Hello reader,

Ole Romeny rekindled Indonesia’s hopes of World Cup qualification with his solitary goal against Bahrain last night, which also marked the first victory in the Patrick Kluivert era.

With only a couple of games left in this phase of qualifiers, Indonesia holds a slim hope of direct qualification to the world’s greatest sporting event in 2026. Failure to do so isn’t necessarily the end—there are still other qualifying rounds Indonesia could enter. I dive into the main permutations all the way below.

Cheers,

Andra

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Law/Politics  

• After they rushed through the controversial amendments to the Military Law (UU TNI), the House of Parliament (DPR) said that there is no immediate plan to amend the Police Law (UU Polri), dismissing rumors that discussions would begin soon. While the revision is part of the legislative agenda, DPR is currently prioritizing the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP). Several proposed changes in the draft have sparked controversy, including granting the police authority to block online access, oversee special law enforcement units, and extend the retirement age to 65. Civil society groups oppose the revision, arguing that it could restrict freedom of expression and further expand police influence across various sectors.

• Three Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) soldiers were sentenced for the murder of a car rental boss in Tangerang, Banten. Two soldiers, Bambang Apri Atmojo Sertu Akbar Adli, received life sentences and were dishonorably discharged, while Rafsin Hermawan was sentenced to four years in prison and also discharged. The court found them guilty of premeditated murder and jointly possessing stolen goods. The incident began when Bambang purchased a Honda Brio, which was actually a rental car, leading to a confrontation with the owner, Ilyas. After an argument, Bambang, Akbar, and Rafsin fled with the car, and Ilyas pursued them. The chase ended at a highway rest area, where Bambang fatally shot Ilyas at close range.

• The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Police are investigating four officers in connection with the attack on the Kayangan Police Station in North Lombok, allegedly triggered by the suicide of a civil servant namedRizkil Watoni. Rizkil was found hanging in his home on March 17, leading to allegations from his family that extortion from police officers drove him to take his own life. Enraged locals retaliated by attacking the Kayangan Police Station on the day his body was discovered.

• The land dispute involving the recently deceased soap opera actor Mat Solar and a man named H. Idris over compensation for land used in the Cinere-Serpong toll road project has been peacefully resolved. The IDR 3.3 billion compensation, previously held in escrow by the Tangerang District Court, was distributed to both parties, with 70% of the funds going to Mat Solar’s heir, Idham Aulia, while H. Idris received 30%. With this agreement, all legal claims have been withdrawn, officially concluding the dispute.

• A 23-year-old Indonesian man has been sentenced to three weeks in prison in Singapore for sexually harassing a flight attendant on a Singapore-bound flight on January 23. The incident occurred on a Singapore Airlines flight from China, where the passenger consumed two glasses of champagne before falling asleep. Upon waking, he recorded himself exposing his genitals while a flight attendant served him food.

Business/Economy

• President Prabowo Subianto announced on Tuesday that Indonesia has decided to join the New Development Bank (NDB) following a meeting with NDB President Dilma Vana Rousseff at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. Prabowo described the meeting as warm and productive, covering Indonesia’s short-, medium-, and long-term development plans. Rousseff welcomed the decision, calling Indonesia a key regional partner and noting that its development priorities align with NDB’s focus on infrastructure, connectivity, and energy transition. NDB is a multilateral development bank established by BRICS, of which Indonesia became an official member in January.

• President Prabowo summoned his economic ministers to the Presidential Palace today to discuss the 2026 state budget (APBN 2026). Key officials, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, and Deputy Finance Ministers Thomas Djiwandono and Anggito Abimanyu, arrived at the palace for the meeting. Airlangga confirmed that the discussion would also cover the Macroeconomic Framework and Key Fiscal Policy (KEM & PPKF), while Sri Mulyani stated that the budget drafting process had begun and would first be reported to the president.

• The Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) of the Ministry of Finance has officially extended the deadline to submit annual tax returns (SPT) from March 31 to April 11. This extension was granted due to the long national holidays for Nyepi and Eid al-Fitr from March 25 to April 7, which reduced working days in March. DJP stated that the decision ensures fairness and legal certainty for taxpayers by waiving administrative penalties for late income tax payments and filings for the 2024 tax year.

• Gojek has responded to complaints from its driver-partners regarding the holiday bonus (BHR) of only IDR 50,000, stating that the amount was calculated based on an existing scheme. The firm explained that BHR is divided into five categories based on driver activity levels, performance, and productivity. Top-tier "Mitra Juara Utama" drivers receive up to IDR 900,000, while those receiving IDR 50,000 fall into the lowest category, "Mitra Harapan." However, many drivers and associations argue that the BHR is too low, accusing Gojek of misleading the president, who had called for ride-hailing companies to give drivers holiday bonuses, as well as deceiving drivers nationwide.

Everything Else

• Patrick Kluivert’s Indonesia beat a hapless Bahrain 1-0 in Jakarta on Tuesday evening thanks to a solitary goal from Ole Romeny, rekindling hopes of qualification to the 2026 World Cup. But it won’t be easy—with Japan securing one of the two direct qualification spots from Group C, Indonesia, currently fourth with nine points, must fight for the remaining slot. Winning both of their final matches against China (June 5) and Japan (June 10) would give them 15 points and an unlikely shot at second place—provided Australia and Saudi Arabia don’t collect more points than Indonesia in their respective remaining matches. If Indonesia fails to secure second place, they must at least beat China to secure fourth place and advance to the next qualification round.