Indonesia
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Indonesia

Indonesia
Indonesia
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion from Indonesia.
Capital
Jakarta
Head of State
President Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto
Head of Government
President Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto
Excavators unload coal in Binzhou, in eastern China’s Shandong province. Photo: AFP
SCMP Highlights

China’s heat pump tech, Tokyo clarifies Taiwan stance: SCMP’s 7 highlights

From Hong Kong Jimmy Lai’s trial verdict to China’s high-altitude tank threat, here are highlights from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Conservation

Indonesian elephants tasked to help in flood recovery spur conservation debate

Natural disasters

Don’t build on ‘active zones’, experts warn Indonesia as Sumatra recovery begins

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Hong Kong

Indonesian helper who died in Hong Kong fire ‘was always there’ for others

Desi Widiana, one of nine Indonesian helpers killed in the Tai Po fire, was found huddled together with her elderly ward.

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Desi Widiana was one of nine Indonesian helpers who died in the fire at Wang Fuk Court. Photo: Handout
Food and Drinks

Mouthing Off | American cuisine better than Vietnamese, Korean? New ‘best’ list stirs tempers

The ‘100 Best Cuisines in the World’ list from TasteAtlas is angering people with its contentious food rankings. Singapore at number 90?

Australia

Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance

Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.

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Urban planning

Deadly Indonesia fire fuels claims of ‘back-room dealings’ on safety

Unions blame bribery for lax enforcement after 22 workers died in a burning Jakarta office building with no emergency exits.

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Firefighters at a building in central Jakarta where a fire killed 22 people on December 9. Photo: TNS
Malaysia

Video | Indonesian minister dismisses Malaysian flood aid, sparking outrage

Tito Karnavian dismissed a US$60,000 aid package as ‘not much’ compared with Jakarta’s own disaster response, sparking online criticism.

Food and agriculture

Calls to halt Indonesia’s free meal drive after horror crash injures 21 children

One child lost 18 teeth and had to undergo reconstructive surgery. Critics blame the scheme’s ‘chaotic’ roll-out for the tragedy.

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Malaysia

‘Just say thank you’: Malaysians fume as Indonesian minister belittles flood aid

Tito Karnavian dismissed the US$60,000 aid package as ‘not much’ compared to Jakarta’s own disaster response, touching a raw nerve online.

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Indonesian Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian as he appeared on the Suara Lokal Mengglobal podcast. Photo: YouTube/HelmyYahyaBicara
SCMP Highlights

Malaysia’s dress code row, South Korea falls out with K-pop: 7 Asia highlights

From ex-NBA player’s cancer treatment to backlash against Malaysia’s ‘moral police’, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Lawyers say Melaka police have overstepped the mark after officers barred two women wearing skirts from entering a police station to report a car accident. Photo: Handout
Climate change

Indonesia to revoke 22 forestry permits after fatal floods

Environmentalists and experts have highlighted the role forest loss played in deadly flash flooding and landslides.

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Hong Kong

Hong Kong fire victim sent frantic final video to husband in Indonesia

Darwati, 48, died alongside the elderly woman she cared for, refusing to abandon her ward as the Wang Fuk Court fire spread.

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Electric & new energy vehicles

Xpeng steps up ‘go global’ drive with Malaysian assembly hub for Southeast Asia

The Guangzhou-based company said it would partner with Malaysia’s EP Manufacturing to locally assemble intelligent EVs.

Workers conduct final checks on an Xpeng new energy car at the firm’s plant in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province, on October 9, 2023. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

Trump’s tariffs on Southeast Asia put US Christmas gifts at risk

From Hot Wheels to headphones, new levies are squeezing the supply of Americans’ festive favourites.

Passers-by look in Christmas-themed shop windows at Macy’s department store in New York earlier this month. Photo: Zuma Press Wire/dpa
US-Asean relations

Southeast Asia barely features in America’s new security strategy

The region appears just twice in the new 32-page US National Security Strategy, raising fears it is being relegated to a ‘bargaining chip’.

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Britain

‘Did you think I’d face jail time?’: deported porn star Blue mocks Bali arrest

The adult content creator returned to the UK, saying it cost her less than ‘US$20 to get out of prison’ in Indonesia.

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Climate change

Over 200 still missing in Indonesia as flood death toll passes 1,000

With vast areas hit and thousands of people injured, 1.2 million have been forced to take refuge in temporary shelters.

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Police officers help to carry coffins on Thursday during a mass burial for victims of floods and landslides in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Photo: Xinhua
Defence

Indonesia weighs costs of closer Russia engagement after Prabowo’s Moscow visit

Analysts said Putin’s offers may align with Jakarta’s ambitions but would carry diplomatic costs and the risk of sanctions from Washington.

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South China Sea

Why are South China Sea disputes hard to settle? Expert cites power asymmetry

Chinese analysts say Beijing supports Asean’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ too, so long as sovereignty claims are resolved bilaterally.

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Tourism

Airbnb ban in Bali? Indonesia says no, but crackdown on illegal stays looms

Bali’s governor wants to ban the online platform but the island’s problems with illegal rentals go beyond Airbnb, critics say.

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An aerial view of Denpasar shows the many hotels and lodgings in the area. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

As more department stores in Singapore struggle, can they adapt and survive?

The closure of more Isetan outlets comes in the wake of brands like Robinsons, Daimaru and SOGO that have ceased operations in Singapore.

The outlet of the Isetan department store chain at NEX shopping mall, which will close in April next year. Photo: YouTube/Singapore Scenery and Places
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Burial orders issued for Indonesians killed in Hong Kong blaze

Consulate says it is working closely with Hong Kong authorities, leading to ‘swift handling of Indonesian nationals affected by fire’.

Britain

Porn star Bonnie Blue faces deportation, blacklisting from Bali

The British woman, who was arrested on suspicion of making pornographic online content, will be ejected from the island for visa violations.

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Video | 51 Indonesian couples tie the knot in mass wedding ceremony in Jakarta

Couples were showered with dowries, staple food packages and other wedding gifts.

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51 couples all said their vows at a mass wedding at Jakarta’s grand mosque. Photo: Handout
Americas and the Caribbean

Mexico lawmakers approve tariff increase on Chinese and other Asian imports

The move, which still requires Senate approval, would affect goods like cars, clothes and steel from China, India, South Korea and elsewhere.

Employees work at a steel bar factory in Santa Catarina, Nuevo Leon state, Mexico, in November. Photo: AFP
Prabowo Subianto

Prabowo’s push to end direct election for Indonesian regional heads stirs debate

The president says the move is to stop wasteful spending and vote buying, but critics warn that it risks a return to Suharto-era politics.

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Weddings

Video | Mass wedding in Indonesia

Couples were showered with dowries, staple food packages and other wedding gifts.

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