https://www.scmp.com/rss/503017/feed The former governor of Jakarta was elected Indonesian president in 2014 before winning a second term in 2019. Colloquially known as Jokowi, he has cast himself as an economic reformer committed to reducing red tape while also seeking foreign investment for major infrastructure projects. Security issues remain a priority as Indonesia continues to combat Islamic militancy. Widodo will also oversee the movement of the Indonesian capital from Jakarta to a new city in Kalimantan on the island of... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has wasted no time positioning himself as a diplomatic broker in the Middle East, offering to mediate between Iran and the United States even as the bombs are still falling. The problem, critics say, is that Indonesia stopped being neutral the moment it joined US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”. Jakarta’s offer came on Saturday, hours after US and Israeli strikes began hitting Iran. Prabowo was willing to travel to Tehran in person if all parties... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345279/indonesias-us-iran-peace-broker-bid-faces-long-odds-we-are-nothing-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345279/indonesias-us-iran-peace-broker-bid-faces-long-odds-we-are-nothing-them?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:55:39 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Indonesia’s capital is now officially the world’s most populous city, but for many among the 42 million people who call the greater Jakarta metropolitan area their home, the ranking is less a badge of honour than a symbol of endurance. Jakarta overtook Tokyo late last year under new UN criteria that also factor in the city’s wider metropolitan area, moving it to the top of the global rankings by population. For its residents, the title reflects the harsh realities of daily life – perpetually... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343360/indonesians-weigh-peril-and-promise-life-jakarta-world-most-populous-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343360/indonesians-weigh-peril-and-promise-life-jakarta-world-most-populous-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:00:10 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A police complaint against one of Indonesia’s best-known comedians has reignited debate over satire, blasphemy and free expression in the world’s third-largest democracy. The case involves 46-year-old stand-up comic and actor Pandji Pragiwaksono, whose Netflix special Mens Rea – an unfiltered performance touching on politics, law and democracy – was recorded in Jakarta before an audience of around 10,000 people on December 30. Pandji’s routine pokes fun at Indonesia’s political elite, taking aim... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339880/indonesian-comic-hit-blasphemy-complaints-over-netflix-jokes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3339880/indonesian-comic-hit-blasphemy-complaints-over-netflix-jokes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:30:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto reiterated his commitment to a US$32 billion project to build the country’s new capital city as he ‌made his first overnight stay there as president, the government said. Questions about ‍the fate of the Nusantara capital city project have lingered since Prabowo took office in October 2024. The project is a legacy of his predecessor, Joko Widodo, who first announced his plan to move the ⁠capital 1,200km (745 miles) away from overcrowded and sinking Jakarta on Java... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339706/indonesias-prabowo-quells-us32-billion-capital-doubts-first-nusantara-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339706/indonesias-prabowo-quells-us32-billion-capital-doubts-first-nusantara-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 06:38:11 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A former Indonesian minister has dismissed claims of giving preferential treatment to Chinese firms and wooing investors with policies undermining the country’s sovereignty, amid furore over an airport inside a major industrial cluster that risks becoming a “state within a state”. Luhut Pandjaitan, a key architect of ex-president Joko Widodo’s mineral downstreaming strategy, said China’s technological prowess and deep pockets made it an ideal partner for propelling the local economy as others... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335087/indonesian-ex-minister-rebuffs-china-bias-claims-amid-state-within-state-airport-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335087/indonesian-ex-minister-rebuffs-china-bias-claims-amid-state-within-state-airport-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:25:49 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s plan to build a new capital in East Kalimantan is facing renewed scrutiny after the Constitutional Court struck down a regulation granting investors land rights of up to 190 years – a decision welcomed by indigenous groups but seen by developers as a potential deterrent to investment. The ruling highlights the mounting challenges confronting Nusantara, a 466 trillion rupiah (US$28 billion) development conceived by former president Joko Widodo as a smart, green city to replace the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334392/indonesia-blindsided-nusantaras-190-year-land-right-law-nullified-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334392/indonesia-blindsided-nusantaras-190-year-land-right-law-nullified-court?