Hello reader,

For a travel nerd like me, the color of my passport cover actually matters. The turquoise cover and the golden Garuda combo is just too damn “aesthetic,” as the kids would say.

So I’m not sure how I feel when it was confirmed that the Indonesian passport is going to go through a color change soon. Oh well, I’ll be keeping mine for a while yet.

More on passports, and other top stories of the day, just below.

Cheers,

Andra

Law/Politics

• Kaesang Pangarep, who is now old enough to run for governor/vice governor thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling, has welcomed the idea of running with Anies Baswedan in Jakarta. The 29-year-old, who is the youngest son of President Joko Widodo and is the chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), would likely run as Anies’ deputy given that the latter has served as Jakarta’s governor from 2017 to 2022. Anies is heavily favored for reelection, having already secured a nomination from the National Awakening Party (PKB) and possibly support from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

• Indonesia's Constitutional Court (MK) has mandated a redo and recount of votes in the recent legislative elections. Among them are 20 revotes, including in Gorontalo, Ternate, and Sorong, which must be carried out within 21 to 45 days from MK’s mandate.

• Harun Masiku, the fugitive politician embroiled in a major bribery scandal, has reportedly been located and is targeted for capture within a week. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been on the hunt for Masiku since his disappearance in early 2020, following accusations of corruption linked to PDI-P.

• Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka has apologized for distributing books featuring his young son and President Joko Widodo’s grandson, Jan Ethes, on the cover. The books were distributed to a primary school in Solo, Central Java, where Gibran currently serves as mayor. The incident drew backlash for what critics called inappropriate self-promotion, particularly amid Jokowi’s family’s growing influence in Indonesian politics.

• In Makassar, South Sulawesi, a member of a mass organization (ormas) that has been vocal in their boycott of allegedly pro-Israel businesses has been arrested for assaulting a café customer. The incident, which quickly went viral, initially saw several ormas members storm the café and accosting patrons as a form of protest. One ormas member then punched a customer, fled to Papua to evade arrest, and was eventually captured.

• A Pakistani national in Bali, identified by his initials OF (not an acronym for Onlyfans), was nabbed after duping a restaurant 38 times using fake transfers. The audacious scam involved placing numerous orders and never paying for them, racking up quite the bill before the law finally caught up.

Business/Economy

• Pertamina's profits soared to IDR 72 trillion in 2023 — up 17% from 2022 — thanks to a combination of strategic initiatives and favorable market conditions. The state-owned oil giant credited its success to improved operational efficiency, higher production rates, and strategic investments in renewable energy projects.

• The IDX Composite dipped by 0.08% on Wednesday, reacting to Morgan Stanley's downgrade of Indonesia’s stock market rating to underweight. The investment firm cited concerns over short-term fiscal policies under President-elect Prabowo Subianto and uncertainty about the future direction of Indonesia’s fiscal policy.

• Indonesia's Land Bank is preparing 1,000 hectares for the development of an eco-friendly city in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan, located near new capital city Nusantara. This ambitious project aims to create a sustainable urban environment, integrating green technologies and environmentally conscious planning.

• Ride the MRT, LRT, and TransJakarta in Jakarta practically for free to celebrate the city’s 497th anniversary. From June 22 to 23, a special fare of IDR 1 will apply on the three services (with terms and conditions).

Everything Else

Turquoise Passports are so 2014

I am personally partial to the turquoise Indonesia passports (I kind of have to be, since I just renewed and they’re valid for 10 years now), but those yearning for a refresh will get just that when the Immigration Directorate General launches a new ordinary passport on Independence Day (that’s August 17 for you noobs).

According to them, the new passports will sport a new cover color in line with updated security features. Are we going for another hue of green, just like how the current version, launched in 2014, was an upgrade from the old dark green variety? Or are we going to see a more radical change to a blue to be like our American friends, or perhaps red to be on brand with one half of our flag?

Whatever color Immigration goes with, we’re all hoping that the new passports won’t have any security shortcomings, or lacking standard features like a signature page.

In Other News

• The Citarum River in West Java has been dubbed an “ocean of trash” with approximately 200 tons of household waste, including plastics, accumulating over the past month and practically covering the entire water surface. Clean-up efforts spearheaded by the West Java Provincial Government began on Wednesday after images of the harrowing conditions went viral.

• We’ve been used to having the letters “A” to signify cars or “C” to signify motorbikes on the Indonesian driver’s license (SIM), but those issued after July 2024 will feature images of vehicles. This is supposed to help law enforcers abroad identify the driver’s license type.

• Far be it from me to dish out celebrity goss, but since everybody’s talking about it: Ruben Onsu is filing for divorce from his wife, Sarwendah Tan, after some 11 years of marriage.