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Jakarta Post
Politics premium

Military, police role in free meals under scrutiny

Criticism has centered around the composition of National Nutrition Agency (BGN) leadership, dominated by retired military and police officers, many without formal training or expertise in nutrition, food safety or public health.

13 hours ago
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Defense Minister Sjafrie hosts NasDem chair Paloh, plans to meet PKS leader

After a meeting with NasDem Party chair Surya Paloh, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters he received several suggestions from the politician-cum-businessman in maintaining national stability and protecting the country’s sovereignty. ...

2 days ago
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Business community split over direct, indirect regional polls

Some businesses prefer direct elections for early opportunities to engage with candidates, while others prefer indirect polls for more political predictability and stability, according to a recent study from Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). ...

2 days ago

The Latest

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Setya Novanto’s parole hurts antigraft commitment, critics say

Former House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto was released early from prison after receiving parole on Independence Day, sparking furor among the public and antigraft activists.

1 month ago
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Megawati’s absence on Independence Day highlights distance with Jokowi

Rather than attending the Independence Day celebration at the Merdeka Palace on Aug. 17, former president and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri opted to attend a ceremony held by party members in its headquarters in Jakarta.

1 month ago
Politics premium

Political parties divided over court ruling on direct regional elections

The recent Constitutional Court ruling that upholds direct regional head elections has been met with divisive reactions from political parties in the House of Representatives, with those pushing for an indirect election giving no assurance that they would drop their campaign.

1 month ago
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Constitutional amendment not a cure-all, MPR speaker says

People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Ahmad Muzani of the Gerindra Party also teased the possibility for the assembly to push for changes in the country’s presidential system after an evaluation of whether it functions effectively or instead creates ‘vacuum of concentrated authority’.

1 month ago
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Puan denies salary hike for lawmakers

Amid mounting public scrutiny of lawmakers’ paychecks, which reportedly stand at around Rp 100 million (US$6,100) per month, House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani has dismissed speculation about a recent salary hike, but confirmed that legislators now receive a housing allowance.

1 month ago
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20 years on, Aceh and Jakarta continue managing peace

Building peace is one thing, but keeping it is another thing altogether, as a boundary dispute over four small islands off Aceh showed earlier this year.

1 month ago
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Aceh peace accord leaves a legacy of mutual understanding, dignity

The 2005 Helsinki agreement, which ended almost three decades of armed conflict between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government, still stands as a reference for how to forge a path to peace between conflicting parties.

1 month ago
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Ex-House speaker Setya Novanto released on parole

Former House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto has been released on parole after serving about two-thirds of his 12-and-a-half year prison sentence for corruption in the botched e-ID card procurement project.

2 months ago
Politics premium

Hasto returns as PDI-P secretary-general after presidential pardon

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri has reinstated Hasto Kristiyanto in his role as the party’s secretary-general, nearly two weeks after an amnesty from President Prabowo Subianto annulled his corruption conviction.

2 months ago
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Independence Day ceremony marked by military parade

Excitement ran high as Indonesians marked the nation’s 80th Independence Day with a mix of tradition and festivity at the Merdeka Palace on Sunday, as President Prabowo Subianto made his debut at the helm of the ceremony.

2 months ago
Politics premium

Local governance under scrutiny amid property tax protests

Observers have pointed to arrogant attitudes shown by local leaders and a lack of meaningful participation in discussions on tax-related policies as being among the causes of recent public protests on tax rise in various regions across the country.

2 months ago
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Prabowo leads first Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta

Among attendees of the ceremony were former presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Fifth president Megawati Soekarnoputri skipped the celebration at the State Palace and opted to attend one held by her party the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

2 months ago
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Prabowo vows to protect national wealth in first state address

President Prabowo Subianto promised in his first State of the Nation Address on Friday to safeguard the country’s wealth for use by the state for the people’s prosperity and to put an end to its continuous outflow to other countries.

2 months ago
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Jokowi’s presidency ushered in ‘authoritarian revival’

Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s ascent to the presidency in 2014 stirred hopes for change in Indonesia, but a decade later, he departed leaving what experts have described as modest economic progress accompanied by the weakening of Indonesia’s democratic guardrails.

