Prabowo’s government: Return of blue-blooded nobility rule?

Prabowo’s massively expanded cabinet is no doubt designed not for efficiency but rather as a feast to reward those who supported him and to welcome those who joined him afterwards to make his ship sail smoothly.

6 months ago

Academia premium

Jokowi has left the stage, his ‘theater state’ lingers on

For a politician who came from such humble beginnings, Jokowi managed to carve out an extraordinary career in politics by elbowing his way to the top, subjugating even the most powerful vested interests in Jakarta and rising above the rest to become a towering figure in national politics. ...

6 months ago

Academia premium

Reviving dead capital key to Indonesian prosperity

According to research by PT SMF, every Rp 1 trillion invested in the housing sector can increase GDP by Rp 1.9 trillion, reduce poverty by up to 6,017 people and activate 185 other sectors. ...

6 months ago

The Latest

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (left) and president-elect Prabowo Subianto (right) bow in greeting on Oct. 13, 2024 during their meeting in Surakarta, Central Java.

Academia premium

Power, legitimacy and succession in Javanese kingship

As the nation and its people prepare to witness the transition power on Oct. 20, the Javanese system of royal succession holds clues as to what the country can expect in terms of contemporary politics.

6 months ago

Health for all: Elderly women undergo routine medical checks at a Posyandu (integrated health post) in Alue Raya village in West Aceh, Aceh on June 19, 2023. The government disbursed Rp 11.9 trillion (US$790 million) for health in February of this year, up by 19.2 percent year-on-year.

Academia premium

Screening for a healthier Indonesia under Prabowo

While the country has made strides in addressing challenges like maternal mortality, stunting and infectious diseases, data shows that NCDs such as IHD, stroke and diabetes have become the leading causes of death and disability.

6 months ago

A health worker administers COVID-19 vaccine to a patient at Arcamanik community health center (puskesmas) in Bandung, West Java on Jan. 4, 2024. The Health Ministry announces that COVID-19 vaccinations is no longer free from most people starting January 2024.

Academia

How Indonesia’s leap in clinical trials can transform the nation

Clinical trials facilitate rigorous and strict testing of new vaccines and treatments, ensuring pharmaceutical companies receive regulatory approval faster.

6 months ago

Academia

The Economic Damage of Changes to Government Regulation No.71/2019

Indonesia’s incoming government has boldly proclaimed a growth target of 8 percent. To reach the objective outlined by Prabowo Subianto by 2028, it is critical for the country to harness opportunities in the digital economy.

6 months ago

Hot spot: Smoke billows on May 10, 2024 from the nickel smelter of state-owned PT Antam Tbk in Pomalaa district, Kolaka regency, Southeast Sulawesi. The province has the largest nickel reserves in the country, with 81 million tonnes of the mineral ore.

Academia

Why Indonesia should join the Minerals Security Partnership

The MSP will likely be the single largest opportunity in the coming years to establish significant economic linkages outside of China for Indonesia’s burgeoning nickel industry.

6 months ago

A protester kicks police personnel taking cover behind riot shields during a protest in Mamuju, West Sumatra on July 10, 2024 organized by the Association of Islamic Students (HMI) chapter in the city.

Academia

Human rights defenders show courage in a time of crisis

States must adopt a consistent approach to human rights and to recognize that human rights defenders are helping to guide us toward the SDGs.

6 months ago

A sign advertising the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in seen in San Francisco, California, the United States on Nov. 8, 2023.

Academia premium

The APEC Summit: Prabowo’s global debut as president

While the heavyweights are busy exchanging barbs, Prabowo can position Indonesia as a mediator at the APEC summit.

6 months ago

A worker arranges shoes produced by a small business in Ciomas, Bogor regency, West Java, on June 12.

Academia premium

Garments, apparel, shoes: Indonesian sunset industries?

While Indonesia’s labor costs were competitive initially, rising wages made it less attractive compared to lower-cost countries like Vietnam and Cambodia.

6 months ago

Mind your health: A health worker checks the blood pressure of a pregnant woman at an integrated health services post in Gondoharum village, Kudus, Central Java, on June 4.

Academia premium

Screening for a healthier Indonesia under Prabowo

In 2023, claims for IHD surged to 20 million cases, costing Rp 17.6 trillion (US$1.1 billion), a 50 percent increase from the figure in 2022.

6 months ago

Vivi Widyawati (left), an activist from women's rights group Perempuan Mahardika, and researcher Karolina L. Dalimunthe speak at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) in Central Jakarta on Feb. 13, 2020, during the launch of a study on domestic violence against female workers.

Academia premium

Enhancing pro-bono legal commitments in Indonesia

Although the Indonesian Advocate Association (PERADI) requires its members to perform at least 50 hours of pro bono work, the reporting system is still lacking and there is no supervision to ensure that all members meet the obligation.

6 months ago

Police officers stand guard in front of a house used by a terror suspect in Batu, East Java, on Aug. 1, 2024. A joint team of the National Police's Densus 88 counterterrorism unit and the East Java Police seized evidence from the house, including liquid explosive and other bomb-making materials, which was rented by an alleged terrorist arrested by the police on July 31.

Academia premium

A road map for collective deradicalization: A challenge for Prabowo

In the Pantura, stretching from Brebes to Batang, there are approximately 140 JI-linked ustad, while Grater Banyumas has around 150.

6 months ago

A nickel smelting plants at the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP) in Lelilef, North Maluku, operates on July 7, 2024.

