In July 2015, my editor Warren Fernandez and I travelled to Indonesia for an interview with the country's new President, Mr Joko Widodo. The meeting took place in Bogor - Mr Joko, an outsider to Jakarta's power elite, somehow seemed more comfortable in the presidential palace there than in the national capital. What's more, two key officials who advised him on economic and foreign policy frequently interrupted the interview, either to check the President on his figures or to steer his remarks in a certain direction.
I doubt that any official would dare to correct Mr Joko so openly these days. Certainly, not when there are outsiders in the room.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you