What has become of Indonesia until many of its citizens are dreaming of escaping the country? Has Indonesia become the modern version of Ancient Egypt? a country ruled by Pharaohs whose cruelty had made their subjects yearned for another life, in another place, situated far away across the pond, if not in a new continent? 

These questions lived rent-free in my mind as I was consuming social media content posted by Indonesians in the past few months. They were raving about an idea to escape the country, framed neatly in a hashtag called #KaburAjaDulu. My social media algorithm also led me to content produced by Indonesian diaspora, where they shared their personal experience navigating life in a foreign country, particularly how to find a job or how to manage living expenses.

Currently living in Finland as a communication specialist, my PR radar couldn’t help but wonder, would this media frenzy be just some shenanigans or let’s say, an undercover social media campaign orchestrated by some visa-service agency, aiming to get more conversion?

Curious, I embarked on my minor desk research and figured out that the cause of this viral hashtag and all things entailed was more complex than some companies’ agile response to gain more profit. It was rather a socio-economic phenomenon that was deeply rooted in the country’s moral decay and turbulent political situations. It has been going on for a few years. The insurmountable economic and political catastrophes, highlighted by the Indonesia Gelap movement, ceaseless corruption scandals, and the increasing cost of living, have pushed people to think that living in Indonesia equals residing in Dante’s inferno, a place of intense suffering which many would happily avoid. 

Whilst I sympathise with them for wanting a better life, I was intrigued by the hashtag and its wordplay. In English, #KaburAjaDulu would translate into “Just Escape First”. In a more familiar saying, it would mean “Act First, Think Later”. For those who didn’t see any problem with this circulating word-of-mouth especially among the younger generation, I would suggest to please have a look again. For I saw an idea that encouraged people to be impetuous, reckless, and hasty. I saw a collective movement that normalising youth to be unprepared and confused. It’s as if we were talking to a Generation Z and say, “Yes, just do it. Be lost and be confused” Thus conforming to their propensity for mental issues and lack of self-agency.

I took it seriously because I have my own experience of leaving Indonesia. And speaking from this personal experience, moving to a new country is not a joke. It involves lots of challenges. Even with a seemingly well-thought plan, reality wrapped in discrimination, fierce competition as well as health issues will hit hard, making you ask yourself, “Have I really made the right decision??”

In Finland, for instance, an immigrant will face challenges from language barrier to a certain degree of discrimination, and from fierce job market competition to high living cost (let’s keep the talk about Finnish harsh winter for another occasion). In order to survive, one needs to have at least a job. And would it be realistic to first move out and find a job once after arriving in the country of destination? As many suggested in their plea to first, just escape.

Well, according to the Finnish public broadcasting service – Yle, foreign workers without Finnish language adequacy were hired less. Furthermore, research done at the University of Helsinki demonstrated that racial discrimination during the recruitment process is prevalent among immigrants with non-European names or ties to the Finnish culture. Many people with Asian, Arabic or non-Western background have changed their full name to sound more local or at least, Western, hoping it would lead them to a better chance. As for me, I have dropped my surname or simply wrote it with initial on my CV or online profile to avoid any prejudice. Not to mention, it takes around six to nine months for someone to secure a job in Finland, be it a full-time or part-time employment. In my experience, I waited for almost a year, to find employment and during the waiting period, I had taken both regular and intensive Finnish classes, as well as joined two internship programmes, making my eight years of work experience and British postgraduate degree to seem irrelevant.

Furthermore, Statistic Finland stated, there was more than 20.000 immigrants flocked into the country by 2023 and this figure was projected to increase significantly in the following years. Whilst legal immigration contributes to the growth of Finland’s population, which sits at a shy 5.6 million people, it also influences the labour market situations. Currently, there are more job seekers than vacant positions resulting to a high unemployment rate, which hits 9.1% by 2024, ranking second in the European Union. On top of this, the country’s fluctuating inflation rate and the VAT tax which rose to 25.5% by last September, making people with an average salary complain about the skyrocketing price of daily essentials, foods, and electricity. 

Indeed the Finnish government is taking measures to fix the problems. For example, by ensuring free education are still human rights and not a privilege, promoting a more diverse and international approach to recruitment, and creating an environment that enables local NGOs and government subsidiaries to smoothen the integration process for new comers. Nevertheless, Europe is in turmoil at the moment, and so is Finland. The truth is, government spending is directed to support the war in Ukraine and Gaza, to join the EU coalition in defending the European border, and to react to the Trump’s government new custom tariffs regulation.

So we are basically looking back at the square zero, where the Finnish citizens, municipalities, private sectors and the immigrants are all fighting for the same limited resources! In other words, everyone is left to their own means to survive.

Is there a place for the fellow Indonesians with #KaburAjaDulu mindset when they “come visit”?

My answer would be, “Maybe, but even the low paying jobs, such as street cleaning, waitressing, farmworking, or housekeeping are scarce. So, there’s gotta be another plan!”

Besides, the Jewish people escaped ancient Egypt to live in the promised land where they can prosper. If Indonesians are thinking that the low paying jobs are better than having a white-collar job in their home country, then Indonesia as a country is looking at its demise. The country’s agenda to manifest the vision of Indonesia Emas by 2045 would be a mere tale to tell. At the same time, the country is tapping into the image of unskilled-labour importers alongside the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries (no offense intended). My question to the Indonesian government, how would this image reflect to the country’s bargaining position in the G20? 

That being said, let’s take a closer look at the #KaburAjaDulu phenomenon. What signals does this viral content send to those who want to listen? Based on my independent social listening, it signals disillusion and perpetual frustration. Indonesians are not happy about the government’s budget cuts on pivotal social programmes, while increasing spending on their senate’s perks and benefits . They are irritated by the fact that the government hired rich celebrities to take on strategic roles instead of hiring qualified university graduates. They are agitated to hear that the state-owned enterprises’ C-level suites were caught for corruption but not sanctioned properly. They are sad to know that the institution who is supposed to protect them is allegedly covering up a murder/assassination of those who wanted to save the country. And, the list goes on.. 

There is nothing more painful than feeling lost in your own home, among your own tribe, in your own country. But, is the journey across the pond worth it? Is there nothing left to fix before jumping on the boat?

After all, have we learnt nothing from ancient Egypt?