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 04:00:10 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Across Southeast Asia, millions of young people are launching start-ups and driving rapid digitalisation, with new unicorns emerging in a sign that the region is becoming a global force in entrepreneurship, according to former Indonesian president Joko Widodo. Speaking at the closing of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Friday, Widodo said the next unicorn – meaning a privately held start-up valued at more than US$1 billion – might emerge not from Silicon Valley or Shenzhen but from Jakarta,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3333728/widodo-hails-southeast-asias-rise-global-force-entrepreneurship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3333728/widodo-hails-southeast-asias-rise-global-force-entrepreneurship?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 11:17:19 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s anti-corruption watchdog has launched a preliminary investigation into the construction of the US$7.3 billion Jakarta–Bandung High-speed Railway that analysts say could implicate senior figures in the administration of former president Joko Widodo. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) confirmed last week that it was gathering evidence related to alleged irregularities in how the China-funded project, popularly known as “Whoosh”, was awarded and managed. “The investigation into... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3331489/indonesias-china-funded-whoosh-railway-faces-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3331489/indonesias-china-funded-whoosh-railway-faces-corruption-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:30:09 +0000 CNA CNA Malaysian broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) has apologised for getting the names of three Southeast Asian leaders wrong during a live broadcast of the opening ceremony of the 47th Asean Summit. RTM had misidentified the leaders of Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia during the live broadcast on Sunday. In statements issued in Malay on social media, the broadcaster apologised for the mistakes. RTM said in its statement that a broadcast commentator had misidentified Singapore’s Prime... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3330411/malaysias-rtm-apologises-misnaming-singaporean-thai-indonesian-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3330411/malaysias-rtm-apologises-misnaming-singaporean-thai-indonesian-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 02:14:42 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is pushing back against calls to tap the state budget to cover mounting debt from its China-backed high-speed railway, while Beijing has signalled it is open to repayment restructuring talks to ensure the line remains operational. The dispute over who should shoulder the debt highlights deeper concerns about the project’s long-term viability, the role of Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund and whether the current financing model risks setting a troubling precedent for future... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330083/indonesian-high-speed-railways-debts-spark-debate-over-who-should-pay-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330083/indonesian-high-speed-railways-debts-spark-debate-over-who-should-pay-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:08:20 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesia could become an unlikely mediator in reconciling the two Koreas on their troubled peninsula, according to observers who cite a recent meeting between its foreign minister and his North Korean counterpart. Analysts also say Jakarta could play the middleman in strengthening ties between Pyongyang and Southeast Asia, given that North Korea is looking to expand its global diplomatic footprint. The visit by Foreign Minister Sugiono to Pyongyang last week on the invitation of his North... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329218/indonesia-aims-be-neutral-conduit-between-2-koreas-visit-pyongyang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329218/indonesia-aims-be-neutral-conduit-between-2-koreas-visit-pyongyang?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 08:30:16 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Six years after Nusantara was unveiled as Indonesia’s future capital and a symbol of national transformation, President Prabowo Subianto has redefined its purpose, prompting debate over the fate of the megaproject and the legacy of his predecessor. Under a presidential regulation Prabowo signed in late June, but made public only in September, Nusantara has been reclassified as Indonesia’s “political capital” – a phrase absent from existing legislation. The regulation, which outlines development... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327821/indonesias-grand-capital-plan-gets-downgrade-nusantara-redefined?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327821/indonesias-grand-capital-plan-gets-downgrade-nusantara-redefined?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is considering a plan to renegotiate a debt linked to the China-funded Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project, as its operator faces a financial “time bomb” due to ticket sales alone being unable to cover the costs of the high-interest loan. The rail line, known as Whoosh, connects the capital Jakarta with the city of Bandung in West Java in 45 minutes – much shorter than by car, which can take up to three hours. The US$7.27 billion project has, however, been dogged by controversies... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326534/indonesia-seeks-rework-china-funded-high-speed-rails-debt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326534/indonesia-seeks-rework-china-funded-high-speed-rails-debt?