Hello reader,

It’s been a while since we heard anything about Britain’s most prolific sex offender, who, unfortunately, happens to be Indonesian.

Reynhard Sinaga is not doing well in his UK prison, with reports emerging that he was beaten by fellow inmates. After all, sex offenders aren’t exactly the most respected people in prison, or anywhere else for that matter.

More on that and the day’s biggest news just below.

Cheers,

Andra

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Law/Politics

• Convicted Indonesian serial rapist Reynhard Sinaga, serving a life sentence in the UK, reportedly sustained some heavy injuries when he was assaulted by fellow inmates in July. Known as Britain’s most prolific sex offender, Reynhard was convicted of 159 sex offenses, including 136 rapes of young men, between 2015 and 2017. His fellow inmates were reportedly disgusted by the crimes he had committed, with one source claiming that he is hated by all in prison.

• After over a decade on death row and being spared from execution in Indonesia, Mary Jane Veloso finally returned to the Philippines this morning. Her release, facilitated by advocacy efforts and legal appeals, marks a significant milestone in her fight against human trafficking and wrongful accusations. She is now hoping for a pardon by Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos.

• A violent clash between construction workers and local residents escalated in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta on Tuesday afternoon, leaving a 71-year-old worker dead from stab wounds. Police said 30 residents of the area went to the construction site over an unspecified “miscommunication” with the workers, leading to the violent conflict.

• Over in East Java, fans of football clubs Arema FC of Malang and Persik Kediri clashed on the border of the city and regency. The incident occurred on Monday evening after Persik defeated Arema 1-0, highlighting persistent issues of hooliganism in Indonesian football. Authorities are investigating the incident.

• A video went viral showing the Presidential Security Forces (Paspampres) shooing away worshippers at a mosque so that Vice President Gibran Rakabuming could take a spot in the front row during last Friday prayers in Semarang, Central Java. The Paspampres explained that they were merely organizing the prayer lines and that those who were told to move were actually members of the force. God only knows.

Business/Economy

• To stabilize a weakening rupiah, Bank Indonesia (BI) decided to hold its key interest rate steady at 6%, where it has been since September and where it will be at least for the remainder of 2024. BI Governor Perry Warjiyo, whose office was recently searched in a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) probe, said there may be room for rate adjustments in the near future.

• The digital payment system QRIS is going tap-and-go starting in Q1 2025. This means doing away with QR code scanning, allowing payments with a simple tap of a smartphone with NFC capabilities. This will also include payments for public transportation systems like Jakarta’s MRT.

• The Directorate General of Immigration logged 24.5 million foreigners entering and leaving Indonesia this year up to December 15, representing a 16% increase from last year. Broken down, Indonesia saw 12.3 million foreigner arrivals this year, which is already higher than last year’s figure of 11.68 million.

• To add to the confusion of what will or will not be impacted by next year’s VAT hike to 12%, Coordinating Food Minister Zulkifli Hasan today clarified that premium rice will be exempt from the new rate. This contradicts the fact that premium rice was indeed included in Coordinated Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto’s list of “luxury” products subjected to the new 12% VAT rate. Do they nasi eye-to-eye?

• From one staple, to another: Australia has pulled the Soto Mie and Ayam Bawang flavors of Indomie instant noodles from the shelves over the products’ failures to cite potential allergens in their contents — namely milk and egg.

Everything Else

• The government has set an ambitious target to eliminate extreme poverty within two years, which would reduce the country’s overall poverty rate to below 5%. As of March 2024, the country’s poverty rate stood at 9.03%, down from 9.36% in March 2023. Let’s hope they don’t achieve this ambitious goal by moving the posts around.