In a constitutional democracy, court rulings are meant to end debates, not invite administrative creativity. Constitutional Court (MK) exists precisely to provide finality in constitutional interpretation. When its decisions are treated as suggestions rather than...

Victims of the recent Sumatra floods lost access to electricity for days, and many of them had to rely on their own resources due to the slow emergency response from the government. In stark contrast, it seems like the government institutions and elites have been busy competing for praise from Prabowo Subianto by making a momentary, yet fatal illusion out of this situation.

In moments of national crisis, accuracy is not merely a technical requirement—it is the foundation of public trust. Indonesia witnessed a stark reminder of this when Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia told President Prabowo Subianto that electricity in disaster-stricken Aceh had been restored “93 percent.” The statement, delivered confidently during a presidential inspection, was meant to reassure. Instead, it ignited a wave of disbelief, anger, and ridicule from Acehnese communities who were still living in darkness.

An MBG delivery van broke through a gate and crashed into students in the schoolyard of SDN 01 Kalibaru, Cilincing, North Jakarta. The police have detained the driver and a helper, who was also in the van during the accident, and are currently investigating. There is a suspicion of human negligence, but it might also indicate bigger problems in the distribution of the free nutritious meals, which are all rooted in poor supervision.

One could say that student organizations, along with other civil society groups, are the only hope for checks and balances given no formal opposition in the parliament. They keep resistance against injustice alive through social movements. But several student executive bodies (BEM) are facing co-optation issues–something that can neuter their independence.

Indonesia’s political landscape is shifting, and for the first time since the Helsinki peace agreement, Aceh’s influence is extending beyond regional politics. At the center of this phenomenon is Muzakir Manaf, popularly known as Mualem, the former commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) who now serves as Governor of Aceh. His growing national relevance is shaped not only by his symbolic legacy but also by unfolding political and environmental crises that have placed Aceh in the national spotlight.

After a working visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, President Prabowo Subianto departed for Moscow to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday (10/12). This bilateral meeting is essential for the Indonesia-Russia strategic partnership, but it might leave a bad taste for the people considering the unresolved post-disaster issues back home.

The appointment of KH Zulfa Mustofa as acting chairman of PBNU has been framed publicly as an administrative step to fill a leadership vacuum. In reality, it marks a decisive political shift inside Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)—a shift that reflects a deeper confrontation between state power, oligarchic interests, and the pesantren-based moral authority that has long defined NU’s identity. At the center of this confrontation is former vice president Ma’ruf Amin, whose influence, though quiet, has now re-emerged with unmistakable clarity.

The public feud between a DPR member and Ferry Irwandi—triggered by a dismissive remark questioning Ferry’s Rp10 billion humanitarian contribution—may look like yet another political squabble in Jakarta’s crowded noise chamber. But the uproar it generated reveals something far more unsettling: the state is increasingly sensitive to criticism, while the people have grown desensitized to the state’s absence.

The proposal in the House of Representatives for the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) to establish a special body to counter “misleading narratives” on social media may appear, at first glance, to be a pragmatic response to the flood of disinformation. Yet the term “misleading narratives” is so elastic, so infinitely interpretable, that creating a state institution dedicated to policing it risks dragging Indonesia toward a model of managed democracy — a system in which the state not only governs but curates truth itself.