https://www.scmp.com/rss/502007/feed Johannes Nugroho is a writer and political analyst from Surabaya, Indonesia en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Johannes Nugroho Johannes Nugroho It began with a few Malaysians buying meals on Grab for strangers across the Java Sea. Within days, thousands were taking part, from Manila to Bangkok, sending food to Indonesian delivery riders caught in the turmoil of mass protest. Struggling food delivery riders, emblematic of Indonesia’s urban underclass, have become the focus of sympathy, solidarity and support from across Southeast Asia. Starting last week, thousands of social media users from around the region began ordering meals via the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3324146/grab-movement-southeast-asia-sends-indonesias-protesters-food-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3324146/grab-movement-southeast-asia-sends-indonesias-protesters-food-solidarity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 06:00:11 +0000 Indonesia’s newly unveiled sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, has sparked a constitutional challenge, with the plaintiff arguing the new law establishing the fund has “radically changed” the status of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in a way that could impede corruption oversight. Experts said the case revealed deep legal ambiguities over whether SOEs were truly separate from the state. The new law attempts to address this tension, but some argue it may weaken public accountability, raising... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3304278/indonesias-danantara-fund-faces-constitutional-challenge-over-corruption-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3304278/indonesias-danantara-fund-faces-constitutional-challenge-over-corruption-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 07:00:18 +0000 As President Prabowo Subianto continues to feel pressure from the students-led “Dark Indonesia” protest movement over his austerity measures, he has received unexpected support from a major organisation representing the country’s ethnic Chinese minority. Formed after the fall of Suharto in 1998, the Indonesian Chinese Clans Social Association (PSMTI) represents hundreds of thousands of Chinese-Indonesians. At the organisation’s Lunar New Year event in Surabaya on Sunday, its National Honorary... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3300267/chinese-indonesian-group-backs-prabowo-austerity-drive-bites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3300267/chinese-indonesian-group-backs-prabowo-austerity-drive-bites?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:10 +0000 A video showing a female bakery employee being assaulted by an ethnic Chinese man has gone viral in Indonesia, igniting an online firestorm that experts say reflects entrenched prejudices against the Chinese-Indonesian community and long-standing historical traumas within the country’s multi-ethnic society. The assailant, identified as 35-year-old Cakung resident George Sugama Halim – the son of the bakery chain’s owners – was taken into custody on Monday. The victim, 19-year-old bakery employee... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3291580/bakery-assault-video-sparks-anti-chinese-backlash-indonesia-exposing-deep-rooted-prejudices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3291580/bakery-assault-video-sparks-anti-chinese-backlash-indonesia-exposing-deep-rooted-prejudices?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:22:08 +0000 An Indonesian businessman who humiliated a teenager by forcing him to “bark like a dog” in an incident caught in a viral video has been charged under child protection laws following a public outcry over alleged corruption. The incident began when Ivan Sugianto, a businessman in his 40s, confronted 16-year-old Ethan outside his school in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, on October 21. Accompanied by bodyguards, Ivan accused Ethan of calling his son a “poodle” during a basketball game... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3287019/indonesia-viral-video-boy-forced-bark-dog-triggers-outrage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3287019/indonesia-viral-video-boy-forced-bark-dog-triggers-outrage?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:30:08 +0000 Three university students in Indonesia have found themselves in hot water for putting up a banner denouncing President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, in what critics say could be the first high-profile case of censorship under the country’s new leadership. Surabaya’s Airlangga University initially suspended the trio from the student council of the social sciences and politics faculty over the banner but later bowed to public outrage and reversed its decision. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3284184/anti-prabowo-banner-indonesian-university-causes-suspension-fuelling-censorship-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3284184/anti-prabowo-banner-indonesian-university-causes-suspension-fuelling-censorship-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:00:23 +0000 Pageants are often associated with glamour, but for a segment of the Chinese community in Indonesia, they represent a gateway to wider acceptance in the predominantly Muslim country. An increasingly popular event in East Java province exemplifies the growing societal integration of Chinese Indonesians and their hopes for the future under President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s administration. On July 14, East Java’s Chinese-Indonesian community turned out in their best Peranakan attire for this... