The Jakarta Post Editorials: Board Perspectives

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People look at a screen showing the Indonesia Composite Index after the market plunge at the stock exchange in Jakarta on Oct. 16, 2026.

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Listen more, speculate less

Jakarta’s historic market rout isn’t the work of foreign conspirators, but a self-inflicted wound born of concentrated ownership and regulatory inertia that political defiance cannot heal.

21 hours ago

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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. ...

1 day 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. ...

2 days ago

The Latest

Better late than never: Vehicle owners wait for their turn to pay vehicle tax at ITC Depok in Depok, West Java, on Nov. 10, 2020. The West Java provincial administration is waiving penalties for late vehicle tax payments and other vehicle-related fees to reduce the burden on vehicle owners amid the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to woo owners to pay their vehicle taxes.

Regional fiscal management

Better matching local revenue to local spending strengthens local responsibility and accountability.

4 years ago

A child rides a bicycle on the closed Jl. Al-Fathu in Soreang, Bandung regency, West Java on July 4. The Bandung regency administration closed several roads to limit public mobility during the emergency public activity restriction (PPKM Darurat) period from July 3 to 20.

The cost of inconsistency

It will come as no surprise if the new policy leads to complacency, which in the past resulted in a spike in new cases.

4 years ago

Anticorruption People’s Movement (Gertak) activists rally at the Digulis traffic circle in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Thursday to condemn the dismissal of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees for failing a “civic knowledge test”.

In the KPK we lack trust

The commission’s credibility crisis should come as no surprise, as public confidence in the KPK has been falling since 2018, according to research by Indikator Politik.

4 years ago

Tech’s golden opportunity

While China’s tech crackdown has caused concern among investors, its muscle flexing may provide opportunities for other Asian companies to fill the gap.

4 years ago

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi takes a group photo with participants of the 2018 Bali Democracy Forum in Nusa Dua, Bali on Dec. 6, 2018.

Walk the talk on democracy

Also not clear is Biden’s summit democratic agenda, when many leaders invited are authoritarian, some from countries that fall within Freedom House’s category of “Partly Free” and three within the “Not Free” group.

4 years ago

New attraction: Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta glitters as construction continues at night on Nov. 23. The new stadium is set to be inaugurated by the end of the year.

More than just a stadium

Jakarta International Stadium is hoped to be a boon for health, environment and economy.

4 years ago

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (right), Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi (second right), Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne (second left) and Australia Defense Minister Peter Dutton attend a media briefing following their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Sept. 9.

Lining up allies

It is no secret that the Indo-Pacific has been used to describe a regional order that expands on the Asia-Pacific by raising the stakes in the US-China rivalry.

4 years ago

Muslims join the Tahajud prayer to attend the 212 reunion at the National Monument, Central Jakarta, Dec. 2, 2019.

The government and ulema

The animosity between some conservative ulema and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who had endorsed Ahok’s reelection, continues to this day, albeit at a much lower scale.

4 years ago

International travelers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) arrive at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport on Nov. 29 as Australia records its first cases of the Omicron variant of COVID19.

Bracing for Omicron

Four days after South Africa announced the discovery of Omicron on Wednesday, Indonesia joined several other countries in tightening their borders.

4 years ago

Against the law: Members of a civil society organization join a large-scale protest against the Job Creation Law in Harmoni, Central Jakarta, on Oct. 8, 2020. The House of Representatives passed the law on Oct. 5 despite public resistance.

Law without credibility

This is how democracy works in contemporary Indonesia, where the opposition, hence the checks and balances mechanism, is not functioning.

4 years ago

A building in the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) office compound in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. The Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI) has certified the building as environmentally-friendly.

Enforcing energy efficiency

The most effective way of enhancing energy efficiency is an appropriate pricing policy based on the economic costs of energy.

4 years ago

Dusty past: Trucks carry oil palm fruits through a plantation owned by PT Wanasawit Subur Lestari in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan on Dec. 19, 2015. Sustainable palm oil production has become the industry norm today.

Jokowi’s EU fight

The government prohibits nickel ore exports to force mining companies to develop the downstream metal industry so that they export semi-processed products.

4 years ago

Ducati rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (right) takes a bend during a free practice at the World Superbike race at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara on Nov. 19, 2021.

Roaring into world circuits

When we decide to go global, we must meet international standards, nothing less will do.

4 years ago

Thee Hantakan River in Alat village, Hulu Sungai Tengah regency, South Kalimantan, on Jan. 20, 2020. The region was hit by massive flooding following days of heavy rainfall.

Can’t blame it on the rain

According to Greenpeace Indonesia, around 53 percent of Kapuas' 9.3 million hectares of water-catchment area have been converted into oil palm plantations, leaving only 4.2 million ha of forests around the 1,100-kilometer river.

4 years ago

Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (right) meets with United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of their participation in the Manama Dialogue on Nov. 20.

Actions and words

Prabowo underlined the nation’s commitment to maintaining relations with all countries and to stay neutral in disputes as a reflection of the Non-Aligned Movement.

