A Nation in Waiting: Indonesia in the 1990s

by Adam Schwarz

Spanning a wide variety of contemporary issues, this unique volume offers a detailed and thought-provoking view of one of the world's most populous yet least understood nations.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Indonesian Literature, Economics, Asia

370 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 1994

Reviews

[Erin Cook]

A tough one to slog through in 2024 after Prabowo is more than just an upstart in the military and what Gus Dur's future held has well and truly been answered. But! A seminal text for a reason.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Working my way through this over the course of a two week vacation. Well written but rather heavy going, less of a journalist's broad brush portrait and more an in-depth review of the Suharto years. The first third reviews the post WWII Sukarno era briefly then gets into how Suharto came to power, the second third runs through various issues -- including race (anti-Chinese sentiment), crony capitalism and nepotism under Suharto, Islam, the role of the military, among others. The final few chapters, which were added in later editions, review the downfall of Suharto and the first few years of Habibie who took over; the third and final edition was published prior to SBY's term, though both he and Prabowo Subianto are mentioned.

The takeaway is really how corrupt Indonesia became under Suharto, through his wish to centralise power in himself and his running the country like a village chief, handing out favors and balancing factions against each other, rather than building strong independent institutions such as the judiciary, economic ministry, central bank, etc. Reading this book in context of Indonesia's recent election, it also seems a big positive that Jokowi rather than Prabowo came out ahead -- the latter is Suharto's son in law and does not come off very well in this book, and is described as sort of a violent, cynical nutter willing to sacrifice anything to/for power.

[mahatmanto · Rating 3 out of 5]

pada masa terbitnya emang buku ini dicari-cari.
saya bela-belain bikin fotokopinya [he..he..], tapi habis dibaca ya sudah. habis pula daya pikatnya.
mungkin karena audiens buku ini orang asing sehingga saya sebagai orang dalam merasa 'taulah' dengan berbagai konspirasi, intrik dari tokoh-tokoh politik indonesia.
itu -bagi orang dalam seperti kita semua- rasanya sudah jadi gossip di gardu ronda...

[Anthony Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note- my rating of three stars represents the experience of reading the book today- there is a great deal of analysis and speculation about Indonesia's politcs and economy that isn't really valuable more than 20 years after its writing, but at the time I'm sure was great.

There is, however, an enormous amount that is still worth reading in this full survey of Indonesia's political and economic life. It's also a valuable and readable take on the fall of Suharto.

The general reader can skip, but for someone looking to really expand their knowledge of Indonesia, this is still worth picking up.

[Thamrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book on the 26th August 1994. Written during the period of Suharto unchallenged supremacy. Adam Schwarz gives heated debataes on the regime economic policy ( not very nice indeed), the corruption and the controversial role of the ethnic-Chinese Chukung in the development of Indonesia. Briefly describes the role of Suharto in the East Timor complexities and the abuses of the ABRI in the state affairs.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you only read one book about 20th century Indonesia, make sure it is A Nation in Waiting. The political landscape has suffered an earthquake since the book was written (even since it was updated) but this remains the most authoritative work on the Suharto years. Earthquake or no, his legacy will continue to shape the country for decades to come.

[Aidan Fulham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting sections of this book describing East Timor, the Chinese minority's prevalence in business, and the Suharto's family dynamic.

Very repetitive, didn't feel as though the author was able to tie everything together into a fully cohesive message.

[Jeremy Ngadiman3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

On November and December of 2016, hard-line Islamists organized massive rallies and protests across Jakarta against Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, Jakarta's double-minority governor, for allegedly insulting Islam. The widespread blasphemy video was later proven to be maliciously edited by Buni Yani, an ex-journalist and lecturer, but the damage was done and ended with the imprisonment of both Ahok and Buni Yani. As a secondary student, these protests shattered my image of Indonesia as a diverse, tolerant, and safe society, and fear crept in as I saw roads being closed, houses locked, and people remembering the 1998 financial crisis and subsequent riots targeting ethnic and religious minorities. In my confusion, I asked my father's elder friend for an explanation on why Indonesia seemingly changed overnight. His answer was to direct me to Adam Schwarz's book, "A Nation in Waiting." It has been many years now since that conversation, but I am glad that I finally got to read the book.

The book (second edition, 1999) consists of 12 chapters divided into three parts. Chapters 1-3 provide a general background on Indonesia's history up to Soekarno's presidency, the start of Soeharto's presidency, and Soeharto's economic policies up to the 1990s. Chapters 3-10 describe the challenges Indonesia faced during Soeharto's time, covering economic nationalism vs globalization, stigma and government policy towards Indonesian-Chinese, the practice of corruption and nepotism, managing Islamist aspirations, East Timor and other insurgencies, the issue of individual human rights, and pressure for more political/democratic reform. Chapters 11-12 was written as an update from the book's first edition. It covers the last years up to Soeharto's resignation and the reformation attempts during the transition to his vice-president and Indonesia's third president, Habibie.

