The dominance of politically connected figures in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) is again under scrutiny after a survey revealed that one-third of commissioner seats are held by political appointees, many linked to President Prabowo Subianto’s Gerindra party.

The government has suspended operations of “problematic” free meal kitchens amid investigations into mass poisoning cases but said the program will continue nationwide, with authorities pledging closer supervision to prevent further incidents.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has begun producing multivitamins to be distributed to children through its free meals program, an official said on Wednesday, the latest expansion of the military into civilian life under President Prabowo Subianto.

Two protesters, 23-year-old Muhammad Farhan Hamid and 24-year-old Reno Syachputra Dewo, are still missing after they reportedly participated in a violent protest in front of the Jakarta Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Central Jakarta in late August.

The President said sharp exchanges during the election campaign were necessary to keep the democratic contest dynamic and engaging. But once elections are over, he continued, political rivalries should no longer be dwelt upon.

Lawmakers have been planning to include any future recommendations from two separate teams in charge of reforming the police into the proposed revision to the police law, amid public pressure for sweeping police reform.

Six decades after the 1965 purge, the phantom of communism still haunts the nation, with the government and the police continuing to invoke its memory to instill fear.

The United Development Party (PPP) is embroiled in an internal leadership struggle after two rival factions each declared their own party chair during a weekend congress that had briefly erupted into brawls between party members.

The Presidential Palace has faced mounting criticism from journalist groups and rights organizations after briefly revoking a reporter’s credentials over questions about the government’s free nutritious meal program, linked to thousands of food poisoning cases nationwide, raising concerns about press freedom in Indonesia.

Calls to safeguard a planned revision to election rules intensify, as pro-democracy advocates urge lawmakers to push for meaningful reform for the electoral system and put public interests and democratic consolidation at the center of the plan.

The food poisonings have sparked a public outcry with TV channels broadcasting images of children being treated on hospital beds. Local non-profit organizations have called for the suspension of the program.

The Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) has welcomed some defectors from other political parties to its central board leadership, prompting questions about whether the party was trying to bolster its chance of becoming an electorally viable political vehicle for former president Jokowi “Jokowi” Widodo.

Concerns have mounted over the standards and supervision of the multi-billion-dollar initiative. Nearly 6,000 people have fallen ill after eating the free lunches since the programme's January roll-out, government data showed, including more than 1,000 children in the country's West Java province this week.

New Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir will retain his position as Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) chair after world soccer governing body FIFA raised no objection to him holding a dual role.

All palm oil companies were ordered to each pay a Rp 1 billion (US$59,580) fine, along with various restitution ranging from Rp 900 billion to nearly Rp 12 trillion, after they were declared guilty in a corruption case pertaining to crude palm oil export permits.

Nearly 1,000 people, including 200 children, were named as suspects by the National Police and its regional offices for alleged incitement and involvement in violent riots during the string of anti-government protests across the country from late August to early September.

House of Representatives leadership vows that ongoing revision to the law regulating government companies will close loopholes that could threaten good governance.

President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to remove two officials affiliated with Megawati Soekarnoputri, the matriarch of the sole de facto opposition the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), from his administration in the latest reshuffle has raised questions about the future of relations between the two politicians.

A recent wave of book confiscations during police crackdowns on alleged “provocateurs” behind nationwide protests has triggered sharp criticism from rights groups, who say the practice undermines freedom of expression.

The newly inaugurated deputy head of the BGN Nanik S Deyang said the decision to serve fried shark meat for students in the region was made out of respect for local culture. 

Former education minister Nadiem Makarim has filed a pretrial motion at the South Jakarta District Court to challenge his status as a suspect in an alleged graft case related to the procurement of Chromebook laptops at the then-education, culture, research and technology ministry between 2019 and 2022.

During a plenary session at the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, House Speaker Puan Maharani of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) asked lawmakers for their approval of a list of justice candidates submitted by Commission III. All attending members consented to the appointments.

Former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s call for his supporters to back his successor President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s eldest son, for a second term has sparked pushback from some political parties in the ruling coalition.

A police reform team established by the National Police chief and made up entirely of active officers has come under scrutiny, with activists questioning its independence and warning it could lead to overlap with a similar commission President Prabowo Subianto is forming.

The deployment of Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel to guard public institutions, including the House of Representatives complex, weeks after last month’s deadly unrest raised the alarm over a dangerous precedent for military involvement in civilian affairs, amid the absence of a clear withdrawal timeline.

Recent appointments of deputy ministers as commissioners at state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in spite of a court ruling prohibiting the practice have garnered criticism that the government is exploiting the grace period before the ban takes place.

President Prabowo Subianto has moved to give Indonesia’s future capital Nusantara greater certainty by issuing a regulation that will formally designate it as the country’s political center by 2028, his greater signal yet of commitment to the project, even as doubts persist over funding and timelines.

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) is currently considering the suitability of Chinese-made J-10C fighter jets for the force’s needs amid the military’s plan to modernize its primary weapon system.

The presidential palace denied that President Prabowo Subianto had ordered an independent investigation into the recent deadly nationwide unrest, dismissing claims made after the President’s meeting with pro-democracy group Gerakan Nurani Bangsa (GNB).

The National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) has suspended the use of sirens and strobe lights in their escort vehicles following mounting criticism over their excessive and inappropriate use.