The Jakarta Post Editorials: Board Perspectives

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Demonstrators hold placards and raise three fingers in a salute symbolizing freedom, solidarity and equality during a protest in Jakarta on Oct. 20, 2026. The protesters called for an end to forest and land fires and demanded the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism as they marked the second anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s administration.

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No voice of authority

When a government responds to choking toxic haze with bizarre boasts about "exporting oxygen," it reveals a broken communications machine that breeds distrust while lives hang in the balance.

5 hours ago

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Anwar's Rohingya gamble

Anwar Ibrahim's high-stakes gamble to normalize ties with Myanmar's junta chief may win cheap points at home, but it threatens to shatter ASEAN's united front and abandon the Rohingya to peril. ...

1 day ago

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Power for the people

Everywhere you look, the country seems to be teetering on the brink, and whether he likes it or not President Prabowo has been seen by most people as being slow to respond to the problems, if not causing the problems themselves. ...

2 days ago

The Latest

Former Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati attended the handover ceremony with her successor Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa on Sept. 9 at the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta.

Farewell Bu Ani

After seeing online videos showing the interior of her home being vandalized with her hand-drawn painting being damaged in the incident, many certainly expected that it would be difficult for Sri Mulyani to return to her job the next day.

1 year ago

Chinese President Xi Jinping greets visiting President Prabowo Subianto (right) on Nov. 9, 2024, at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing.

A gentle reminder to Prabowo

The President should consult with his aides before striking a deal with a foreign leader or institution.

1 year ago

A demonstrator shouts slogans during a protest demanding police reform and the dissolution of the West Java Regional Council, in Bandung, West Java, on Sept. 1, 2025.

People need dreams

It would be tempting to interpret the excessive increase in lawmakers’ housing allowance as the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

1 year ago

No way out: Vehicles stuck in traffic on Aug. 4 on TB Simatupang road, Cilandak, South Jakarta.

No shortcuts for traffic jams

Jakarta's ambition to stand equal with the world’s major cities is being undermined by the absence of a comprehensive traffic plan and persistent policy inconsistencies.

1 year ago

A woman in fitness gear walks toward a line of uniformed members of the Indonesian Military (TN) on Sept. 2, 2025, outside National Monument Park in Gambir, Central Jakarta.

The lure of martial law

Many people still remember the sight of troops in camouflage on Jakarta's streets almost three decades ago, and that the current domestic security response to the ongoing protests isn't what they fought for.

1 year ago

Health workers at Pragaan community health center (Puskesmas) examine a measles patient in Pragaan, Sumenep, East Java, on Aug. 27, 2025. The Health Ministry recorded measles outbreaks in 42 regions between January and the third week of August, with nearly 3,500 confirmed cases nationwide. Sumenep accounted for over 2,000 of those cases, including 20 deaths, the highest figure in the country.

Forgetting healthcare basics

As the health system grapples with the unprecedented spread of misinformation, fueling vaccine hesitancy and eroding public trust in the government’s health programs, it is more critical than ever for the government to reinvest in the foundations of public health.

1 year ago

President Prabowo Subianto delivers his State of the Nation address on Aug. 15 during the annual People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary meeting at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta.

Devaluing state honors

The awards no longer signify a person's dedication to the state, but rather mark their loyalty to the President.

1 year ago

People gather around a burned-out car set ablaze during a protest on Aug. 29 outside the Jakarta Police’s Mobile Brigade headquarters (Mako Brimob), a day after a motorcycle taxi (ojol) driver was killed when he was run over by a police tactical vehicle.

Not a ‘98 repeat

What began as scattered unrest has now spilled across cities, fueled by deep economic frustration, perceived elite impunity and a rising sense that the political class has grown deaf to the people’s plight.

1 year ago

Students eat lunch on the first day of the free meals program at State Senior High School 11 in East Jakarta on Jan. 6, 2025.

Prabowo’s long vision on education

A major problem with Prabowo’s education road map is that the schools included in his priority programs are managed by different ministries.

1 year ago

President Prabowo Subianto (center) addresses a plenary cabinet meeting on Aug. 6 in the State Palace, Jakarta. He emphasized that Indonesia’s national transformation strategy must be rooted in realism as it navigates escalating global conflicts and economic uncertainty.

Fatty bureaucracy

Bureaucratic “fat” can strengthen implementation if managed well, yet too much of it risks clogging the system.

1 year ago

Foreign Minister Sugiono (left) talks with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (right) in a meeting on Aug. 21 at the Government Complex in Seoul, South Korea. The foreign minister conducted a courtesy visit with the prime minister during his trip to the East Asian country.

Sugiono’s dual role

Sugiono's dual appointment may look politically strategic for Prabowo, but it could compromise Indonesia's foreign policy.

1 year ago

A group of individuals perform group exercise at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) sports complex in Central Jakarta on June 11, 2025.

Nightlife's healthier makeover

The growing focus on healthier living is evident among Gen Z and millennials across Jakarta and the Asia-Pacific region, with more in this demographic choosing to spend their nights at gyms or stadiums rather than bars and amusement centers.

1 year ago

An election staffer counts ballots at a polling station on Nov. 27, 2024, in Banda Aceh, Aceh. More than 200 million people voted to choose dozens of governors, mayors and regents in the simultaneous regional elections.

Direct elections safe, for now

Massive political education is crucial to educate the public of the risks of restoring indirect elections.

