Unity in Diversity of ASEAN

While studying in Padang, West Sumatra, near my campus, there was a mosque called the Singapura Mosque. It is said that this mosque was founded by “Perantau Minang[1],” who were in Singapore in the early 1900s. Not only Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand are also favorite places of choice for perantau Minang to try their luck. If we read the works of Minang intellectuals like Hamka or activists like Tan Malaka, we will hear stories of their visits to these neighboring countries (Hamka[2], Malaka[3]). The massive population mobilization at that time was mainly driven by cultural and linguistic similarities. This mobilization does not go in one direction. My mother told me, in the mid-1960s, the sight of Malaysian students studying on Indonesian campuses was not something strange. At that time, the Malaysian government was actively sending young people to study in various neighboring countries, including Indonesia. The fluidity of relations between various countries in the Southeast Asian region certainly had a significant impact on the rotation of the economy at that time. That’s my picture when I hear the term ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). In my imagination, opening the tap for economic activity in this area will make the sight of foreigners going back and forth to normal in daily life activities for Indonesian citizens. However, it seems that my imagination still faces challenges in being realized.

Indikator Ekonomi-1: Beragam Cara Hitung Inflasi

Inflasi adalah besarnya perubahan antara Indeks Harga Konsumen pada tahun (t), terhadap tahun sebelumnya (t-1).

Ngobrol tentang Ekonomi Indonesia

Untuk menggambarkan perekonomian di Indonesia, kita bisa menganalogikannya sebagai sebuah keluarga/ rumah tangga yang ukurannya besar. Keluarga ini memiliki anak yang banyak, sementara penghasilan orang tuanya sebesar rata-rata keluarga pada umumnya. Keluarga besar ini hidup secara cukup dalam membiayai kebutuhan seluruh anggota keluarga, meskipun masih belum bisa dikatakan berlebihan. Penghasilan sang ayah sebenarnya tak terlalu besar, namun harta warisan dari para sesepuh sangat membantu melengkapi kebutuhan keluarga saat ini.