https://www.scmp.com/rss/518192/feed Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo is Indonesia’s eighth president, representing the Gerindra Party. He took office in October 2024. A former military general previously accused of human rights abuses during the presidency of his father-in-law Suharto, Prabowo served as defence minister under former president Joko Widodo, who defeated him in two prior elections. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea has spent a decade and billions of dollars trying to build a world-class fighter jet. Now that the finish line is drawing near, it’s nearly time to find out who will buy one. The first mass-produced KF-21 Boramae, developed jointly with Indonesia since 2015, was unveiled by Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon on March 25. Analysts say the aircraft could pave the way for South Korea, already one of the world’s top 10 arms exporters, to grab an even bigger slice of the global... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348971/south-korea-and-indonesias-kf-21-fighter-jet-ready-will-it-sell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348971/south-korea-and-indonesias-kf-21-fighter-jet-ready-will-it-sell?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is accelerating the transition to clean and renewable energy while pushing for more investments in oil and gas projects, critical minerals and rare earth mining, amid the global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict. In the past week, Jakarta signed a raft of deals with international partners to develop renewable and fossil fuel projects, aimed at achieving energy security as an insurance against the impact of heightened geopolitical tensions. Green energy could also... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348911/indonesia-rebalances-energy-policy-iran-war-spurs-new-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348911/indonesia-rebalances-energy-policy-iran-war-spurs-new-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:20:59 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The killing of three Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon is a stern test of Jakarta’s Middle East policy, with analysts saying the incident has raised questions over the risks of overseas deployment in Gaza and the region, as well as limits to global accountability. Several Indonesian lawmakers and observers said the deaths had exposed how little protection diplomatic positions could offer during a spiralling conflict, arguing that Jakarta should reassess its role in Lebanon and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348679/indonesian-peacekeepers-deaths-spur-calls-middle-east-exit-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348679/indonesian-peacekeepers-deaths-spur-calls-middle-east-exit-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:13:29 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Indonesia is looking to save up to 40 trillion rupiah (US$2.3 billion) by cutting back on its free meal programme, an official said on Sunday, in a first austerity measure taken in response to price pressures from conflict in the Middle East. The meals, primarily intended for schoolchildren across the country, will be distributed for five days a week instead of six starting March 31 in a move that is expected to save “around 40 trillion rupiah”, National Nutrition Agency deputy head Nanik... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348319/indonesia-cuts-free-meals-save-us23-billion-fuel-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348319/indonesia-cuts-free-meals-save-us23-billion-fuel-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:36:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Indonesia’s president, under fire at home for signing up to US counterpart Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, has insisted his country will not pay the US$1 billion joining fee for permanent membership. Jakarta had only committed peacekeeping troops for the initiative, Prabowo Subianto said in a statement published on the presidential YouTube channel Sunday. The “Board of Peace” came together after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347565/indonesia-will-not-pay-us1-billion-fee-board-peace-membership-prabowo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3347565/indonesia-will-not-pay-us1-billion-fee-board-peace-membership-prabowo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:50:12 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesia’s president is heading to Tokyo – and Japan has eight stealth frigates, a mineral deal and a seat at the emperor’s lunch table waiting for him. Prabowo Subianto is due to arrive on March 29 for a three-day state visit, his first trip to Japan since taking office in October 2024. He will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and dine with Emperor Naruhito, according to a statement published by Tokyo’s Foreign Ministry on March 13. Analysts say the agenda will be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347360/japan-woos-indonesia-stealth-frigates-ahead-prabowo-takaichi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347360/japan-woos-indonesia-stealth-frigates-ahead-prabowo-takaichi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Ian Storey Ian Storey If everything goes according to plan, Indonesia will be in possession of an aircraft carrier come Armed Forces Day on October 5. When that happens, it will become only the second country in Southeast Asia, after Thailand, to operate such a vessel. But this does not mean Indonesia’s maritime power will increase significantly. The issue here is prestige, not combat