Hello reader,

We’re taking a day off tomorrow in honor of May Day. Normal service will resume on Friday.

Today, we look at the latest chapter of Jokowi’s alleged fake diploma saga, in which the former president strikes back against his accusers. In other news, a lot of us are poor based on global standards, and be wary of what you apply on your nether regions.

Until Friday!

Cheers,

Andra

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Law/Politics  

• Former President Joko Widodo has filed a police report against five individuals over allegations of defamation and spreading false information related to accusations that he used a fake academic degree. His lawyer, Yakup Hasibuan, said the case includes 24 videos as evidence, and four of the reported individuals are identified by the initials RS, ES, T, and K. Jokowi has presented his academic certificates from elementary school through to university to investigators and expressed readiness to provide further clarification. Although he previously refrained from legal action while in office, he said he now wants the matter resolved clearly.

• The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has summoned two members of parliament from the Nasdem Party, Charles Meikyansah and Fauzi Amro, as witnesses in an ongoing investigation into the alleged misuse of Bank Indonesia’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. Both were previously scheduled for questioning in March but did not attend due to prior commitments. The KPK has already questioned two other lawmakers in the case and uncovered indications that only half of the allocated CSR funds from the central bank and the Financial Services Authority (OJK) were used as intended. The remaining funds were allegedly diverted for personal purposes.

• Deputy Minister for Women’s Empowerment Veronica Tan urged Indonesian women to be more economically independent and take charge of decisions about their bodies, particularly regarding how many children to have. She stressed the need for reproductive awareness, encouraging women to match family size with financial and emotional capacity. Criticizing outdated views like “more children means more blessings,” she argued that modern family success depends on quality parenting, not quantity. A better promotion of family planning than West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi’s controversial remarks?

• Actress Paula Verhoeven visited the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) today to report alleged domestic violence and discrimination following her recent divorce from Baim Wong. Accompanied by her legal team, Paula submitted two main complaints: suspected domestic abuse by Baim and a discriminatory public statement by a South Jakarta Religious Court spokesperson. Her lawyer stated Paula endured physical, psychological, sexual, and economic abuse during the marriage. The team presented evidence, including CCTV footage and forensic analysis, supporting claims of physical violence. They also alleged economic abuse through excessive financial control and exploitation, which Komnas Perempuan is now reviewing.

• Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung did not fully comply with his own policy requiring civil servants to use public transportation every Wednesday, as he used his official car after an event to attend a House of Parliament (DPR) meeting today. Although he initially took a TransJakarta bus from his official residence to an event in Matraman, he switched to a private vehicle due to tight scheduling. Pramono admitted this and said he would resume using public transport afterward. His regulation, enacted on April 23, mandates that DKI employees use public transit every Wednesday, with exceptions for illness, pregnancy, disabilities, or certain field duties.

Business/Economy

• President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to attend and deliver a speech at the International Workers' Day (May Day) rally at Jakarta’s National Monument (Monas) tomorrow. Around 200,000 workers from across Indonesia are expected to participate. The rally will spotlight six key demands: abolishing outsourcing, forming a task force for layoffs, ensuring decent wages, passing new labor and domestic worker protection bills, and enacting asset seizure legislation to fight corruption. Labor leaders urge the government to act beyond symbolic gestures and commit to real reforms.

• Labor unions are also specifically urging the government to scrap irrelevant and burdensome job requirements that hinder experienced workers from re-entering the workforce. ASPIRASI president Mirah Sumirat criticized hiring practices that favor youth and appearance over capability, sidelining workers aged 35–40 who are still productive but often excluded due to arbitrary criteria. She also warned that automation, AI, and industrial shifts are accelerating job losses—especially among low-skilled workers—highlighting the need for urgent reskilling programs.

• Despite steady 5% growth and declining poverty rates, over 60% of Indonesians—about 171.9 million people—still live below the upper-middle-income poverty line of US$6.85/day, according to the World Bank’s April 2025 report. While extreme poverty has dropped to 1.3% and unemployment to 4.8%, underemployment remains high at 8.5%, signaling a lack of quality jobs. Productivity growth has slowed significantly, and to reach high-income status by 2045, Indonesia must accelerate reforms, boost investment, and address inequality.

• After the IMF and World Bank cut Indonesia’s 2025 growth forecast to 4.7% due to global trade tensions and internal structural challenges, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi responded by urging calm and optimism, emphasizing that such projections are part of global economic dynamics. He pointed to Indonesia’s stable fundamentals—low inflation, solid investment, and steady household consumption—as reasons for confidence. While acknowledging global headwinds and the need for structural reforms, the government says it remains focused on regulatory improvements and boosting investment to sustain growth.

• Consumers of Meikarta, represented by the Community for Meikarta Consumer Advocacy (PKPKM), revealed that the developer has started paying out compensation for the failed Lippo Group township project, though some payments have been incomplete. Two consumers reported shortfalls of IDR 14 million and IDR 6 million respectively, which will be brought to the Ministry of Housing for evaluation. Lawmaker Obon Tabroni pledged to monitor the case and noted that the government has given Meikarta until July 23, 2025, to settle all registered claims. If no resolution is reached by then, the DPR will take more concrete action. 

Everything Else 

• The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has revoked the distribution permits for eight cosmetic products that were promoted with indecent and misleading claims, particularly those suggesting they could enhance male stamina. BPOM head Taruna Ikrar stated that such claims are excessive, violate regulations, and can harm consumers both physically and financially. These products, which no longer meet the legal definition of cosmetics must be pulled from circulation, destroyed, and reported to BPOM. The affected products include various variants of Titan Gel and Titanmen Gladiator branded items.