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 09:00:35 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet reshuffle is a “tactical” step to restore public trust in the government, according to analysts, but they argue it will not be enough to quell the unrest among protesters if it does not lead to more systemic reform. The shake-up on Monday saw the departure of high-profile officials such as Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan, alongside the creation of a stand-alone... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324934/can-indonesias-cabinet-reshuffle-restore-public-trust-and-calm-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324934/can-indonesias-cabinet-reshuffle-restore-public-trust-and-calm-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 13:30:53 +0000 Anand Mathai,Bloomberg Anand Mathai,Bloomberg Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto removed Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati from her post, risking renewed financial turmoil for Southeast Asia’s biggest economy following days of violent protests against his administration. Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, who has served as chairman of the Deposit Insurance Corporation since 2020, was sworn in as the new finance minister by Prabowo late on Monday. Rumours that Prabowo could replace Sri Mulyani led the benchmark stock index to pare early gains to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3324759/indonesia-removes-finance-minister-sri-mulyani-after-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3324759/indonesia-removes-finance-minister-sri-mulyani-after-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:51:29 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Indonesia’s former education minister and ex-Gojek CEO Nadiem Makarim has been detained as a suspect in a high-profile corruption probe linked to a procurement programme involving Google’s Chromebook laptops, with state losses estimated to be US$120 million. Centred on the country’s digital education push from 2019 to 2022, the case took a dramatic turn on Thursday when Nadiem was taken into custody by the Attorney General’s Office after a third round of questioning. He will be held for 20 days... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324513/ex-indonesian-minister-detained-over-corruption-probe-linked-laptop-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324513/ex-indonesian-minister-detained-over-corruption-probe-linked-laptop-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 10:03:03 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesia’s wave of unrest has put President Prabowo Subianto under intense pressure less than a year into his term, as he grapples with deep-seated public anger and economic anxiety amid attempts to stop the “deep rot” in his sprawling political coalition. While frustration over inequality, elite privilege and economic hardship has long been simmering, observers say Prabowo’s ambitious spending, coupled with a corrupt coalition “inherited” from his predecessor, may also have limited his room to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324100/did-indonesias-prabowo-inherit-poisoned-chalice-rot-very-deep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324100/did-indonesias-prabowo-inherit-poisoned-chalice-rot-very-deep?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:23 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s pledge to stamp out corruption is facing its first major test after a deputy minister was arrested, as speculation mounts over a possible reshuffle of his 110-member “jumbo” cabinet. Immanuel Ebenezer was swiftly fired by Prabowo following his arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission on suspicion of receiving kickbacks and extortion. He is the first member of Prabowo’s cabinet to be named a suspect in a corruption investigation. The arrest... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323237/indonesian-ministers-arrest-tests-prabowos-anti-corruption-pledge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323237/indonesian-ministers-arrest-tests-prabowos-anti-corruption-pledge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:05:36 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Nusantara was meant to embody Indonesia’s future: a green, modern capital rising from Borneo’s forests. But amid funding cuts and political indifference, the US$28.6 billion project risks becoming a costly monument to unfinished ambition. The eventual plan? Moving the seat of government there from Jakarta. But this is now clouded by uncertainty after President Prabowo Subianto made no meaningful mention of the city in recent speeches. Officials insist the project remains on track, but analysts... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322846/prabowos-silence-deepens-doubts-over-indonesias-dream-capital-nusantara?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322846/prabowos-silence-deepens-doubts-over-indonesias-dream-capital-nusantara?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 02:30:07 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A violent mob attack on a Christian prayer house in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province has reignited concerns over growing religious intolerance, with rights advocates warning that systemic discrimination continues to undermine freedom of worship in the Muslim-majority nation. The July 27 incident in the city of Padang saw a group of men storm a private home used by about 30 Christian students for weekly religious study – a makeshift arrangement due to the absence of Christian teaching in their... