Domestic workers and the politics of legislative delay

Mar 6, 2026 | Law, Politics

For more than two decades, Indonesia has debated the need to legally protect one of the country’s most invisible workforces: domestic workers. Yet despite repeated commitments from lawmakers, the long-awaited Domestic Workers Protection Bill (RUU PPRT) remains stalled...

Cepu and the politics of the 50:50 debate

Mar 5, 2026 | Commodities, Politics

Debate over the future of Cepu, the largest oil producing block, has once again exposed a familiar tension in Indonesia’s energy policy: the delicate balance between attracting investment and defending national resource interests. The latest controversy centers on...

BoP dilemma amid the Iran–US escalation

Mar 5, 2026 | Politics

The rapid escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States has unexpectedly exposed a diplomatic dilemma for Indonesia. In the days following the conflict, a series of political and diplomatic signals emerged in Jakarta: former president Megawati...

Prabowo’s geopolitical play

Mar 4, 2026 | Market, Politics

President Prabowo Subianto invited former presidents and vice presidents to the State Palace this week, the official explanation was to discuss “global geopolitical developments.” The wording was intentionally broad. But the timing—amid escalating tensions in the...

Golkar’s second regent in an OTT

Mar 4, 2026 | Law, Politics

The arrest of Fadia Arafiq in a recent sting operation (OTT) by the Commission for the Eradication of Corruption (KPK) has quickly evolved from a local legal case into a national political signal. With this operation, Fadia became the second Golkar regent to be...

A shift in public reactions to foreign policy

Mar 3, 2026 | Market, Politics

The ongoing petition, signed by several Indonesian civil society groups opposing the country’s trade agreement and participation in Trump’s Board of Peace, reveals an important development in Indonesia’s policy landscape. At a time when public concern remains...

Dynasties and the optics of power

Mar 3, 2026 | Politics

The Rp 8.5 billion official vehicle controversy involving Rudy Mas’ud, Governor of Kalimantan Timur, should have been a routine budget debate. The vehicle was canceled, an apology was issued and the funds were returned. Yet the episode refused to fade. It...

Death penalty, due process and the Fandi case

Mar 3, 2026 | Law, Politics

Indonesia’s war on drugs has long been framed as a matter of national survival. With traffickers moving tons of narcotics across maritime borders, the state has consistently defended harsh penalties — including death sentences — as necessary deterrence. Yet the...

Public employment becomes a fiscal illusion

Mar 2, 2026 | Market, Politics

The government’s plan to potentially “send home” up to 9,000 contract-based civil servants (PPPK) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has exposed a deeper contradiction at the heart of Indonesia’s public employment policy. These workers were recruited, formally appointed, and...
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