Selamat petang/malam,

New week, new major story breaking in Indonesia. The head of IKN and his deputy have resigned from their posts, raising serious questions about the development of Indonesia’s new capital city, Nusantara.

With government workers expected to relocate to the East Kalimantan city from Jakarta soon, and with an Independence Day ceremony on the horizon, the government certainly could’ve done without this stress. They seem confident that this won’t throw a spanner in the works, though.

More on that, as well as other big stories from today and over the weekend, just below.

Cheers,

Andra

Law/Politics

Quitting Nusantara

What’s going on here? Bambang Susantono, the head of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority, has resigned along with his deputy, Dhony Rahajoe, confirmed the State Secretary today. 

Though there’s no concrete explanation for the resignations yet, they came amid the government’s push to hold the August 17 Independence Day ceremony in Nusantara, East Kalimantan. The event is expected to symbolize  the dawn of the new Indonesian capital city amid the relocation of government workers from Jakarta, which is slated to begin in July.

President Joko Widodo has appointed Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono as the acting head of IKN, with Deputy Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Raja Juli Antoni as his deputy. As for Bambang, the State Secretary said, in still somewhat vague terms, that he would be tasked with strengthening international relations for the development of Nusantara.

Whatever the reason, Bambang and Dhony’s resignations have raised some concerns on the continuity and future direction of the Nusantara project, especially with the expected relocation date looming. Let’s just say that, after reading between the lines, we shouldn’t be too shocked if we hear about major setbacks soon. 

In Other News

• President-elect Prabowo Subianto, in his current capacity as defense minister, said Indonesia is ready to deploy peacekeeping troops to Gaza. Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi clarified that such a move would only be made following a ceasefire in the region.

• A 22-year-old mother with the initial R, who is suspected of sexually abusing her 5-year-old child, surrendered to the South Tangerang Police on Sunday evening. Police said she filmed herself sexually violating her child and uploaded the disturbing video online after she was promised IDR 15 million from another party. R never received the money.

• The head of the narcotics unit at the Blitar Police Department, who previously gained recognition for busting a major marijuana trafficking case, tested positive for methamphetamine use. He is awaiting sanctions pending an internal investigation.

• MMA fighter Rahul Pinem allegedly committed suicide by jumping off of an apartment building in Bandung, West Java on Saturday. His act was reportedly driven by personal issues related to his romantic relationship.

Business/Economy

• President Joko Widodo has issued new regulations allowing religious mass organizations (ormas) to manage mining concessions. The move, spearheaded by the Ministry of Investment, is a token of the government’s gratitude towards religious organizations’ historic contributions to the country. Religious organizations, including the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), are understandably elated.

• The Confederation of Indonesian Workers’ Unions (KSPI) is preparing to challenge the recently implemented Public Housing Savings (Tapera) law in the Constitutional Court. This law mandates a compulsory 3% deduction from workers' salaries for housing savings, drawing ire from employers and employees throughout the country. 

Everything Else

• U-dang! In a study by Cornell University, Indonesians have been found to consume the highest amount of microplastics worldwide, averaging 15 grams per month, mostly from seafood. This alarming statistic places Indonesia at the top of the list among 109 countries surveyed from 1990 to 2018. The research highlights the severe impact of plastic pollution on food sources, with Asia facing the highest risks due to rapid industrialization and inadequate waste management. 

• Indonesia’s shuttlers failed to bring home any medals from the 2024 Singapore Open. Hope for a title was pinned on duo Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, but they fell short in the men’s doubles final, losing to Chinese pair He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu.

• Bandung was a sea of blue over the weekend after the city’s beloved football team Persib clinched the 2023/2024 Liga 1 title on Friday. But the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has warned Persib of possible sanctions after fan celebrations in the West Java capital were marred by alleged acts of vandalism towards vehicles from Jakarta (home of their eternal rival Persija).

• Indonesia and Tanzania produced a dud of an exhibition match with no goals scored at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium in Jakarta on Sunday. Indonesia is squaring off against Iraq at the same stadium on Thursday as part of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

• Dozens were injured when a tourist bus carrying visitors from Yogyakarta overturned in Karanganyar after the vehicle struggled to climb an inclined road. Fortunately, there were no severe injuries reported among the passengers.