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3271174/indonesian-pageant-embodies-chinese-communitys-hopes-wider-acceptance-under-prabowo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3271174/indonesian-pageant-embodies-chinese-communitys-hopes-wider-acceptance-under-prabowo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2024 07:30:10 +0000 The gruesome deaths of Indonesian TV journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and three of his family members have raised concerns about the rule of law and low wages of reporters in the country as initial investigations point to foul play linked to corruption. Days before his death, Rico, 40, who worked for Medan-based online media TV Tribrata, reported on a local gambling ring that was allegedly backed by a member of the military. The journalist’s wooden house in Karo, North Sumatra was later... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269578/fiery-deaths-indonesian-journalist-family-spark-fears-over-corruption-media-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269578/fiery-deaths-indonesian-journalist-family-spark-fears-over-corruption-media-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2024 09:00:17 +0000 Gusti Awan’s harrowing ordeal began with a promise of lucrative work abroad, but the 26-year-old Indonesian’s dreams quickly turned nightmarish when he found himself trafficked by a criminal syndicate to a remote compound on the Thai-Myanmar border. For months, he was forced to commit online scams under threats of violence, enduring unthinkable abuse before finally managing to escape. Yet his ordeal did not end there – a lack of action by local authorities left Awan struggling to find justice,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3267944/enslaved-escaped-empowered-indonesian-survivors-odyssey-captive-crusader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3267944/enslaved-escaped-empowered-indonesian-survivors-odyssey-captive-crusader?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jun 2024 08:00:09 +0000 Indonesian civil society groups are sounding the alarm over the draft of a new Broadcasting Bill that they fear will restrict investigative journalism and other forms of free speech, leading to a regression of democratic reforms. They are particularly worried that the legislation seems to have been fast tracked by the administration of outgoing President Joko Widodo for passage before his successor, Prabowo Subianto, takes office in October. Fatkul Khoir, a lawyer and coordinator at human rights... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263947/indonesia-pushing-bill-restrict-investigative-journalism-and-increase-censorship-any-means-necessary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263947/indonesia-pushing-bill-restrict-investigative-journalism-and-increase-censorship-any-means-necessary?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 May 2024 04:00:13 +0000 A tragic bus crash in Indonesia that killed 11 people including several students has put the spotlight on the country’s chronic road safety problems and intensified calls for stringent regulatory oversight and enforcement. The accident, which also injured 32 people, occurred on Saturday when a bus carrying students on an excursion in the town of Ciater, West Java – 26km southwest of Jakarta – crashed into a sport utility vehicle and three motorcycles. “I was so shocked to see it on the news. It... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3262828/indonesias-woeful-road-safety-under-spotlight-after-fatal-bus-crash-exposes-negligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3262828/indonesias-woeful-road-safety-under-spotlight-after-fatal-bus-crash-exposes-negligence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 May 2024 04:00:12 +0000 Indonesia’s art scene generated international buzz in 2018 when “The Hunt”, a painting by 19th century pioneering Romantic artist Raden Saleh, sold for US$8.8 million at a French auction, making it the most expensive Indonesian work of art to date. But while connoisseurs’ interest in the works of Indonesia’s most famous artists remains high, the country’s emerging creatives say their opportunities are limited due to a lack of domestic patrons and uneven support from the government. This has been... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3262261/amid-buzz-indonesias-art-scene-emerging-creatives-call-more-support-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3262261/amid-buzz-indonesias-art-scene-emerging-creatives-call-more-support-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 May 2024 08:00:10 +0000 Chants of “Free, Free Palestine!” resounded at university campuses across Indonesia this week at hundreds of rallies inspired by student protests overseas, with local demonstrators aiming to maintain the momentum of opposition against the Gaza War, including a boycott movement that continues to take a toll on targeted businesses. Muslim-majority Indonesia has seen numerous large-scale pro-Palestine rallies since Israel began its war on Gaza following the October 7 attack by Hamas, but the campus... