While Malaysia is lobbying for Tesla to consider setting up a facility in the country, our neighbour Indonesia has upped the ante when President Joko Widodo actually met with Elon Musk, the founder of both American space transportation company Space X, and Tesla by visiting the company’s rocket factory in Boca Chica.
Jokowi having personally been greeted by Musk at the Space X gates, both have a mutual discussion on presumably addressing long-term solutions for nickel supply and a possible venture by Tesla into Indonesia. The President followed the event with a statement on Sunday that the visit was a follow-up to his directives to Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
“It is a follow-up to my directives, so we can talk with Musk regarding investment, technology, and innovation (development). Thus, I am now here to meet Must in person to discuss (our possible) future cooperation,” he said. Adding spice to the wooing, he added “I think he is really interested in coming to Indonesia soon,” This was further cemented when Musk commented that he hoped to visit Indonesia in November 2022.
Indonesia has become the darling of Southeast Asia with potentially Malaysia losing out in the battle of foreign direct investments, already Jakarta garnered more investment from Dubai Expo 2020 and from UAE. Now the US is upping its interest in the world’s largest Muslim population.
Musk said he was really interested in the future of Indonesia which has various great potential and is looking at Tesla and Space X to explore some collaborations with Indonesia.
The ASEAN-US Summit 2022 a first of its kind concluded with Prime Minister Dato Sri Ismail Sabri returning to Malaysia hailing the event as being successful and more US companies are looking to invest in the country, he also added that Malaysia is looking to woo Tesla in setting up facilities here. But it seems while the PM is readying for GE15, the outgoing Indonesian President is more interested in economic development for his country.
