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Hello reader,

Indonesia is spending on education the most next year—more than even on defense.

That has become a point of pride for President Prabowo Subianto, who seems to be putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to securing the country’s future, regardless of whether or not one believes in the means to that end.

Let’s just hope all that education budget goes where they’re actually meant to go. God knows we need that after the past five years.

Cheers,

Andra

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Law/Politics

• Beauty entrepreneur Ria Agustina, the owner of the Ria Beauty clinic, was arrested on suspicion of illegally providing microneedling/derma rolling services despite her not being a medical aesthetician. Her lawyers argued that Ria is a competent aesthetician as she had obtained 33 certificates from beauty courses and seminars. They also accused the authorities of double standards in the high-profile case, claiming that numerous beauty clinics perform similar procedures without medically-licensed operators. In light of Ria’s arrest, the Ministry of Health has issued a warning about fraudulent or subpar beauty certifications misleading consumers.

• Meita Irianty, a daycare owner in Depok, West Java has been sentenced to one year in prison and fined IDR 300 million for abusing toddlers in her care. Meita was arrested in July 2024 after CCTV footage showed her rough handling the children, sparking public outrage. She told the police that she had grown frustrated by the children being fussy.

• Robig, a police officer dismissed for shooting a vocational high school (SMK) student in Semarang, Central Java, has filed an appeal against his termination from the police force. The Semarang Police initially gave an inaccurate account of what happened on November 24, claiming that Robig shot dead the victim to stop a gang brawl. A subsequent internal affairs investigation revealed that Robig gunned the victim, a high-achieving student, over a minor traffic incident between them.

• A security guard at a tax office in North Lampung allegedly set fire to his former workplace in response to being fired in August, destroying IDR 500 million in cash. The police said the suspect was fired after he was caught stealing a tablet and other items from the office.

Business/Economy

• President Prabowo Subianto boasted the government’s commitment to education, pointing out that the sector is receiving largest allocation in next year’s state budget (APBN). Unlike in the US and India, the president said, Indonesia’s education budget eclipses even that for defense. Out of the IDR 2,701.4 trillion allocated for next year’s APBN, IDR 724.3 trillion is set to go towards education.

• The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has announced plans to cap nickel output to drive up international prices, a strategy aimed at increasing the commodity’s export value amid geopolitical tensions and a rise in global conflicts. The ministry, however, has not revealed a potential time frame for the implementation of the policy.

• As of December 11, 19 provinces have set next year’s provincial minimum wage (UMP) raise at 6.5%, in line with the central government’s directive. As such, Jakarta still has the highest UMP nationwide at IDR 5,396,761 per month. The remaining 19 provinces have until the end of the day to announce their UMP raises.

• Major telcos XL Axiata, Smartfren, and Smart Telecom have completed an IDR 103.3 trillion merger, resulting in the creation of XL Smart Telecom Sejahtera. The merger will come into effect on April 15, 2024 in a move aimed at improving network quality and market competitiveness.

• The Djarum Group, which was founded on its iconic kretek cigarette business, has diversified its portfolio by acquiring Bakmi GM, a popular local restaurant chain that serves 30,000 customers daily, for between IDR 2 trillion and IDR 2.4 trillion. This move highlights Djarum’s interest in the food and beverage sector, and it says it might look for more tasty deals going ahead.

Everything Else

• A woman from France and a woman from South Korea tourists lost their lives on Tuesday when three trees collapsed in Ubud’s Monkey Forest, a popular Bali tourist attraction. Authorities said strong winds caused the trees to collapse amid calls for regular safety inspections of tourist sites. The island’s tourism officials say the site is closed until management can guarantee visitors’ safety.