power. The warship in question is the Italian navy’s Giuseppe Garibaldi. The 14,000-tonne flat-top was commissioned in 1985 and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3347362/indonesias-new-aircraft-carrier-more-vanity-project-war-machine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3347362/indonesias-new-aircraft-carrier-more-vanity-project-war-machine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 02:00:17 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Every year, roughly half of Indonesia’s 288 million people pack into trains, buses, ferries and cars and head home. The mudik, as the great Eid ul-Fitr exodus is known, is one of the largest annual human migrations on Earth and a ritual of return that defines the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. This year, the Ministry of Transportation estimates that 143.9 million journeys will be made. But it could hardly arrive at a worse time for the government’s finances. Oil prices have surged... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346886/oil-price-spike-threatens-break-indonesias-budget-144-million-hit-road-eid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346886/oil-price-spike-threatens-break-indonesias-budget-144-million-hit-road-eid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:30:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said he was “pretty surprised” by the US-Israel war on Iran, adding that he did not see any “rationality” in the military campaign. Prabowo, a retired general who now heads the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, said in an interview that Iran recently told him they were wary of entering into negotiations with the US to stop the war because they felt “basically they have been tricked” twice. In an asymmetrical war, he added, “they really just have to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346646/indonesias-prabowo-surprised-iran-war-says-us-bombing-wont-spark-regime-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346646/indonesias-prabowo-surprised-iran-war-says-us-bombing-wont-spark-regime-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:49:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Two men on a motorbike threw acid in the face of an Indonesian rights activist, leaving him badly hurt and prompting calls on Friday for a thorough investigation amid concerns of democratic backsliding in the country. Andrie Yunus, deputy coordinator of the KontraS rights group, sustained serious injuries to his face, an eye, hands and chest in the attack in Jakarta late on Thursday. Andrie was riding a motorbike when he was approached by two men on a scooter, one of whom threw acid at him,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346574/acid-attack-indonesian-activist-raises-fears-democracy-under-prabowo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346574/acid-attack-indonesian-activist-raises-fears-democracy-under-prabowo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 02:20:59 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s appointment of two Chinese companies to run waste-to-energy (WtE) projects in two cities – part of President Prabowo Subianto’s push to reduce mounting rubbish in landfills while generating power – has sparked a debate over costs, efficiency and whether the initiative will deliver on its waste-reduction goals. Danantara, the Indonesian state wealth fund, on Friday announced that it had chosen Wangneng Environment as the operator of a WtE plant in the city of Bekasi, while Zhejiang... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346252/why-indonesias-waste-energy-goal-may-not-be-quick-fix-landfill-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346252/why-indonesias-waste-energy-goal-may-not-be-quick-fix-landfill-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s involvement in US leader Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” is drawing growing criticism at home as the war in the Middle East intensifies scrutiny of President Prabowo Subianto’s closer engagement with Washington. Critics have urged Jakarta to withdraw from the board and reconsider related policies, including plans to send troops to Gaza and a recent trade arrangement with the United States, while Prabowo has defended his stance as being consistent with the country’s non-aligned... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346114/indonesias-role-us-led-board-peace-under-scrutiny-amid-iran-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346114/indonesias-role-us-led-board-peace-under-scrutiny-amid-iran-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:54 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Socrates warned that democracy invites demagoguery – rewarding persuasion over virtue and trading wisdom for spectacle. The American constitutional system was a genuine institutional advance, with separation of powers and independent courts meant to restrain excess, but only when... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3345668/iran-war-democracy-power-and-us-changing-strategic-limits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3345668/iran-war-democracy-power-and-us-changing-strategic-limits?