Hello reader,

Welcome back to Nusantara Notes. I hope you’re fully recharged from the long weekend, and if you’re team “cuti bersama,” go on and recharge some more.

There wasn’t much from the world of politics during the holiday (they needed a break, too), but one amusing saga played out over the past few days. Read on for my quick explainer of Ela Elo. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Andra

Law/Politics

• The Jakarta gubernatorial election continues to be the most talked-about among all upcoming regional elections. One recent update highlights the fickle nature of politics: the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), who are widely expected to back former Governor Anies Baswedan for a second term in Jakarta, is open to the idea of joining President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s coalition in exchange for a vice governor nominee from PKS’ ranks.

• Sixteen people were killed and two are critically injured following an LPG warehouse explosion in Denpasar, Bali on Monday morning. The warehouse owner has been arrested over allegedly not possessing permits to store and distribute LPG canisters.

• Thadeus Osakat, a Golkar Party politician who was recently voted in to the Papua Regional Legislative Council (DPRD), was killed in an alleged hit-and-run in Yogyakarta early Monday morning. Authorities say the driver, who was arrested in Semarang, Central Java, was speeding at the time of the incident.

Business/Economy

From Twitter to X to Ela Elo?

In their noble pursuit of shielding our eyes from online pornography, the government through the Communications and Information Ministry (Kominfo) looks set to ban X, née Twitter. Indonesians on X recently trended several hashtags rejecting the potential ban, following recent official statements confirming the ministry’s intention.

Where then, would Indonesia’s approximately 27.5 million X-ers tweet their thoughts and sell their e-commerce affiliated products?

Enter Ela Elo, which was teased to the public over the long weekend and appeared to be Kominfo’s offering to replace X. But as quickly as it popped up, so too did the doubts, as people began to wonder if the platform is actually the government’s or the shoddy work of some troll.

These concerns were centered around Ela Elo’s sudden appearance, vague data privacy policies and proprietorship. Add to the fact that, as of Tuesday afternoon, the website had been suspended for reasons currently unclear.

For what it’s worth, Kominfo has distanced themselves from Ela Elo, stressing that the government has not yet prepared an X alternative.

Maybe don’t ban X over a smattering of pornography on the platform, then?

In Other News

• The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) of Indonesia has revealed a staggering statistic: 3 million Indonesians are engaged in online gambling, with the associated financial transactions reaching an astonishing IDR 600 trillion. The government last week launched a task force to eradicate what they see as a growing critical problem.

• President-elect Prabowo Subianto's entourage has firmly denied allegations that they plan to increase Indonesia's debt ratio to 50% of the GDP, as previously reported by Bloomberg. They clarified that no specific discussions on debt ratio has taken place.

• The Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers Association (Gaikindo) is calling for consistent government support in developing electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, including charging stations, in order to fully integrate them into the market and boost sales. The country saw a 66.39% increase in EV sales from January to May 2024, which represented only 8.39% of total auto sales, as internal combustion engines remain dominant.

• It’s a wrap for three directors of Kebab Baba Rafi, a prominent Indonesian kebab franchise, as they have resigned to some public attention. The company, which debuted in the Indonesian stock market in 2022, stressed that the resignations won’t negatively impact operations.

Everything Else

• Racing driver/KFC Indonesia heir Sean Gelael stood on the podium after his team, WRT #31, finished P2 in the LMGT3 category at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. The feat was all the more impressive given that Sean’s team had found themselves 20th at one point in the first half of the endurance race.

• A video taken at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) sports complex in Jakarta has gone viral, showing workers carrying captured stray cats away in plastic bags. GBK has blamed an external vendor and promises to uphold animal welfare.

• Joko Anwar’s ambitious seven-episode Netflix anthology series Nightmares and Daydreams may get a second season, according to the filmmaker. Since its debut on June 14, the mind-bending series has topped Netflix’s TV shows chart in Indonesia.