Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia has requested to relax the criteria and requirements set for Timor-Leste in a bid to expedite the process for the country to become a full member of ASEAN by the end of this year, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Sapto Yunus, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto said that the government is currently handling the alleged corruption case in the management of crude oil and refinery products of PT Pertamina (Persero) for the period of 2018-2023, which caused state losses of up to Rp193.7 trillion.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Head of the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) Rear Admiral Irvansyah said that the agency's budget has long been far from ideal for carrying out maritime surveillance functions. According to him, the efficiency policy of President Prabowo Subianto in 2025 has further burdened the agency.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono received a visit from his Timor-Leste counterpart, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and ensure that the partnership provides concrete benefits.

Yerica Lai, Jakarta – A plan floated by President Prabowo Subianto to place representatives of religious organizations on the advisory board of the newly launched sovereign wealth fund Danantara has garnered mixed reactions, with analysts warning it could be an attempt to dampen public criticism of the controversial fund.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The Indonesian government will distribute Rp 50 trillion ($3 billion) in holiday bonuses, known as THR, to civil servants ahead of Eid al-Fitr. Payments will start at least three weeks before the holiday.

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung and his deputy Rano Karno are beginning their five-year tenure working for the city, which remains plagued by long-standing problems from traffic congestion to flooding.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Indonesia's economy is grappling with weakening consumer demand, as two consecutive months of deflation point to declining purchasing power and rising job losses. With Ramadan approaching, spending is expected to remain subdued as many Indonesians prioritize saving over discretionary purchases.

Sopian Hadi, Denpasar – Pecalang, Bali's traditional security guards, assisted in maintaining security around a mosque in Denpasar on Saturday, ensuring a smooth evening prayer for Muslims on the first day of Ramadan.

Teuila Fuatai – For more than 60 years, the Indigenous people of West Papua have sought independence from Indonesia. It's estimated that more than 500,000 civilians have been killed in the struggle, while thousands more have fled the region.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Labor Party considers the work of the Minister and Deputy Minister of Manpower incompetent for failing to prevent the layoffs of thousands of employees of PT Sri Rejeki Isman Tbk or Sritex.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The President of the Labour Party, Said Iqbal, believes that the termination of employment of thousands of PT Sri Rejeki Isman Tbk or Sritex employees is illegal and in violation of the law.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Former general Prabowo Subianto won the Indonesian presidential race in February 2024 after a campaign based on his "gemoy" or cute image showing a softer side that was far removed from his stern military background. But now, just four months since he took office, there are signs that these army links are creeping into his administration.

Ali Mirin – Last week, on 26 February 2025, President Prabowo Subianto officially launched Indonesia's first bullion banks, marking a significant shift in the country's approach to gold and precious metal management.

Jakarta – Wearing a traditional Indonesian black hat and shirt, President Prabowo Subianto speaks to the camera in an Instagram video, asking his people how he can help them after his election in 2024.

"Who hasn't received aid from me? What are your needs right now?" he appears to ask viewers in the clip posted in November.

Nivell Rayda, Singaraja, Bali – Before sunrise every morning, Mangku Borden Cahyadi walks from his home to the nearby Mas Penyeti Temple in Singaraja, a waterfront city in northern Bali.

As the Hindu temple's priest, Cahyadi ensures the compound is ready to welcome worshippers looking to offer prayers to the gods before their morning commute to work.

Putri Safira Pitaloka, Jakarta – In the past few days, fuel scarcity at several Shell Gas Stations (SPBU) has been in the spotlight. This is suspected to be the effect of alleged adulterated fuel scandal involving Pertamina.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – The Legal Aid Institute or LBH Jakarta urges the government to form an independent team to investigate the alleged adulteration of Pertamax fuel that has harmed the public.

Yovanda Noni, East Kalimantan – The Natural Resources Conservation Center of East Kalimantan has begun efforts to rescue a Bornean rhinoceros recently detected in a protected forest area.

Juan Ardya Guardiola, Jakarta – State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir announced on Saturday that he plans to transfer assets from all 47 SOEs, valued at approximately $909 billion, to the newly established sovereign wealth fund Danantara.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – The punk band Sukatani asserts that they never requested a police escort during the Crowd Noice concert at the Korpri Slawi Building, Tegal.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The exchange rate of the rupiah has been consistently under pressure since the closing of trade last Friday, February 28, 2025, reaching Rp 16,520 per US dollar. Currency observer Ibrahim Assuaibi warned that if this trend continues, the rupiah has the potential to touch the level of Rp 17,000 per US dollar in the near future, at least in March.

Bill Birtles – Standing silently, a 2.4 metre tall statue of four-headed Hindu god Brahma could tell an extraordinary story of adventure and intrigue over its seven centuries of existence.

Shinta Maharani, Amirullah, Yogyakarta – Dark Indonesia demonstrations were held by the Indonesian diaspora in the cities of Melbourne and Berlin on Saturday March 1. They were protesting the strengthening of militarism under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Jakarta – Almost 20 cooperatives have applied to receive mineral and coal mining management permits from the government, Deputy Cooperatives Minister Ferry Juliantono has said.

