CPO scandal’s second trial
The palm oil export corruption case was supposed to be about illegal permits, corporate misconduct and state losses during the 2022 cooking oil crisis. Instead, it has evolved into something far more alarming: a trial of Indonesia’s judiciary itself.
Who wins and loses if Indonesia bans vape?
The National Narcotics Agency’s (BNN) proposal to ban electronic cigarettes may sound like a public-health intervention. But behind the moral and medical arguments lies a deeper political-economy contest—one that could reshape Indonesia’s tobacco, retail, and tax landscapes.
DPR draws the line for judicial ethics
The House of Representatives (DPR) have publicly pressured the Constitutional Court’s Ethics Council (MKMK) not to process a complaint related to the appointment of Constitutional Court justice Adies Kadir. Their argument is simple: the MKMK has no authority to examine a political process carried out by the legislature.
The hidden danger in revising financial law
Barely three years after its passage, Omnibus Law on Financial Sector Development and Strengthening Law (UU P2SK) is already under revision. On the surface, the move appears technical, meant to follow up on a Constitutional Court ruling and clarify certain provisions. But beneath the procedural language lies a far more consequential issue: the growing risk of politicizing Bank Indonesia.
East Java’s grant scandal reaches the governor’s door
The East Java grant corruption case has entered a new and politically sensitive phase. What began as a bribery probe involving provincial legislators has now reached the witness stand of Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, underscoring how deeply rooted the problem may be in the region’s political economy.
The dangerous signal from the Martabe saga
The controversy surrounding the Martabe gold mine has exposed a troubling pattern in Indonesia’s policymaking: decisions are announced first, and only afterward are the facts examined. The government’s handling of the Martabe permit is not just a sectoral issue in mining. It is a warning sign about how policy signals are being sent to the market.
If the land is damaged, why is the business still running?
The government’s decision to revoke the permits of 28 companies in Sumatra following a series of deadly floods was framed as a bold environmental intervention. Officials said the move was necessary to correct years of mismanagement, forest encroachment and ecological neglect. The message was clear: environmental violations would no longer be tolerated.
When a digital ministry cannot guard its own data
Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) is meant to be the state’s front line in protecting the country’s digital space. Yet the recent exposure of a recruitment database containing sensitive personal information has instead highlighted a far more troubling reality: the institution tasked with safeguarding national data may still be struggling to secure its own.
Parliamentary threshold: An insiders’ shield against outsiders
As Indonesia prepares to revise its Election Law, the parliamentary threshold has returned as one of the most divisive issues in the political arena. But beyond the technical language of electoral design, the debate is exposing a deeper conflict: a struggle between political insiders who benefit from the current system and outsiders who are trying to break in.
Regulating fees will not save e-commerce sellers
The government’s plan to regulate administrative fees charged to merchants on e-commerce platforms may sound like a pro-small business move. In reality, it risks repeating a familiar policy mistake: treating symptoms while ignoring the deeper structural problems of Indonesia’s digital economy.