The uprising in Pati serves as a powerful message to leaders at all levels of government about the importance of public trust and consultation. 

It is likely that the shortage of healthcare personnel will continue and deteriorate, with some exiting their profession to look for other opportunities.

Global funding cuts and escalating attacks on health care, in direct violation of international laws, are colliding at the worst possible time for the world’s regions most vulnerable to disasters and conflicts. 

Indonesia is long overdue for a new bankruptcy law in this age of free trade globalization, especially one that contains provisions on cross-border insolvency.

The government cannot fulfill its land registration agenda without the parallel implementation of an integrated digital land system, including the realization of the single map policy, and land administration reform to eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks and eradicate corruption in the sector.

Official history can no longer stand alone as the sole arbiter of truth, while public history must cultivate critical discipline to avoid being reduced to mere emotional appeals.

Jakarta is right in pushing Kuala Lumpur to join hands in developing the disputed, mineral-rich maritime area located east of Borneo in the Sulawesi Sea. Though the latter does not appear to be all that keen about the idea, it has not completely rejected it.

Ambiguous joint arrangements over Ambalat will only allow China to dilute the legal foundations of maritime governance in the region.

At 80, the UN stands at a crossroads as a stalwart of multilateralism, and the way forward is to show that this works through cooperation, prioritization and action that is inclusive and respectful of the needs of developing countries, especially for localized solutions.

The so-called humanitarian reset is shifting the response to humanitarian crises, whether caused by natural disasters or man-made conflicts, to local leadership, with international organizations playing a supportive, complementary role.

The Trump-Putin spectacle last Friday should serve as a cautionary tale for ASEAN, encouraging it to stay the course in its unique brand of diplomacy, one that is based on substance, not optics, as it navigates great power theatrics and affirms its place on the global stage.

It’s the people of Aceh, those community leaders who fought while betting on their freedoms, who we are indebted to.

If Indonesia’s food governance is too bureaucratic for the elites, what hope is there for small-scale farmers and communities?

ASEAN has established itself as a geopolitical and geoeconomic entity. The next step is to become a geocivic community.

Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota has abruptly stepped down as president director of PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara after just six months, putting a spotlight on the Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara) Investment Management Agency’s role and commitment in the food estate program. At the heart of his resignation was frustration over what he described as Danantara’s failure to prioritize and adequately fund Agrinas Pangan, stalling the SOE’s work mandate to support President Prabowo Subianto’s goal of achieving national food sovereignty.

Roblox has been accused of prioritizing user growth, revenue and profit over child safety.

Despite facing severe impacts from plastic waste, Indonesia has chosen a middle-ground stance, aligning with neither the high-ambition nor the low-ambition camp.

What are the options for corporations, investors and policy makers in this whirlwind of uncertainties?  

Indonesia ranks low in the Tufts’ Digital Evolution Index, IMD’s Digital Competitiveness Ranking and the Network Readiness Index, indicating a less digitally integrated economy and society. 

There is a growing consensus that Israel is committing the most serious of crimes in Gaza, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

Gerindra, President Prabowo Subianto's political party, is the third largest in the country, trailing only behind the nation's oldest party Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). For Gerindra to propel itself to the top in the 2029 elections, Prabowo must maintain his dual role as party chairman and the President.

As Indonesia turns 80, state ceremonies are grand. But behind the performances, a deeper reality lingers: Anger is rising.

The conservative budget requires greater capability to generate revenue to finance the flagship programs, and even greater capacity to ensure their implementation in regions.  

Making the dissolution of Hamas a prerequisite for the establishment of a Palestinian state is an act of coercion that disregards the root causes of the issue.

A great nation requires political leaders who admit mistakes, citizens who demand transparency and institutions that place integrity above loyalty to personalities.

At the age of 80, Indonesia has reached a crossroads where it must decide which path to take: the one it has trod in the past that benefits only a handful of elite, or a wholly new course to restore its moral compass and pursue prosperity for all.

If a teacher lacks the skills to connect, inspire and manage a room full of students, the introduction of technology, no matter how advanced, will not bridge the knowledge gap.