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
GN Architects’ Seaside Pavilion, on Chaishan island, Zhejiang province, clinched the Temporary Architecture prize in the 2025 RIBA Asia Pacific Awards. Photo: courtesy GN Architects
Architecture and design

Building on waves: a Chinese triumph in temporary architecture

A Zhejiang pavilion takes top honours at the RIBA Asia Pacific Awards, alongside a Hong Kong finalist celebrating the beauty of impermanence.

Asia travel

‘Limits’ to hospitality: 10 times Asia overtourism became a problem in 2025

SCMP Highlights

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

Conservation

Indonesian elephants tasked to help in flood recovery spur conservation debate

The four elephants deployed to lift debris in Aceh last week after flooding were also involved in the 2004 post-tsunami recovery efforts.

Sumatran elephants deployed to help clear tree debris last week following flash floods in Meureudu, Pidie Jaya district, Aceh province, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
Natural disasters

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

Jakarta has pledged US$3.6 billion and a special agency to help restore homes and public facilities destroyed in last month’s cyclone.

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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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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?

Bowls of pho from Bep in Hong Kong. Vietnamese cuisine is ranked at number 16 on TasteAtlas’s latest list of the “100 Best Cuisines in the World”, one place below American cuisine. Photo: Bep
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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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.

Tito Karnavian dismissed a US$60,000 aid package as ‘not much’ compared with Jakarta’s own disaster response, sparking online criticism
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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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Indonesian students eat a free school meal in Aceh Besar earlier this year. Photo: EPA
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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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.

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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Boats used to ferry passengers across a river are seen near a collapsed bridge in Indonesia’s Aceh province in the aftermath of deadly flash floods this month. Photo: AFP
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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Indonesian national Eli Cahyono (left) pictured with his wife Darwati, who died in the Wang Fuk Court fire. Photo: Handout
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.

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.

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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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US President Donald Trump is pictured next to Malaysian flags before departing Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Air Force One in October. Photo: AFP
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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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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Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ahead of their meeting at the Kremlin on Wednesday. Photo: dpa
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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A Chinese warship sails in the West Philippine Sea, part of the larger South China Sea, on April 27. China and several of its Asian neighbours have competing territorial claims across the strategic waters. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images
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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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.

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’.

Officials from the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong have been working alongside the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to handle the repatriation of the nine nationals killed in the Tai Po fire. Photo: Jelly Tse
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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British adult content creator Bonnie Blue at the immigration office in Jimbaran, Indonesia’s Bali, on Thursday. Photo: AFP

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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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.

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