By: Rizal Arifin *
One of the topics discussed in the second debate of the 2019 Presidential Election was about the development of pilot digital business or commonly known as startup. One of the most interesting is the question of unicorn questions from candidate number 01 to Prabowo.
Prabowo is worried that the rise of online commerce or e-commerce will actually escape Indonesian money abroad. “If we are not careful, with enthusiasm, internet and e-commerce, this will actually accelerate the flow of our money abroad,” Prabowo said. Prabowo said that the internet and information technology were developing very rapidly, but there were fundamental things related to the Indonesian economy related to this. “So if there is a Unicorn, there is great technology, this will speed up our money to run out of the country. This is what I’m worried about,” he said.
Prabowo’s statement was irrelevant because in reality Indonesian unicorns did not bring local funds abroad. Conversely, there is a lot of foreign capital coming in to invest in the nation’s unicorns. Unicorn is a term for start-up companies that work online that have valuations ranging from US $ 1 billion. Indonesia currently has four unicorns namely Bukalapak, Traveloka, Tokopedia, and Gojek. A good achievement because of the seven existing Unicorns, more than half of them are Indonesian children.
Economic researcher Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Deni Friawan said Candidates for President Prabowo Subianto had xenophobia or fear of people or things related to foreign countries. He conveyed this after hearing the answers of the Gerindra Party politicians who were very irrelevant in responding to questions about unicorns or digital economy-based companies. “This is sad. Irony. We, the whole world is moving in that direction. “Revolution 4.0 is the driving force of the unicorn,” Deni said.
Xenophobia is an anti-foreign attitude that is more due to anti-difference sentiments and tends to be irrational. Blind nationalism without a rational basis and healthy reason is very dangerous. In the context of the state it is very intolerable. This country has many relationships and productive cooperation with other countries. Not to mention participating and joining international organizations. The noble mandate of nationhood that in the international world, Indonesia adheres to the principle of free and active. It cannot be imagined if people with xenophobia lead this great nation. Hopefully we are awakened and consistently support the sustainability of national leadership and development.
* The author is an observer of social and political problems