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia went to Washington to negotiate a trade deal and came home with more than 200 obligations to America’s nine. A day after the signing, the US Supreme Court struck down the legal basis for the tariff threat that had driven the whole exercise – for a time, at least. Detractors have likened this “agreement on reciprocal trade” to a blank cheque and a surrender of Indonesia’s sovereignty. The government, for its part, calls it a win-win. The deal was signed by President Prabowo Subianto on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345752/indonesias-us-trade-deal-faces-sovereignty-reckoning-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345752/indonesias-us-trade-deal-faces-sovereignty-reckoning-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:00:33 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia will begin restricting access to some social media platforms for users under 16 from March 28, marking one of the region’s toughest moves yet to curb children’s exposure to harmful online content. Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid announced the measure on Friday, saying the government had signed a regulation that would gradually stop children under 16 from holding accounts on platforms deemed “high risk”. Hafid said the rule would apply to platforms such as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345763/indonesia-ban-under-16s-high-risk-social-media-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345763/indonesia-ban-under-16s-high-risk-social-media-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia could face a sharp fiscal squeeze if the US-Israel war on Iran pushes oil prices higher, analysts warn, as this risks inflating the country’s fuel subsidy bill at a time when global ratings agencies and investors are already scrutinising Jakarta’s budgetary discipline. A prolonged war could force policymakers into a difficult choice: maintain fuel subsidies and risk breaching the legal deficit ceiling – potentially unsettling investors further – or cut funding to keep the budget within... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345705/indonesia-faces-fiscal-squeeze-iran-war-drives-oil-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345705/indonesia-faces-fiscal-squeeze-iran-war-drives-oil-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:03:50 +0000 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 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The Philippines cannot afford an aircraft carrier, could not sustain one if it had it and, according to most analysts, does not need one. What it needs is messier, cheaper and harder to photograph, they say: a web of missiles, patrol boats, frigates and surveillance assets designed not to project power, but to deny it. Two recent developments have made that choice harder to ignore. Last month, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr openly mused that an aircraft carrier with “accompanying... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344910/indonesia-getting-aircraft-carrier-philippines-isnt-does-it-matter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344910/indonesia-getting-aircraft-carrier-philippines-isnt-does-it-matter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 02:00:22 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn When 22-year-old Fandi Ramadhan phoned home from detention last May, he told his mother he had no idea drugs were aboard the ship he had just started working on as an engine-room oiler. Indonesian prosecutors, however, allege he knew about the illicit cargo and are now seeking the death penalty for him and five other crew members of the Thai-flagged vessel Sea Dragon, after authorities said they found nearly two tonnes of methamphetamines on board in what officials called the largest drug... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344830/indonesias-bid-execute-6-cargo-ship-crew-drug-case-sparks-liability-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344830/indonesias-bid-execute-6-cargo-ship-crew-drug-case-sparks-liability-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:48:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters An Indonesian court has jailed nine people in a major corruption case involving subsidiaries of state energy firm Pertamina, including two former chief executives of its units, which prosecutors say caused US$17 billion in state losses. The case, which centres on alleged illegal leasing of a fuel terminal and illegal imports of crude oil, among other offences, is one of the biggest launched under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto, who has vowed to eradicate corruption. The nine... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344808/pertamina-corruption-trial-9-jailed-indonesia-over-us17-billion-state-loss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344808/pertamina-corruption-trial-9-jailed-indonesia-over-us17-billion-state-loss?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 03:23:18 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s decision to accept a deputy commander post in the United States-led International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza has placed it in a position to play a prominent role in the mission as it prepares to deploy thousands of troops to the war-torn enclave. While the Indonesian government has stressed that its personnel would focus on protecting civilians and supporting humanitarian efforts, analysts say the ISF’s broader objectives – including the disarmament of Palestinian armed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344477/why-indonesias-lead-role-gaza-peacekeeping-force-carries-high-political-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344477/why-indonesias-lead-role-gaza-peacekeeping-force-carries-high-political-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:31:59 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has called for a nationwide drive to replace corrugated zinc roofs with clay tiles, saying he wants to shed what he describes as a “rusty” image while cooling homes, reviving a struggling industry and boosting the country’s appeal to tourists. But analysts warn that the plan – dubbed gentengisasi, or “mass roofing” – could burden the environment, require costly structural upgrades and face resistance outside Java island. “I see in all our cities,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344043/why-prabowos-push-clay-roofs-rusty-indonesia-may-face-brick-wall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3344043/why-prabowos-push-clay-roofs-rusty-indonesia-may-face-brick-wall?