Celebs reveal their New Year's resolutions

Ary Hermawan and Matheos V. Messakh, , The Jakarta Post, , Jakarta | Wed, 12/31/2008 10:51 AM | People

A New Year's Eve tradition for many is to reflect on what resolutions they will make for the coming year.

For some, it means a time to sit and contemplate but for others, it's time to get things straight and focus on their lives. Below are excerpts from what public figures and celebrities have resolved to do in 2009:

Deddy Mizwar, actor and director: Next year I just want to be a much better person.

But next year will also be a decisive year for Indonesians as we will have two elections.

I hope those preparing for the elections can all work together for the good of this country, not just for various political interests.

Every element should be conducted in a just and honest way. Security must be of the utmost concern and the General Elections Commission must work very hard to make sure the elections are held according to the laws.

Above all, everyone should be concerned about how to make the constitutional system work for the people and not just for the political parties.

All of the problems we face now -- including economic and security problems -- are the results of (the poor implementation) of our constitutional system .... The parliament seems to control everything and the executive has less space in which to do its job. So what we really need is a clear system.

With all of these inconsistencies, I'm afraid the election will have little legitimacy.

We face a kind of party oligarchy which makes every power in the country bow their head to the political parties.

Oppie Andaresta, singer: First thing I want in the new year is to stay healthy. We can do whatever we want if we are healthy. It's a simple thing but it's difficult.

The next thing I have promised myself is to be creative. Even though I work from home, I will allocate time for creative work. If possible, I will work from nine to five -- the same as those working in an office.

I also want to get back into the music industry. After giving birth, I have spent a lot of time with my baby.

I actually started arranging a song this year but I did it on my own at home. Hopefully it will be launched in January.

Like my previous songs, the lyrics are light and happy and it is about people who have not yet married but are always being asked about their single status by their friends and relatives.

Regarding the global crisis -- I think we cannot hide from it.

But I do hope the next general election will go well so we can elect a leader who is reliable and can lead the country to a better future.

I have not made up my mind on who I will vote for ... but I think President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is still doing a good job and he deserves to be re-elected. Most of the regulations under his term are still acceptable and have brought many positive things.

Armand Maulana, GIGI band vocalist: This is a "cliche" resolution. I just want to be a better person than (I was) last year. I want to be a good father and husband. I mean, my daughter is grown up and is now able to protest.

It is not that I was too busy in 2008, being busy is a must to keep food on the table. It's just that I need to be more attentive to her. I want her to be a devout Muslim woman. She can be pretty and smart but she must be religious.

As for my career with GIGI, we are now doing our 17th album. I hope we can have peace in doing it so that we can produce a good piece.

We usually make bad albums when there are too many distractions on our minds. The distractions can be anything, for example, the trend of menye-menye songs (songs with corny, pathetic and miserable tunes and lyrics). When we make an upbeat and fast song, some people say it won't sell. That's a distraction.

It is hard to change Indonesia. Whoever is the president, even Superman, cannot change it swiftly. I have traveled to various regions and have encountered the true face of Indonesia. We are not going to choose the best from the best in the upcoming election. We may have to choose the best from the bad ones. But I believe that we can get out of the crisis we are now facing.

I don't know about the security situation during the election, but I think we have grown tired of violence. But still I don't know -- I'm not God.

Widi "AB Three", singer: I wish a healthy life for my seven-month-old baby. I will breast-feed her for two years because it is the best nutrition for her.

I have received many offers to perform in sinetron (TV soap opera) and movies but I have to refuse them since they would have a negative impact on my ability to breast-feed my daughter. I will only take some on-stage singing contracts because they require less time than filming for sinetron or a movie.

This new year is also when we will elect our politicians. If we want to choose the right person, never rely on a false flattery campaign. This is the time to open our eyes and face the truth. Rather than relying on campaign ads, it would be better if we used our intuition and logic, because they never lie.

The economy is getting worse but we still have to do something for the country or at least enable ourselves to survive this crisis.

Every time I buy a domestic product, I think this will help our nation get through the crisis. Every family needs to tighten their belt and spend carefully.

Didi Petet, an actor and lecturer: As a lecturer, I will concentrate on education. I will be responsible both as an actor and a lecturer.

Next year is election year and we need to elect those who are young and able to bring this country to a "run" and not just to a "crawl". We've been crawling far too long. I believe we still have a chance but we must choose those who are able to motivate this country to create a better future.

The big problem with our leaders is political communication. They have no ability to motivate people to seek a better future, and what we have now is a mass wrestling match between political actors who are trying to influence their constituents.

I have no hope in the government in terms of art development in this country. They never think about it. My concern is theater, and look what have they done.

We do not even have our own theater building. Must we go to Singapore just to watch a good quality performance? I think the government should learn about theater so they can understand this need.

I only hope I can do my best in theater without having to expect much from the government.