June 14, 2016 edition

Setya Novanto announced his support for the government of President Joko Widodo right after he was elected chairman of the Golkar Party for the 2016-2019 term. He made the announcement at the Golkar national convention in Nusa Dua, Bali, last May, saying that his party was oriented towards development for the people, a vision that was in line with the development programs espoused by Jokowi. "In order to achieve our mission, Golkar must work with the government," asserted 60-year-old Setya, who hails from Bandung, West Java.
He claims that his party's support of the government had nothing to do about securing his legal status over a number of pending cases, among them the 'Papa Wants Shares' scandal. "I don't feel there are any pending cases against me," Setya stressed.

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More Interview articles in other editions

June 7, 2016 edition

With his flaming red hair and grinning face, Umar Patek greeted Tempo at Surabaya's maximum correctional facility in Porong, Sidoardjo, East Java, three weeks ago. He was allowed out of his cell in Block F to meet us at the visitors' room.
Convicted for crimes of terrorism, Umar, 49, who has many aliases, was prominently mentioned last May as having played a role in the release of 10 Indonesians held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf armed separatist group in the Philippines. Umar claimed to have offered his services in negotiating for the release of the hostages, crew members of the Brahma 12 tug boat. "I wanted to help because they were my fellow compatriots. Everything I did was above board, I asked no pre-conditions," said Umar Patek, whose real name is Hisyam bin Ali Zein.

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May 31, 2016 edition

Supreme Court Chief Justice Muhammad Hatta Ali feels the current negative media reports about the court system are excessive and unjustified. "When it comes to reports about our justice system, they tend to be exaggerated," said Hatta during a recent interview.
The reputation of the Supreme Court was once again in question after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) nabbed Central Jakarta Court Clerk Edy Nasution red-handed accepting a bribe from a businessman.

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May 24, 2016 edition

Minister for Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Yohana Susana Yembise, 58, cannot afford to take it easy yet, even though Law No. 35/2014 is ready to be enacted. Better known as the Bill on Castration, this piece of legislation will soon be deliberated on at the House of Representatives (DPR).
The bill was drafted by three ministries at the instruction of President Joko Widodo as a response to the emerging cases of sexual abuse. The ministries involved are the ministries coordinating human development and culture, social affairs and women's empowerment and child protection. "The President has instructed the attorney-general and me to monitor the passage of the bill," said Yohana in a recent interview.

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May 17, 2016 edition

Public service is something new to 52-year-old Amzulian Rifai, the new chairman of the Office of the Ombudsman. After all, he spent the past 25 years in the academic affairs of Sriwijaya University in Palembang, South Sumatra. But he is ready to dedicate himself to a new assignment, which is to be the people's 'ear', to listen to those disappointed by the quality of public services rendered. Amzulian believes the Ombudsman is the right place to dedicate his time and his resources. He decided to apply for the job, and in an open session, was elected chairman for the 2016-2021 period.
Amzulian is aware that leading the Office of the Ombudsman will not be an easy task. Right from the start, he has had to face the snide comments that the Ombudsman is nothing more than a toothless institution with no specific objective in mind. The building alone, he observed when he first went there, looked no better than a warehouse. "It was in really bad condition," he said in an interview last week.

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May 10, 2016 edition

The outbreak of violence at Banceuy Penitentiary in Bandung, West Java two weeks ago deeply affected Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly. The incident might have appeared ordinary in the rough-and-tumble world inside Indonesian prisons, given that the death of inmate Undang Kosim triggered the violence. Nevertheless, it was the third of such incidents in 2016 alone.
Yasonna found the root of the problem to be commonplace: the number of inmates exceeding the limited capacities of Indonesian prisons and the shortage of prison personnel. He admitted frankly that conditions in Indonesian prisons were unacceptable. "They're very inhumane," he said in a recent interview in his South Jakarta office last week.

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May 3, 2016 edition

Last year was Marina Walker Guevara's busiest time. She had to face piles of documents, layers of digital data, and, most importantly, she was commanding hundreds of journalists from 80 countries who collaborated on investigating and publishing the Panama Papers.
The report involves 2.6 terabytes of data on companies set up in tax-haven countries like Panama or regions like the British Virgin Islands. The companies' owners are a mix of politicians, public officials, thieves, drug lords, billionaires and celebrities, including world-class athletes and sports people.

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