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262009/hundreds-campuses-indonesia-inspired-global-student-protests-renew-rallies-against-israel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262009/hundreds-campuses-indonesia-inspired-global-student-protests-renew-rallies-against-israel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 May 2024 07:39:22 +0000 A UK-based rights group has accused the British government of turning a blind eye and abetting Indonesia’s use of counterterrorism laws to restrict civil liberties. “The UK government is actively collaborating with Indonesia on so-called counter-extremism even as Indonesia uses that excuse to shut down minority religions and target critics,” said Jacob Smith, UK accountability team leader at Rights and Security International (RSI). In a new report released on Monday, RSI argued that the UK... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3259950/uk-actively-collaborating-indonesia-using-counterterrorism-laws-curb-civil-liberties-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3259950/uk-actively-collaborating-indonesia-using-counterterrorism-laws-curb-civil-liberties-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2024 08:00:19 +0000 Indonesian cinema has experienced some incredible high and lows since the day director Usman Ismail started production on the country’s first ever home-grown film, Darah dan Doa (Blood and Prayer), 74 years ago. But while many feel Indonesia’s film industry has more promise now than ever before, others worry that a lack of resources and government restrictions are preventing the archipelago’s filmmakers from reaching their full potential. The anniversary of Usman starting work on Darah dan Doa,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3258848/indonesias-cinema-punches-below-its-weight-critics-say-it-destined-greatness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3258848/indonesias-cinema-punches-below-its-weight-critics-say-it-destined-greatness?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Apr 2024 08:00:29 +0000 The orange truck crammed with 75 Rohingya survivors of a capsized boat was told to hurry along by Indonesian police in Beureugang, West Aceh, as dozens of angry villagers gave chase, shouting “[we] reject the presence of refugees here!” Footage of the incident on March 21 was screened by a number of television channels across Indonesia and observers say the growing hostility is nothing new, attributing it to misinformation campaigns and political indifference towards the plight of Rohingya... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3258020/rohingya-crisis-indonesia-ticking-time-bomb-if-political-indifference-misinformation-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3258020/rohingya-crisis-indonesia-ticking-time-bomb-if-political-indifference-misinformation-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Apr 2024 04:30:12 +0000 The big beasts of Southeast Asia’s start-up scene are likely to see cash waved at them this year, investors and experts say, as venture-capital funds with trimmed purses seek the guarantee of profits and shy away from risky new businesses. Billions of dollars of funds retreated from the region’s start-ups in 2023, as the global economy roiled from conflict, oil-price shocks, high interest rates and surging inflation, drying up the flow of outbound cash, especially from hard-pressed Europe. This... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3257258/singapore-indonesia-await-start-investors-return-malaysia-eyes-regional-launch-pad-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3257258/singapore-indonesia-await-start-investors-return-malaysia-eyes-regional-launch-pad-status?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:13 +0000 Referred to in a US diplomatic cable as “Suharto’s Australian Whisperer”, Clive Henry Williams played a pivotal role as the close confidant and unofficial emissary of Indonesia’s second president, becoming a key diplomatic backchannel for Western powers seeking an audience with the leader of the Southeast Asian nation. Yet he remains obscured in history and little is known about his activities as an intermediary between Indonesia and foreign governments – in particular the United States and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3256802/suhartos-mate-how-little-known-australian-became-secret-go-between-indonesias-leader-and-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3256802/suhartos-mate-how-little-known-australian-became-secret-go-between-indonesias-leader-and-west?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Mar 2024 04:00:14 +0000 Siswanto Cokro, a grandfather of three, was surprised to hear about the declining number of registered marriages in Indonesia over the last few years, a trend which has put the government on alert for fear of “undesirable consequences” on the economy. “I keep getting all these wedding invitations,” the 60-year-old Surabaya resident said. Shaking his head adamantly, he added, “People will always wed and have children.” Melissa Suryanti, 23, had a different response. “Of course, that’s to be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3255577/indonesias-falling-marriage-rate-sparks-concern-about-low-fertility-and-undesirable-consequences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3255577/indonesias-falling-marriage-rate-sparks-concern-about-low-fertility-and-undesirable-consequences?