Hello reader,

We’ve got a jam-packed edition of Nusantara Notes today. With so many issues vying for the spotlight, it was a struggle to choose any particular highlights, so I chose to cram as many essential stories as possible (plus a rare mention of chicken rendang).

Enjoy reading these stories at the end of this scorching day (in Jakarta, at least), and I’ll see you back here tomorrow.

Cheers,

Andra

Law/Politics

• Things got heated at the House of Parliament (DPR) yesterday when lawmakers grilled Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim after the ministry requested to add IDR 25 trillion to its IDR83 trillion budget next year. Democrat Anitah Jacoba Gah was particularly livid, pointing out that schools throughout the country are in various states of disrepair and that many teachers often face delays in receiving their incentives.

• Drones getting shot down is ordinarily not newsworthy. But when one was brought down yesterday evening after circling over the office of the special crimes deputy attorney general (Jampidsus) in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, eyebrows were raised. Jampidsus, after all, is in the midst of probing a tin mining graft case alleged to have caused state losses of up to IDR 271 trillion. Incidentally, Jampidsus was also in the spotlight last week after a leading investigator was tailed by anti-terror police officers.

• A 16-year-old domestic worker tragically succumbed to her severe injuries, which she sustained after leaping from the third floor of her employer’s home in Karawaci, Tangerang on May 30. Her employer has been charged with violations of laws related to child protection and human trafficking, after an investigation revealed the victim had been subjected to mistreatment and coercion by her employer.

• Police in Dumai, Riau arrested a 22-year-old man on child pornography charges. The 22-year-old suspect allegedly sold videos to hundreds of customers via the messaging app Telegram. Authorities say they are now looking into the suspect’s supply chain.

• Comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono is winning plaudits for standing his ground against political dynasties during a recent guest appearance at the Total Politik podcast. In a no-holds-barred conversation, Pandji held nothing back in criticizing the apparent permissiveness for nepotism at the end of President Joko Widodo’s reign, while the podcast co-hosts seemingly did their best to justify dynasties. Watch the entire episode below (in Indonesian, though English closed captioning is available).

Business/Economy

• Are we supposed to feel sorry for local telcos if they lose out to Starlink? That, in a nutshell, was Coordinating Investment and Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan’s response to telecommunications firms decrying Starlink’s recent entry to Indonesia. Luhut argued that technological advancements and competition are inevitable, urging local companies to upgrade their technology and services to compete effectively. Er, he’s got a point?

• Staying with Luhut, the senior minister claimed that the European Union has acknowledged Indonesia's right to ban nickel ore exports. Luhut emphasized Indonesia's commitment to developing its domestic nickel downstream industry, adding significant value by processing nickel into stainless steel. 

• Muhammadiyah, one of the largest Islamic organizations in Indonesia and the world, has decided to transfer its funds from Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) to other sharia banks. The organization argued that this was necessary for the development of Islamic banking as a whole in Indonesia and prevent dominance by a single player.

• Just as we expected, employers are not entirely on board with the new law extending maternity leave to up to six months. The Indonesian Employer Association (Apindo) argues that the law could lead to decreased productivity and increased operational costs. They are calling for renewed dialogue to find another solution that does not burden employers nor rob female workers of their rights.

• Dining in paradise does not have to be expensive. The West Manggarai Regency Administration is launching a task force to prevent restaurants in Labuan Bajo from marking up their prices for tourists. This came after a tourist vented their frustrations online after being charged IDR 530 thousand for what was ordinarily a modest meal.

Everything Else

• More than 2,000 people remain in evacuation shelters across West Halmahera, North Maluku following a series of new eruptions from the Mount Ibu stratovolcano. The local Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and task forces continue to support evacuees spread across several villages and schools. The emergency response status has been extended to mid-June, advising residents to avoid areas within a 4-kilometer radius of the crater.

• Malaysian influencer Taqib Shaker went viral in Indonesia for his recent TikTok, in which he bemoaned how Malaysian movies often struggle to break the Indonesian market. But hey, we Indonesians (still!) love Siti Nurhaliza and Upin Ipin, and we begrudgingly admit that chicken rendang is delicious in its own way. Perhaps Malaysia just needs to invest more in its entertainment industry. 

@thaqibshaker

#filemindonesia #filemmalaysia #indonesia #malaysia #sinetron

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