20 quotes found
"Yes, the aim of the riot is to bring down the regime."
"We must not lose. If we lose, this country could go extinct. Because the Indonesian elites are always disappointing, always failing to carry out the mandate given by the Indonesian people. If the same system is continued, Indonesia will become weak. Indonesia will become even poorer, even more helpless and could even go extinct."
"You Americans bring your accountants and lawyers. We are like Nike -- we just do it.""
"I have always believed that conservation is not a liability to industries. Instead, if done properly, it can be an asset."
"I learn by doing, but each time I don’t understand, I will ask… If I don’t understand, I don’t feel ashamed to ask questions."
"When I was teenager, I wanted to be medical doctor. I would write "Dr" into my name - "Dr Sukanto". After I got married, my wife found out and asked me, "Why did you put a 'Dr' before your name?" I said this was my dream but I couldn't continue my education because the school closed and I was not qualified to go to any school."
"It doesn't makes sense. Why should we import (plywood)? Why not produce ourselves?"
"After you think, you act. After you act, you learn. Make decisions, but decisions will have risks of mistakes. But make sure you avoid disastrous mistakes and avoid making the same mistake twice."
"The global pulp & paper industry is estimated to be worth $1 trillion while the palm oil business is worth $400 to $500 billion a year. The challenge is to build the business to a large scale."
"You have to see where the market is going. I always believe there is no sunset business. It’s all in the mindset because if you give up, then you die."
"My business strategy is either to be geographically focused with lots of businesses or you can be a global player in selected businesses. Since I chose the route of being global, that is where I am going. You have to be competitive. It’s a matter of choice."
"Life is like this. When I started business 48 years ago as a contractor, I was only looking to survive, cari makan (looking for food)."
"Doing the commodity business with China is like drinking coffee. We enjoyed three spoons of sugar per cup for a long time. Suddenly, when that’s cut to one and a half spoons, we feel bitter — because it used to be so sweet."
"Our business philosophy is the four C’s. We do business in a way that is Good for the Community, Good for the Country, Good for the Climate, and only then will it be Good for the Company."
"The plantation is a very long-term business. It takes 5-10 years to start producing and it takes some years to (reach) the optimal level."
"Philanthropy is part of our DNA - business-wise and family-wise."
"A lot of investors (last time), when they come to Indonesia, they complain about labor law, tax and business permit. Now there aren't many complaints because we've what we call the online single submission. Before, if you applied for a business permit, you would need 6 months, 8 months or more than one year. Now it takes no more than 3 hours for 9 business permits with online single submission."
"Indonesia democracy is maturing. Our democracy grants us (inaudible), the freedom of speech. By the way, freedom of the speech is also guaranteed. Indeed, our media and social media have been instrumental in exposing corruption and demanding (inaudible) from our government officials. Our democracy’s public participation is every aspect of our lives. Only in a democracy the people are free to choose their leaders. Without democracy there is no President Joko Widodo."
"Development in the South China Sea also captures our attention. Tensions in the area must be diffused through peaceful means, especially based on (inaudible). Indonesia is not a party to the dispute, but we have legitimate interest in peace and stability there. That is why we call all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from taking action that could undermine trust and confidence, and put at risk the peace and stability of the region. We need to talk closely to ensure good order at sea, prevent incidents, and ensure freedom of navigation."
"Being in Silicon Valley, I see first-hand how the power of technology, innovation, ingenuity and entrepreneurship can create “magic” that can really make a big impact in people’s lives and literally change the world. I would like to encourage the Silicon Valley community to think of how they can help spread that “magic” to the developing world, to increase the cross-collaborations with entrepreneurs from the developing world so they too can leverage the power of innovation and ingenuity to improve the living conditions of all people around the world."