The Jakarta Post Editorials: Board Perspectives

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Jakarta Post
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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.

12 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

Editorial

Toward safer roads

Monday's multi-vehicle pileup on the Cipularang Toll Road that killed a teenage girl and left dozens injured, some with serious injuries, should be a wake-up call for the government to clamp down on overloaded trucks and the companies that operate them while striving for stricter enforcement of the country's rigorous road safety rules.

1 year ago
Editorial

Consumer power: Together, we are strong

Conscious consumerism is a good thing, but there is also a risk of boycotts targeting the wrong companies or products.

1 year ago
Editorial

Better prevention

The government's plan to introduce a new health screening program on its dime is another step in the right direction to uphold the constitutionally guaranteed universal right to health.

1 year ago
Editorial

First impressions matter

Indonesia must vigilantly safeguard its sovereign rights in the North Natuna Sea and ensure that such statements are not misconstrued as a shift toward accommodating China’s expansive claims.

1 year ago
Editorial

Up the stake against gambling

The anti-money laundering agency reported the accumulated money turnover connected to online gambling last year reached Rp327 trillion (US$21 billion), equal to the government’s spending on energy subsidies and compensation as of October.

1 year ago
Editorial

Invest or go home!

Countries and regions have their own excuses for hampering the global flow of goods and services with trade tariffs, non-tariff barriers and sanctions.

1 year ago
Editorial

Wong’s ASEAN consolidation

For Prabowo, Singapore plays a strategic role as the largest source of foreign direct investment for Indonesia and one the most important trading partners.

1 year ago
Editorial

Get real on GDP

Businesses are reluctant to expand, citing a lack of financing access and government policy flip-flops, among others reasons.

1 year ago
Editorial

America's choice

Those who claimed the Trump brand would sink the Republican Party were proven wrong, as this time the 78-year-old millionaire won the popular vote, with more than 70 million ballots cast for him versus Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’ 64 million as of Wednesday night.

1 year ago
Editorial

Educate, don’t exploit, voters

The disappointing performances of some regional head candidates indicate the failure of political parties not only to vet and nominate capable figures but also to develop a merit-based system to produce party members with the skills to hold public office responsibly.

1 year ago
Editorial

Justice for some

Recent bribery cases involving judges could be just the tip of the iceberg, considering the stagnated internal reforms in the judiciary.

1 year ago
Editorial

Beyond BRICS rhetoric

The foreign minister's hinting at the Prabowo government's interest in joining BRICS marks a departure from the previous administration's lackluster foreign policy approach, but it would do well for Indonesia to not get stuck in a nonreciprocal relationship.

1 year ago
Editorial

No more cop-outs

Indonesia may have made a poor showing by sending low-ranking officials to COP16, but seeing as the President's brother is leading the delegation to COP29 later this month, this could be a sign that the government is finally getting serious about the country's positioning on global climate issues.

1 year ago
Editorial

Prabowo, Xi reunion

While continuation of the economic cooperation should top Prabowo’s agenda in Beijing, he can raise his concern about the latest situation in the North Natuna waters. 

1 year ago
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Is Sritex too big to fail?

The idea of the state using taxpayer funds to save a private textile company is problematic for a number of reasons, and the desire to save jobs is a weak argument to justify such a move.

1 year ago
Editorial

Degraded degrees

The country has seen many instances of politicians chasing doctorates, honorary doctorates and even professorships just for public prestige.

1 year ago
Editorial

Sexism in Indonesian politics

Out of the 48 ministers in President Prabowo Subianto’s newly inaugurated Red and White Cabinet, there are only five women, and only eight female deputy ministers out of a total of 56. The same trend exists for other public offices in the country.

1 year ago
Editorial

The thing about megaprojects

An energetic continuation of the Nusantara project following the government handover would assure investors that the country’s national strategic projects are called “national” for a reason.

1 year ago
Editorial

Firefighters’ lives matter

Depok’s fire agency is among the institutions to receive the smallest portion of the city budget with only Rp 34 billion for a whole year.

1 year ago
Editorial

Indonesia’s diplomacy expansion

As the foreign minister, Sugiono will need to realize President Prabowo’s hope for Indonesia to play a much more active role in global affairs.

1 year ago
Editorial

A case for prudence

Prabowo’s cabinet of a whopping 109 ministers and other senior officials will take a lot of managing, but seeing is believing, so let's see where the government – and the nation – is in six months' time.

1 year ago
Editorial

Privacy law a paper tiger

With the new law in force all data controllers or processors must have their security systems in place.

1 year ago
Editorial

New (and old) economic team

However, choosing the same cabinet members may not guarantee economic policies will remain consistent in the new administration, as Jokowi and Prabowo have distinct agendas to pursue.

2 years ago
Editorial

Balancing legacy and ambition

Prabowo's large, likely bloated cabinet may serve to maintain political harmony, but it also risks inflating costs and inefficiency.

2 years ago
Editorial

The end of an era

In the last few years of his administration, Jokowi set a dangerous precedent that future leaders may be tempted to emulate. And the impact on the political perspectives of the nation’s youth is equally worrying, as they may lose their appreciation for democracy, subordinating that precious and fragile gift to naked self-interest.

2 years ago
Editorial

Tourism is a tool of soft power

A backpacker lodging in a bed-and-breakfast and eating at streetside warung should be welcomed just as warmly as a well-to-do family staying at a five-star hotel.

2 years ago
Editorial

Netanyahu’s war crimes

It is disappointing that despite the fact that the crisis is worsening, the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) have opted to be silent and to ignoe the horrifying tragedy unfolding in Gaza and Lebanon.

2 years ago
Editorial

The price of democracy

The outgoing President also claimed that the fact that people could still criticize him on social media is proof of the health of Indonesia's democracy. 

2 years ago
Editorial

Why the rush?

The new administration will have more time to properly assess the candidates and ensure a smooth transition of leadership without the rush.

2 years ago
Editorial

Thanks Laos, welcome Malaysia

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has a vast knowledge of ASEAN, and we hope he can not only conclude the bloc’s unfinished business but also create a more solid foundation for the group’s 2045 vision.

2 years ago
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Today's ePost

Thu, October 22, 2026

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