When Trans7 aired a segment that allegedly mocked Pesantren Lirboyo and its revered cleric, KH Anwar Manshur, it did more than offend one of Indonesia’s oldest Islamic boarding schools—it reignited a national debate about how the media perceives religion, authority, and the rural soul of the nation.

After its losing streak in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Indonesia has to postpone its dream of participating in the prestigious football World Cup for another four years. Fans, who are devastated by their beloved national team’s underperformance in recent games, now blame both Patrick Kluivert, the manager, and Erick Thohir, the chairman of PSSI that made the controversial decision to hire Kluivert earlier this year.

The Indonesian government officially launched Garuda Schools, another of President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship programs in the education sector, in 12 locations across the country on Wednesday (08/10). Four additional Garuda Schools are currently under construction and set to accept new high-achieving students starting next year. Similar to People’s Schools, this initiative also sparked discourse among the public.

When the government decided to block Israel’s gymnastics team from entering Jakarta for the upcoming World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, it did more than just reaffirm its pro-Palestinian stance. It also reopened an old wound — the same one that cost the country its hosting rights for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

So, President Prabowo Subianto has installed Dony Oskaria as head of the BP BUMN (regulatory agency for state-owned enterprises/SOEs), an agency replacing ministry of SOEs. Until now, however, it is not clear whether Donny concurrently holds position as chief operating officer (COO) of sovereign wealth fund Danantara, which controls and manages SOEs.

When United Development Party (PPP) chairman Muhamad Mardiono declared that his camp had achieved islah—reconciliation—with rival Agus Suparmanto, he wrapped it in the language of virtue: “facilitated by good people.” But the islah was neither organic nor moral. It was engineered—an administrative peace designed to neutralize dissent and restore order within a party long reduced to political ornamentation.

Indonesia’s education sector has been under close public scrutiny lately. Amid growing concerns about the free nutritious meals program that led up to mass food poisoning, an Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo collapsed and claimed 65 innocent lives. This recent incident shows that the problem goes beyond just the poor construction; it is also a manifestation of the government’s negligence in child protection.

The recently issued SK from the Ministry of Law acknowledging Muhammad Mardiono as the legitimate chairman of PPP is being marketed as a triumph of procedural correctness — but its deeper significance is far more troubling. In Indonesia’s fragile democracy, such moves can quietly shift a party’s soul without ever needing a bullet.

Regent of Banyumas, Sadewo Lastiono, recently talked about the unclear regulations regarding the role of local government in the free nutritious meals (MBG) program. The local government, according to Sadewo, was not even included in the planning stage. If true, this is a serious systemic issue that indicates the flawed design of the program.