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321138/calls-indonesia-curb-religious-intolerance-after-mob-attacks-christian-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3321138/calls-indonesia-curb-religious-intolerance-after-mob-attacks-christian-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Aug 2025 02:00:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indonesia is set to begin releasing hundreds of convicts from its notoriously overcrowded prisons after parliament approved the first stage of President Prabowo Subianto’s wide-ranging clemency plan. The first group of 1,116 will begin leaving prisons next week, and include prominent rivals of former president Joko Widodo who were jailed during his term, as well as Papuan independence activists. The announcement was made late on Thursday by the House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320401/widodos-rivals-walk-free-indonesias-prabowo-pardons-thousands-prisoners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320401/widodos-rivals-walk-free-indonesias-prabowo-pardons-thousands-prisoners?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 06:45:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar A recent prison sentence for a former Indonesian trade minister has raised eyebrows over alleged political motivations, given the defendant’s loyalty to an opposition politician. Last Friday, judges at a corruption court in Jakarta sentenced Thomas Trikasih Lembong to 4½ years in jail and a fine of 750 million rupiah (US$46,000) for improperly granting sugar import permits, during what the prosecutor said was a surplus of local production, when he was trade minister in 2015-16. Prosecutors... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3319288/was-it-politics-indonesia-ex-minister-thomas-lembongs-jail-term-ignites-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3319288/was-it-politics-indonesia-ex-minister-thomas-lembongs-jail-term-ignites-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:00:26 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Indonesian government’s plans to issue new history books have sparked fears that mention of deadly riots in 1998 targeting mostly ethnic Chinese in the country will be scrubbed from the text. The 10-volume account was ordered by the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, an ex-general accused of abducting activists in the unrest that preceded dictator Suharto’s fall, claims he denies. Scholars fear his government could use the exercise to rewrite history and cover up past... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318019/indonesias-updated-history-books-stoke-fears-buried-truth-about-anti-chinese-riots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318019/indonesias-updated-history-books-stoke-fears-buried-truth-about-anti-chinese-riots?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 03:52:59 +0000 dpa dpa Wida Widiarti has spent her entire life near the Citarum River on Indonesia’s main island of Java. That means she has witnessed first-hand how the river mutated from an important lifeline into a disgusting symbol of extreme environmental pollution. Time and again, the Citarum has been described in reports as the “world’s most polluted river”. “People clean up, but the rubbish comes back anyway,” said Widiarti, who lives near Bandung. Surrounded by mountains, rice paddies and volcanoes, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3317964/indonesias-fight-clean-citarum-worlds-most-polluted-river?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3317964/indonesias-fight-clean-citarum-worlds-most-polluted-river?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 04:20:37 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Chinese tycoons are turbocharging Indonesia’s aluminium industry with multibillion-dollar projects that rival the vast bets made on the country’s nickel riches roughly a decade ago, and threaten to shake up the global market for the metal. Grappling with production curbs back home, companies like billionaire Xiang Guangda’s Tsingshan Holding, China Hongqiao and Song Jianbo’s Shandong Nanshan Aluminum are turning to Southeast Asia’s largest economy, ploughing cash into new smelters and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3317615/chinese-tycoons-drive-indonesias-aluminium-boom-echoing-nickel-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3317615/chinese-tycoons-drive-indonesias-aluminium-boom-echoing-nickel-success?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 01:50:44 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesia’s recent signing of several defence acquisition agreements has shed light on its desire to accelerate military modernisation, but its ability to finance and maintain new systems amid economic challenges has come under scrutiny by observers. Last week, Turkey and Indonesia sealed an agreement for the sale of 48 units of the fifth-generation Kaan fighter aircraft during the INDO Defence 2025 exhibition held in Indonesia. The deal, which will make Indonesia the first buyer of Ankara’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3314910/indonesia-steps-defence-buys-reflecting-prabowos-military-modernisation-aim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3314910/indonesia-steps-defence-buys-reflecting-prabowos-military-modernisation-aim?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Calls are growing for the Indonesian government to formally acknowledge the mass rapes of the country’s ethnic Chinese women during the May 1998 riots, as members of the minority community commemorate the tragedy with a vow to “resist forgetting” even as justice remains elusive. The unrest that swept Indonesia 27 years ago was triggered by soaring food prices, economic collapse and mounting public anger at then president Suharto’s authoritarian rule. He stepped down on May 21, 1998, after weeks... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3311294/resist-forgetting-say-chinese-indonesians-still-seeking-justice-mass-rapes-1998-riots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3311294/resist-forgetting-say-chinese-indonesians-still-seeking-justice-mass-rapes-1998-riots?