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.
Hashim’s “normal “and the illusion of oversight
Hashim Djojohadikusumo described food safety failures in the government’s Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) program as “normal,” he may have intended to contextualize the challenges of scaling a massive initiative. But taken together with his remarks about oversight—particularly the role of Reda Manthovani and a proposed monitoring application—the statement reveals something more concerning: a system that risks substituting real accountability with performative control.
From kingmaker to outsider: Is Jusuf Kalla fighting for relevance?
The latest public exchange between Jusuf Kalla and Joko Widodo is not merely a clash of words. It is a signal—subtle but unmistakable—of a deeper recalibration within political economy. What appears on the surface as a disagreement over an academic credential has quickly evolved into something far more consequential: a contest over legacy, relevance and future access to power.
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?
Nepotism: Easy money from meat import quota
Lutfi Hasan Ishaaq, then president of Islamic party PKS was sentenced 16 years prison in 2013 for his role in bribery related to allotment of import quota for beef. This was possible because PKS cadres controlled ministry of agriculture for 10 years (2014-2024). Will we see new Lutfis behind the bars for the same practice?
BGN’s new offices
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) plans to expand its organizational structure this year by establishing regional offices and service offices (KPPG) across Indonesia. The regional offices will handle coordination at the provincial level, while the KPPG will operate at the city/district level. This development makes one wonder. Why does the MBG program appear to become increasingly bureaucratic?
Not a military regime—yet
The decision to gather regional legislative leaders for a multi-day retreat at the Akademi Militer Magelang raises a question that should not be dismissed too quickly: what exactly is being consolidated—policy coordination, or political control?
Muktamar NU 2026
By any measure, the 2026 congress of Nahdlatul Ulama will not be routine. It is shaping up to be a defining moment—not only for the world’s largest Muslim organization, but for the direction of moral and political landscape. Beneath the formal language of “organizational consolidation” lies a deeper contest: who controls NU, and for what purpose?
US-Indonesia/-China: Economic implications
Prabowo administration made some controversial decisions with huge economic implications going forward. On February 19, 2026, Prabowo signed two agreements during his meetings with Donald Trump: the US-Indonesia Agreement of Reciprocal Trade (ART), Indonesia joining US-led Board of Peace (BoP).