dont want to work on those research agency, they prefer working in MNC, big private local companies, or even for the brightest one seeking employment in Western countries or Singapore/Malaysia.
This is why for instant my cousin graduated from fourth rate state university can work in our research agency and is dealing with the most sophisticated technology like AI where he only can afford small home in Bandung with no family either (not yet married) while my other cousin finish his education in University of Indonesia as the best graduates in STEM faculty and working for Toyota Indonesia Manufacturing. This show that our research are not done by our brightest brain since the state doesnt see them as important enough to be paid with high salary. And this thing has been going on since Soeharto regime.
And also those research agency (BPPT/LAPAN/LIPI) only have few budget since Soeharto administration until now. There is few increase happening in every year, but not significant. LAPAN for instant have openly said they dont have enough researcher due to the budgetary problem.
Soeharto through Habibie doing much more interest on research compared to administration after them. Habibie already put enough projects that if not due to Asian financial crisis and down fall of Soeharto some projects like:
- Type 209 Submarine, Corvettes and Light Frigates (with Fincantieri), MCWV (mine counter warfare vessels), will already begin to build by PAL since 90's.
- DI (IPTN) will involve not only with N250 and N2130 but also license manufacturing of Hawk 200, SSM and 300-500 km Cruise Missile. This also light helicopters project with Airbus Helicopter to replace BO-105.
- As for Satellite Launch Vehicle, as I have said, Soeharto choose deliberately not to develop, in order not to be seen as having plan for balistics missiles. That's why in aerospace his administration through Habibie more interested to develop Airplane then rockets.
All the infrastructure like Subway system already being prepared during Soeharto era.
Also those current and next projects by PAL, DI, and Pindad, being prepared by SBY administration. Our involvement with KFX/IFX also coming from SBY. Lapan if follow up SBY plan should already have small satellite launch vehicle toward Low Atmosphere by now.
Soeharto regime focuses more on building our strategic companies like PTDI/PTPAL/PTLEN/PTINTI/PTINKA/PTPINDAD and others who are part of 15 state owned strategic companies. It is good as it will become our foundation to manufacture any result from our research. But in term of pure research I dont think he pay much attention on it but we need to give him credit for our aerospace sector development.
Soeharto for instant doesnt give any meaningful attention to semi conductor research, material research, turbo jet research etc.
We have enough bright engineer and the fruit can be taken now if he had that long vision and spend some money for those things:
One example of it.
en.wikipedia.org
Vision
In the 1970s, he proposed to Indonesian government and industries at the time to do research and development of
microelectronic devices domestically. His proposal and dream never got realized until his death. During his life, he was never tired to dream that someday there would be
chip fabrication industries built in Indonesia. He was also active in the planning of
Bandung High Tech Valley (BHTV) which tries to replicate the success of California's
Silicon Valley in Indonesia.
- DI (IPTN) will involve not only with N250 and N2130 but also license manufacturing of Hawk 200, SSM and 300-500 km Cruise Missile.
Could you give me link and further information about that cruise missile program. It is the first time I heard Soeharto/Habibie ever has ambition on that
Thus this administration attention to resarch is 'worse' then previous administrations. This again because like I say time to time there's too much interest parties around this administration that make SBY compromise on his administration fare better compared to current ones.
We can see how messed up this administration handling on early days of COVID 19. It's just being tidied up a bit now, hoping this is not too late.
I agree that this administration is the worst in term of funding our research compared to previous administration except Gusdur and Mega although those administration only had few years. SBY though is very late in funding N 219.
This administration has capability to do much more since state revenue is also increasing rapidly but Jokowi tend to spend more on infrastructure and village development with so few left for research. He even joint Minister of Research with higher education to make people think Minister of Research got huge funding where the fact is 90 percent budget went to higher education and we can see how small ministry of research budget is after he put higher education back to Ministry of Education after he won his second term.
Asean now as block provide more trade to China compared to EU. However can we guarantee China not having aggressive actions in SCS ? They doing more aggressive Politics toward some of Asean members especially the ones they can intimidated. Which why we can't afford to shown submissive, due to China behavior so far that can 'push' aggressive Politics toward neighbours that shown being intimidated by them.
Trade is not guarantee that we can get good neighbourly behavior from China.
Look what China doing with Asean countries that sharing Mekong River. They build dam that control the flow of the river on their will. Is that a good neighbor behavior ?
I dont say we need to be submissive as I see current policy in SCS is already enough and perfect. What I want to say is that we dont need to spend much money on military equipment for the next 10 years and should give more attention on research and developing our state owned defense companies. In term of procurement, our government should prioritize our own defense companies just like what China did in the past when China was still weak. Our defense budget should grow naturally by following our GDP growth and also state budget growth. Not much threat IMO until the next 20 years which is also agreed by Jokowi strategist and dont forget that USA will still be quite strong and can balance China in SCS until 20 years from now.
The disputed area between Indonesian and China in SCS is also not something that can be seen as strategic by China so that I believe China will not act as aggressive as they act with Vietnamese and Philippine. But I dont say we dont need to prepare but it is so weird to say we can buy 2 billion dollar for 11 jet fighters while in the same time only have 1.5 trillion
Rupiah for BPPT and 800 billion
Rupiah for Lapan.
If you mean their policies on developing more technological based, then yes. But not following their aggressive intimidating policies. That's not a good way to have lasting good relationship in the neighborhood.
Yup, what I mean is to follow their policy in developing their home grown technology. If we can give good salary to our researcher and put good attention on our research agency and also strategic state owned companies, I believe we can do what China do now inshaAllah.