Stepan: Only bombs are revolutionary

Busyro Muqoddas claims he felt relieved he wasn't chosen to be a leader of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), being well-aware of the political reasons behind the selection of the new KPK leaders for the 2015-2019 period. He assumes that the reason he was not selected may have been his hard questions on the lawmakers and his strong opposition to the proposed revisions to Law No. 30/2002 on the KPK.

When US President Barack Obama made a plea to the Muslim world in early December to confront the extremism in their midst, Saudi Arabia responded by announcing the formation of the Islamic Military Alliance two weeks ago.

The maneuver performed by the T-50i Golden Eye jet fighter in Yogyakarta under a clear sky on Sunday last week ended in disaster. Pilot Marda Sarjono applied an afterburner so that the nose of the aircraft rose upright. The jet owned by the Indonesian Air Force then took a plunge while performing a loop maneuver.

The year 2015 will go down as the year of consolidation, when President Joko Widodo must find his way through the intricate political web he inherited from the previous administration before he can actually begin the job of governing the nation. This is why to many observers, Indonesia seems to fit the description of 'a nation in waiting'. Just how long the waiting is expected to last is anyone's guess but it seems that one year is not enough. The uncertainty, Kuntoro Mangkusubrotoscholar, a former bureaucrat and activistsaid, is likely to carry into the next year when the government feels confident enough to settle down and do the serious job of governing.

For the longest period ever, the nation exhausted its resources to tackle the recent haze disaster. The government struggled like a blindman to manage the crisis, as if the fires were a first-time disaster, instead of an annual problem for the past 18 years. And every year, the affected neighboring countries screamed and yelled, but no firm and systematic responses were adequately taken to prevent a recurrence.

ONE hundred and six members of the Jakarta Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) seemed pleased when their four demands were granted. In the 2016 Jakarta Regional Administrative Budget (APBD), four components in the council's expense budget were significantly increased. These include budgets for travel and recesses, new meeting tables and chairs and new laptops.

Jafar Suryomengolo's Clarification

Dear Readers,

Indonesia is one of the world's biggest exporters of migrant workers. By November 2015, Indonesia has placed about 253,084 workers in a number of countries. This does not exclude those who leave quietly on their own. The consequent problems reflect the massive number of Indonesians working overseas.

Yulianus Paonganan, the man behind @ypaonganan, looked haggard after being held for six days at the Indonesian National Police headquarters. The 45-year-old man's hair was unkempt and his face seemed grim. "I'm confused as to why I'm being accused of spreading pornography," said Yulianus, whom friends call Ongen, when Tempo met him Tuesday last week.

BANKING
ATMs of Four State-owned Banks MERGe

Fears of a weakening rupiah, when the US Federal Reserve (the Fed) hikes its interest rate, didn't happen, bringing a sigh of relief to the global markets. A few days after the Fed raised US interest rates by 0.25 percent, the rupiah actually strengthened to Rp13,648 per US dollar from Rp14,009 a day before the announcement. This is an unexpected gift for Bank Indonesia, which was preparing for a potentially volatile rupiah. At least, the country's reserves, which have shrunk to a low of US$100.2 billion, can be kept intact before year's end.

BASUKI Budi Santosa was taken aback. In the middle of placing tree seedlings into sacks, he received unpleasant news from a colleague, Fajar Dewanto. Fajar called him on September 23 to tell him about several hotspots observed blazing at the Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan.

This year, Indonesia and India mark 75 years of diplomatic relations. However, the ties between the two nations have existed much longer, predating the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia and the Republic of India. These connections span social, cultural, religious, economic, and trade aspects. But do those close ties of the past have any bearing on the present relationship? Why is there no direct flight between the capitals of the two countries?

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Sandeep Chakravorty, shares his views on this matter at TEMPO TALKS.