Academia premium

A call for a decisive transition to a green economy

Switching to cleaner sources of energy is not likely to solve pollution problems in mining areas, as the nickel downstreaming process still produces tailings that can contaminate waters.

7 months ago

Dalton Tanonaka (left), host of The Indonesian Channel’s ‘Hot Indonesia’ program, gestures on Jan. 27, 2024 during the televised talk show.

Academia

Preserving justice and preventing nightmares

As Indonesia prepares to swear in Prabowo as its next president, let us hope he is a man true to his word, so that the country can realize its many potentials under his leadership.

7 months ago

On wheels: Female online motorbike taxi drivers participate in a motorcade organized by the East Java government in Surabaya on April 21, 2024 as part of Kartini Day, a day dedicated to the fight for gender equality.

Academia premium

From gig work to financial empowerment: Embedded finance for women in the platform economy

A gender-intentional approach can increase the adoption of DFS among female informal workers through embedded finance.

7 months ago

Growth center: Office towers housing banks and corporations stand tall on Dec. 12, 2023 at the Sudirman Central Business District in Jakarta.

Academia premium

The new frontier: How PDP Law transforms banking risk-management landscape

The culture of accountability will help strengthen banks' defenses against data breaches and compliance failures.

7 months ago

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr speaks at a press conference,
held with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured), in Berlin on March 12, 2024.

Academia premium

When President Marcos confronts Premier Li Qiang on SCS

Nevertheless, despite its exponential growth in economy, technology and other fronts, China must carefully listen to ASEAN's growing impatience of its assertiveness in South China Sea.

7 months ago

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (from left), Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Mamet, Indonesia's Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and East Timor's Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao pose for photos during the opening ceremony of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane on Oct. 9, 2024.

Academia

Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship and Anwar’s triple axis strategy

China and ASEAN all concurred with Anwar's assertion that all sensitive issues should be discussed bilaterally, if need be, multilaterally, but more than anything else, behind closed doors.

7 months ago

Battlefront: Women stand next to damaged vehicles at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beirut on Oct. 11, 2024, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

Academia

Open letter to the UN Security Council's permanent members

Indonesia's top diplomat asks the UN Security Council, in particular its five permanent members, whether it has maintained international peace and security as mandated in view of the continuing atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon, including direct attacks on the Blue Helmets.

7 months ago

A boy sits in a floating basket as people wade through a flooded street following the impact of Typhoon Yagi in Hanoi, Sept. 11, 2024.

Academia

EU, ASEAN joining forces against climate disasters

Disaster preparedness is a constant strand of the EU’s humanitarian funding across the world.

7 months ago

Beauty on sale: Customers examine cosmetics products on offer during the Jakarta X Beauty at the Jakarta Convention Center on July 29, 2022.

Academia premium

Skincare mafia, the ugly face of Indonesia’s beauty industry

Many unethical businesses have exploited the relatively lenient registration processes designed to stimulate industry growth.

7 months ago

Laos' Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone (center) and ASEAN leaders take part in the 44th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane on Oct. 9, 2024.

Academia premium

Time for ASEAN to have an easy-to-implement geostrategy

An urgent geostrategic priority for ASEAN is deepening economic integration to close gaps in inequalities within and among members and ensure ASEAN moves forward together.

7 months ago

Work in progress: Workers carry on construction of the Garuda Palace and the core government area on Sept. 13, 2024 at the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan.

Academia premium

The hidden cost of the Jokowi-era infrastructure boom

Under Jokowi, infrastructure projects have been distributed in ways that benefit certain regions and actors with close ties to the central government.

7 months ago

A person looks at mobile advertisements for online gambling websites on June 19, 2024 in Jakarta.

Academia premium

Toward a scam-free Southeast Asia

Tackling the cross-border nature of digital scams requires a comprehensive effort that deploys both national strategies and international coordination.

7 months ago

Workers and trucks of PT Freeport Indonesia form a line on Sept. 1, 2022 to welcome the presidential motorcade as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo arrives to inaugurate 5G smart mining technology at the Grasberg mine in Mimika, Papua.

Academia premium

SOEs super holding company: A bold path to global leadership

Setting up a super holding company to oversee sector-specific holding companies in a multitiered model could prople our SOEs to the global stage, but this will also require both governance and judicial reform to ensure transparency and accountability.

7 months ago

A health worker (right) gives a government aid package containing medicine and food supplements to a pregnant woman on May 17, 2024 at the Posyandu (integrated health post) in Ciputat, South Tangerang, Banten.

Academia premium

Childhood anemia and stunting: Indonesia's silent crisis

A multifaceted, systemic approach is necessary to address Indonesia's dual crisis of iron deficiency anemia and childhood stunting, to ensure the health and well-being of current generations so they can thrive and contribute to our collective future.

7 months ago

Lawmakers attend a plenary session on July 9, 2024 at the House of Representatives in Senayan, Jakarta.

Academia premium

The new government and the illusion of Indonesian democracy

We the people, as civil society, have a duty to revitalize political education to provide the checks and balances necessary to uphold Indonesia's constitutional democracy and for us to avoid an illusion of democracy.

7 months ago

Religious tolerance: Dozens of Muslim youths grouped under the Gusdurian Community visit Poo An Kiong vihara in Blitar, East Java, on Nov. 17, 2019.

Academia premium

Between miscommunication and Christianization phobia

In many cases, differences are politicized, with those in power, whether through religious, political, or social majorities, feeling threatened by the presence of minority groups.

7 months ago

Page: 35