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Hello reader,

Happy Lunar New Year, and may this year of the snake bring us abundant blessings and prosperity (read: “cuan”).

Time certainly moves fast if one keeps up with Indonesian affairs on a near-daily basis. It has been 100 days since President Prabowo Subianto took office, and his report card from the people is sparkling, to say the least.

How would you rate the early days of Prabowo’s leadership? We’ll dive into Prabowo’s sky-high approval rating in today’s edition, and more.

Cheers,

Andra

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Law/Politics

• Surveys from Litbang Kompas and Indikator Politik Indonesia indicate strong public approval of President Prabowo Subianto’s first 100 days in office. Indikator Politik’s survey (January 16–21) found that 79.3% of respondents were satisfied with Prabowo’s leadership, with only 16.9% expressing dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, Litbang Kompas' survey (January 4–10) showed an even higher approval rating at 80.9%. Notably, lower-income groups expressed the highest satisfaction, while upper-income respondents showed relatively lower approval. Both surveys suggest Prabowo is going through a "political honeymoon" period in the early days of his leadership, surpassing the initial 100-day approval ratings of former President Joko Widodo in 2015.

• House of Parliament (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani praised Prabowo’s high public approval, but emphasized the need for his administration to stay focused on public welfare. She also commended the government's early initiatives, including the free nutritious meal (MBG) program, while noting that there are still areas for improvement.

• Meanwhile, the de facto opposition party to which Puan belongs, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), scored the lowest approval rating among parliamentary parties according to Litbang Kompas’ survey, with 56.3% public approval and 53.1% satisfaction. In contrast, Prabowo’s Gerindra leads with an 88.3% approval and 83% satisfaction, followed by the Democratic Party (81.4%) and PKB (78.6%). PDI-P spokesperson Guntur Romli acknowledged the results as feedback but questioned their accuracy, citing a different survey where the party ranked second.

• Acting Governor of Jakarta, Teguh Setyabudi, claimed that flood management in Jakarta this time was better than in 2020—when flash floods inundated much of the city on New Year’s Day—despite higher rainfall. He stated that floods in several areas, including National Monument (Monas), receded more quickly than before. Teguh attributed the flooding on January 28-29 to extreme weather, which exceeded the capacity of Jakarta’s water reservoirs. Despite some areas still being inundated, he asserted that Jakarta's flood response has improved significantly.

• Rohingya refugees stranded on Leuge Beach, East Aceh, on Wednesday evening have been relocated to a temporary shelter in East Peureulak. Local officials transported the 76 individuals—40 men, 32 women, and four toddlers—using two trucks after an agreement between the East Aceh Government, IOM, and UNHCR. They join 379 other Rohingya refugees already housed in the region. Earlier this month, 264 Rohingya migrants arrived in West Peureulak by boat. The latest group remained aboard their vessel for about six hours before being evacuated to shore. Thousands of the heavily persecuted ethnic group leave Myanmar each year and brave treacherous sea journeys to reach Indonesia or Malaysia.

Business/Economy

• Indonesia imports 54% of its fuel from Singapore, a country without oil reserves, which Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia called an ironic and embarrassing reality. Bahlil noted that Indonesia once exported 1 million barrels per day in 1996-1997 but now imports the same amount daily due to declining domestic production. Oil lifting has dropped from 1.6 million barrels per day in the late ‘90s to just 600,000 in 2024, while consumption has surged. To address this, Bahlil proposed optimizing idle wells, utilizing Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technology, and accelerating development for 300 explored but inactive wells.

• Indonesia and India have signed a healthcare cooperation agreement following President Prabowo’s January 24-26 visit to India. The MoU, signed by Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, covers medical workforce training, pharmaceutical technology transfer, and vaccine production partnerships. The collaboration also strengthens pharmaceutical ties, with Bio Farma partnering with Serum Institute of India (SII) for TB diagnostic tools and recombinant BCG vaccines. A key highlight is the mutual recognition of healthcare qualifications, allowing Indonesian and Indian professionals to work across borders, improving healthcare access, especially in remote areas.

• PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) reported that it has reduced its physical branch offices by nearly 1,000 units over the past three years, shifting instead to leveraging small grocery stores as BRIlink agents to embrace a shared economy model. As of September 2024, BRI has over 1 million agents nationwide, a substantial increase from 75,000 in 2015, facilitating transactions worth IDR 1,589 trillion in 2024. This strategy caters to Indonesians who prefer physical, personalized banking services over digital ones.

• Pertamina Patra Niaga has dismissed rumors of a price increase for 3 kg LPG cylinders, affirming that the price at official Pertamina bases adheres to the Highest Retail Price (HET) set by local governments. The firm emphasized that there has been no price hike and urged consumers to purchase LPG only from official bases, identifiable by signage displaying the HET, to ensure fair pricing, quality, and accurate weight. Pertamina currently operates 259,226 official bases nationwide, with ongoing expansion through initiatives like the "one village one outlet" (OVOO) program and efforts to integrate retailers into the official network. 

Everything Else

• The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has officially replaced the New Student Admission System (PPDB) with the New Student Enrollment System (SPMB) starting in 2025. Key changes include adjustments in the admission percentages for junior high schools (SMP) across four pathways: domicile, affirmation, achievement, and mutation, while senior high school (SMA) admissions will now be managed at the provincial level, allowing cross-district/city enrollment. Elementary school admissions remain unchanged.