4 years ago

Indonesian police personnel show photographs of Para Wijayanto and various seized items at a press conference in Jakarta on July 1, 2019, after Wijayanto was detained by counterterrorism police with his wife at a hotel in Bekasi, West Java.

Terror group’s facelift

JI and other terrorist groups may no longer spread fear through bomb blasts and other acts of violence but sow good deeds to reap public sympathy and instill their beliefs.

4 years ago

A student washes his hands prior to entering the Lycée Français de Jakarta campus in Cipete, South Jakarta, on Friday, May 28. Lycée Français de Jakarta was one of the first schools in the capital to be approved to pilot in-class learning in April, after undergoing a thorough screening process from the Jakarta Education Agency since October last year.

Curbs are not enough

Over the past few months, a combination of mass vaccinations and mobility curbs appears to have helped Indonesia contain the pandemic.

4 years ago

Standing for the rights: Members of labor unions in West Java stage a rally in front of Gedung Sate in Bandung, West Java, on April 23 to call for improved wages and working conditions.

In for flexible labor market

Wage rises are not sustainable if revenues do not increase either by higher productivity or bigger market sales.

4 years ago

Fishermen sit on their boat as smoke rises from chimneys at the Suralaya coal power plant in Cilegon, Banten on Sept. 22.

Indonesia’s ‘coal hard facts’

Indonesia could move the date forward to 2040 if it can raise up to US$40 billion needed to convert these coal plants into using renewable energy resources.

4 years ago

Voice of silence: Mannequins stand outside of the House of Representatives compound in Central Jakarta on Dec. 8, 2020, as part of a campaign to push for the passage of the sexual violence eradication bill. The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has reported a steep rise in violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stopping (sex) crime

Let’s be clear: Sexual offenders are predators, criminals who take away the most precious belonging from a human being.

4 years ago

Window of climate opportunity: A conference is seen through a window at the media center during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 4.

Coal and climate justice

The biggest disappointment is the lack of passion shown by developed countries to commit to climate financing and assistance to open greater access to renewable energy for developing and poor countries.

4 years ago

Iham, 39, a caretaker at the Pahlawan Seribu Heroes Cemetery in South Tangerang, Banten, cuts weeds around gravestones in November 2020. JP/Dhoni Setiawan.

Hail to our heroes

The state has recognized not only Usmar Ismail’s contribution to nation-building but also his exceptional cinematic work.

4 years ago

New face: Garuda Indonesia unveils its new mask livery for its B737-800 NG fleet. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the company hard.

Saving Garuda from a crash

Negotiating collectively with the creditors under a commercial-court supervised PKPU would be more efficient and more promising. The key is that the restructuring plan is based on a credible and feasible business proposal strongly backed by the government.

4 years ago

Then-incoming Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob waves as he leaves his house in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 21 to take the oath of office to become the country's leader.

Brotherly ties

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri is leading a razor-thin majority in government, and we hope he can endure until the next general election. But we can rest assured that Malaysia is stable in terms of politics, economics and security. The fundamental direction of the country does not depend too much on the charisma or character of one politician.

4 years ago

Greenpeace Indonesia activists stage a protest against the destruction of forests in Papua at the Environment and Forestry Ministry's office in Jakarta on April 8, 2021. The environmental group urged the government to follow up on the alleged permits issuance for concession area on forests in Papua to stop deforestation on Indonesia's easternmost island.

Deforestation: When ‘no’ means anything but

Why did Indonesia sign the deal, when it was obvious to all that the agreement meant zero deforestation by 2030?

4 years ago

Protesters wear a mask resembling the late human rights champion Munir Said Thalib on Sept. 7, 2017, during the weekly "Kamisan" silent protest in front of Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.

Jokowi’s democracy wager

That a strong democracy needs a strong foundation goes without saying, but banking solely on a robust economy tips the balance away from human rights and justice.

4 years ago

Coal boom: Coal barges line up to be pulled along the Mahakam River in Samarinda, East Kalimantan on Aug. 31, 2019. A primary commodity boom, like coal, has helped Indonesia’s exports grow in the third quarter of this year.

Not out of the woods yet

Almost all sectors, excluding transport, hospitality and warehousing, posted healthy growth, along with private consumption, investment and government spending.

4 years ago

New leader: Fumio Kishida celebrates after winning the presidential election in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on Sept. 29, 2021.

Hope for Japan

Considering the key role Japan plays, President Jokowi should give the country more opportunities to participate in his ambitious infrastructure plan.

4 years ago

Relieving news: Army Chief of Staff Gen. Andika Perkasa announced the end of “virginity testing” for female recruits on Aug. 10.

Stop politicizing the TNI

Andika’s nomination strengthens the speculation that political considerations are at play and that the move resulted from negotiations with the powerful Army or with individual active or retired generals to serve their political interests.

4 years ago

Healthy travel: Medical workers take swab samples for rapid antigen tests from passengers departing from the Pasar Senen railway station in Central Jakarta on Monday. State railway operator PT Kereta Api is requiring passengers to have negative results from antigen or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to travel between Tuesday and Jan. 8, 2021.

Pandemic policy flip-flop

For the policy to work, the tests should be affordable, if not completely free of charge.

4 years ago

Page: 48

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