TheJakartaPost

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

Christmas in Bethlehem: A symbol of solidarity and love

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

7 months ago

The Latest

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.

Analysis: Prabowo wants elections on the cheap

President Prabowo Subianto has again openly criticized the electoral process in Indonesia as being too costly and is now proposing, for a start, that the country do away with direct elections for heads of regional governments. This is from a man who won the democratic presidential election in February after three attempts.

7 months ago

Police officers escort two dozen suspects in an online gambling case ahead of a press briefing at the Jakarta Police headquarters in Jakarta on Nov. 25, 2024.

Online gambling: A mental health problem with devastating consequences

Is the legal approach being taken by the government strong enough to tackle the problem of internet betting?

7 months ago

High-ranking officials brief the press about the new economic stimulus package intended to cushion the impact of an impending value-added tax (VAT) hike to 12 percent at the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister in Jakarta on Dec. 16, 2024.

VAT hike with cashback

There is no shame in VAT hike, yet our government appears to be embarrassed by its own decision.

7 months ago

Pay up: Activists hold a silent protest inside the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) venue in Baku on Nov. 16 to demand that rich nations provide climate finance to developing countries.

Cop-out on climate finance at COP29

It seems that saving the planet from an impending climate catastrophe does not figure in the priorities of developed countries.

7 months ago

A woman checks her ballot before casting her vote on Nov. 27 in the 2024 regional head elections at a polling station in Darul Imarah, on the outskirts of Banda Aceh.

Acehnese women sidelined from decision-making, despite past tragedy and conflict

Aceh still has a long road ahead in embracing women as contributing members of society at all levels, including in disaster management and preparedness, toward inclusive, equitable development.

7 months ago

A health worker takes the blood pressure of a pregnant woman on June 4, 2024, at a Posyandu (integrated health services post) in Gondoharum village, Kudus, Central Java.

The undiagnosed majority: A call to action for Indonesia’s health system

Formal reporting that includes explicit figures for both diagnosed and undiagnosed prevalence is essential for not only implementing national health screening initiatives, but also to assess, improve and innovate such programs to ensure their effectiveness.

7 months ago

Hard at work: A farmer tills a plot of land using a hand-held tractor in Lumajang, East Java, on Nov. 6.

Misunderstanding Industry 4.0: Indonesia's premature leap toward revolution

There are widespread misunderstandings about what the new industrial revolution, particularly Industry 4.0, truly entails.

7 months ago

A person wearing a mask depicting South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stands in a mock prison during a demonstration in Seoul on Dec. 19, 2024, calling for the impeached president’s ouster.

The high cost of South Korea’s short-lived martial law

While the South Korean president's failed declaration of martial law has led to political suicide, it has also left the country facing a political vacuum via the subsequent impeachment process in view of potential changes to US policies under a second Trump administration.

7 months ago

A Garuda Indonesia aircraft takes flight.

Analysis: Govt to reduce airfare by 10 percent for Christmas, New Year holidays

The government has announced a plan to reduce domestic airfares 10 percent during the 2024-2025 year-end holiday. The policy, developed in collaboration with various state entities, aims to address the negative impact of high airfares on the tourist industry and capitalize on increased demand over the peak travel season.

7 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto (center) welcomes a member of his Red and White Cabinet during a special retreat for newly installed ministers and select aides, held at the Indonesian Military (TNI) Academy in Magelang, Central Java, from Oct. 24 to 27, 2024.

Sounding the alarm: Why the TNI is 'recruiting' senior officers for 200 civilian posts

A little over a quarter of a century ago, Indonesians were up in arms about the military's dominance in politics and government; today, the people are fed up with the civilian government and the police, and are looking at the military as if it was a panacea.

7 months ago

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol bows on Dec. 14, 2024, during a public address from his official residence in Seoul in this handout photo issued by the South Korean Presidential Office via Yonhap.

Lessons from Korea

Our political culture often permits leaders to evade accountability.

7 months ago

Decisive action needed: People walk past ASEAN-member nation flags outside the venue for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' (AMM) retreat meeting, in Luang Prabang, Laos, on Jan. 27, 2024.

Meetings on Myanmar: Human rights and ASEAN’s credibility at stake

Beneath the veneer of pragmatism lies a deeper, more troubling dilemma: Thailand’s decision to include junta representatives risks legitimizing a regime responsible for egregious human rights abuses, undermining both ASEAN’s credibility and the principles it claims to uphold.

7 months ago

Activists hold up a bunch of balloons bearing the names of hazardous and toxic emissions produced as a by-product of coal at a protest in Jakarta on May 15, 2024, during coal miner Adaro’s general meeting of shareholders.

Responsible mining can advance global environmental goals

Coordinated action that bases its approach on human rights is urgently needed to protect vulnerable communities amid the surging demand for minerals and metals as the energy transition accelerates across the globe.

7 months ago

Miners work in a tin mining site in Bangka Belitung in this undated photo.

Sustainability and down-streaming policies for tin mining

Despite having abundant tin reserves, most of the tin products, in the form of tin ingots, are still exported without being processed further domestically.

7 months ago

Members of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI) pray on the veranda of Nur Khilafat Mosque in Ciamis, West Java, on June 26, 2014. Local authorities sealed the mosque and hung posters detailing the prohibition of JAI members from practicing their faith ther.