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Mar 2024 01:30:19 +0000 Dates from Israel are the latest goods to fall foul of a consumer boycott across Muslim nations in Southeast Asia, after Malaysian customs arrested a man for allegedly mislabelling the fruit for local sale, while Indonesia’s highest Muslim authority reminded the public to snub Israeli imports of the sweet snack during the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims across the region have observed a months-long boycott of Israeli goods and companies in protest against the brutal assault on Gaza, which has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3255423/consumer-boycott-widens-include-israeli-dates-muslims-malaysia-indonesia-observe-ramadan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3255423/consumer-boycott-widens-include-israeli-dates-muslims-malaysia-indonesia-observe-ramadan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:00:19 +0000 The death of a teenage student at a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) has horrified many in Indonesia and highlighted a rising trend of violence and bullying in the country’s schools in recent years, with some warning the number of reported cases is just “the tip of the iceberg”. Bintang Balqis Maulana, a 14-year-old student at the Al Hanifiyah pesantren, in Kediri, East Java, died on February 23, reportedly after being severely beaten. Four senior students aged between 16 and 18 have been... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3254122/tip-iceberg-indonesian-teens-death-spotlights-rising-bullying-trend-religious-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3254122/tip-iceberg-indonesian-teens-death-spotlights-rising-bullying-trend-religious-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Mar 2024 09:00:12 +0000 Indonesia is keen to replicate the success of “Swiftonomics” in neighbouring Singapore with major investments to promote tourism, but industry experts are divided on whether it is the right strategy for the archipelago nation. US pop sensation Taylor Swift will perform at Singapore’s National Stadium from March 2 to 9 for six sold-out shows, which could generate hundreds of millions in tourism revenue for the country as more than 300,000 fans are expected to attend. “Hosting mega stars like... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3253552/indonesia-looks-singapores-swiftonomics-success-boost-tourism-can-it-sustain-creative-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3253552/indonesia-looks-singapores-swiftonomics-success-boost-tourism-can-it-sustain-creative-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:16 +0000 As the 46th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras prepares to kick off on March 2, the party buzz has caught on in the Indonesian LGBTQ community in Australia, where members are readying themselves to march alongside activists and revellers from around the world. The Indonesian float at the parade, dubbed Selamat Datang – meaning “Welcome” in Indonesian – was founded by Australian Shawn Dern. “This year will mark our eighth year in a row being part of the parade,” said head organiser Ozak Salam,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3253037/amid-mardi-gras-buzz-indonesians-australia-rue-diminishing-lgbtq-rights-back-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3253037/amid-mardi-gras-buzz-indonesians-australia-rue-diminishing-lgbtq-rights-back-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Feb 2024 08:00:22 +0000 Prabowo Subianto’s projected victory in Indonesia’s recent presidential election is considered polarising among some sections of the country’s ethnic Chinese minority, given the alleged involvement of senior military officers during the tragic 1998 riots including the former general. While some Chinese-Indonesians said they had opposed Prabowo on this ground, others, especially those from younger generations, were willing to look past the country’s dark history and hope that its political and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3252754/some-indonesian-chinese-wary-prabowo-subianto-amid-painful-memories-1998-riots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3252754/some-indonesian-chinese-wary-prabowo-subianto-amid-painful-memories-1998-riots?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Feb 2024 09:00:11 +0000 Ahead of next week’s general elections in Indonesia, Marsha Siagian stands out as one of the few legislative candidates pledging to represent Indonesians living overseas by pushing to restart the long-delayed legislative process to allow for dual citizenship. Under Indonesian law, citizens automatically lose their nationality once they obtain foreign passports. “I keep hearing grievances from Indonesians abroad over the lack of progress on the proposed revisions to the country’s 2006 citizenship... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3251179/indonesia-election-2024-calls-grow-government-relook-dual-citizenship-ban-amid-brain-drain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3251179/indonesia-election-2024-calls-grow-government-relook-dual-citizenship-ban-amid-brain-drain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Feb 2024 04:00:25 +0000 Indonesia’s ambitious goal to become a digital nation has prompted scepticism over the purported benefits of technology and Jakarta’s capacity to implement initiatives ranging from QR code-based payments to its new capital city anchored by artificial intelligence. A recent viral video showing an altercation between parking attendants and transport officials on a busy street in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, is an example of how certain segments of society have yet to embrace... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3250468/indonesias-hi-tech-vision-nusantara-and-economy-draws-scepticism-pandoras-box-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3250468/indonesias-hi-tech-vision-nusantara-and-economy-draws-scepticism-pandoras-box-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Feb 2024 04:00:15 +0000 The arrest of an Indonesian social media celebrity for her alleged involvement in an adult film ring has again sparked debate over the Muslim-majority country’s strict anti-pornography laws amid calls for legal and social reform. Fransiska Candra Novitasari, a 25-year-old model and content creator also known as Siskaee, was arrested by Jakarta police at her flat in Yogyakarta on January 25. She and 10 others had been named suspects in the production of an adult film that was released online. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3250198/onlyfans-models-arrest-sparks-debate-indonesias-strict-anti-pornography-law-amid-reform-calls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3250198/onlyfans-models-arrest-sparks-debate-indonesias-strict-anti-pornography-law-amid-reform-calls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jan 2024 04:00:23 +0000 Ahead of Indonesia’s election, LGBTQ voters say they are caught between “a rock and a hard place” as to whom to support, with the silence by presidential candidates over the prejudice faced recently by a celebrity seen as a sign that the rainbow community’s rights will continue to be ignored. Fashion designer Ivan Gunawan shocked fans on January 8 when he abruptly quit as co-host of entertainment gossip programme Brownis, after Indonesia’s broadcasting regulator rebuked him for “dressing like a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3248949/indonesian-hosts-saga-adds-anxieties-lgbtq-folk-ahead-election-who-i-am?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3248949/indonesian-hosts-saga-adds-anxieties-lgbtq-folk-ahead-election-who-i-am?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jan 2024 11:49:17 +0000 Vietnamese student Khanh Le says the joy of vaping means the looming threat of regulation is unlikely to stop stressed, overworked young people from puffing away on the ubiquitous disposable pens. “My cousin introduced it to me and I thought it was cool,” said the 23-year-old in Ho Chi Minh City. “Vaping is a mental coping mechanism. I need nicotine to relieve my stress, and it is more enjoyable and less harmful than cigarettes.” Vape mania has gripped Southeast Asia, especially among Gen Z, who... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3248267/southeast-asia-gets-grips-vaping-gen-z-piles-puff-i-thought-it-was-cool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3248267/southeast-asia-gets-grips-vaping-gen-z-piles-puff-i-thought-it-was-cool?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jan 2024 01:30:20 +0000 Since Indonesia’s bloody anti-communist purge in the 1960s, politics in the archipelago nation have largely been dominated by centre-right forces. But a newly formed leftist party believes it can garner enough popular support to start changing that. At a press conference in Jakarta on January 3, Indonesia’s Labour Party (Partai Buruh) chief Said Iqbal said his party’s electability was on the rise in the lead-up to the February 14 general election. Said, who is also president of Indonesia’s Trade... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3247791/indonesia-election-2024-labour-party-seeks-shake-politics-defending-worker-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3247791/indonesia-election-2024-labour-party-seeks-shake-politics-defending-worker-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jan 2024 09:00:22 +0000 Amid the escalating tensions in Aceh, Indonesia, where misinformation is fuelling anger towards new waves of Rohingya refugees, the story of 22-year-old Nur Azizah provides much-needed perspective on the realities facing refugees living in the country. Azizah has spent half of her life living in Indonesia as a refugee. Born in Kuala Lumpur to a Rohingya father and a Karen mother, she has never set foot on her parents’ homeland. “My mother was 16 when she met my 25-year-old father. Both had to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3246297/rohingya-refugees-plight-indonesia-highlights-challenges-dilemmas-humanitarian-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3246297/rohingya-refugees-plight-indonesia-highlights-challenges-dilemmas-humanitarian-response?