A journalist for the Far Eastern Review, Mr. Schwarz had the unique opportunity of conducting interviews with a wide range of Indonesian figures and insiders to the Soeharto government. Famous Indonesian figures of the present-day such as Jusuf Kalla, Megawati Soekarnoputri, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, Aburizal Bakrie, Surya Paloh, Amien Rais, Akbar Tandjung, etc. were interviewed in the days before they would become presidents, vice-presidents, and political party leaders as live spectators of Soeharto's era. The book also makes numerous citations to both Indonesian and internationally published books, academic journals, reports, and news publications. The book delves into the public and policy discourse of the time, personal insights/opinions of public figures, multiple theories on contested events/claims, and a both general and detailed understanding of how Soeharto's Indonesia came to be, functioned, and fell.

Although it is now 25-26 years since the democratic transition, the wealth of information and journalistic style of writing brought Soeharto's New Order alive once more. I lost track of how anxious and concerned I felt reading Indonesia's past developments despite knowing in hindsight how they have turned out. The book is also very accessible for newcomers to Indonesian history and provides plenty of background information on the people or events being described when they are first mentioned. Cross-referencing of different people and sources also presents a critical, more holistic view of Indonesia's past without neglecting or looking down on the local perspectives and narratives, including those of the Soeharto government. The use of specific case studies to illustrate the general message of the chapter provided an opportunity for the book's journalistic, investigative tone and its hefty bibliography to shine.

The book remains a relevant backgrounder to Indonesia's present day circumstances and political spectrum. With the rise of Prabowo Subianto (Soeharto's son-in-law and ex-military officer) to the presidency; the presence of many New Order figures into politics; and the continuing political discourse on Indonesian Islamism vs ethno-religious diversity, Papua insurgencies, democratic backsliding, continuation of (less organized) corruption, and nationalist vs liberal economic policies; the struggles of the Soeharto era continue to leave a legacy and provide lessons for Indonesia today. It has also helped me come to terms with the Islamist surge of 2016 by recognizing it as a constant, legitimate part of Indonesia's history that needs to be appreciated alongside the other challenges Indonesia continues to face. The founding of Indonesia, its institutions, democracy, and commitment to diversity should not be taken for granted and must be cared for by the people in whom Indonesia is founded upon. The Indonesians of the past struggled with it, including those in Soeharto's government, before passing it on to future generations amidst great trials and uncertainty. It is a struggle that is likely to continue in the future.

[Bivisyani Questibrilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

After over a month, I FINALLY finished this book! It's taking such a long time that I can't seem to remember what I read anymore. First things first: this book is really thorough, though at the same time can be painfully repetitive. It does really well in peeling off all aspects of Indonesia in the New Order/Soeharto Regime. As a kid from the 90s, my memory of this era is extremely hazy, but I guess it's also due to some mixed feelings among the people as well (even those who played an active role). All Indonesians born prior to his downfall would know that his regime is a sensitive and obscure subject to be discussed. This book really indirectly confronts his authoritarianism, which makes me wonder if it is a supporting factor for the riot in 1998 (should I have said spoiler alert?). This book also helps me understand why Indonesia is the way it is today and no one seems powerful enough to effect actual change. It also shed some light on why, to his death, Soeharto was never held accountable for his actions.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides great insights into Indonesia's New Order era, comprehensive yet provides enough detail to gain sufficient understanding. Might be better if told in sequence, but the topical chapters didn't bothered me very much. Great material to understand why Indonesia went through the path it did, but stopping short of Habibie's regime it might not help update readers about the current conditions in Indonesia, 3 presidents after, and with the upcoming election. Very good background information nonetheless.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up at a bookshop in Bali and figured I'd learn a thing or two. Not a bad summary of several decades of Indonesian politics, even if the book was written before the 1997-98 crisis. I had no idea about the effective civil war state that the country was in circa 1966 in which 300,000-400,000 people were killed.

[Choong Chiat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to the modern history of Indonesia, corresponding with the rise, rule and eventual fall of Suharto/Soeharto.

In view of how it would soon be the 15th anniversary of the fall of Suharto this year, a "sequel" or update by the author or other authors on the happenings in Indonesia during the past 15 years would be most appreciated.

[Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed journalist's take on Suharto's New Order. I would imagine that individuals with interest in Indonesian history would appreciate this work, especially the numerous passages where Schwarz presents and analyzes competing explanations for opaque developments. However readers without prior context or interest might find this a bit dry.

[Anwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

saya dapat dari adik di inggris..

membacanya sekarang seperti mendengarkan
lagu semilir kejayaan era orde baru yang
mengangkat indonesia ketingkat kemapanan
ekonomi dari morat-marit orde lama, lepas
dari kenyataan bahwa pak harto juga manusia
biasa yang bisa salah..

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so right on the money! I believed in this book 100%! I even planned my career around it. This book would have been prophetic had it not been for the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997.

I recommend it to anyone interested in financial history.

[Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must read for Indoensians and Foriegners living here. Simply the unvarnished, no holds barred truth

[Harry Hermawan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Membuka mata...

[Pandu · Rating 5 out of 5]

very very interesting to know the narrative-story behind the scene of my truly Indonesia.

thanks to the author!!

[Panchaali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbinding from beginning to end. I read this book far too late. A decade too late.