Novianti Setuningsih, Jakarta – Commemorating 26 years of reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998 – the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that much of the agenda and ideals of reformasi have been betrayed.

Novianti Setuningsih, Jakarta – Amnesty International Executive Director Usman Hamid says the ideals fought for related to civil freedoms have in fact been reversed on the 26th anniversary of the reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998.

Bali – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has condemned the repressive actions and the forced closure of the People's Water Forum (PWF) in Bali. The PWF activities were held to coincide with the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) attended by world leaders in Bali.

Jakarta – The Denpasar Democracy Forum has condemned the Balinese regional police for allowing the People's Water Forum (PWF) in Bali to be forcibly closed down by an ormas (social or mass organisation).

Jayapura, Papua – The Jayapura/1701 Military Command (Kodim) is building a comfortable public toilet in Naira Village, located 133 km from Jayapura, Papua Province's capital, to help locals lead a clean and healthy lifestyle, a military officer stated.

Burhanuddin Muhtadi and Kennedy Muslim – The victory of the Prabowo-Gibran team in Indonesia's 2024 presidential elections was due to Jokowi's high approval rating and support from young voters. The Bansos social assistance scheme also maintained support for Jokowi which in turn boosted support for Prabowo-Gibran indirectly.

Introduction

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) recorded 791 corruption cases with 1,695 suspects throughout 2023. An ICW researcher Diky Anandya said the number had increased significantly compared to the previous year, during which there were only 579 cases and 1,396 suspects.

Ni Kadek Trisna, Cintya Dewi, I Anisa Febiola, Jakarta – The government has decided to postpone the deadline for mandatory halal certification for MSMEs. Originally set for October 17, 2024, the deadline has now been changed to 2026.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia is hoping that New Zealand drop the lawsuit over food import restrictions, arguing that Jakarta had already made adjustments according to what the international trade body had asked for.

Panji Satrio, Medan – Bobby Nasution, the son-in-law of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, officially joined the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) on Monday, further deepening the feud between the president's family and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) is considering nominating musician Ahmad Dhani for the mayoral election in Surabaya after he was recently elected as a member of the House of Representatives.

Dhani garnered more than 134,000 votes in the East Java electoral districts of Surabaya and Sidoarjo to win the House seat.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform is asking the House of Representatives (DPR) to cancel deliberations on revisions to Law Number 34/2004 on the Indonesian Military (TNI).

A. B. Abrams – Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Jose Tavares confirmed last week that a $1.14 billion contract signed for the acquisition of 11 Su-35S fighter aircraft from Russia remains in force, in spite of widespread unconfirmed reports and speculation since early 2019 that it had been terminated due to threats of sanctions by the United States Treasury Department.

Jayapura – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB), based on its organisational mechanisms, held its 6th Leadership Meeting (Rapim) at Port Numbay in Jayapura, Papua, between May 13 and 15.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government aims to achieve economic growth between 5.1 percent and 5.5 percent in 2025, focusing on sustainable inflation, the development of the electric vehicle industry, digitalization, and climate change initiatives through green economy and energy policies. Indonesia had set a

Bali – Indonesian Civil Society Organizations would like to express our deepest regret and concern in regards to the repressive acts carried out by Patriot Garuda Nusantara (PGN) mass organisation to the People Water Forum (PWF) participants and committees.

Alfi Dinilhaq, Bali – Starlink internet service is now available in Indonesia following its official launch by Elon Musk in Bali on Sunday.

The Indonesian government hopes that Starlink's presence will enhance internet accessibility across the world's largest archipelago and reduce the number of internet black spots in remote areas.

Simon Butt – During an interview at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha last week, Indonesia's president-elect, Prabowo Subianto, was asked to respond to concerns that democracy would further regress under his presidency. According to a Jakarta Post report, Prabowo responded: "Where are the concerns about democracy?

Chandni Vatvani, Jakarta – For Indonesian fisherman Samsi, getting clean water to wash up after a long day of work is not that simple.

"Getting clean water is really difficult. When I first installed a pump, the water didn't come out," said the 63-year-old, who lives in the densely populated sub-district Kalibaru in North Jakarta's coastal Cilincing area.

Jakarta – Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said on Sunday that he had made an offer to Elon Musk for SpaceX to launch its rockets from Biak, Papua, where the government plans to build the country's first space station.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo formally introduced Prabowo Subianto as his successor on Monday, during the opening ceremony of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali.

Jakarta – The leadership of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has decided not to invite outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin to the party's national meeting next week.

Denpasar, Bali – Elon Musk and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin launched SpaceX's satellite internet service for the nation's health sector on Sunday, aiming to improve access in remote parts of the sprawling archipelago.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – President-elect Prabowo Subianto is pushing for a big government for when he takes over the helm in October, but it is not so much because he has ambitious big programs to run, but more because he needs to parcel out cabinet posts to political parties, individuals and institutions that helped him win the February election.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – As a nation, Indonesia is a vast archipelagic region with a wealth of history and traditions, reaching far back into the era of antiquity.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) recorded 791 corruption cases in Indonesia throughout 2023, involving 1,695 suspects.

