Habibie’s Added Value

Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie is a multidimensional figure. We can call him a technocrat who is a genius with a religious spirit, a hard worker but likes to joke, a technology crazy poet.

KOMPAS/DUDY SUDIBYO

B.J. Habibie (left) with then-deputy prime minister of Singapore Goh Chok Tong (second left) sits in the cockpit of an N-250 produced by state-owned aircraft company IPTN that was displayed at the 1996 Indonesia Air Show.

Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie is a multidimensional figure who struggled to sacrifice a lot of time and energy for the benefit of the nation. We can call him a technocrat who is a genius with a religious spirit, a hard worker but likes to joke, a technology crazy poet. All of these are perhaps the weaving of continuity from the energy and spirit of service, separate from his shortcomings as a human being.

As a technology expert, his intelligence and expertise in aeronautical engineering made Habibie an idol for the country’s children; an icon of a nation\'s intelligence with an international reputation. In placing himself as a technologist, he represented what CP Snow called the "third culture" intellectuals who could mediate in the gap between literary intellectuals and scientists. As someone from the third culture, Habibie was a scientist who was transformed into a public intellectual, who was determined to articulate efforts to boost the nation\'s dignity through the mastery of science and technology.

As a religious person, Habibie contributed to the intelligent and tolerant face of Islam. He dreamed of an ideal combination between what he called imtak (faith-piety) and iptek (science and technology). He was a pious learner of religion. Religion is more than just knowledge, he was a living practice, a noble character.

KOMPAS/EDDY HASBY

Residents flock to a polling station in Dili, East Timor, on Aug. 30, 1999.

As a technocrat, Habibie held various positions, which earned him the nickname "super minister" during the Soeharto era. His strategic position in the techno-economy pushed him to develop a new economic vision, where the sustainability of Indonesia\'s economic development cannot be relied on the principle of "comparative advantage" alone, which was based on an abundance of natural resources and cheap labor. Nevertheless, sustainability had to be based on the principle of "competitive advantage" based on the "added value" of high technology and the availability of an educated and trained workforce.

During the political and economic turbulence of 1998, as president, he managed to solve many problems. One of his hardest tasks, as disclosed by Habibie himself: "I realize and can understand, when  those who have been disadvantaged in the New Order period judge me negatively, even be against me because of my position and closeness to power for nearly 25 years, and assume I participated and was responsible for the occurrence of the multicrisis the nation faced. Therefore, my attitude in dealing with all problems must be wise and tolerant for the sake of unity and integrity of the more than 200 million people of Indonesia.” (Nafthalia, 2008).

During his presidency, Habibie tried to put the people in an honorable position. The economic crisis was overcome by the success to control the rupiah exchange rate to Rp 8,000 per 1 US dollar. He tried to stop monopolies and unfair business competitions with Law No. 5/1999 on the prohibition of monopolistic practices and unfair competition. He also tried to protect consumers. People\'s sovereignty was strengthened, political prisoners were freed, civil and political rights were restored.

KOMPAS/MOHAMMAD HILMI FAIQ

Former president B.J. Habibie reads one of his collections in the Habibie Ainun library in Jakarta on Aug. 11, 2014 (11/8/2014). Aside from being a library, this room also functions as a place for discussions and musical performances.

Even though for this last matter, he himself became a victim, following his policy of giving a referendum to the people of East Timor. Nevertheless, his services as a political leader cannot be understated. Habibie\'s most important legacy was his vision of developing added value, that to be "prosperous", an economy must create added value in a sustainable manner that could expand vertical mobility more inclusively.

In this connection, we must develop the vision of Habibie\'s added value more deeply. If Habibie started the development of added value through the push factor policy of the state through the establishment of strategic industries, the effectiveness of the development of added value will bring more prosperity when following the pull factor of market dynamics.

Reflecting on the experience of countries that have successfully transformed from poor countries into prosperous countries, the locomotive of prosperity lies in innovating businesspeople who succeed in developing technological innovations that can create new markets.

B.J. Habibie has initiated this. In death, his ideas and charity are eternal. Goodbye, Pak Habibie!

Yudi Latif, Director of Pancasila School