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 May 2025 04:00:11 +0000 A new regulation requiring foreign journalists obtain police certification before reporting in Indonesia has triggered alarm among rights groups, who warn it poses a “major threat” to press freedom in Southeast Asia’s largest democracy. The regulation, which took effect on March 10, grants police the authority to issue certificates so that they could “provide services and protection” to foreign journalists, especially in conflict-prone areas, National Police spokesman Inspector General Sandi... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3306619/indonesias-new-rule-foreign-reporters-sparks-fears-major-threat-press-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3306619/indonesias-new-rule-foreign-reporters-sparks-fears-major-threat-press-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:48:10 +0000 Amy Sood Amy Sood The head of Indonesia’s new sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, has struck an optimistic tone about its prospects, brushing aside concerns over transparency and political interference – and the market turbulence that followed its launch. Unveiled in February by Prabowo Subianto, Danantara boasts an initial commitment of US$20 billion and is central to the Indonesian president’s ambitious target of 8 per cent economic growth. But the fund’s debut coincided with a sharp decline in the benchmark... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3304508/indonesias-danantara-seeks-silence-doubters-super-transparent-fund?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3304508/indonesias-danantara-seeks-silence-doubters-super-transparent-fund?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 04:00:17 +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 Reuters Reuters New sovereign fund Danantara Indonesia unveiled on Monday what it called a “dream team” to chart its strategy, including ex-presidents as well as advisory roles for hedge fund manager Ray Dalio, economist Jeffrey Sachs and former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Danantara, launched last month, is Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s main vehicle to achieve his 8 per cent economic growth target by 2029 by managing all shares of state-owned enterprises and reinvesting the dividends in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3303664/indonesian-fund-unveils-dream-team-jokowi-ex-thai-pm-thaksin-bridgewaters-dalio?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3303664/indonesian-fund-unveils-dream-team-jokowi-ex-thai-pm-thaksin-bridgewaters-dalio?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:24:14 +0000 An incident involving a severed pig’s head that was sent to an Indonesian political reporter has been condemned by her employer as a “terror attack”. The head was found in a cardboard box from an anonymous sender addressed to “Cica”, the nickname of Francisca Christy Rosana, who works for the Tempo magazine. The box was delivered to her office in Jakarta on Wednesday. It stayed unopened until Francisca returned to her office on Thursday after covering a story with her colleague Hussein Abri... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303385/indonesian-reporter-receives-pigs-head-incident-condemned-terror-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3303385/indonesian-reporter-receives-pigs-head-incident-condemned-terror-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2025 11:10:12 +0000 A US$12 billion corruption scandal at Indonesian state-owned energy giant Pertamina has triggered widespread outrage that threatens to dent public trust in President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. The case was a test to see if Prabowo could fulfil his election campaign promise to end the country’s “oil and gas mafia”, which had been backed by enforcement officers and political elites for decades, said Fahmy Radhi, an energy economist at the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta. “The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3301194/pertaminas-corruption-probe-indonesia-fuels-anger-over-oil-and-gas-mafia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3301194/pertaminas-corruption-probe-indonesia-fuels-anger-over-oil-and-gas-mafia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Mar 2025 04:00:14 +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 Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s populist programmes have helped him earn an approval rating of over 80 per cent in his first 100 days of office, according to one pollster, but rights activists and analysts say a surge in militarisation and cabinet discord threaten to put an end to his “honeymoon period”. Their misgivings come as a recent Litbang Kompas survey of 1,000 respondents, conducted from January 4 to 10, indicated that just 19.1 per cent of Indonesians were dissatisfied with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3296015/prabowos-approval-hits-80-will-honeymoon-last-indonesias-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3296015/prabowos-approval-hits-80-will-honeymoon-last-indonesias-president?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jan 2025 00:00:23 +0000 In a move that analysts see as emblematic of Tokyo’s shift towards broader security alliances – and Jakarta’s quest to bolster its maritime defences – Japan and Indonesia are on the cusp of a landmark agreement to co-develop a warship for the Indonesian Navy. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was expected to move the project forward on Saturday during talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta. Although details remain under wraps, experts speculate the design of the warship... