The poorest of the poor – the latest official census put at over 9 percent of the population, or about 26 million people – rarely benefit from the fuel subsidy.

A reliable vote tabulation platform to monitor the results of the regional elections that will be held simultaneously in 37 provinces and 508 cities and regencies is needed.

Indonesia’s natural gas exports have declined steadily since 2010, falling by almost half to 21,463 million standard cubic meters last year.

European politics today is showing a worrying trend, swinging between the far left and far right instead of finding compromise in a more centrist-oriented position.

Unlike politicians, who we can vote out and replace if they do not perform, we have no choice but to rely on the police and its oversight institutions to ensure that procedures are followed to a tee. So please put your talents to good use.

The ministry argued the foreign doctors may help solve the shortage of health professionals facing Indonesian hospitals.

ASEAN leaders should talk loudly, clearly and in unison about the potential of the Philippines-Japan military pact to ruffle many feathers in the region and beyond.

Relying on social safety nets will not do much as this only provides short-term relief, while more often such programs coincide with a populist agenda of incumbents seeking to stay in power. There have been many reports of social assistance that went to those who did not deserve the aid.

The attack served as yet another reminder about the vulnerabilities of our data centers and data system in general to cyber threats and the urgency to revamp our data protection arrangement.

For a big power like China, such a show of force against neighbors that are weaker and economically dependent on it is unnecessary.

We have witnessed Indonesian talent so often ignored at home being celebrated abroad.

If it wasn’t clear enough before, let it be plainly spoken: Stop misusing democratic institutions for personal gain.

The government should assess the competitiveness of domestic industries rather than imposing trade barriers on imported products.

The ASEAN way of refraining from commenting on the recent Putin-Kim summit has avoided unnecessary misunderstanding and potential escalation of tensions, especially in view of the upcoming regional form this month.

Whatever commodities are chosen as alternatives to rice would need to be cultivated in the country with similar efficiency to yield products of similar affordability..

The Padang tragedy is yet another reminder that the police need to improve the mechanisms to prevent torture and excessive use of force.

Blocking websites is not as effective as cracking down on bookies and operators, removing ads and restricting payment gateways.

The people expect to see collaboration between the central government and regional administration to push the policy harder for tangible action against the pollution.

In past cases of data theft, there were few immediate consequences, such as when the account details of 15 million customers of the country's biggest Islamic lender, Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI), were published online last year or when, in 2021, a flaw in the Health Ministry's COVID-19 app exposed the personal data and health status of 1.3 million people.

The subject is predictable, and the pattern is familiar. The case that was left untouched for four years until Jokowi and the PDI-P, the party that catapulted him to power, parted ways. 

Concerns about the incoming government’s fiscal sustainability have weighed on the rupiah exchange rate over the past month.

The growing number of Indonesians working and living overseas, and some who are changing their nationalities, have disproved claims that their loyalty lies elsewhere.

For many years to come, Jakarta will continue to play a strategic role in the national economy.

We demand that authorities take the recent gambling-related suicides as a further indication that our security forces may be infiltrated by gambling rings.

Jokowi has to make sure he runs an effective government, which is unlikely to happen without the support of his entire Cabinet throughout the coming four months.

It is a classic patron-client relationship for a patron to grant favors in return for political services, loyalty and allegiance shown by the client.

Due to the limited number of spots, high public interest and the rising costs of the haj, someone who registers this year for the “regular” state-subsidized haj scheme would have to wait between 11 and 47 years for their turn to make the pilgrimage.

Once we get to the point where enough is enough, it makes sense to decrease working hours at the same rate that hourly productivity increases, so as to keep output constant.

History shows Soeharto’s New Order could cling on to power for more than 30 years, largely due to the support of the then Armed Forces (ABRI), which also included the police, through the use of coercion, intimidation and even violence to silence dissent.

ASEAN has shown it's willing to punish Myanmar's military for committing a coup against democracy, but cannot do the same to the Thai military.