December 15, 2015 edition
No matter where he is posted, Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso always seems to be in the news, as he is doing in his current position as head of the National Narcotics Board (BNN). Barely four months on the job, his statement on drug offenders has led to contentious and prolonged public polemic. He floated the idea of a special prison for those convicted of drug dealing and drug use to be located on an island surrounded by crocodile-infested waters. "I'm serious. This is not a joke," he said.
The public is unlikely to forget other controversial decisions he took during his previous stint as chief of the crime investigation unit of the National Police. One example is when he charged Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjojanto for document fraud and perjury, respectively. He also indicted KPK investigator Novel Baswedan for a case that had happened years ago.
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December 8, 2015 edition
Aircraft manufacturer Dirgantara Indonesia has made known its disappointment at the government's plan to purchase an Agusta Westland AW101 helicopter, manufactured by British company Westland Helicopters jointly with Agusta from Italy. Ordered by the Indonesian Air Force, the plan became a hot topic public debate when it was reported that it was to become President Joko Widodo's mode of transportation when he goes on his blusukan, or unscheduled inspection trips, around the country.
Dirgantara regards the purchase to go against Law No. 16/2012 on the defense industry. The problem is that "something like that (the process) must involve the domestic industry," explained Dirgantara CEO Budi Santoso. Budi contends that his company is experienced in manufacturing Puma and Super Puma aircrafts. He feels the government would do better to order EC725 or Cougar aircrafts because they would be part of the Super Puma's development process, which is part of Dirgantara's program.
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November 24, 2015 edition
Attorney-General Prasetyo emerged carrying a copy of a three-week-old Tempo, bearing a picture of Surya Paloh on its cover. "I'm being persecuted," he said before throwing the magazine on the desk. Prasetyo burst out in frustration over the corruption case of North Sumatra social welfare funds and grants, in which he has been implicated. The case was Tempo's cover story that week.
Prasetyo was upset at the story for implying that money had inappropriately flowed to the Attorney-General's Office (AGO) that he leads. He also felt all this was part of a conspiracy to unseat him from the AGO. Along with Maruli Hutagalung, who was at the time director of investigations, Prasetyo allegedly received money from people his own AGO had charged with misusing the social welfare funds.
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November 17, 2015 edition
The speech by Bogor Mayor Bima Arya, 42, at an international conference discussing 'Unity in Diversity' in Florence, Italy, last November 6, triggered quite a bit of criticism back home. It seems the mayor's speech extolled the religious tolerance in the city he governs, better known as the 'Rainy City'. But the fact is that Bogor is anything but an example of religious tolerance, while Mayor Bima himself is guilty of violating the right to freedom of religion.
At the conference attended by about 100 mayors from around the world, Bima shared his views on conflict management and maintaining religious freedom. He also stressed that Bogor was a city that never experienced serious social conflict that threatened its citizens.
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November 10, 2015 edition
The thick haze blanketing parts of Indonesia compelled Health Minister Nila Djuwita Moeloek to fly back and forth between Jakarta, Sumatra and Kalimantan these past two weeks. She did this to ensure that health services in the provinces affected by the haze were being provided effectively. "I went to Palangkaraya three times these past two weeks," said Nila, last week.
It has been more than four months since the haze engulfed Sumatra and Kalimantan, yet the problem is far from under control. There have been victims, many had to be hospitalized, a few died. Among the fatalities was a baby. Understandably, some of the public anger was directed at her ministry, which was criticized for being slow in anticipating this human disaster.
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November 3, 2015 edition
The Go-Jek service online application has multiplied and diversified, in an amazingly short time. Today, customers can get Go-Jek not just to take them somewhere, but also to deliver packages and order their daily needs (through its subsidiary Go-Mart, which is connected to retail stores). If you need a massage, just go to Go-Massage, and if your domestic staff leaves you in the lurch by suddenly going back to their village, call Go-Clean and get a replacement to clean the house or the office.
Nadiem Makarim, 31, is the person behind this ingenious way of shopping by using apps in Indonesia. There is no question that with Go-Jek, he has revolutionized the motorcycle taxi business, which he launched early this year. So far, the Go-Jek app has been downloaded by no fewer than 6 million users and there are now 200,000 Go-Jek motorcycle drivers buzzing around Jakarta and seven other cities in Indonesia with their green helmets and green jackets. All this is somewhat overwhelming to Nadiem, who got his business credentials from the Harvard Business School in the United States. After all, his initial target was a modest 20,000 to 30,000 drivers joining Go-Jek this year.
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October 27, 2015 edition