Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has the chance to become a super power in the 21st century as it has a big population, work ethos, high spirit to change fate and progressive thinking, an expert said.

"Therefore, whoever should not underestimate and belittle, let alone despise the Indonesian people because Indonesia will become a super power nation in the 21st century," Dr Musni Umar, a member of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) Indonesia, told a two-day conference on the future of Malaysia-Indonesia Relations here on Monday.

He said that at least there were five factors Indonesia had that could transform it into a super power country in the middle of the 21st century.

He said that the five factors were large population, rich natural resources, high quality of human resources, local leaders with national outlook and on-going democratic process.

Prof Dr Bahtiar Effendy, dean of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) and legislator M Najib also spoke to the conference. Speakers from Malaysia were among others Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Abu Bakar, media expert from the Malaya University, former Malaysian ambassador B. A. Hamzah and media representative Zinon Ahmad.(*)

A014/H-NG

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011