Being significantly less competitive than its regional cohorts will spell great dangers if Indonesia does not remedy these issues.

Anyone old enough to remember the heady summer of 1998 who sees the direction of the country’s politics today will feel we are still living under the shadow of Soeharto. 

The government knows that extreme weather events can cause crop failures almost every year but does little to prevent and mitigate the impacts of them.

The government has been forging a good relationship with China because it is Indonesia’s most important trading and investment partner and has developed an economic heft on par with the world’s other major powers.

Indonesia has the biggest economy in Southeast Asia, a growing consumer market, EV purchasing incentives and the world’s largest nickel reserves.

All attempts to amend the 1997 Military Court Law since the beginning of the Reform Era have stalled because of TNI objections.

Aside from the hotter dry season forecast for Indonesia this year, the government needs to prepare for the longer term of 'global boiling'.

It is unthinkable for any nation to lose its trusted journalistic voices, but the diversion of advertising revenue to big tech platforms as a result of uneven competition could make the unthinkable a reality.

The rising number of interfaith marriages is an inevitable consequence of Indonesia becoming a more open and mixed society.             

Donor countries are waiting for Indonesia to create a conducive environment in which various energy-transition programs can be implemented.                                                             

The Golkar crisis was not triggered, at least not directly, by Airlangga's poor results at polls, but by his alleged plan to leave the two pro-government coalitions.               

ASEAN will lose its international credibility if it fails to restore the fundamental rights of its member states’ citizens.

The reality is that all countries care about fair trade only where it serves their interests, and they object to it where it runs counter to their interests.

The frequency of diplomatic personnel changes has put Indonesia on precarious ground, especially as it relates to sustained engagement with Washington.

Art should inform its audience about the human condition and great art can serve as a rallying call against evils in politics.

Gen Zers are projected to play a key role in the upcoming elections, which have been framed by many as a critical period that would shape, if not determine, the future of the country.               

The regulation, if properly enforced, will help the government clamp down on undeclared offshore profits and tax evasion.            

It is safe to say they are all the President’s men, not only because they answer to him, but also because their presence in the Cabinet will help him consolidate his power in dealing with other key players.

The ARF has become the most important forum in the Asia Pacific to discuss global security issues, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s nine-dash-line claim of sovereignty over nearly the whole South China Sea and the increasing tension in the Indo-Pacific region.            

The debates that have followed Indonesia’s disgraceful exit from the World Beach Games reveal a troubling lack of commitment to ensuring their success.

Political parties and politicians want to win the hearts and minds of 70,000 village heads, whose influence can steer millions of rural voters toward certain candidates on Feb. 14 of next year. 

It is better for Jokowi and his ministers to respond to criticisms of the nickel export ban, such as those from the IMF, with eloquence.        

There should be more doctors outside of big cities to ensure better access to good health services in rural areas. 

It is worth emphasizing here that the suspects needed a certain level of political leverage to give them the confidence to commit the alleged crime.

Unlike the first two AMM outings in February and April, the current agenda opens up the 10-nation association to international criticism and puts the members’ collective resolve to the test, with a wide array of issues to be debated in back-to-back meetings.

Young voters will dominate the polls next year for the first time in Indonesia's election history, which means that aspiring politicians need to reach out and connect with the country's youths in both urban and rural settings to create campaigns that actually speak to them.

The middle-income trap, simply put, is when a country has developed so far that it struggles to compete with less developed countries on labor unit costs while not having advanced far enough to compete with more developed countries on competence.

Indonesia’s huge nickel resources and Australia’s lithium resources should become the bridge for a commercially viable and symbiotic partnership for the two neighboring countries to develop battery and electric vehicle (EV) industries.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo himself has pledged that the government would continue to seek the release of the Kiwi pilot through peaceful means, although we are not too sure if the government's approach has been effective so far.

Jokowi arrives in Australia empowered by greater political authority and a newfound confidence on the international stage, having successfully presided over the Group of 20 largest economies at a time of great geopolitical turmoil.