TheJakartaPost

Food safety risks in Prabowo’s free meals program

The government must close the gap in food safety infrastructure and oversight throughout the supply chain by implementing stringent regulations and authorities across the national, regional and community levels to mitigate potential health risks and ensure the success of Prabowo’s free meals program. ...

7 months ago

Analysis: Ridwan accepts defeat, paving way for PDI-P to join Prabowo’s KIM

Ridwan had initially announced his intention to dispute the election results in a bid to force a runoff election, ...

7 months ago

The Latest

An employee inspects on Aug. 7 a machine at a lithium-ion battery and nano-carbon materials plant owned by PT BTR New Energy Material in the Kendal Special Economic Zone in Central Java.

Just getting started

We cannot afford to let more time slip through our fingers, for the sake of the nation and the promise it holds.

7 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka arrive for a group photo on Oct. 21, 2024, with newly appointed cabinet ministers, at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

‘Rakyat jelata’ controversy shows how words can be a sword

Rakyat jelata, when used by a government official, evokes associations with class hierarchies and marginalization, regardless of the intended meaning.

7 months ago

The Syrian independence-era flag waves in the wind over the capital Damascus on Dec. 26.

Syrian democracy and religious moderation: A path forward

Under current conditions, the preferred option for Syria would be a secular democratic system with an embedded philosophy of religious moderation in social and political landscapes.

7 months ago

Hard-won democracy: President Prabowo Subianto shows ballot papers while voting in the simultaneous regional election in Bogor, West Java, on Nov. 27.

Betrayal of ‘Reformasi’

Sadly, we note that the spirit of Reformasi is waning not only in our political body, but also in the judiciary.

7 months ago

People walk past the logotype at the venue for the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku on Nov.11, 2024.

How the EU can scale up carbon removal

Removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide will require scaling up investment in carbon-removal technologies.

7 months ago

Public celebration: People attend the lighting of the Christmas tree in the Druze-majority Jaramana area of the Damascus countryside on Dec. 22.

The impact of Assad's collapse: Cyberwarfare between HTS and ISIS supporters

The brewing “cyberwar” between HTS supporters and ISIS supporters could prompt a new wave of global jihad.

7 months ago

Foreign Minister Sugiono arrives at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Oct. 24, 2024.

BRICS agenda: How Prabowo’s foreign policy contrasts with Jokowi’s

Prabowo is focusing on a dual track strategy with regard to OECD and BRICS membership, opting for a more flexible approach in view of current geopolitical dynamics that reinforces Indonesia's independence as well as its positioning as a good neighbor.

7 months ago

A man walks past the Bank Indonesia (BI) headquarters in Jakarta on Sept. 2, 2024.

Eradicating greenwashing: The ESG dilemma in financial services

Financial institutions must work hand-in-hand to integrate ESG policies into the entire life cycle of financial products and services.

7 months ago

Rising costs: A customer picks a bottled beverage from a refrigerated display at a supermarket in South Tangerang, Banten, on July 5.

Analysis: Govt waives new VAT for 15 key commodities to ease impacts

To mitigate the potential impacts of the new value-added tax (VAT) rate of 12 percent beginning in January 2025, the government has decided to exempt 15 commodities from the new VAT rate or waive them entirely from VAT. This measure aims to protect consumers, particularly people from low-income households, so they do not bear the full burden of the tax hike on essential goods.

7 months ago

Insight: Securing a healthier future: The importance of Indonesia's plasma fractionation facility

The global health crisis brought on by COVID-19 tested healthcare systems worldwide, and Indonesia was no exception. As one of the world’s most populous nations, the nation faced immense challenges yet demonstrated resilience and adaptability in navigating the pandemic.

7 months ago

Myanmar junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing (left) gestures upon his arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on April 24, 2021, ahead of the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.

The ICC's warrant request for Myanmar junta chief is too little, too late

An ICC prosecutor’s decision to apply for an arrest warrant – not to issue one – for the Myanmar junta leader is essentially a powerless move, coming as it does after Washington and Paris rejected its arrest warrants for Netanyahu and several members of his cabinet at the cost of the court's credibility and authority.

7 months ago

Motorists and commuters ride past a Christmas tree made from recycled plastic bottles on Nov. 7, 2024, in Manila.

Christmas reflection on climate crisis

Christmas, as a moment of renewal, invites alignment between our inner lives and the outer world humanity seeks to protect.

