Sanitation is not the only problem with the free nutritious meals (MBG) program. A few days ago, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN)’s social media account was flooded with comments from MBG staff who demanded their delayed salary payments. As it turned out, thousands of them have not been paid for months, while some others even worked as interns without a proper contract.

When a senior politician is reported to the police for recalling the crimes of a dictator, we should ask: what kind of democracy are we becoming?

Turning Soeharto into a National Hero would not merely decorate a grave; it would redefine the nation’s memory at a time when Indonesia is still struggling to honor the promises of Reformasi. The renewed push—surfacing again just as the Palace receives a slate of 49 honorees for Heroes’ Day—has exposed a widening rift between nostalgia-driven stability politics and rights-based accountability.

Mass food poisoning cases have become rampant in Indonesia, resulting from the poor governance over the MBG program. Thousands of victims were hospitalized to receive medical treatment and the incurred expenses were substantial. But who is responsible for all expenses in the event of an emergency? The central government through BGN, or the local government?

House of Representatives (DPR) ethics council, the Mahkamah Kehormatan Dewan (MKD), wrapped up its latest series of hearings in early November, the outcomes carried a familiar rhythm. Lawmakers who had gone viral for controversial remarks, displays of insensitivity, or moral lapses were disciplined — but rarely punished. Those deemed “innocent” were swiftly reinstated. The message, once again, is that the system knows how to calm public outrage without reforming itself.

When President Prabowo Subianto met Ignasius Jonan at the State Palace earlier this week, the encounter—officially described as “a friendly exchange between citizens”—was hardly routine. It came amid rising unease in Indonesia’s energy sector: from the swelling Whoosh high-speed rail debt to a controversial fuel import policy that once again exposed the fragility of national energy governance.

The arrest of Riau Governor Abdul Wahid by KPK  has again reminded how fragile provincial governance can be when power collides with patronage. Wahid, a newly inaugurated governor from the National Awakening Party (PKB), was detained together with nine other officials during a sting operation linked to infrastructure projects under the provincial Public Works and Spatial Planning Office. Cash was reportedly confiscated.

Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) announced that it was “studying China’s influencer certification model.”  It appeared to many as a well-intentioned move to combat misinformation and promote accountability among content creators. Should influence be licensed by the state?

When Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo — the niece of President Prabowo Subianto — announced her resignation from the House of Representatives, it was initially framed as an act of moral responsibility. Her name had been dragged into public criticism amid debates over nepotism and political dynasties, and the gesture seemed to symbolize integrity — a rare commodity in Indonesia’s contemporary political landscape.

When Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) described West Java’s Kertajati International Airport as “big, beautiful, and grand—but in the middle of nowhere,” it immediately sparked public attention. To many, it sounded like a blunt critique of one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects launched under Jokowi’s administration. But in politics, words rarely mean only what they say.