2024 has been an unfortunate year for the Islamic party PPP. The Party failed to pass the parliamentary threshold in the 2024 legislative election and consequently they will be excluded from the House of Representatives (DPR) for 2024-2029 period. On Wednesday (Jul. 24), former Chairman of PPP Hamzah Haz, who once served as Vice President (VP) during Megawati Soekarnoputri’s presidency from 2001 to 2004, passed away at 84 years old.

What a birthday gift for Lalu Muhammad Iqbal from president elect Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo, in his capacity as supreme leader of Gerindra Party, issued a ticket for Iqbal to run as governor of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) in this year’s election. 

Free lunch and milk is signature program from the upcoming Prabowo-Gibran administration. Pretty much like Jokowi’s new capital city (IKN) Nusantara, the free lunch and milk will become the single largest project in the next five years. More than US$4 billion have been set aside from the State Budget for the first year of the program.

Didit Hediprasetyo, the only son of president-elect Prabowo Subianto, has been involved in high-fashion and haute couture for decades. His father will be sworn in as president on October 20, 2024, but Didit has been centre of gravity for quite sometime now. 

Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) has ruled in favour of Felda-owned FIC Properties Sdn Bhd in the company’s second attempt to exercise the put option to sell its 37% stake in PT Eagle High Plantations Tbk (BWPT) back to the Rajawali Group, The New Strait Times reported on Friday (June 28). What Peter Sondakh’s Rajawali Group will do next?

The Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) is expected to announce its verdict on the arbitration lawsuit filed by FIC Properties Sdn Bhd, unit of Malaysia’s FELDA, against the Rajawali Group, a diversified business group controlled by Indonesian tycoon Peter Sondakh. 

President elect Prabowo Subianto met leaders of political parties within his ruling coalition on Thursday (Jun 20) in Jakarta. They were Airlangga Hartarto (chairman of Golkar Party), Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (Democratic Party), Zulkifli Hasan (PAN), and Anis Matta (Gelora). Leaders of other coalition members, including Kaesang Pangarep (PSI, son of outgoing president Jokowi), were not there.

Tanri Abeng, former minister of state-owned enterprises and chairman of state oil and gas company Pertamina, has on Sunday (June 23) passed away in Jakarta at 82 years old. Tanri and his children control Tason Holdings, which has interest in some business sectors, including oil and gas.

SSP Group, a UK-based foodservice company, has announced its plan to enter the food and beverage business (F&B) in Indonesia through a joint venture (JV) with food and beverage operator PT Taurus Gemilang (TG) Group. SSP Group will own 60% of the new company, while TG Group will own the rest. The JV, in addition, will see SSP Group operate 13 outlets, 12 of which are located at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, alongside a single site at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java province. SSP Group is expected to operate TG’s current units at Bali and Surabaya in the third quarter.

Robby Tjahjadi (Sie Tjie It) passed away on May 31, 2024. Robby is a controversial businessman who made a successful comeback after serving time in the 1970s for heading a luxury car smuggling syndicate.