7 months ago

Reunited at last: Philippine drug convict and former death row inmate Mary Jane Veloso is kissed by her sons at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, on Dec. 18.

Veloso’s release: A triumph of solidarity and a call for justice

Mary Jane’s case highlights the critical importance of operationalizing the non-punishment principle enshrined in the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

7 months ago

Items of clothing are pictured hanging on a rail inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping center in north London on Dec.17, 2024.

Twelve questions for philanthropists

In this season of giving, donors should ask themselves twelve key questions when considering how, where and why to give.

7 months ago

Honoring those lost: People pray for tsunami victims ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami on Dec. 20, at Rahmatullah mosque in Lhoknga, Aceh.

20 years after the wave: Building resilient coastal futures

Climate change is amplifying the frequency and severity of water-related disasters, with impacts that often cascade with, and compound, geophysical disasters such as earthquakes and volcanoes.

7 months ago

A worker cleans a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sign on April 25, 2024, at the commission's headquarters in Jakarta.

Analysis: Harun Masiku manhunt a litmus test for new KPK leadership

The yearslong manhunt for graft suspect Harun Masiku has taken a new twist as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), under new leadership, grilled former law and human rights minister Yasonna Laoly in connection with the case, which is believed to implicate senior members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

7 months ago

Secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Hasto Kristiyanto (left) holds a meeting with then Surakarta mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka (right) in Jakarta on May 22, 2023.

Ghost of past administration

As a new president who was still working to consolidate his power, Prabowo certainly did not want to alienate the PDI-P, currently the biggest political party in the House of Representatives.

7 months ago

A Christian worshipper visits the Church of the Nativity on Dec. 17, 2024, in the biblical city of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.

Christmas in Bethlehem: A symbol of solidarity and love

Bethlehem embodies the spirit of solidarity, emphasizing unity, compassion and kindness.

7 months ago

A man decorates a Christmas tree with flip-flops at the Santa Perawan Maria Bunda Christ Catholic Church ahead of the Christmas festival celebrations in Java, Central Java, on Dec. 20, 2024.

Christmas good news

The picture is not always gloomy, although we may need to make extra efforts to see the encouraging developments.

7 months ago

A Muslim vendor sells Christmas decorations at a shopping mall in Jakarta on Dec. 11, 2024.

Christmas for peace and humanity

For many years, Christmas, along with Idul Fitri, has been a shared public culture and a symbol of tolerance, togetherness and friendship .

7 months ago

Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo talks during a livestreamed press briefing after the monthly Board of Governors meeting in June.

Analysis: KPK investigation into Bank Indonesia a blow to reputation

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) raided Bank Indonesia’s (BI) office on Monday over allegations of misappropriation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. The investigation included a search of the office of BI Governor Perry Warjiyo, marking a significant blow to the central bank's long-standing reputation for integrity and professionalism, which had largely remained untarnished during Perry’s tenure.

7 months ago

Villagers face an increased risk of flooding as sea levels rise and the ground beneath them sinks in Timbulsloko village in Demak, Central Java, on June 20, 2023.

The world needs ocean-based climate solutions

To date, international support for climate action has fallen far short of meeting developing countries’ needs.

7 months ago

Threatened ecosystem: Visitors walk among mangroves at the Angke Kapuk Nature Tourism Park in Jakarta on Dec. 7.

Promising outcomes from the summit to conserve and restore mangroves

Mangroves are crucial to building climate resilience.

7 months ago

A woman removes boiled green mussels from their shells beside her daughter on March 19, 2024, at a fishing port in Jakarta.

Celebrating the women behind Indonesia’s fisheries

Women’s contributions to fisheries and environmental protection increasingly underscore the need for gender-responsive fisheries policies.

7 months ago

Field workers harvest sugarcane to have it ready for crushing in Purwosekar village in Malang, East Java, in this undated photo.

Indonesia’s bioethanol goals: A reality check

One primary bottleneck is the price disparity between bioethanol and gasoline.

7 months ago

A female secretary-general of ASEAN: Has the time finally arrived?

Will Indonesia break the trend by fielding the first female ASEAN SG in 2028?

7 months ago

People check candidates before casting their ballots during the local executive elections to elect governors, mayors and regents in Darul Imarah, on the outskirts of Banda Aceh on November 27, 2024.