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Dec 2023 01:30:24 +0000 Japan’s intake of Indonesian migrant workers is expected to quadruple in the next few years, in a major cooperation boost that will help the East Asian country ease labour shortages brought about by an ageing population. Indonesia is expected to send an additional 100,000 workers to Japan in the next five years, and will provide “app-based application systems” to help jobseekers “find employment matching their skills in Japan”, Anwar Sanusi, secretary general of the country’s Ministry of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3245127/labour-rich-indonesia-send-100000-workers-ageing-japan-reap-benefits-demographic-dividend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3245127/labour-rich-indonesia-send-100000-workers-ageing-japan-reap-benefits-demographic-dividend?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Dec 2023 04:00:23 +0000 Officials in Indonesia’s West Sumatra are being investigated for possible negligence after 23 hikers were killed during a violent eruption this month at Mount Marapi, revealing authorities had defied a years-long ban on visitors to the volcano. In 2011, Indonesia’s national disaster agency had barred people from going within 3km of the mountain’s peak after detecting increased activity at Marapi, one of the country’s most active volcanoes. Yet, some 75 hikers and visitors were at the volcano... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3244806/indonesia-deaths-23-hikers-mount-marapi-spark-accusations-negligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3244806/indonesia-deaths-23-hikers-mount-marapi-spark-accusations-negligence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Dec 2023 10:30:10 +0000 MasterChef Indonesia (MCI), the archipelago nation’s edition of the popular TV cooking competition, has been in hot water since an Indonesian-Chinese chef was named the winner of the show’s latest season, a decision that has led to accusations of bias and racism that have boiled over into heated debate. The controversy became so huge that the Indonesian slang term “Chindo” – short for Chinese-Indonesian – began to trend on the country’s social media for several days after MCI’s season 11 finale... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3244440/masterchef-indonesia-faces-heat-over-winner-classic-problem-ethnic-tensions-simmer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3244440/masterchef-indonesia-faces-heat-over-winner-classic-problem-ethnic-tensions-simmer?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Dec 2023 06:00:16 +0000 Iriana Widodo, wife of Indonesia’s outgoing President Joko Widodo, has been known as a reserved first lady, generally keen to stay out of the limelight during her husband’s nine years in office. For the past few weeks, however, her name has set Indonesian social media abuzz with heated debate over allegations that she masterminded the vice-presidential candidacy of her son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as the running mate of leading presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto. The allegations against... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3243230/indonesia-claims-against-joko-widodos-wife-highlight-nations-history-political-misogyny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3243230/indonesia-claims-against-joko-widodos-wife-highlight-nations-history-political-misogyny?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Nov 2023 02:00:15 +0000 When Indonesian domestic worker Suprianda did not return home last Saturday after feeding his employer’s pet tiger, his wife went looking for him and met a grisly sight. The 27-year-old man lay dead in the caged enclosure that housed the 1.5-metre-long reptile at his employer’s home in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. “He was supposed to feed the tiger at 10.30am, but he wasn’t home when it was past noon. So I went to check and saw him lying in the tiger’s cage with blood all over him,” said his wife... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3242497/indonesian-family-urges-justice-man-killed-boss-tiger-case-highlights-exotic-animal-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3242497/indonesian-family-urges-justice-man-killed-boss-tiger-case-highlights-exotic-animal-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Nov 2023 04:00:14 +0000 Enoch, an Indonesian who calls Surabaya home, no longer wants to be openly identified as a Jew, explaining “Gaza changed all that” for him in a Southeast Asian country where a conflict 9,000km away has stirred protests and even a fatwa on Israeli goods. Anti-Israel sentiments are on the rise in Indonesia – home to the world’s largest Muslim population – and where opposition to the actions of the Middle Eastern state has quickly segued into wider anti-Jewish feelings. That is seeding fear among... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3241465/israel-gaza-war-jews-indonesia-hide-religious-closet-antisemitism-flares?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3241465/israel-gaza-war-jews-indonesia-hide-religious-closet-antisemitism-flares?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:30:10 +0000 “Homophobia in Indonesia today is a form of postcolonial amnesia,” said anthropologist and sexual rights specialist Saskia Wieringa. The Dutch academic with more than 40 years of research experience is no stranger to stirring up debate in Indonesia, the country she calls her second home. “I was barred from entering the country by [President] Suharto’s regime for 13 years after my study of Gerwani history was published,” she said, referring to her book, Sexual Politics in Indonesia. Gerwani... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3241139/indonesia-being-lgbtq-viewed-un-indonesian-and-western-import-saskia-wieringa-wants-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3241139/indonesia-being-lgbtq-viewed-un-indonesian-and-western-import-saskia-wieringa-wants-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Nov 2023 04:30:13 +0000 At an Alfamart in Indonesia’s second-largest city of Surabaya, Nur Siti carefully peered at her mobile phone as she browsed the aisles to check that she was complying with a boycott of “Israel-affiliated” brands launched in response to the country’s near-month-long assault on Gaza. “I’m swearing off Israeli products,” the 33-year-old homemaker said, proudly showing the list of goods and brands to be shunned, ranging from Head & Shoulders and Pringles to KFC and McDonald’s. The boycott list has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3240503/anti-israel-boycotts-indonesia-hit-mcdonalds-pringles-malaysians-quit-singapores-grab-over-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3240503/anti-israel-boycotts-indonesia-hit-mcdonalds-pringles-malaysians-quit-singapores-grab-over-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:00:20 +0000 Defiant in the face of a live-streaming sales ban, Indonesian small business owner Made Yuni says she will not stop selling electric fans and portable air coolers over TikTok “until they make me”. It is a poke in the eye to a blanket government bar on sales over social media after intense lobbying by retailers terrified at the downward spiral of their revenue as an online army of millions that reaches customers shopping from home with everything from lipsticks to clothes. TikTok sends team to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3236810/indonesia-some-sellers-defy-tiktok-sales-ban-while-offline-traders-cheer-protection-pillars-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3236810/indonesia-some-sellers-defy-tiktok-sales-ban-while-offline-traders-cheer-protection-pillars-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Oct 2023 01:30:20 +0000 Plans to tackle Jakarta’s pollution crisis by tying road taxes to the emissions output of older cars and motorbikes have been pilloried by some city motorists as punitive, prone to abuse and targeting ordinary people rather than big businesses responsible for toxins in the air. The new regulations, currently being piloted in Jakarta this month, make it mandatory for motor vehicles over three years old to be tested for their emissions level, with a ‘pass’ the prerequisite for the annual road... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3235307/jakartas-motorists-say-outrageous-plan-punish-high-emissions-vehicles-targets-poor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3235307/jakartas-motorists-say-outrageous-plan-punish-high-emissions-vehicles-targets-poor?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2023 01:30:22 +0000 It took a move to China to discover her “Indonesian-ness”, said author Grace Tioso, who grew up in the authoritarian era of Indonesian President Suharto, when Chinese language and culture were suppressed for three decades. Discriminatory practices against her ethnic group, such as being endlessly asked to prove her nationality by government offices and an unofficial bar from entry to state universities, left Tioso ambivalent about Indonesia, where she was born. “I was eager to reconnect with my... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3233885/indonesian-chinese-who-grew-out-wedlock-suharto-era-relive-trauma-through-new-book?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3233885/indonesian-chinese-who-grew-out-wedlock-suharto-era-relive-trauma-through-new-book?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Sep 2023 06:00:35 +0000 Looted statues, gems and jewels from Indonesia kept for over a century in former colonial ruler the Netherlands have arrived in Jakarta and are being catalogued at the city’s National Museum, as experts express concerns over how the Southeast Asian nation will manage the deluge of artefacts given its limited museum infrastructure and history of heists. The colonial-era spoils include the Lombok Treasury, an exquisite haul of 335 gems and jewellery pieces, 132 items from the Balinese Pita Maha... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3230767/indonesia-cheers-dutch-return-artefacts-fears-heists-preservation-persist-amid-lax-museum-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3230767/indonesia-cheers-dutch-return-artefacts-fears-heists-preservation-persist-amid-lax-museum-security?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Aug 2023 09:00:23 +0000 In a bombshell post that shocked, appalled and won applause all at the same time, Indonesian influencer Denise Chariesta announced she was pregnant and implored her fans to contribute the cost of her prenatal medical care, which she estimated may top 1 billion rupiah (US$67,000). Apparently short of cash, the 31-year-old, who identifies as a Christian, appealed to supporters this month to give what they could, quoting a Biblical passage from the Gospel of John that exhorts Christians to help... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3229275/indonesia-influencer-denise-chariestas-pregnancy-plea-highlights-deep-stigma-unwed-mothers-face?