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:00:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The White House announced a reciprocal trade agreement with Indonesia on Thursday while President Prabowo Subianto was in Washington to attend the first meeting of President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”. Under the agreement, Southeast Asia’s largest economy will eliminate tariffs for 99 per cent of American goods while the US would maintain tariffs on most Indonesian goods at 19 per cent, the White House said. That is the same rate the US has set for Cambodia and Malaysia. Indonesia also... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344057/indonesia-seals-great-us-trade-deal-agrees-send-8000-troops-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344057/indonesia-seals-great-us-trade-deal-agrees-send-8000-troops-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 01:05:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Thursday promised US$10 billion and Muslim-majority nations offered funding and troops for Gaza as he inaugurated his “Board of Peace”, a new institution whose ultimate mission has drawn questions. Trump brought together allies from around the world - many authoritarians, with few Western democrats who traditionally ally with the United States - to hail his peacemaking just as he sends US military might near Iran and threatens war. Presiding with a gavel over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344048/trump-kicks-his-board-peace-war-clouds-loom-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:06:55 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The deaths of three children by suspected suicide in recent weeks have shocked Indonesia, with child protection advocates saying they should serve as a “wake-up call” for the nation to pay more attention to young people’s well-being and mental health, particularly in remote and disadvantaged areas. In one case, reports that a child had asked for money for basic school supplies shortly before his death raised questions about whether state welfare programmes were reaching families most in need,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343916/child-deaths-indonesia-spark-plea-address-mental-health-and-poverty-wake-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3343916/child-deaths-indonesia-spark-plea-address-mental-health-and-poverty-wake-call?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 10:30:08 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen If there is one big threat to maritime security in Southeast Asia, it is the growing wariness between the big players in the region. That was the assessment from Kao Kim Hourn, secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), at the just-concluded Munich Security Conference. “Overall the main threat would be the increasing strategic mistrust between and among the major powers,” he said during a panel on maritime security on Friday. Kao did not refer to any country... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343748/why-big-power-rivalry-main-threat-asean-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343748/why-big-power-rivalry-main-threat-asean-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Garbage-choked streets, overloaded landfills and the fear of trash avalanches haunt Indonesia’s capital region, as the world’s most populous metropolis grapples with a waste crisis. Jakarta and its satellite cities, known collectively as Jabodetabek, are home to 42 million people and produce up to an estimated 14,000 tonnes of waste daily. That has placed increasing strain on the eight or so landfill sites that serve the region, which are now all close to or entirely full, according to local... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343789/indonesias-capital-drowning-waste-smell-awful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3343789/indonesias-capital-drowning-waste-smell-awful?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 03:41:07 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar As Western pressure tightens on traditional buyers of Russian crude, analysts say Indonesia’s status as a fast-growing net oil importer with limited fiscal headroom could position it as a potential new market for Moscow’s discounted supplies. But any shift towards Russian barrels would carry diplomatic risks, they add, particularly as Jakarta seeks to conclude sensitive trade negotiations with Washington and avoid complicating ties with the US and its allies. Indonesia has already come under... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343702/western-pressure-russian-oil-trade-brings-indonesia-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343702/western-pressure-russian-oil-trade-brings-indonesia-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:59:30 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar After deadly floods and landslides swept through Sumatra last year, Indonesia’s government has moved to revoke permits blamed for damaging forests – ensnaring a flagship China-backed hydropower project and rattling investor confidence in one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets. The decision, unveiled last month by President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, has been welcomed by environmental groups as a long-awaited show of teeth. But it has also raised questions about... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343515/indonesias-us167-billion-china-backed-dam-limbo-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343515/indonesias-us167-billion-china-backed-dam-limbo-why?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:11 +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 Indonesia’s largest Islamic organisations appear to be recalibrating their stance on Palestine by softening earlier criticisms of President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, in what analysts describe as a shift from prioritising Palestinian independence to broader security issues. The adjustment, which followed a closed-door meeting at the presidential palace earlier this month, has fuelled a debate on whether major Muslim groups are being nudged... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343365/why-indonesias-muslim-groups-are-revisiting-palestinian-issue-board-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343365/why-indonesias-muslim-groups-are-revisiting-palestinian-issue-board-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:19 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Indonesia is on track for 10 per cent economic growth by 2029, beyond the 8 per cent target set by President Prabowo Subianto, his climate and energy envoy Hashim Djojohadikusumo has insisted. Hailing multiple projects in the works such as social housing and the development of boarding schools for low-income families, Hashim told a forum in Jakarta on Tuesday that his elder brother Prabowo had to go up against “a quagmire of bureaucratic inertia and resistance” after winning the top job in the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343102/indonesia-track-10-growth-2029-energy-envoy-hashim-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343102/indonesia-track-10-growth-2029-energy-envoy-hashim-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:37:35 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim As sovereign wealth funds are increasingly deployed as geopolitical tools, Indonesia’s new state-backed vehicle is setting itself apart by operating with transparency and professional discipline, according to one of its top executives. Pandu Sjahrir, chief investment officer of Danantara Indonesia, said the sovereign wealth fund was being run for profit rather than politics, even as governments around the world tapped heavily into such stashes to pursue strategic goals. “In the new geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343078/danantara-indonesia-chief-vows-keep-politics-out-trillion-dollar-fund?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343078/danantara-indonesia-chief-vows-keep-politics-out-trillion-dollar-fund?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:40:20 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ Takaichi sweeps election with historic win 2. ‘Dominated by non-Malays’: study on elected Kuala Lumpur mayor spurs race debate 3. ‘Not political gift’: sultan’s comment on pardons stirs debate over Najib’s case 4. Japan set to revive WWII military... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3343003/japans-takaichi-sweeps-election-kuala-lumpur-mayoral-ethnicity-debate-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3343003/japans-takaichi-sweeps-election-kuala-lumpur-mayoral-ethnicity-debate-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:30:10 +0000 Zuraidah Ibrahim,Kolette Lim Zuraidah Ibrahim,Kolette Lim Hashim Djojohadikusumo is smiling almost beatifically, but the trademark feistiness is unmistakable. We are sitting down for a chat amid the turmoil gripping Indonesia’s capital markets and he says emphatically that “it’s good, it’s good” that it happened. This unvarnished answer is one of several he gives as we talk about his country, nearly two years after his elder brother, Prabowo Subianto, won the presidential election by a wide margin, securing 58.6 per cent of the votes on his third... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342707/inside-indonesias-inner-circle-hashim-djojohadikusumo-his-brother-prabowos-vision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342707/inside-indonesias-inner-circle-hashim-djojohadikusumo-his-brother-prabowos-vision?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Australia and Indonesia’s leaders signed a security deal on Friday, one of a series of agreements that Canberra has secured with neighbouring countries to reinforce ties and limit China’s influence in the region. At a signing ceremony, President Prabowo Subianto met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said before he travelled to Jakarta that the pact was a “watershed moment” in ties. It “represents a major extension of our security and defence cooperation and demonstrates that our relationship... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342607/australia-indonesia-sign-deal-extend-security-cooperation-watershed-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342607/australia-indonesia-sign-deal-extend-security-cooperation-watershed-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:55:37 +0000 Bloomberg,Reuters Bloomberg,Reuters Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa pushed back at Moody’s Ratings’ decision to lower the country’s outlook, saying that the nation’s improving growth and controlled deficit were unlikely to result in a credit rating downgrade. “Our economy is improving, deficit is still under control – compared to other countries, we are still in a better position,” Purbaya told reporters in Jakarta on Friday. “There are not strong enough reasons for a downgrade. In fact, we should gradually see... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342597/danantara-indonesia-urges-reform-policy-consistency-after-moodys-warning-shot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342597/danantara-indonesia-urges-reform-policy-consistency-after-moodys-warning-shot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:01:02 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The waste woes of tourism hotspot Bali have come under intense scrutiny after Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto shamed island authorities for what he said were improper steps to tackle the problem. But even as Balinese officials scramble to clean up their beaches, experts point to structural problems endemic to the issue, such as overtourism, lack of enforcement and insufficient education among locals. Prabowo publicly dressed down Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster, and his regents earlier this... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342523/balis-waste-woes-under-scrutiny-prabowo-slams-indonesian-officials-slow-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3342523/balis-waste-woes-under-scrutiny-prabowo-slams-indonesian-officials-slow-response?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:01:34 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call for middle powers to band together amid a fragmenting world order is a vision analysts say appeals to many Asian nations, but lacks a blueprint to bring them all together. Speaking in Switzerland last month, Carney urged mid-sized and smaller countries to unite against the economic coercion of great powers, warning that nations failing to act collectively risked being “on the menu” rather than “at the table”, in a thinly veiled rebuke of the United... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342400/canada-wants-middle-power-alliance-will-asia-pacific-sign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342400/canada-wants-middle-power-alliance-will-asia-pacific-sign?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 01:31:42 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Indonesia will press on with reforms of its capital markets and go after market manipulators with the full force of the law well ahead of a May deadline set by leading index MSCI, the country’s top economic minister, Airlangga Hartarto, has vowed. A massive sell-off last Wednesday prompted the government to act, as investors exited after MSCI said it would stop making adjustments to Indonesian stocks, citing a lack of transparency in shareholding structures and concerns over coordinated trading... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342275/indonesias-top-economic-minister-vows-capital-market-reforms-not-merely-because-msci?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342275/indonesias-top-economic-minister-vows-capital-market-reforms-not-merely-because-msci?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:01:44 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesia is fighting to save its financial reputation after a disastrous two days saw stock prices plunge by 8 per cent. Authorities are racing to pass new rules to prevent a downgrade that has already scared investors into pulling billions of dollars out of the local market. The rout, which knocked off about US$80 billion in overall market value, came after index provider MSCI flagged concerns about ownership and trading transparency in Indonesian stocks, the latest setback for a market that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341716/indonesia-scrambles-halt-us80-billion-market-crash-rupiah-hits-record-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341716/indonesia-scrambles-halt-us80-billion-market-crash-rupiah-hits-record-low?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:13:46 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The appointment of President Prabowo Subianto’s nephew to the leadership of Bank Indonesia (BI) has reignited debate over whether Southeast Asia’s largest economy can preserve the central bank’s independence – a question closely watched by foreign investors and currency markets. While some analysts warned that any perception the central bank could become more responsive to government financing needs risks capital outflows and pressure on the rupiah, others said Bank Indonesia’s collective... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341563/bank-indonesias-autonomy-under-scrutiny-prabowos-nephew-joins-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341563/bank-indonesias-autonomy-under-scrutiny-prabowos-nephew-joins-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:30:07 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” has raised eyebrows at home, with critics zeroing in on how it deviated from Jakarta’s values by serving the interests of only the US and Israel instead of Palestine. Some observers, however, argue that the move is “consistent” with Indonesia’s proactive foreign policy stance and allows it access to major powers. President Prabowo Subianto was among several world leaders flanking Trump at Thursday’s signing of the board’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341420/indonesias-move-join-trumps-board-peace-stirs-debate-foreign-policy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341420/indonesias-move-join-trumps-board-peace-stirs-debate-foreign-policy-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:52:57 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has placed “resilience” at the heart of its foreign policy this year, pitching it as a way to keep the country from being buffeted by intensifying rivalry among the world’s major powers. But analysts say the concept, though rhetorically appealing, lacks clear objectives and a long-term strategy – running the risk of Jakarta’s diplomacy becoming more transactional and drifting away from its stated values of non-alignment, multilateralism and respect for international law. In his annual... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341038/resilience-indonesias-new-foreign-policy-buzzword-it-just-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341038/resilience-indonesias-new-foreign-policy-buzzword-it-just-rhetoric?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesia has signed a new defence cooperation agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina in a move analysts say marks another step in Jakarta’s bid to expand its security partnerships beyond traditional Western partners. The pact was signed during a meeting between Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and his Bosnian counterpart Zukan Helez in Sarajevo on January 11, according to Indonesian media reports. “This visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and exploring avenues for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340982/indonesias-defence-deal-bosnia-signals-asian-middle-powers-clout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340982/indonesias-defence-deal-bosnia-signals-asian-middle-powers-clout?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has used his Davos debut to drive home a message to global investors that his country intends to stamp out corruption and “greedanomics”, while positioning itself as a rare pocket of stability in an unsettled world economy. Speaking during a special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Thursday, Prabowo argued that trade integration, if conducted fairly, should not be seen as a threat to sovereignty but as a tool for shared... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340904/indonesias-prabowo-pitches-stability-davos-amid-rising-global-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340904/indonesias-prabowo-pitches-stability-davos-amid-rising-global-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:35:58 +0000 Kolette Lim,Aidan Jones Kolette Lim,Aidan Jones Southeast Asian countries invited to join Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” should think carefully before entering what looks like a “more exclusive version” of the United Nations Security Council with the US president in ultimate control, analysts caution. Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are among about 60 countries that have reportedly received invitations, alongside South Korea and India. The initiative, presented by Trump as a new international body to promote global... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340651/why-southeast-asia-wary-trumps-pay-play-global-peace-board?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340651/why-southeast-asia-wary-trumps-pay-play-global-peace-board?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:30:10 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s efforts to deepen trade with the United States while maintaining close economic ties with China are being tested after a report revealed Washington had linked lower tariffs to the purchase of US-made maritime surveillance drones for use near the South China Sea. The development has highlighted the balancing act facing Jakarta, which analysts say is seeking to preserve strategic flexibility as trade negotiations with Washington increasingly intersect with security and geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340557/us-drone-demand-puts-indonesias-strategic-balance-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340557/us-drone-demand-puts-indonesias-strategic-balance-test?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:32:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has nominated his nephew to join the central bank’s board of governors, two sources said, amid growing concern about its independence as the government seeks more support for ambitious economic targets. Investors have worried that independent monetary policymaking in Southeast Asia’s largest economy might be under pressure as Prabowo targets economic growth of 8 per cent by 2029, ⁠from about 5 per cent now. Those fears grew after Bank Indonesia (BI) unveiled... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3340404/prabowo-nominates-nephew-bank-indonesia-board-amid-independence-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3340404/prabowo-nominates-nephew-bank-indonesia-board-amid-independence-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 07:32:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesian authorities said on Sunday they had located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane that went missing in South Sulawesi province on the slope of a fog-covered mountain, and had recovered the body of one of the 10 people on board. The ATR 42-500 turboprop owned by aviation group Indonesia Air Transport lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday at about 1.30pm local time around the Maros ⁠region in South Sulawesi. There were seven crew members and three passengers on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3340319/indonesia-finds-one-body-wreckage-missing-surveillance-plane?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3340319/indonesia-finds-one-body-wreckage-missing-surveillance-plane?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:24:24 +0000