1 year ago

Volunteers and local residents clean up plastic waste on Aug. 23 at a beach in Lhok Bubon village in West Aceh regency, Aceh.

No more plastic promises

It is upsetting that the government has once again prioritized short-term economic achievements from potential money coming from the plastic industry’s investment in the country.

1 year ago

Blowing in the wind: A local resident rides his motorbike past a wind power plant facility in Tolo district, Jeneponto regency, South Sulawesi, on March 25, 2022.

Talking clean energy into existence

The best place to start realizing clean energy would be to finally pass a long-delayed bill on new and renewable energy.

1 year ago

Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf (eighth right) and Aceh wali nanggroe (traditional leader) Malik Mahmud (center) release doves with former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) officials and incumbent Aceh Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) officials during the 20th anniversary ceremony of the Aceh Peace Agreement in Banda Aceh, Aceh, on Aug. 15, 2025.

The last peace accord?

As a key player behind the Helsinki Agreement, Indonesia has the credibility, and perhaps the responsibility, to become a global peace mediator.

1 year ago

A protester holds a sign that reads “Pati united. Down with arrogant regent who oppresses the people“ during a protest in Pati, Central Java on Aug. 13, 2025.

People power in Pati

The uprising in Pati serves as a powerful message to leaders at all levels of government about the importance of public trust and consultation.

1 year ago

Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) training vessel KRI Bima Suci sails past a border marker with Malaysia in Ambalat waters on Aug. 13, 2021, near Nunukan regency, North Kalimantan.

Ending the spat over Ambalat

Ambiguous joint arrangements over Ambalat will only allow China to dilute the legal foundations of maritime governance in the region.

1 year ago

David Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox, presents at the Roblox Developer Conference on Aug. 10, 2019, in Burlingame, California.

Much tech, less protection

Roblox has been accused of prioritizing user growth, revenue and profit over child safety.

1 year ago

President Prabowo Subianto (left) greets People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Ahmad Muzani (second left), House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani (second right) and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Speaker Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin (right) before he delivers his annual State of the Nation address during the plenary meeting at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta on Aug. 15, 2025, ahead of the country's 80th Independence Day.

Centralization by budget

The conservative budget requires greater capability to generate revenue to finance the flagship programs, and even greater capacity to ensure their implementation in regions.

1 year ago

President Prabowo Subianto delivers his annual State of the Nation address on Aug. 15, ahead of the country's Independence Day in Jakarta.

To make the state great again

Prabowo's tough talk of economic nationalism included his poise to combat "greednomics", a term he used to describe the exploitative practices of powerful conglomerates and "mafias" in key sectors,

1 year ago

Human rights activists participate in the 873rd Kamisan rally on Aug. 14, 2025, in front of a banner celebrating the 80th anniversary of Indonesia’s independence near the State Palace in Central Jakarta. Held every Thursday since 2007, the Kamisan highlights past human rights violations, such as those that occurred during then-president Soeharto’s New Order regime.

The age of nationalism

As Indonesia celebrates its 80th year of Independence this week, it is high time for everyone in the country to reflect on the state of its nationalism.

1 year ago

President Prabowo Subianto (center left, in tan suit) salutes troops on Aug. 10, 2025, during the Operational Troops and Military Honours ceremony to mark National Veterans Day at the airfield of the Suparlan Special Forces Education and Training Center in Bandung, West Java.

Reform first, arms second

The ostentatious ceremony at an airfield in Bandung on National Veterans Day has only reinforced the military buildup policy of the current administration, sounding the alarm on the feared return of militarism to Indonesia amid a perceived democratic decline.

1 year ago

Employees arrange fruits and vegetables on Aug. 16, 2019, at the TaniHub distribution center in Kedung Halang, Bogor, West Java.

Clean up, but don’t give up

We cannot let fraud scandals blind us to the importance of technological progress, especially in fields like artificial intelligence.

1 year ago

Music should not be free

Not only that, for the first time in the history, all albums, singles and EPs, from the biggest masterpieces to the most ephemeral bubblegum pop songs, are now available essentially for free.

1 year ago

A woman chooses clothes to purchase from a street vendor on April 2, 2024, at a traditional market in Jakarta.

A startling GDP report

Many would characterize the current state of our economy as neither normal, nor healthy.

1 year ago

A pirate flag from the Japanese anime One Piece is installed on a house on August 7, following an internet trend using the symbol to criticize government policies, in Solo, Central Java.

One piece of mind

Rather than acting like an authoritarian regime, the government should have looked into why people are “protesting” with the pirate flag.

1 year ago

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri welcomes party secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto on Aug. 2 before the closing session of the party congress in Nusa Dua, Bali. Hasto was convicted of bribery on July 25, just days before his appearance at the congress, but then received an amnesty from President Prabowo Subianto.

PDI-P is just a symptom

Political parties have become effective tools for the elite—whether civilians, military or business tycoons—to maintain and expand their influence.

1 year ago

Palestinians wait to receive food on August 4 from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.

Speak boldly, Indonesia

President Prabowo Subianto must seize his upcoming address at the United Nations General Assembly next month to make Indonesia’s stance on Palestine unambiguous.

1 year ago

Eroding public trust?: Former trade minister Thomas Lembong waves on Friday as he exits Cipinang Penitentiary in Jakarta.

Pardons and power plays

The President's decision could have serious implications not only for the country’s anti-corruption drive but also for the reputation of the judiciary.

1 year ago

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