Jakarta – Hundreds of people from Jakarta and the satellite cities of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) held a protest action to defend Palestine in front of the United States Embassy in Central Jakarta on Sunday May 19.

Juan Ardya Guardiola, Jakarta – Indonesia's economic productivity is lagging behind its neighbors due to too many government-approved holidays each year, an economist said on Saturday.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Yusril Ihza Mahendra abruptly announced his resignation as the chairman of the Muslim-based Crescent Star Party (PBB) on Saturday evening, prompting an internal vote to appoint an interim leader.

The former justice minister cited his age as the main reason for the surprise decision.

The Jakarta Police have identified the deceased as pilot Pulung Darmawan, co-pilot Suanda, and a mechanic named Farid.

The Tecnam P2006T training plane, owned by Indonesia Flying Club, crashed near an open field in the Bumi Serpong Damai real estate just south of Jakarta at 1:43 p.m. local time (6:43 a.m. GMT).

James Balowski – Tens of Thousands of workers, students and civil society groups took to the streets across Indonesia on May 1 to commemorate International Labour Day.

Kumurkek, SW Papua – Some 29 former members of the separatist group Free Papua Movement (OPM) operating in Southwest Papua have sworn allegiance to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, a military officer stated.

Linda Yulisman, Sukabumi, West Java – A trial programme providing a free meal a day has yielded not just financial relief for households but also improved child nutrition and student outcomes such as attendance and focus.

Maria Gabrielle, Jakarta – Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, and Deputy Trade Minister Jerry Sambuaga visited Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) Tanjung Priok Port on Saturday to address a controversial regulation that has left thousands of containers stranded at Indonesia's busiest port.

Muawwan Daelami, Jakarta – SEG Solar, a photovoltaic (PV) panel component manufacturer from the United States, is investing over US$500 million (Rp 8 trillion) to build a factory in Batang Industrial Park (Grand Batang City), Central Java.

Hendro Dahlan Situmorang, Jakarta – The CEO of BPJS Kesehatan, Ali Ghufron Mukti, has indicated the possibility of raising participant premiums for the national health insurance scheme.

This move comes as BPJS plans to introduce the Standard Inpatient Class (KRIS) starting June 30, 2025.

Jakarta – The Job Creation Law Task Force recently held a meeting with stakeholders to discuss minimum wage and outsourcing policies.

The task force's secretary Arif Budimanta said that the Job Creation Law sought to help the government create a business ecosystem that can generate jobs and eventually spur the economy.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Another nickel smelter in Kalimantan has exploded. A nickel smelter owned by PT Kalimantan Ferro Industry (PT KFI) in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, exploded on Thursday and Friday, May 16-17.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri reportedly has eight names in mind for the Jakarta gubernatorial race.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) stands resolute against the legalization of money politics, reaffirming its stance amidst a controversial proposal by a member of the House of Representatives.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – Delta Djakarta (DLTA), the producer of Anker beer, has seen a decline in performance throughout 2023. The beer industry in the world's largest Muslim-majority country continues to struggle with low consumption rates.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Tjitjik Sri Tjahjandarie, Secretary of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology, said that higher education is tertiary education and is not included in the government's compulsory education program. Hence, it could be concluded that attending a university is optional.

Antara, Jakarta – Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto emphasized Indonesia's desire for fair treatment from the European Union in a recent interview with German media outlet Handelsblatt.

Jakarta – West Sumatra authorities have declared a state of emergency in the province following flash floods and lahars over the weekend that killed dozens of people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

The emergency status declared on Monday would last until May 26, said Ilham Wahab, spokesperson of the West Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).

Jakarta – Press freedom is facing a new challenge. The broadcasting bill currently being deliberated at the House of Representatives has sparked public uproar for articles that will limit the work of journalists.

Jakarta – Hundreds of people living near an erupting volcano in eastern Indonesia have been evacuated after authorities raised its alert status to the highest level, an official said on Friday (May 17).

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia believes the government's commitment to reducing global warming is far from the 2015 Paris Agreement, which contains a collaborative framework to prevent global temperatures from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi receives a state visit from Australian Governor General David Hurley at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Friday morning, May 17, 2024.

Jakarta – Even though it has not been started, Prabowo Subianto's free lunch program is already providing an opportunity for a number of members of President Joko Widodo's cabinet to vie for posts in the forthcoming government.

Hariz Baharudin, Jakarta – Journalist organisations and netizens in Indonesia have slammed proposed changes to the country's broadcasting law, saying this could stifle press freedom and affect the quality of news reporting.