"The ministry has received applications from nearly 20 cooperatives for permits to mine tin, gold, coal and other minerals," Ferry said on Thursday, as quoted by Antara.

Jakarta – The Ministry of Defense has inducted 787 reserve component members from within its ranks and the Indonesian Army for this year.

The inducted members include civil servants and government employees holding work agreements with the ministry and the Army.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) believes that the public has the right to receive compensation from state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina related to the alleged mixing or adulteration of Pertamax fuel.

Istiqomatul Hayati, Jakarta – The circumstances surrounding the SUKATANI band's clarification video, which had puzzled netizens, have been revealed. Through their Instagram account on Saturday, March 1, 2025, the punk band from Purbalingga, Central Java, disclosed that they have experienced intimidation since July 2024.

Shinta Maharani, Yogyakarta – Indonesian students in Melbourne, Australia, staged a "Dark Indonesia" rally protesting the policies of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka on Saturday, March 1, 2025.

Jordan Hirst – Human rights groups have slammed a conservative province in Indonesia for publicly flogging two men convicted of having consensual gay sex in a "horrifying act of discrimination".

Earlier in the week, the two university students in Indonesia's Aceh province for having consensual same-sex sexual relations.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The exchange rate of the rupiah against the United States dollar experienced considerable pressure during the final week of February 2025.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Amirullah, Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) Deputy Director Husein Ahmad is asking the government to revise Law Number 31/1997 on Military Justice. He said that so far, the law has had the potential to result in impunity for TNI (Indonesian Military) members.

Wahroni, Tangerang – The Indonesian government has repatriated 84 of its citizens who were victims of an alleged online scam operation in Myanmar. All returnees arrived in Indonesia safely and in good health.

According to Judha Nugraha, Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, among the 84 repatriated individuals, 15 were women.

Andrea Hosana, Jakarta – The prices of staple food commodities in Indonesia, including chili and cooking oil, are expected to rise during Ramadan, driven by increased demand and supply limitations, according to the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF).

Jakarta – Had it not been for the overeager and blundering police investigators in Central Java, the punk band Sukatani would remain somewhat unknown and their anti-cop song "Bayar Bayar Bayar" (Pay Pay Pay) might only be a curiosity item among followers of the duo.

Natasya Salim and Tri Ardhya – Anger over slashed government budgets, poor quality of life, career stagnation and rampant official corruption is motivating many Indonesians to fantasise about "running away" from the country of 280 million people.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has floated a plan to hold a follow-up military retreat for local leaders next year, according to Deputy Home Affairs Minister Bima Arya.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto stated that the presence of the sixth President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and the seventh President Jokowi at the regional heads' retreat shows the continuity of national leadership.

Jakarta – The government has announced that Ramadan will start on Saturday following an isbat (confirmation) meeting with several Islamic organizations and other parties in Jakarta on Friday.

Jakarta – New sovereign wealth fund Danantara Indonesia will focus on large-scale projects generating good returns as it prioritises sectors championed by the government to increase economic growth and create jobs, its chief investment officer told Reuters.

Jakarta – Growing public distrust of the newly formed sovereign wealth fund, Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara), has sparked online discussions on switching banks and cash withdrawals, leading analysts to debate the actual risks of a potential bank run or the ensuing economic crisis.

Indonesia is now waking up to what I said after Prabowo Subianto was elected last year: that the ghost of Suharto has returned. The New Order dictatorship was buried twenty-five years ago, but under Prabowo's rule it is being reborn.

Jakarta – Indonesian democracy faced yet another tough challenge last week. Students and members of civil society came out onto the streets to protest President Prabowo Subianto's austerity measures, but unfortunately, the voices of opposition are being silenced.

Danial Donald, Kota Tinggi – Timor-Leste is confident that it has made significant progress and is on the right track to fulfil the roadmap outlined for its full membership in ASEAN.

Antara, Jakarta – The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Karen Agustiawan, former CEO of state-run oil company Pertamina, and extended her prison sentence from nine years to 13 years for her corruption conviction.

Aditya Hadi, Jakarta – Despite little chance of lowering benchmark interest rates amid a strengthening United States dollar and highs cost of bond issuance, the Indonesian government is pushing for growth while relying on budget cuts to finance key programs like the free nutritious meal program and the new sovereign wealth fund, Danantara.

Anastasya Lavenia Y, Jakarta – Several activists who are part of the Civil Society Coalition Against Corruption have reported alleged corruption related to the organization of the regional heads' retreat held at the Magelang Military Academy (Akmil) in Central Java.

Han Revanda, Jakarta – Chairperson of the National Economic Council (DEN) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan announced a promising prediction that 100,000 jobs are expected to be created in the textile and footwear industries. This opportunity emerged after a global apparel company expressed interest in tripling its orders from Indonesia over the next three years.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government is reducing the Value-Added Tax (VAT) on economy-class domestic flights to ease travel costs ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Under a new regulation, passengers will pay only 5 percent VAT instead of the standard 11 percent, as the remaining 6 percent is covered by the government.

Jakarta – The Banda Aceh Public Order Agency and Wilayatul Hisbah (Satpol PP WH), or "sharia police", plans to intensify monitoring during of Ramadan to prevent violations of Islamic law under a mandate from the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), according to the agency's duty chief.