2 months ago
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MPR completes first draft of New Order-style state guidelines

During its annual plenary meeting on Friday, the People’s Consultative Assembly announced the first draft of the PPHN, a controversial move that critics view as the Assembly's move to restore the sweeping powers it held during the New Order.

2 months ago
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The future of Indonesia: Hope, caution and the power of the people

At a discussion on Aug. 6 hosted by The Jakarta Post, academics, former military generals and civil society leaders offered mixed views on the nation’s future. Some expressed cautious optimism, while others warned about democratic backsliding. Two additional public figures later contributed their insights individually.

2 months ago
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Don't stop criticizing me, Prabowo urges

In his first State of the Nation address, the President called on all members of society, including bureaucrats, to engage in government oversight by continuing to offer criticism on his administration and its policies.

2 months ago
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Prabowo instructs AHY to safeguard Jakarta-Surabaya HSR project

The coordinating infrastructure minister says the government aims to draw on the lessons from the Jakarta-Bandung HSR project in ensuring an airtight development plan for the service's second route connecting Jakarta with its East Java capital Surabaya, which he says will be a "breakthrough" in cross-Java mobility.

2 months ago
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Prabowo spearheads antigraft drive, threatens ‘unpopular actions’

In his State of the Nation address on Friday, Prabowo has taken a strong stance against corruption, warning all those who engaged in such activities that he would bring down the entire force of the law against them, regardless of their position or party.

2 months ago
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Ex-presidents Yudhoyono, Jokowi attend Prabowo’s first state address

Former presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as well as former vice presidents Try Sutrisno, Jusuf Kalla and Ma'ruf Amin attended the annual People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary meeting to hear President Prabowo Subianto's first State of the Nation address.

2 months ago
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Hearings on alleged accomplices continue despite Tom Lembong's pardon

Legal proceedings against alleged accomplices in a sugar import corruption case continue despite a presidential pardon having been granted to former trade minister Thomas Lembong, the main suspect in the case.

2 months ago
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Rewriting the past, reviving authoritarianism?

In 1971, about three years after Soeharto took office, military historian Nugroho Notosusanto led a project to write the national history book that emphasized the military’s role in “crushing rebellions” while downplaying civilian contributions to safeguarding the state.

2 months ago
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Indonesia’s nationalism project ‘unfinished’

While withstanding multiple political and economic disruptions throughout its 80 years of existence, Indonesia continues searching for its definition of nationalism, with observers saying the country may have veered off course from the direction set by the nation’s founders.

2 months ago
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KPK bars ex-minister Yaqut from leaving country in probe into haj quota scandal

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has imposed a travel ban on former religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, as part of its investigation into alleged misallocation of last year’s haj quota.

2 months ago
Politics premium

Jokowi in precarious position months after leaving presidency

Once a dominant force in the nation’s politics, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo now appears to be facing an increasingly precarious position, with key allies under pressure, family members’ influence faltering and his successor President Prabowo Subianto making moves that suggest he is asserting independence from the former president’s shadow.

2 months ago
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Renewed plan to reinstate New Order-style state guidelines draws flak

The return of state policy guidelines, a practice during the authoritarian New Order era, could trigger a constitutional amendment that could snowball into wider changes, including reinstating the status of People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) as the nation’s highest authority and its long-removed power to appoint the president.

2 months ago
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Delay triggers fresh demands to scrap history rewrite

​​Human rights activists and historians are urging the government to scrap its controversial national history book project after the Aug. 17 launch was postponed amid accusations that it seeks to rewrite and sanitize the nation’s past.

2 months ago
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East Kolaka regent arrested for graft when attending NasDem meeting

The arrest of East Kolaka regent Abdul Azis when he attended a NasDem Party meeting triggered strong reaction from party chair Surya Paloh, who urged law enforcement bodies to follow proper procedures in investigations.

2 months ago
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Massive TNI restructuring prompts militarization, budget concerns

A massive restructuring of the Indonesian Military (TNI) has raised concerns among observers over its inefficient use of the defense budget and further militarization efforts across the country, warning of the growing military presence in civic spaces.

2 months ago
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PPATK defends dormant accounts suspension amid backlash

Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) head Ivan Yustiavandana denied any intention to limit ones’ rights to bank transactions with the dormant account suspension policy, saying that the move was taken to prevent criminal acts that often exploit inactive bank accounts.

2 months ago

Today's ePost

Sat, October 18, 2025

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