When the World Falters, Boldness Saves the Nation

In moments of crisis, the safe path is often a mirage. Caution, consensus, and orthodoxy may feel comforting—but they rarely stop a nation from sinking in the tides of global chaos. Sometimes, only a bold and widely criticized decision can prevent collapse and reset the course of history.

We have seen this before. And we are seeing it again today.

Let us go back to 1997, when the Asian Financial Crisis brought entire economies to their knees. Thailand’s currency collapsed, Indonesia spiraled into riots and regime change, and investors fled Southeast Asia like it was on fire. Global institutions prescribed textbook austerity: raise interest rates, cut spending, let the market “correct” itself. Most countries followed—desperate, vulnerable, and beholden.

Malaysia did not.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad defied the International Monetary Fund and global consensus. He refused IMF assistance, rejected their prescriptions, and instead did the unthinkable: imposed capital controls, pegged the ringgit, and stabilized his economy on his own terms. Critics called him reckless. Western headlines spoke of economic suicide. But history has vindicated him.

Malaysia rebounded faster than its neighbors. Its GDP growth returned to 6.1% in 1999 after contracting sharply the year before. It preserved national control of its economy. Mahathir’s bold defiance—though deeply controversial—saved Malaysia from becoming a ward of global financial powers.

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Today, we are once again in an era of deep global uncertainty. The world economy is fractured by tariff wars, technological decoupling, post-pandemic disruptions, geopolitical rivalries, and a looming climate crisis. The rules are unclear. The old order is wobbling. And in this moment, Indonesia is turning to bold leadership again.

President Prabowo Subianto, whom I proudly support, has shown that strategic boldness is not only possible—it is essential. As Defense Minister, and now as President, he has refused to let Indonesia be a passive observer in a dangerous world. Instead, he has asserted our national interests unapologetically.

During the US-China trade war, Prabowo advocated for economic sovereignty through downstreaming. He backed the controversial but necessary move to ban exports of raw nickel and bauxite, prioritizing domestic industrialization over short-term revenues. The WTO pushed back. Critics in the West complained. But the results are clear: foreign investors are now flocking to Indonesia’s EV battery ecosystem, and we are finally climbing the global value chain.

In foreign policy, he has deepened defense ties with multiple powers—France, South Korea, China, the United States—without becoming anyone’s pawn. He is crafting a “middle-power diplomacy” that puts Indonesia in the center of a new, multipolar order. This is not reckless nationalism. It is pragmatic patriotism.

His push for food, energy, and health sovereignty is not populist rhetoric—it is survival strategy in an age where global supply chains break overnight. His calls to lead among Global South nations, including our pivot toward BRICS, signal a new confidence in Indonesia’s global voice.

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Just like Mahathir in 1997, Prabowo in this decade is being bold—and being questioned for it. But I believe that history will side with those who act decisively when the world drifts into paralysis.

The truth is simple:

In extraordinary times, orthodoxy can be dangerous. Only boldness, grounded in vision and sovereignty, will protect a nation.

Indonesia’s future will not be written by those who wait for permission. It will be written by those who dare to lead.