Backgrounder

NasDem in the spotlight yet again over graft allegations

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) grilled Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo on Monday in connection with various graft cases plaguing the ministry. The questioning came just after another NasDem Party politician-cum-minister, Johnny G. Plate, was named corruption suspect, dealing the party a major blow ahead of the 2024 elections.

WIKA to receive Rp 8 trillion cash injection despite fraud allegations

The SOEs Ministry has proposed to the House of Representatives an increase in state-capital injection (PMN) for SOEs to be disbursed in 2024 so that it would be able to bankroll struggling PT Wijaya Karya (WIKA) that is currently under investigation for alleged manipulation of its financial reports. If agreed, the total PMN for this year would increase by Rp 24.04 trillion (US$1.61 billion), or 70 percent, from the initial budget of Rp 33.9 trillion to Rp 57.96 trillion.

Edition

June 16, 2023

Ukraine peace plan sheds light on Prabowo’s foreign policy thinking

The Ukraine peace plan laid out by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto caused mere ripples globally and at home. As it seems to be going nowhere, it may soon be forgotten. The plan, revealed in his June 3 speech at the Shangri-La dialogue, the region’s premier security conference in Singapore, has already been rejected by Ukraine as “strange” and widely dismissed as unworkable by the West. Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, is one of only a few countries that have shown interest.

Rushed tests risk another delay for the Jakarta-Bandung HSR

PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) and the government’s Aug. 18 promised operational date of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) is met with strong opposition from the Transportation Ministry’s review team, consisting of Mott MacDonald, PwC and Umbra law firm. The ministry and consultants cite serious issues ranging from the construction of Padalarang station being behind schedule, financial issues and a rushed testing period as chief concerns among them.

Edition

June 9, 2023

People propose, Constitutional Court justices dispose

A functioning democracy depends on the checks and balances mechanism among the executive, legislative and judiciary powers. If the decline of Indonesian democracy as a result of the executive’s control of the legislative was not enough, the judiciary could add insult to injury if the Constitutional Court decides to reinstate the closed-list electoral system.

RI lifts ban on sea sand exports, raises environmental concerns

The Joko “Jokowi” Widodo administration has decided to lift the government’s ban on exports of sea sand, which had stood for 20 years, amid the threat of environmental degradation to the country’s coastal environment. The sea sand export reinstatement came about while the government attempts to prohibit exports of more of the country’s critical minerals.

Edition

May 26, 2023

Political nepo babies on the rise as 2024 election nears

Children of the country’s political elites barely break a sweat as they follow in the footsteps of their parents, allowing political dynasties to proliferate. As if to build her own, House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani has secured support from her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to nominate her daughter Diah Pikatan Orissa Putri Hapsari, or Pinka Hapsari as a legislative candidate in the upcoming 2024 general election.

Govt laments lack of G7 commitment for national energy transition

Indonesia has expressed its upset with developed countries’ hollow commitments to funding the country’s energy transition. In every bilateral meeting with leaders of the Group of Seven countries in Tokyo last weekend, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo demand each of them realize their US$20 billion funding commitment through the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) to finance Indonesia’s energy transition to achieve early electricity net-zero emission target by 2050.