The search for independence for Nahdlatul Ulama (NU),Indonesia’s largest Islamic social organization, has always been fought at its congress (Muktamar). The 35th Muktamar at Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas, Jombang, East Java, which closed on Aug. 26, was no exception.

Rushing a flawed asset forfeiture bill to meet a performative political deadline won't stop oligarchs, it will just hand the state a dangerous new weapon against its critics.

The recent crash of tech-heavy KOSPI rings an alarm bell for retail investors in navigating Asian equities as regulators move to rein in single-stock ETFs across the region.

On the volcanic shores of Lake Toba, an unpretentious festival is keeping deep storytelling alive in an age of shallow feeds.

Unless it builds the supply chain to match its electric ambitions, the country risks trading its costly addiction to foreign oil for imported batteries and coal-fired power.

AI now sits inside finance, defense, health care and public administration, and it runs on two things most governments do not actually control: the data that train it and the compute that processes it.

When freak disasters render historical weather data useless, Indonesia's real climate crisis isn't about predicting the next storm—it’s learning how to govern a future that no longer plays by the rules.

Tsunami sirens are built to detect earthquakes, but Anak Krakatau can kill without one, and our warning systems are still waiting for a shake that’s never coming.

Destry Damayanti has officially been appointed as the new Bank Indonesia (BI) governor, taking on the responsibility of navigating not only monetary policy challenges stemming from global instability and domestic economic pressures, but also a growing institutional challenge under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. The revision of the Financial Sector Development and Strengthening Law (UU P2SK) has expanded BI’s mandate toward supporting economic growth alongside maintaining rupiah stability. This raises questions over the central bank’s autonomy as a monetary authority, as greater state influence and stronger fiscal policy priorities could constrain Destry’s ability to respond effectively to exchange rate and inflation pressures.

Temporary suspensions and advanced technologies won't clear ASEAN's skies from Indonesian wildfires; only prosecuting and bankrupting corporate arsonists will.

Pakistan’s power elite still dreams of returning to those days of perceived glory and reclaiming the country’s position among the leading middle powers of the Muslim world.

Models absorb human creativity without consent, then label human-directed work as machine-made, creating a troubling double erasure of authorship.

The administration has erected a political hologram over Indonesia’s economic landscape. 

We have the blueprints to defend our digital sovereignty, but without real enforcement power, adequate funding and urgency on AI and quantum threats, the next massive breach is already penciled in.

Evaluation frameworks for development projects have long been influenced by donor priorities. But foreign-aid cuts have created an opportunity for African countries to implement equitable evaluation practices, both to channel limited resources more effectively and to shape the future of global development governance.

By putting a Dec.15 deadline in writing, lawmakers didn't just defuse a street protest—they handed the public a ticking timer on their own integrity.

Indonesia can always scramble cash after tragedy strikes, but with national buffers tied up and disasters arriving back-to-back, running preparedness on a shoestring is a gamble we can no longer afford.

Street protests have reignited the drive to pass the long-stalled asset forfeiture bill. Under renewed public pressure, the House of Representatives has committed to wrapping up deliberation by year-end, nearly two decades after the reform was first tabled. The real test now is whether this self-imposed deadline will finally overcome years of legislative foot-dragging, and whether lawmakers can be held accountable if it slips again.

As Washington pushes allies to gang up on Beijing, Indonesia must resist the pressure and stay true to its non-aligned roots, or risk becoming the mouse deer crushed between two fighting elephants.

Energy trade routes that optimize distance and costs may no longer be suitable for the fractured and fractious modern world, especially for major importers.

This year's El Nino is forecast to be the strongest ever, compounding the effects of climate change, and it may just catalyze the world into finally abandoning fossil fuels.

If Indonesia wants its global diplomacy to truly pay off, it must stop sending cheap labor into the shadows and start exporting certified talent the world will actually invest in.

Physical hazards can quickly morph into macroeconomic shocks.

When a government outsources repression to street militias, it isn't preserving order; it is waging a reckless, authoritarian war against its own people.

History proves political recovery is entirely possible. SBY and Jokowi successfully restored their approval ratings above 50 percent. Not only did they improve their numbers, both went on win re-election. 

The revision to the Oil and Gas (Migas) Law is now being pushed through the House of Representatives at unusual speed, with lawmakers targeting completion by mid-October 2026 and hoping to conclude deliberations before the current sitting period ends. The pace is notable because the Migas Law revision was not originally included in this year’s national legislation program (Prolegnas), despite years of delays.

Rather than mirroring the geo-economic fragmentation besetting the world, member states need to come together and negotiate favorable trade terms for the region as a whole.