The $2 billion question: where did Fortnite users go?
The layoffs at Epic Games—more than 1,000 employees cut as Fortnite continues to lose momentum—are not just another chapter in the tech industry’s long list of restructurings. They signal something deeper: a redistribution of attention, time and money in the global gaming economy.
Built fast, or built right?
Sekolah Rakyat program is being sold as a bold intervention to break the cycle of poverty through education. With a target of more than 100 new schools in its second phase alone—promised to be completed by June 2026—the initiative signals urgency, ambition, and political commitment. But behind the narrative of acceleration lies a more uncomfortable question: is the government building these schools fast, or building them right?
Indonesia plays, others profit
When Savvy Games Group acquired Moonton from ByteDance for roughly US$6 billion, it did more than transfer ownership of one of the world’s most popular mobile games. It marked a deeper shift in who controls the digital ecosystems that millions of Indonesians inhabit every day — and highlighted the rise of a new, unlikely superpower in gaming: Saudi Arabia.
The fall of RISE
Shares of PT Jaya Sukses Makmur Sentosa Tbk (RISE), a property developer, ended lower by 2.91% to Rp2,000 on Wednesday (Mar 25). That means the stock has fallen 80% from its peak in late November 2025. That’s not enough though.
Hashim’s WIFI so far
Shares of PT Solusi Sinergi Digital Tbk (WIFI), an ICT infrastructure company, ended substantially higher by 10% to Rp2,200 on Wednesday (Mar 25) as investors responded positively the company’s strong financial performance last year.
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 By declaring key provisions of Law No. 12/1980 outdated and partially unconstitutional, the Court has effectively opened the door to a fundamental question that has long gone unasked—why should political elites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?
Feeding the people—or feeding a new corruption ecosystem?
President Prabowo Subianto has framed his flagship Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) program in stark moral terms: better for state funds to feed the people than to be lost to corruption. It is a line that resonates powerfully in a country long frustrated by leakages in public spending. But as compelling as the sentiment may be, the framing risks obscuring a more uncomfortable truth: large-scale welfare programs, if poorly designed, can themselves become fertile ground for the very corruption they seek to displace.
Too many voices, no single message
Recent policy signals on energy conservation reveal less about the severity of the crisis than about the state of its governance. Within days, the government floated the idea of work-from-home (WFH) to reduce fuel consumption, while simultaneously cancelling plans for remote schooling to avoid learning loss. The result is a confusing public narrative: mobility should be reduced—but not entirely; austerity is necessary—but selectively applied.
Gainers of 2025 (3): Charoen Pokphand
Charoen Pokphand (CPIN), the largest integrated poultry player in the country, booked net profit of Rp5.64 trillion last year, surged by 52% from 2024 on improved operating margins, which might have been lifted by President Prabowo Subianto’s free nutritious meal (MBG) program.
Prabowo and his commitments
There is a popular joke in Indonesia that Warung Madura will stay open 24/7, even through the apocalypse. Now, it seems like the MBG program is operating on the same principle. Amid mounting economic pressure from the global crisis, Prabowo Subianto has pressed ahead with his flagship initiative, determined to shield it from efficiency cuts. He may call this unwavering commitment. But that commitment comes at a steep cost, which extends beyond a ballooning state budget.