September 9, 2014 edition
IT was sundown when Taufik Noor Isya crossed the Indonesia-Malaysia border at Entikong, West Kalimantan, and headed for Kuching in Sarawak, two weeks ago. An hour later, just as Taufik, an Indonesian police liaison officer with the rank of commissioner, reached the town of Serian, his cellular phone rang. Although the number was unfamiliar, he took the call.
It was an officer in the Royal Malaysian police, who informed him that they had arrested two Indonesians at Hotel Citadines in Kuching city. They also told him that the two were members of the Indonesian police, who produced proper ID cards during their questioning. "But I did not believe it at first," Taufik told Tempo, who met him at Kuching last week.
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January 1, 1970 edition
As someone who is used to efficiency, Joko Widodo expects to be running a competent cabinet following his October 20 inauguration. This is why his transition team contains a working group whose work is solely to come up with the right ministerial structure. So far, he has been given five options: maintain the cabinet with 34 ministries, cut it down to 27 ministers, set up 20-24 ministries or a cabinet based on Sukarno's Trisakti ideology and lastly, a merger of the four concepts.
In the merger option, for example, the Agriculture and Fisheries ministries will be merged to become the Food Sufficiency Ministry. But all that is currently being studied. Jokowi will wait until September 15 before assigning his selected candidates in the cabinet he has opted for. His deputy, Jusuf Kalla on the other hand, is more daring, preferring the 34 ministries as the ideal structure.
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August 26, 2014 edition
IN the luxury of the 26th floor of the five-star Grand Hyatt Hotel in Jakarta last week, Prabowo Subianto watched the special televised announcement that dashed his hopes of winning the 2014-2019 presidency. The Constitutional Court's panel of judges declared that charges of electoral fraud submitted by Prabowo was unsubstantiated, re-validating the win by his rival, Joko Widodo.
Accompanying him on that fateful Thursday evening was his running mate Hatta Rajasa and the elites of supporting parties. They were Golkar Party Chairman Aburizal Bakrie, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Anis Matta and United Development Party (PPP) Chairman Suryadharma Ali. The parties' secretaries-general and two senior politicians, Golkar's Akbar Tandjung and National Mandate Party's (PAN) Amien Rais, were also present, their eyes glued to the television monitors around the room. Of the 4,390-page verdict, the Constitutional Court chief justice read only the main points from 261 pages.
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August 19, 2014 edition
THE off-white house at Baciro, Yogyakarta, was the 'crime scene' that put Muhammad Yamin on trial by a military tribunal. Sixty-eight years ago he was charged with planning a coup at the house that at the time belonged to Sundoro Budhyarto Martoatmodjo.
In his defense, later published in the book Sapta Darma in 1950, Yamin said he was charged with issuing four maklumat, letters of declaration, which were presented to Sukarno on July 3, 1946. Yamin, who was born in Talawi, West Sumatra on August 22, 1903, was tried by the court, along with other defendants.
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August 12, 2014 edition
ON the Lebaran (Idul Fitri) holiday at the end of the fasting month, Joko Widodo's political calendar showed no slack. After praying at the mosque, he visited the home of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri and the home of National Democrat (NasDem) Party Chairman Surya Paloh. He then summoned some of the senior members of his campaign team to the official residence of the Jakarta governor in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Those who attended that meeting two weeks ago were Rini Soemarno, Andi Widjajanto, and Hasto Kristiyanto.
Jokowi repeated his previous statement that as the declared president-elect by the General Elections Commission (KPU) on July 22, he wanted to form a transition team. The Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration will end on October 20 and on that same day the new president will be inaugurated by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). This team's duty is to synchronize the old programs with the new. "I have to move quickly because there is not much time," Jokowi said, citing his reason for the urgent task.
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August 5, 2014 edition
PRESIDENT Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) immediately congratulated Joko Widodo when the General Elections Commission (KPU) named him as the country's president-elect. In a telephone conversation on Tuesday night two weeks ago, Yudhoyono also offered to help during the transition period. "We want the transition process to go smoothly," Jokowi told Tempo, two weeks ago.
Jokowi welcomed Yudhoyono's offer. They are set to meet at the Presidential Palace after the end of the Idul Fitri holidays. One pressing issue which needs to be discussed is the 2015 State Budget (APBN). Formulated by Yudhoyono's cabinet, the 2015 APBN will go into effect during the first year of Jokowi's presidential term. On August 15, Yudhoyono will read the 2015 State Budget Financial Note in the House of Representatives (DPR). In order to accommodate Jokowi's vision and mission, the incoming president needs to discuss the budget before then.
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January 1, 1970 edition