Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka made his global debut at the G20 Summit in South Africa earlier this week, stepping in for President Prabowo Subianto in a move seen as both a test of his diplomatic capabilities and a sign of Prabowo’s growing trust in his young deputy.

The convictions of former top officials of state-owned ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry and their subsequent pardons have prompted a public debate over whether bad business decisions that incur state losses should be subject to corruption investigations and trials.

A power struggle within Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s most influential Islamic organization, has continued as chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf rejected a letter from the group’s council of senior clerics declaring his removal from office and he pressed on with his official duties.

President Prabowo Subianto pardoned three former state-owned ferry operator PT ASDP Ferry Indonesia executives who were convicted of corruption in a case that caused a Rp 1.25 trillion (US$75 million) in state loss.

Prolonged armed conflict in Papua has forced more than 100,000 indigenous people, most of them women and children, to flee their homes. Yet the government’s failure to provide adequate protection has left many displaced families struggling to meet basic needs.

As a bid-rigging case in the hospital construction industry in East Kolaka continues to unfold, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is looking into potential corruption in the expansion projects for dozens of other regional general hospitals across the country.

The government plans to form 150 new battalions each year starting in 2026 to guard vital state assets, such as oil refineries, as part of an ambitious expansion of the Indonesian Military (TNI), a move that once again raises concerns about deeper military encroachment into civilian affairs.

Minister Sjafrie previously announced that the TNI’s new territorial development battalions (BTPs) would begin safeguarding national strategic industries, including Pertamina’s refineries, in December.

The asset forfeiture bill is one of the draft regulations included in the 2026 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), although its deliberation depends on when the legislature completes the derivative regulations of the new KUHAP.

An internal conflict has erupted in the country’s biggest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), with the group’s supreme council calling chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf to resign for inviting a US scholar known for his support of Israel during the war in Gaza to an internal event in August.

The leadership of NU, which is also the world's biggest Islamic organisation with around 100 million members and affiliates, has given Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf three days to offer his resignation or be removed from his post, according to the minutes from a meeting on Thursday. 

AGO spokesperson Anang Supriatna told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that the office had coordinated with the Immigration Directorate General to issue the six-month travel ban, which has been in effect since Nov. 14. 

Civil groups and students plan to challenge the new Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) Law at the Constitutional Court, citing alleged “manipulation” of public input during the deliberation by lawmakers.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has said it would hand over a case centering on the procurement of the Google Cloud service to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), while hoping in return to secure another high-profile case from the AGO.

Conveying his personal belief, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said the Constitutional Court ruling barring police officers from holding civilian positions only applies for future appointments, but not retroactively, allowing those holding such posts to not resign or retire from the force.

A civil group accusing Constitutional Court Justice Arsul Sani of falsifying his doctoral diploma to get a position at the court cited media reports on the corruption investigation against the Polish institute where he obtained his degree as a basis of their accusations.

The House of Representatives has passed the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) bill into law despite mounting pushback from civil society groups over some provisions they fear could pave the way for abuse of power.

Tempo’s lawyers argued that the lawsuit was filed in bad faith, noting that the ministry had bypassed the right of reply and right of correction required under the Press Law before suing.

The government and the House of Representatives look set to pass the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) bill into law soon, prompting concerns from civil society groups about its contentious articles and rushed deliberations that allegedly skirted public participation.

In a 7-2 ruling, the Constitutional Court reasserts the requirement for active police officers to resign or retire from the force before taking jobs in civilian posts, a phenomenon that has been rampant since the administration of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo according to activists.

New National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) head Arif Satria faces internal friction and longstanding researcher dissatisfaction stemming from the politicization of the government’s research arm during former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s second term.  

The Constitutional Court ruled in a seven-to-two decision on Thursday that police officers are barred from holding additional positions in the government, a common practice in the current administration.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is now looking into potential corruption in the land acquisition for the Whoosh Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway (HSR), after investigators raised suspicions of embezzlement in the alleged inflated land procurement.

The newly formed police reform commission has promised to solicit public input before delivering recommendations to President Prabowo Subianto in the next three months, though doubts linger over its independence and ability to drive meaningful change.

Drone Emprit analyst Rizal Nova Mujahid said generational factors partly explained the contrasting opinions across platforms, with Facebook’s overwhelmingly positive posts largely coming from older users.

Twenty-seven years after his fall from power, President Prabowo Subianto has moved to restore his former father-in-law’s reputation by declaring Soeharto a national hero, reigniting debate over the late strongman’s repressive three-decade rule.

The late president Soeharto, whose 32-year-rule was marred by allegations of human rights violations, was named a national hero on Monday by the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, former son-in-law of the late strongman.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko a suspect in a bribery case in his administration, making him the third regional leader this year embroiled in corruption.

President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated members of the Police Reform Acceleration Committee tasked to advise him on any necessary measures to reform the National Police following growing public pressure for change.

Prabowo's approval is little changed from 80.9 percent in the previous poll, released in January. He took office in October 2024 after sweeping a general election, but his government has had to deal with a number of economic and social challenges, including the protests against some of his policies.