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Investment is not something new for Meilyna Widjaja. The woman who currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of PT Optima Prima Metal Sinergi Tbk (OPMS) has been acquainted with the investment world since 1998.

Initially, Meilyna invested in the United States stock market by purchasing technology stocks that were booming at that time. The stocks she bought were in the internet and technology sector, which soared sharply in 1999 and 2000, providing substantial profits.

However, Meilyna's investment journey was not always smooth. Due to lack of experience, the stocks that had initially provided tremendous profits gradually declined in 2001-2002. At that time, there was a dot-com bubble burst in the United States. "Fortunately, I had already sold my positions earlier, so I still managed to obtain some profits," she recalled.

Furthermore, some companies such as Cisco System and Qualcomm also plummeted by up to 86% in 2002, although they later managed to recover. From this experience, Meilyna learned to be more cautious in choosing stocks to buy. Her method involved scrutinizing the company's market capitalization, business prospects, and financial reports.

In 2005, Meilyna began investing in the domestic stock market. Armed with lessons and experiences from investing in the US, Meilyna became more careful in selecting stocks.

Meilyna has experienced a series of ups and downs in investing during her 22 years in the stock market. However, the woman who once served as a Business Developer at the IKEA of Sweden Trading Office, Jakarta in 2001, admitted that she never dwelled too much on the downsides throughout her investment journey. This is because Meilyna believes in the Indonesian stock market and the stability of the national economy, which can always recover quickly.

Moreover, the investments she holds are considered cold funds, sourced from income that has been set aside for future savings planning. "So it's not from funds needed to meet daily needs," she added.

Currently, Meilyna's investment portfolio is more diverse. In illiquid instruments, 55% of Meilyna's assets are in the form of real estate. This is aimed at long-term investment and providing high returns because real estate is becoming increasingly scarce, thus expected to add value.

Meanwhile, in liquid assets, 45% of Meilyna's investments consist of deposits, savings, mutual funds, and stocks. "I also invest in Indonesian retail government bonds (ORI) and sukuk issued by the government, among other investments," she continued. The purpose of these investments is for future savings and retirement funds.

Up to now, there is one investment principle that Meilyna firmly holds, which is "know your limit." Investing also requires discipline and patience. Discipline means that at least every month, one should get into the habit of setting aside a portion of their income to be invested in investment products.

Patience is required when the returns on the portfolio do not meet expectations. In essence, do not easily give up. Meilyna analogizes investing to planting seeds. To grow tall and flourish, plants need time and patience. It's not about instant methods or timing.

For novice investors, Meilyna suggests setting aside a portion of their income, beyond living expenses, insurance, education, and other necessities, for investment. The chosen investment instruments could be government-issued investment products like ORI or sukuk, which offer higher rates than deposit interest. Novice investors can also participate in monthly stock savings programs to make investing easier and lighter.

The number one person at OPMS, who once served as Hospitality Management at the Royal Palms Resort Phoenix, Arizona, USA in 2003, sees tremendous growth opportunities in the domestic capital market. Looking at the US capital market, the market capitalization value reaches US$ 35 trillion (based on reports from siblisresearch.com as of June 30, 2020).

Meanwhile, the valuation of giant companies like Facebook or Alibaba can match the capitalization of the domestic capital market. Thus, it can be concluded that the growth potential of the domestic capital market is still very large and positive. "As Indonesian citizens, we must have the belief that the capital market in Indonesia will grow positively and expand over time," said Meilyna.

Companies in Indonesia are also expected to enliven the capital market by going public. In addition, investors can also participate in investing by saving stocks to support the growth of the domestic capital market.

Source : Kontan.co.id