Selamat petang!

Welcome to the first ever edition of Nusantara Notes, your daily source of essential Indonesian news delivered straight to your inbox.

As a newcomer to the scene, I am making Nusantara Notes free to read for all subscribers until further notice. If you like what you read, I would absolutely love it if you spread the word to your friends, lovers, or anyone with even a passing interest in this wonderfully hectic nation.

In this maiden edition, we’ll take a look at a significant chapter in PDI-P’s story (ergo that of Indonesian politics as a whole), a murder case that’s still somewhat a mystery, and the latest in business and economy.

Happy reading!

Andra

Law/Politics

Raging Bull

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P AKA the party with the awesome bull mascot) held its three-day Rakernas (National Working Meeting) in Jakarta over the weekend, giving us a glimpse towards Indonesia’s political landscape for the next few years.

And it appears PDI-P has pent up quite the rage. Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and her party doubled down on calling February’s Presidential Election a farce. Megawati’s daughter, House Speaker Puan Maharani, even choked up during her speech, apologizing for certain PDI-P cadres’ unethical means to hold on to power.

She was, of course, referring to the power struggle between PDI-P and President Joko Widodo, after the latter seemingly abandoned his loyalties to PDI-P (who had backed him over two presidential terms) during the election. His son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is set to be the nation’s second-in-command behind President-elect Prabowo Subianto. Neither Jokowi nor Gibran were invited to the gathering, with one party official remarking that they are no longer part of the family.

Despite winning the most votes in the Legislative Election, PDI-P stopped short of declaring opposition to Prabowo’s government when the former military general assumes his presidency in October. Megawati said she has to make some “political calculations” before deciding on the matter (“What’s in it for us?”, basically).

Other talking points:

• PDI-P leaders unanimously voted for Megawati to continue leading the party from 2025 to 2030, amid speculation that Puan was being prepped to carry the baton.

• Uninvited Jokowi was pictured on a horse-drawn carriage with his grandson, Jan Ethes, while the Rakernas was in full swing.

Who murdered Vina and Eky?

In August 2016, the bodies of a teen couple, Vina Dewi and Muhammad “Eky” Rizky, were found under a bridge in Cirebon, West Java. In their investigation, the West Java Provincial Police ruled that the victims encountered a motorcycle gang, who pursued them before they took turns raping Vina and murdering the couple.

Police soon arrested eight of the 11 wanted for the crime, seven of whom went on to receive life imprisonment sentences, while one was only given eight years due to his status as a minor.

Fast forward to 2024, enough time had apparently passed for Vina and Eky’s harrowing story to be turned into a blockbuster horror movie. Renewed interest in the case seemed to have spurred the police into action, who arrested a construction worker named Pegi Setiawan in Bandung, West Java on May 21 for his alleged role as the mastermind of the crime.

The West Java Provincial Police said Pegi had been on the run for eight years, assuming several aliases as he alluded law enforcement. However, during a press conference on Sunday, Pegi proclaimed his innocence and that he was “willing to die” to prove it. Amid question marks surrounding Pegi’s arrest, police have reiterated that they caught the right person.

Pegi’s legal representatives are going to file a pretrial motion on his behalf.

Developing Stories

• Indonesian prosecutor Febrie Adriansyah, known for his role in investigating a significant tin mining corruption scandal involving IDR 271 trillion, was allegedy tailed by officers from Densus 88, the National Police’s counter-terrorism unit, while he was dining out in Jakarta on May 19. Police have yet to offer an explanation. This morning, Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) reported Febrie to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), alleging his role in a bribery scandal.

• A man driving his Toyota Fortuner allegedly ran over and killed a toddler in a housing complex in Sidoarjo, East Java on Saturday. Neighbors allege that the driver would often drive fast in the neighborhood, while the driver denied that he was speeding and that he just didn’t see the toddler crossing the road.

Business/Economy

Tuition Hike Scrapped

Indonesia's Education Ministry has postponed the ratification of new regulations that would allow tertiary education institutions to raise college tuition fees to counter inflation and rising costs. The postponement came following significant backlash from students, parents, and academic institutions.

The regulations, which the ministry said would only apply to students enrolling in 2024, sparked widespread criticism. Opponents argued that higher tuition fees would make education less accessible, particularly for low-income families, and exacerbate existing inequalities in the education system.

Education Minister Nadiem Makarim said the ministry will reconsider the proposal and engage with stakeholders to find a more balanced solution.

Earthly Matters for Starlink

Elon Musk launched Starlink in Indonesia on May 19, expanding the global reach of his satellite internet service. Starlink, a project by Musk's company SpaceX, aims to provide high-speed internet access to remote and underserved areas through a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites.

The introduction of Starlink in Indonesia is expected to significantly enhance internet connectivity across the archipelago, particularly in rural regions where infrastructure is lacking.

Amid calls for fair business practices by local internet service providers, the Communications and Information Ministry said Starlink is in the process of setting up a business entity, a network operation center, and an internet gateway in Indonesia. A ministry official said failure to do so by year’s end could result in a fine for the billionaire, who is totally going to feel that pinch.

Developing Stories

• President Jokowi expressed his frustration over what he calls inefficient government spending on digital apps. During a speech today, he said the government had spent IDR6.7 trillion on making and maintaining 27,000 apps belonging to government institutions. “One ministry even has more than 500 apps,” the president remarked.

• The Indonesian government plans to increase electricity tariffs for middle- to upper-income households with power capacities of 3,500 VA and above, as well as for certain government categories. This adjustment aims to align with fiscal principles and reduce the burden on the state budget.

• The rupiah traded at IDR16,071 to the US dollar on Monday afternoon, 76 points higher than at market’s close ahead of last week’s long weekend. The extended holiday was said to have put further pressure on the Indonesian currency.

Everything Else

• Need for speed? Get on your moge but only after you’ve obtained your C1 driver’s license, which was launched by the National Police Traffic Corps today. This new type of driver's license is specifically for riders of motorcycles with engine capacities between 250cc and 500cc. To obtain a SIM C1, applicants must have held a standard SIM C license for at least one year.

• Despite the controversy, the movie Vina: Sebelum 7 Hari has sold more than 5 million tickets as of May 25 since its release on May 8. This puts Vina eighth in the all-time Indonesian box office list, and it may even crawl higher up the list due to its ongoing popularity.

• The Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) apologized to actor/singer Ikang Fawzi after his post about queueing for six hours at a BPJS Kesehatan office went viral over the weekend. The BPJS Kesehatan director gave his assurance that Ikang just happened to queue during an especially busy day at the office. Would we as commoners get such an apology?