Catching operators, missing owners
War on online gambling is producing impressive numbers. Police raids, blocked websites, frozen bank accounts, and publicized arrests have become routine. Yet behind these statistics lies a more uncomfortable truth: the state is winning battles against operators, but losing the war against the system—and its real owners.
Fresh pressure on Samin Tan and the coking coal asset
Satgas PKH has imposed administrative fines of Rp4.2 trillion against PT Asmin Koalindo Tuhup, a coking coal producer controlled by Samin Tan (Borneo Lumbung Energi/BORN). Samin himself has been named corruption suspect by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) for the alleged illegal mining operations for nine years.
Long-list of P2P lending platforms fined by KPPU
Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) has recently fined 97 peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms due to operating the alleged interest rate cartel practices. The lenders violated Article 5 of Law No. 5 of 1999 by coordinating interest rates far above market equilibrium, effectively stifling price competition. Consequently, the commission imposed collective fines totaling Rp755 billion, with 52 firms receiving the minimum penalty of Rp1 billion each. The verdict was read out at the Commission’s Panel hearing last week.
Revoked, then restored: Is Indonesia serious about mining reform?
PT Agincourt Resources, subsidiary of IDX-listed United Tractors (UNTR, member of Astra Group), was allowed to resume operations at the Martabe gold mine, the government framed it as a pragmatic decision—one that balanced enforcement with economic reality. What does this reversal say about the credibility of mining reform agenda?
Fighting economic crime, or centralizing power?
The latest draft regulation on economic crimes, reportedly being prepared in the form of a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu), arrives with a familiar justification: the need for speed, strength and coordination in tackling increasingly complex financial offenses. In a country long plagued by corruption, illicit financial flows and regulatory fragmentation, the argument may sound compelling. But beneath the urgency lies a far more consequential question—whether this policy is truly about strengthening law enforcement, or quietly concentrating power.
KPK setting a bad precedent
The KPK’s flip-flop decision in Yaqut Cholil Qoumas’ case has set a bad precedent. Now, the family of Immanuel Ebenezer also plans to apply to have his detention converted to house arrest. The request is not based solely on medical grounds, but also on a wish for him to spend the upcoming holidays with his family. Without the context that both men are implicated in major corruption cases, the appeal truly reads more like a routine leave request from employees to their superiors. Since when has the administration of justice become this permissive?
Who writes the rules for their own retirement?
The Constitutional Court (MK) has quietly issued a ruling that could reshape one of the most entrenched privileges in the country’s political system: lifetime pensions for former state officials. By declaring key provisions of Law No. 12/1980 outdated and partially unconstitutional, the Court has effectively opened the door to a fundamental question that has long gone unasked—why should political elites receive benefits that far exceed those available to ordinary citizens?
KPK’s flip-flop decisions
Some time ago, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officially detained former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas over alleged corruption in the Hajj quota. Yaqut was initially scheduled to remain in detention from March 12 to March 31, 2026, but the KPK abruptly reversed its decision and placed him under house arrest, just days before Eid al-Fitr. This sudden shift inevitably raises public concerns about whether undue privilege is at play.
TNI’s involvement in the Andrie Yunus case
The acid attack on Andrie Yunus has entered a new phase following the arrest of suspected perpetrators. However, the TNI’s involvement raises fresh concerns about where the case is heading. Is this all about uncovering the truth or controlling it from the outset? With overlapping authority between the military and the National Police, the real test now is whether justice will be pursued transparently or quietly contained.
MBG: Corruption and Nepotism
Two heads of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) in Ponorogo, East Java, claimed the foundation managing their SPPGs intimidated them into limiting spending to Rp 6,500 per serving. The incident has drawn widespread attention, particularly amid reports that...