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3294292/japan-indonesia-plan-joint-warship-amid-china-tensions-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3294292/japan-indonesia-plan-joint-warship-amid-china-tensions-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Jan 2025 01:30:24 +0000 Indonesia could fall short of its goal to become an advanced nation by 2045 as analysts warn bureaucratic inefficiencies may frustrate President Prabowo Subianto’s ambition to shrink the country’s poverty rate by the end of his first term. Data from the government’s statistics agency shows that 25.22 million people in Indonesia, or 9.03 per cent of the population, were living below the poverty line of 582,932 rupiah (US$37) per month as of March last year. Prabowo, who was inaugurated as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3293312/indonesias-poverty-struggles-persist-prabowos-growth-goals-look-elusive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3293312/indonesias-poverty-struggles-persist-prabowos-growth-goals-look-elusive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jan 2025 07:00:08 +0000 Former Indonesian president Joko Widodo has slammed a “baseless” report for listing him as one of the world’s leading individuals for enabling corruption in 2024, but analysts say the findings reflect significant setbacks in Jakarta’s fight against corruption during his tenure. “Corruption? What corruption? What’s the proof? Just prove it,” Widodo told reporters on Tuesday at his residence in Solo, Central Java. “There’s so much slander, malicious framing, and baseless accusations nowadays.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3293374/indonesias-widodo-slams-baseless-report-listing-him-leading-corruption-enabler?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3293374/indonesias-widodo-slams-baseless-report-listing-him-leading-corruption-enabler?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jan 2025 01:30:18 +0000 President Prabowo Subianto’s pledge to pardon corruption offenders who return stolen assets has been met with scepticism by legal experts and activists, who warn it could undermine accountability in Indonesia’s long-standing fight against graft. Speaking before hundreds of Indonesian university students in Cairo during his visit to Egypt last week, Prabowo said he would implement a plan to recover stolen assets in the coming weeks or months. “I am giving them the opportunity to repent,” Prabowo... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292351/prabowos-corruption-amnesty-plan-panned-indonesias-anti-graft-activists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292351/prabowos-corruption-amnesty-plan-panned-indonesias-anti-graft-activists?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2024 11:00:16 +0000 Aidan Jones,Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow,Amy Sood,Kimberly Lim Aidan Jones,Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow,Amy Sood,Kimberly Lim A student revolution in Bangladesh. A stunning electoral rebuke for India’s once unassailable Narendra Modi. A rare corruption conviction in Singapore and political chaos in Japan and South Korea. Asia in 2024 was characterised by turbulence and surprises. Some developments were easier to predict. Asia’s tycoons grew richer even as ordinary people struggled under rising living costs. Scammers kept on hammering the Asian public, North Korea’s nuclear-armed leader Kim Jong-un continued provoking... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292087/revolution-elections-and-baby-hippo-was-year-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292087/revolution-elections-and-baby-hippo-was-year-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2024 01:30:11 +0000 A proposal by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to scrap direct regional elections has sparked alarm among activists and political analysts who warn such a change could reverse the country’s hard-won democratic reforms. Instead of holding a public vote for mayors and governors, Prabowo has suggested that local legislatures appoint these regional leaders. He justified such a move by saying that funds typically allocated for regional elections could be redirected to public welfare projects,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3291265/prabowos-proposal-scrap-regional-elections-indonesia-stirs-fears-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3291265/prabowos-proposal-scrap-regional-elections-indonesia-stirs-fears-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2024 03:00:09 +0000 Despite having stepped down as Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo continues to cast a large shadow over the country’s political arena as speculation mounts about his future including the possibility of him forming a party. After handing the presidency to his successor Prabowo Subianto in October, Widodo returned to his hometown of Solo, seemingly ready to take a break from politics. However, ahead of regional elections in November, Widodo re-emerged and actively campaigned for candidates linked... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3290779/indonesian-kingmaker-joko-widodo-planning-political-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3290779/indonesian-kingmaker-joko-widodo-planning-political-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2024 07:00:08 +0000 It was a piece of political theatre that felt eerily familiar. Indonesia’s newly installed Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka arrived in Jakarta’s flood-stricken Kampung Melayu neighbourhood on November 28, ready to offer aid to victims. But the food packages he handed out – bundles of rice, tea, sugar, and cooking oil -came with more than just sustenance. Stamped across the bags was a conspicuous label: bantuan wapres Gibran (Vice-President Gibran’s aid). The backlash was swift. Social media... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3290701/self-branded-aid-indonesias-gibran-steals-page-widodos-political-playbook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3290701/self-branded-aid-indonesias-gibran-steals-page-widodos-political-playbook?