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Hello reader,

We have come to the end of July, so what better way to celebrate than by opening up today’s edition of Nusantara Notes to all?

Sadly, a new child abuse scandal is the day’s biggest story. What’s even more disheartening about this case is that the alleged perpetrator is a parenting influencer, who doesn’t appear to practice what she preached.

More on that below, as well as the latest and most important stories from across the archipelago.

Cheers,

Andra

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Law/Politics

Abuse at Influencer’s Daycare

Huge scandal in Depok, West Java involving the alleged abuse of a two-year-old child at a daycare in the hands of an influencer.

According to the police, the alleged culprit, who owns the daycare, is a parenting social media influencer. Ironically, despite having posted several videos about the harms of child abuse, videos that went viral on X recently show that the influencer has been abusing children entrusted to her care.

In one video, the alleged culprit is seen kicking and smacking the small child several times as she and another toddler cry in distress. 

The victim’s mother was recently notified about the abuse by a staff at the daycare. They then managed to obtain CCTV footage of the abuse as evidence before going to the authorities.

The daycare initially denied the accusations but it has nonetheless shuttered amid the scandal. A police investigation is ongoing, and it’s not yet clear how many victims of child abuse there are in this case.

Here’s hoping justice is served to the perpetrator if she is proven guilty.

In Other News

• President-elect and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has touched down in Moscow ahead of a scheduled meeting with President Vladimir Putin. This meeting will likely focus on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between Indonesia and Russia, particularly in the context of defense. Prabowo is in the midst of a European tour, having met with the leaders of France, Turkey, and Serbia prior to his Russia trip.

• The Depok Metro Police revealed that the liposuction practitioner linked with the death of a beauty influencer did not have the medical license to carry out the procedure. Medan-based influencer Ella Nanda had the treatment done on her arms on July 22 but reportedly had a fatal reaction to the procedure. Her death has opened a malpractice investigation on the clinic.

• Dangdut superstar/actress Ayu Ting Ting says she was mugged during her Las Vegas trip. According to Ayu, her car was stopped by the robber, who helped himself to her valuables, including her purse, wallet, credit card, cash, and make up. Luckily, the robber did not take her passport. She has reported the incident to the local police.

• A café in Bogor had to cancel its beach-themed party after members of a local mass organization (ormas) raided the venue. According to the authorities, the ormas mistakenly assumed that the party enforced a dress code that encouraged women to don bikinis, so they felt they had to put a stop to it.

Business/Economy

• S&P Global projected that Indonesia's economic growth will remain stable at around 5% in the next three or four years. The report highlights that the country's strong domestic consumption, ongoing infrastructure development, and supportive government policies are key factors contributing to this sustained growth.

• The Constitutional Court (MK) rejected a legal challenge to the Employment Law that argued age restrictions for certain jobs were discriminatory. The court ruled that setting age limits does not constitute discrimination as long as it is based on reasonable and objective criteria, such as the physical and mental demands of specific jobs.

• The Ministry of Finance is mulling the imposition of excise taxes on ready-to-eat foods, pending the Ministry of Health’s impact study on industries and public health. In addition to the possible excise, the government may also impose nutritional regulations on ready-to-eat foods, such as by limiting sugar, salt, and fats content.

• The Urban Resilience Trust Fund (URTF) has pledged US$2 million for a climate resilience initiative in Nusantara. This funding will support community activities to improve infrastructure and schools, as well as encourage regenerative urban agriculture to boost food security. At the same time, Jakarta will receive US$1.5 million to support climate action initiatives.

• Indonesia is seeking to improve accessibility to apprenticeship programs in Japan by enhancing collaboration with Japanese companies and institutions. In December 2023, there were 74,387 Indonesian apprentices in Japan — a 60% increase year-on-year.

Everything Else

• Divorces in Indonesia have been rising in recent years, the Coordinating Human Development and Culture Ministry said, driven largely by rampant domestic abuse. In 2023, 54% of 463,654 divorcing couples cited constant conflict and arguing as the reasons behind their separation, with around 1,400 reporting domestic abuse in their marriage.

• The newly-enforced Law on Public Health will ensure that rape victims are able to terminate their pregnancies. Abortion is illegal in Indonesia, except for rape victims and in cases of medical emergency. Government Regulation (PP) on Reproductive Health, passed in 2014, states that rape victims have only a 40-day window to terminate their pregnancy, counted down from the first day of their last period.