No deal with Google—but what about the state itself?
The latest court session in the corruption trial involving former education minister Nadiem Makarim has added a new layer of complexity rather than clarity. Three former executives of Google appeared as defense witnesses, firmly denying any form of agreement or preferential arrangement between the tech giant and the ministry over the controversial Chromebook procurement project.
Purbaya challenges Fadli Zon over royal legitimacy
A lawsuit filed by Purboyo—often identified as Purbaya, a rival claimant who styles himself as PB XIV—at the State Administrative Court against a decree issued by Fadli Zon, Minister of Culture, may appear to be a routine administrative dispute. In reality, it exposes a deeper question: Who determines royal legitimacy in modern Indonesia—the lineage of tradition or the authority of the state?
A Kartini gift—or a compromise in disguise?
House of Representatives moved to pass the long-delayed domestic workers protection bill, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad called it a “gift” for Kartini Day. After 22 years of legislative limbo, the symbolism is powerful. Millions of domestic workers—mostly women—have waited decades for recognition. The timing, aligned with Kartini Day and May Day, suggests a historic correction.
When watchdogs become brokers
The arrest of Hery Susanto, chairman of Ombudsman Republik Indonesia, over alleged bribery tied to a nickel mining dispute should not be read as just another corruption case. It reveals something more troubling: the quiet monetization of state oversight.
From tax holidays to tax credits
Government plans to shift from traditional tax holidays—full corporate income tax exemptions—to a more constrained system of tax credits. At first glance, this may seem like a technical adjustment. In reality, it marks a structural turning point in how Indonesia attracts and sustains industrial investment.
A case dismissed—but a question unresolved
The Constitutional Court (MK) recently declared a judicial review of the Police Law inadmissible, the ruling seemed, at first glance, procedural. The petition, which challenged the absence of a fixed term for the National Police chief, was rejected not on substance but on form—deemed legally “unclear” or obscuur.
The Hery Susanto Case
Hery Susanto was inaugurated as Chairman of the Ombudsman RI for the 2026-2031 term on April 10, 2026. Barely six days into his tenure, he was named a suspect and detained by the Attorney General’s Office over alleged bribery and corruption tied to the governance of nickel mining operations in Southeast Sulawesi. For lack of a better word, his career aged like milk. But how did he pass the selection process in the first place?
Outsourced regulation, imported crisis
The Rp755 billion fine imposed by Komisi Pengawas Persaingan Usaha (KPPU) on 97 peer-to-peer lending platforms has triggered predictable outrage. Industry players argue the decision misreads the nature of fintech lending. Lawmakers hint the ruling could still be overturned. Economists warn of investor flight.
Decentralizing truth: When data becomes power in villages
Lawmakers are once again attempting to fix a chronic governance problem: unreliable data. Through the proposed Satu Data Indonesia Bill (RUU SDI), the House of Representatives—particularly the Badan Legislasi DPR(Baleg)—seeks to elevate villages from passive data objects into active data producers, managers and even interpreters.
Fuel shortage or market engineering?
Recent findings by the Komisi Pengawas Persaingan Usaha (KPPU) suggest a more troubling possibility: what if scarcity is not merely an accident of the market, but a byproduct of how the market itself is designed?