If investors are pulling funds out of Indonesian assets, or are reluctant to enter the market even though there is money to be made, what does that say about their confidence in the country’s prospects?

Before we can dream of producing Nobel laureates, we must first rescue an education system where high schoolers can barely pass basic math.

As public scrutiny mounts over President Prabowo’s 51 overseas trips, the administration’s defensive reaction has failed to mask a stark reality: the resulting diplomatic promises have yet to translate into real economic gains.

Fueled by the antek asing (foreign agent) rhetoric, harassment of activists and civil society organizations is sure to persist, if not escalate, in the country.

As the Indonesian Military (TNI) submitted to civilian control in the first two decades of the reform era and scaled down their non-defense roles, the police have only grown in stature and clout.

A plan to task Bank Indonesia with ensuring employment through economic growth comes at a bad time for the central bank.

Indonesia's historic haj services overhaul brings shorter wait times and better safety in the desert, even as old logistical headaches and corruption shadows persist.

Blaming bad weather for an island-wide power outage that left millions in the dark, state electricity monopoly PLN has proved it is quick to collect payments and fine customers but utterly powerless when it comes to accountability.

The idea of centralizing export control for certain natural resources in a single institution is not new, and the failed experiment of such an agency for cloves serves as a case study on why not to pursue that course again, especially for major commodities like coal, CPO and ferroalloys.

The nine Indonesian activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla have returned home from a multinational, civilian-led humanitarian mission that defied Israel's blockade, but their sacrifices mean little without action from world leaders to end Palestinians' plight.

Indonesia’s flashy new fighter jets look impressive, but recent wars prove that expensive planes are useless without a powerful, layered missile defense system to back them up.         

Young Indonesian diaspora now question whether returning home to serve in public institutions is worth the risk if ambitious reforms can later be reframed as criminal acts.

This country is finding itself at a point where policymakers at the central bank and the government need to choose between faster growth or stability, we cannot have it all.

Almost 30 years later, there are still echoes of the past that stir a sense of déjà vu, along with anxiety that everything might once again collapse like a string of dominoes.

As its population graying at an unprecedented rate, Indonesia must pivot from viewing its elderly as a cultural burden to designing proactive policies that transform them into a national asset.

Any impression that rules are enforced selectively or that crackdowns are politically motivated would be extremely detrimental to the country’s investment climate.

There was plenty of pomp and pageantry, but when it came to substance, there was little for the rest of the world to cheer about.

As the Bantar Gebang landfill overflows, Jakarta’s new waste sorting mandate marks a vital yet long overdue shift toward sustainability. But its success depends on real solutions, consistent enforcement and above all, public education.

A series of crackdowns on public screenings and discussions of the documentary film Pesta Babi (Pig Feast) serves as a grim reminder that the nation’s democratic progress is not only stalling but effectively backsliding.

By intervening in ride-hailing commissions, the government risks turning a flexible "bridge" into a rigid dead end for the very workers it aims to protect.

By attempting to screen who qualifies for protection, the government risks transforming itself from a guardian of liberty into a gatekeeper for rights violators.

Disunity has held back ASEAN from making progress on many fronts, particularly resolving the persistent issues in its backyard, and the same could also apply to the Prabowo administration's foreign policy stance as regards the bloc: Perhaps it is simply not the time for Indonesia to take up the regional mantle.

The government's choice to respond to uncomfortable public statements with police reports and takedown requests only proves the shrinking space for freedom of expression.

Economists have warned of climbing inflation as soon as this month, as more of the global price pressure caused by the Middle East conflict is passed on to domestic consumers.

Indonesia must trade its outdated regional rivalries for a sophisticated maritime strategy that honors international law while finally turning the Malacca Strait into a true engine for national growth.

As viral tragedies expose a broken system of unregulated daycares and uncertified caregivers, Indonesia must choose between performing temporary damage control or finally building the foundational safety net its "golden generation" deserves.

Regional taxes will not be accepted if citizens see local elites living extravagantly, renovating official residences or wasting public money on nonessential spending.