An incoming councilor from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has been nabbed for sabu-sabu (crystal methamphetamine) dealing and drug use.

The House of Representatives has moved one step closer to revising four laws governing the police, the Indonesian Military (TNI), immigration and the presidential cabinet in the five remaining months of the current lawmakers’ tenure, even as critics protest that the planned changes are not a matter of urgency.

Communications and Information Minister Budi Arie Setiadi has revived a plan to set up a council to monitor social media content and make these platforms “more accountable”, despite fears over its potential impact on freedom of speech online.

An investigator at the office of the special crimes deputy attorney general (Jampidsus), Febrie Adriansyah, was reportedly spied on by members of Densus 88 when he visited a restaurant in South Jakarta on May 19.

TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Nugraha Gumilar confirmed the deployment of the military police personnel on Sunday, saying that the request to provide the security protection was made by the AGO and that the move was legal according to a prior agreement signed by leaders of the two institutions in 2023.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chair Megawati Soekarnoputri has defied expectations that she would define her party’s stance on the incoming government by hinting instead that it will assume what analysts say is the role of a “balancing force”, allowing it to exercise its political advantage while maintaining its voter base.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri may have dropped hints about her choice of successor, singling out her daughter Puan Maharani. But any change of leadership will have to wait a few more years, as Megawati is set to be reappointed as party chair for another term at an upcoming party congress.

As the President's entry into any existing party would require changes to internal party rules, creating a new political party with his volunteer organization members might be an easier path. 

Speaking before thousands of PDI-P cadres during the opening ceremony of the party’s National Working Meeting (Rakernas) in Jakarta on Friday, Megawati said the cadres should be prepared to step out of the “comfort zone” to safeguard democracy.

The 72-year-old former army general announced the change on Wednesday in a segment with local broadcaster TVOne, one of the first sit-down interviews he has given to local press since his landslide election victory.

Voters can expect to see more candidates with ties to incumbents in November's regional head elections, as Indonesia's electoral democracy seems set to revive the prevalence of political dynasties that shaped past administrations.

United Development Party (PPP) acting chair Muhamad Mardiono has expressed his disappointment with the Constitutional Court for dismissing all the party’s petitions challenging February’s legislative election results.

It was still unclear whether Jokowi and Gibran would follow in Bobby’s footsteps, as the two appeared to take a wait-and-see approach to future political development.

The party was considering several names to run for the Central Java gubernatorial seat, including the chairman of PDI-P Central Java branch Bambang “Pacul” Wuryanto and the head of PDI-P Semarang branch Hendrar “Hendi” Prihadi.

The Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP) only won 3.9 percent of the national vote according to the final tabulation by the General Elections Commission (KPU), slightly short of the 4 percent threshold to qualify for seats at the House of Representatives. 

The antigraft agency suspects fake transactions in goods and services procurement process in the company have caused billions of rupiah in state losses.  

Indonesia’s democracy has gone backward since Reform, pushing the democratic values students and the public fought for during the fall of the New Order in May 1998 increasingly out of reach, according to Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid.

A press statement released by the Indonesian Military (TNI) on Tuesday said that the two senior military generals touched on the subjects of joint military exercises as well as the transfer of knowledge on weapons systems.

Puan's decision to maintain cordial relations with Jokowi contrasted with other PDI-P elites who have been outspoken in accusing the President of tampering with the electoral process and attempting to establish a political dynasty through his sons and son-in-law who have now stepped into politics.

Gerindra declared its support for Bobby’s candidacy on Monday, the same day he announced he had joined the party.

Sunday’s encounter between Puan and Jokowi took place around a month after the PDI-P confirmed that the former Jakarta governor was no longer a member of the party, ending a decade-long alliance between the President and the party that had backed his rise.

Syauqi said that he had decided to run in the gubernatorial election after also securing support from senior Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) clerics in the province, as well as a blessing from his father.

Lawmakers are mulling raising the retirement age for police officers through a revision to the prevailing police law. But experts say there is no urgency for this, saying lawmakers should instead correct underlying problems in the force, such as its lack of accountability.

Analysts have noted that the former governors of two strategic provinces in Java, namely Jakarta and Central Java, still have the chance to enter the next presidential race in 2029 as long as they remain in the public spotlight.

The politician revealed that he was 'seriously considering' running for the city’s top office, stating that several political parties had offered to back him in the race slated to take place on Nov. 27 this year.

The President deftly used his opening remarks at the World Water Forum on Monday as a segue into formally introducing his successor on the international stage.

PDI-P central board member Djarot Syaiful Hidayat claimed on Thursday that the decision was made because the two top politicians would likely be preoccupied with their official duties.

The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) is facing public scrutiny following recent allegations that some of its officials had asked for bribes to help cover up irregularities in several government projects.

The upcoming November regional elections will see the lowest number of independent candidates in recent memory, a phenomenon that experts say demonstrates that public office remains largely out of reach for people without political party backing.

While the "grand old" party is set on backing the former governor and her deputy in the November elections, seemingly contradictory statements from Golkar's East Java head as well as other potential backers point to a possible battle in the province's gubernatorial race.