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Dec 2024 04:00:15 +0000 A candidate backed by Indonesia’s opposition won the gubernatorial race in capital Jakarta, defeating his rival who had the support of President Prabowo Subianto. Former Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung got 50.07 per cent of the votes during the November 27 poll, just above the 50 per cent threshold that allows him to secure victory in a single round, the General Elections Commission said on Sunday. Ridwan Kamil, backed by Prabowo and his predecessor Joko Widodo, trailed with 39.4 per cent of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3289941/opposition-candidate-wins-jakarta-governor-race-blow-indonesias-prabowo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3289941/opposition-candidate-wins-jakarta-governor-race-blow-indonesias-prabowo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Dec 2024 04:38:32 +0000 Indonesia and the Philippines signed an agreement on Friday to repatriate a Filipino woman who has been on death row in Indonesia since 2010. The move to send Mary Jane Veloso back to the Philippines before Christmas comes after years of international pressure, particularly from human rights groups and the Philippine government, which has long maintained that she was a victim of human trafficking rather than an active criminal. “We are not granting clemency or a pardon, but we have agreed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3289761/indonesia-repatriate-death-row-convict-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3289761/indonesia-repatriate-death-row-convict-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Dec 2024 12:01:14 +0000 Candidates backed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto have dominated the country’s regional elections except for the coveted Jakarta gubernatorial seat, where early results show an opposition-backed figure in the lead. Analysts say the unofficial results of Wednesday’s vote reflect the sweeping influence of Prabowo’s grand Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM) and provide the president with a smoother pathway in advancing his economic growth agenda over the next five years. However, in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3288711/prabowos-coalition-set-sweep-indonesian-regional-polls-jakarta-leaning-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3288711/prabowos-coalition-set-sweep-indonesian-regional-polls-jakarta-leaning-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Nov 2024 09:22:41 +0000 Indonesia’s former leader Joko Widodo is back on the campaign trail to endorse gubernatorial candidates running on the ruling coalition’s tickets, in a move expected to showcase the scale of his post-presidency clout. In the past few days, Widodo attended campaigns in battleground provinces of Jakarta and Central Java, where contestants backed by the Onward Indonesia Coalition (KIM), President Prabowo Subianto’s grand coalition, are lagging in recent polls behind those propped up by the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3287687/jokowi-still-wants-action-indonesias-state-elections-test-ex-presidents-clout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3287687/jokowi-still-wants-action-indonesias-state-elections-test-ex-presidents-clout?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2024 07:13:54 +0000 After 14 years on death row, Mary Jane Veloso is finally returning home to the Philippines, as Indonesia signals a more humane approach to foreign prisoners under President Prabowo Subianto. It remains uncertain, however, whether the 39-year-old Filipino will be transferred to a Philippine prison or released upon her return. Indonesian Law and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra announced on November 11 that the government was developing a new policy for the repatriation of foreign... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3287274/indonesia-agrees-return-filipino-death-row-inmate-mary-jane-veloso-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3287274/indonesia-agrees-return-filipino-death-row-inmate-mary-jane-veloso-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2024 01:31:23 +0000 Indonesia’s new Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has launched a public complaint desk in a move analysts say may be aimed at bolstering his populist image, but the programme has been met with scepticism over its practicality and relevance. The physical complaint desk, named “Lapor Mas Wapres” (or “Report to the Vice-President”), started operations on Monday, along with an online reporting option via WhatsApp. In an Instagram post announcing the initiative, Gibran said: “We will accept... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3286856/indonesian-vp-gibrans-new-public-complaint-service-reels-support-scepticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3286856/indonesian-vp-gibrans-new-public-complaint-service-reels-support-scepticism?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Nov 2024 09:30:08 +0000 China’s rise has challenged America’s undisputed hegemony over the world economy – a status the United States has enjoyed since the Soviet Union’s collapse. While some American national-security elites seek continued US primacy, others seem resigned to an increasingly bipolar world. A more likely outcome, however, is a multipolar world where middle powers exert considerable countervailing force, thus preventing the US and China from imposing their interests on others. Middle powers include... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3286184/china-or-us-world-need-not-choose-hegemon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3286184/china-or-us-world-need-not-choose-hegemon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:30:08 +0000