IN the wee hours of Sunday morning a fortnight ago, I made my way to the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) to board the first flight to Surabaya. The 21/2-hour journey on AirAsia was one of its five daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Indonesia’s second largest city. Surprisingly, it was my first trip to Indonesia this year. Last year, I made three trips to our neighbouring country to attend Asean-ministerial meetings (Indonesia had chaired Asean in 2011) as well as visiting the provinces to promote Malaysian interests. In my second visit to Surabaya in the past year, I was surprised to observe the changes to the city’s landscape. Apart from the rapid development of concrete jungle along the highway from the airport to the hotel, I was impressed by the shady trees lining the road dividers and the green pockets sprouting across the city. I was informed that the city’s mayor, Ibu Tri Rismaharini, a former city planner and architect by training,...