Six out of ten bodyguards of Rizieq Shihab, the supreme leader of the hardline group FPI, were shot dead on Monday (Dec. 7) after allegedly attacking the Police on the Jakarta-Cikampek (Japek) toll road. The Police are still hunting down the four other bodyguards.

Less than two weeks after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Minister of Marine & Fisheries Edhy Prabowo, the KPK named the Minister of Social Affairs Juliari P Batubara a suspect of corruption related to COVID-19 social assistance (Bansos) fund. Juliari was detained on Sunday (Dec. 6) following a sting operation held a day earlier. Juliari is also the deputy treasurer of the ruling party PDIP. Pressure has been mounted on President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to make a broader cabinet reshuffle.

The new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) under the leadership of Police Comr. Gen. Firli Bahuri has been criticized by civil society groups and anti-corruption activists even before Firli and his four deputies were inaugurated. Criticisms continue to flow even though the new KPK has arrested two active ministers under the administration of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

The PA 212, a hardline Muslim group wherein Rizieq Shihab serves as its supreme leader, held a virtual 212 reunion event on Dec. 2. The former Military (TNI) Commander General (retired) Gatot Nurmantyo and the other key leaders of the so-called Coalition to Save Indonesia (KAMI) were also present in the event. The participants talked about, among others, the 2024 presidential race.

The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) stated that it had not yet submitted the names of police chief candidates to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. In the meantime, we’re still waiting for a police job rotation that could give a clearer picture of the race to become the next chief of the National Police (Kapolri).

Muswirah Kalla, the daughter of former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, reported ex-Democratic Party politician Ferdinand Hutahean and social political observer Rudi S. Kamri to the Police for defamation. Both Ferdinand and Rudi were reported for allegedly spreading rumors and accusations against Kalla related to Kalla’s visit to Saudi Arabia and the return of Rizieq Shihab, the supreme leader of the hardline group FPI, to Indonesia.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has appointed the Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo as the Ad Interim Minister of Marine & Fisheries. The Coordinating Minister for Maritime & Investment General (ret) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan was previously assigned to the job. But the President brought in Yasin Limpo after Luhut asked for permission to go on a work trip to Tokyo, Japan. Syahrul is a former key leader of the Golkar Party. He jumped ship to the Nasdem Party, a political party led by media mogul Surya Paloh.

The race for becoming the next Chief of the National Police (Kapolri) is heating up. Only two months are left before General Idham Azis enters his mandatory retirement on Jan. 30, 2021. Some believe that it is a time for the Chief of the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) Police Comr. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar, who has been also mentioned as one of potential police chief candidates, to shine. He has the opportunity to do so by pursuing the members of Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT) led by Ali Kalora, who is responsible for the recent massacre of four family members in Sigi, Central Sulawesi.