Some market participants expect more interesting investment stories in Indonesia next year following completion of major infrastructure projects, including trans-Java toll road, portion of trans-Sumatra toll road, new ports, New Yogyakarta International Airport (NYIA), modern mass transportation (MRT, LRT) in Jakarta, and tens of dams/water reservoirs in various parts of the country.
Read MoreWinning eastern provinces was key to Jokowi’s victory in 2014 election. So, while losing with big margin in West Java, the most populous province in Indonesia, to Prabowo, Jokowi sealed the race with decent margin nationally. Recent surveys point to tight race in West Java, Banten, and Jakarta for 2019 race, so maintaining lead in eastern part of the country will be key to win the second term.
Read MoreThe General Election Commission (KPU) announced the sequence of the five (vice) presidential debates last week, but they still have not determined the date of the fifth (last) debate. The KPU is going to hold a meeting this coming December 26 to determine the moderator of the debates, and perhaps then they will also refine the details on the last debate. In the meantime, politicians from both the competing sides have promised a decisive first debate.
Read MoreThe foreign press call them concentration camps, the Chinese Government call them vocational training institutions. Whatever the truth may be, the situation concerning the Uighur people in Xinjiang, China has entered Indonesia’s political discourse. On Friday (Dec. 21) last week, protests were staged in front of the Chinese Consulate in Medan and in front of the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta. The protests didn’t turn violent, but given that the people involved—Novel Bamukmin, Neno Warisman, Bachtiar Nasir—are members of the so-called 212 Alumni Group, we ought to discuss its significance.
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