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3229275/indonesia-influencer-denise-chariestas-pregnancy-plea-highlights-deep-stigma-unwed-mothers-face?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jul 2023 04:00:14 +0000 Ana Sona Sonia lives 60km outside Jakarta in the Indonesian town of Bogor, where she and her husband, Wahyu Dwi Nugroho, used to run a small but thriving clothing shop near their house – until he was arrested on March 15. Nugroho had been reported for “hate speech” under Indonesia’s Cyber Law by a powerful religious foundation headquartered in their neighbourhood, the Majlis Ta’lim Zaadul Muslim Albusyro, led by the influential cleric Habib Abu Bakar Assegaf. Observers say cyber laws across Asia... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3227681/indonesias-elastic-cyber-law-wrecking-ordinary-lives-destroying-small-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3227681/indonesias-elastic-cyber-law-wrecking-ordinary-lives-destroying-small-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jul 2023 06:00:18 +0000 In 2014, a blind eight-year-old Indonesian girl told her father: “Daddy, I may not be able to see – but I want the world to see me.” Fast-forward seven years and it is an ambition Putri Ariani is achieving as her gifts playing piano and singing her own powerful ballads gain global renown. First, she auditioned for Indonesia’s Got Talent and impressed the judges with her rendition of Beyoncé’s “Listen”. She went on to win the show in 2014. Then on June 7 this year Putri, now aged 17, dazzled on a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3225158/putri-arianis-viral-americas-got-talent-audition-gives-hope-disabled-indonesian-musicians-totally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3225158/putri-arianis-viral-americas-got-talent-audition-gives-hope-disabled-indonesian-musicians-totally?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jun 2023 04:00:17 +0000 It’s 6.30am in Indonesia and the first find of the day – Gucci trousers – goes to a woman in her 20s “thrifting” with her friends. The Tugu Pahlawan Sunday flea market that runs from 6am to 9am is a weekly visit for second-hand shoppers in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city. In the cool early-morning air of a recent Sunday, thousands of bargain hunters sifted through musty piles of old clothes, imported from across the world and for sale at a fraction of their shop price. “Thrifting” is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3224348/indonesias-president-joko-widodo-vows-end-thrifting-anxious-shoppers-snap-second-hand-clothes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3224348/indonesias-president-joko-widodo-vows-end-thrifting-anxious-shoppers-snap-second-hand-clothes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jun 2023 04:00:19 +0000 Habibi is a man who blends in well anywhere, be it at a busy shopping centre or a five-star hotel. A modest and inconspicuous appearance is important for the private investigator who specialises in “perselingkuhan”, a term encompassing both marital adultery and relationship infidelity. There aren’t too many sleuths in Indonesia, but the 30-year-old said he had finally found his niche in the business after almost 10 years. “I had an ordinary day job when I first moonlighted as a detective back in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3223543/indonesians-tap-private-eyes-evidence-affairs-dating-apps-drive-more-hook-ups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3223543/indonesians-tap-private-eyes-evidence-affairs-dating-apps-drive-more-hook-ups?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jun 2023 04:00:07 +0000 Indonesian author and leading feminist Julia Suryakusuma was in Jakarta when the May 1998 riots erupted and the capital city descended into chaos, as mobs attacked and looted businesses that had Indonesian-Chinese owners. After 32 years of rule by military dictator Suharto, Indonesians violently rose up to protest against food shortages, mass unemployment, corruption and the economic crisis, and the minority Chinese community – long targeted by discriminatory policies and blamed for stealing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3221871/indonesian-activist-lifts-lid-rape-chinese-women-may-1998-riots-it-was-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3221871/indonesian-activist-lifts-lid-rape-chinese-women-may-1998-riots-it-was-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2023 03:30:15 +0000 Indonesian street vendor Nur Aisyah, 28, was delighted when she managed to sell all her food last week, after residents breaking their fast made a beeline for the snacks and desserts at her stall in central Java. The mother of one took in 200,000 rupiah (US$15) that day instead of the usual 150,000 rupiah – giving her family a little extra cash to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, the Muslim festival that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. But her joy turned to fury when a group of men she... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3217636/indonesias-eid-bonuses-spotlight-after-thugs-collect-cash-street-vendors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3217636/indonesias-eid-bonuses-spotlight-after-thugs-collect-cash-street-vendors?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Apr 2023 01:30:11 +0000