In the latest annual Corruption Perceptions Index, compiled by Transparency International (a Germany-based politically non-partisan institution), Indonesia's ranking improved to 88th (from 107th in last year's edition). As such, Indonesia continues to rise through the ranks of the index. Although this is a very encouraging development, it needs to be emphasized that the nation is still plagued by a high degree of corruption. Transparency International's index measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.

Lanjut baca ›

The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) will complete its investigation into the alleged fictitious trading of coal mining firm Sekawan Intipratama's shares later this week. Results will be presented to the Financial Services Authority (OJK). The case led to the one-day suspension of trading activity of three Indonesian brokerages (Danareksa Sekuritas, Reliance Securities, and Millenium Danatama Sekuritas) on Wednesday 11 November on claims that they manipulated the miner's shares. Trading in shares of Sekawan Intipratama has been suspended since 9 November after the firm's shares tumbled 64.68 percent in a two-week period.

Lanjut baca ›

Aktivitas perdagangan dari tiga broker - Danareksa Sekuritas, Reliance Securities, dan Millenium Danatama Sekuritas - telah diaktifkan kembali oleh Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) pada hari Kamis (12/11). Sehari sebelumnya, aktivitas perdagangan broker-broker ini telah dibekukan karena adanya klaim bahwa perusahaan tersebut terlibat dalam perdagangan fiktif, bernilai sekitar Rp 350 miliar, berkaitan dengan saham perusahaan pertambangan batubara Sekawan Intipratama yang terdaftar di BEI. Ketiga broker ini dituduh memanipulasi saham perusahaan tambang ini.

Lanjut baca ›

The ongoing forest fires on parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan, brought about by people's slash-and-burn practices to clear land for palm oil and paper industries, are now labelled a crime against humanity by global media while Indonesia has turned into the world's largest daily carbon dioxide emissions surpassing China and the USA. The severe haze that has been plaguing parts of Southeast Asia brings health problems, economic costs and bad publicity amid a time when most countries are teaming up to combat global warming.

Lanjut baca ›

Selama dua hari terakhir lebih dari 900 migran (diduga adalah etnis Muslim Rohingya dari Myanmar dan Bangladesh) telah diselamatkan dari perahu-perahu kayu yang kelebihan penumpang di wilayah pantai Provinsi Aceh pada ujung utara Pulau Sumatra. Setelah dilihat oleh nelayan-nelayan lokal, kapal-kapal ini diderek ke daerah pesisir Aceh. Sementara itu, di Malaysia lebih dari 1.000 migran dari Myanmar dan Bangladesh ditemukan di daerah laut dangkal dekat Langkawi setelah ditelantarkan oleh para penyelundup manusia.

Lanjut baca ›

Pada minggu ini polisi menangkap seorang warganegara asing di Jakarta berkaitan dengan ditemukannya 2,2 kilogram kristal methamphetamine (meth) di sebuah rumah kos di Srengseng (Jakarta Barat). Juru Bicara Polda Metro Jaya Budi Widjanarko mengatakan bahwa tindakan polisi dilakukan berdasarkan data intelijen mengenai sindikat yang menyelundupkan kristal meth ke Indonesia dari Nigeria. Dilaporkan bahwa sindikat ini dipimpin oleh seorang narapidana yang sedang menjalani masa penjara di Jakarta. Belakangan ini beberapa kasus terkait kejahatan narkotika menjadi isu di Indonesia dan disoroti dunia.

Lanjut baca ›

The recently exposed case that involves illegal fishery, abuse and even alleged slavery on and near the remote island of Benjina (East Indonesia) has taken another turn after a key witness in the case was found dead in a hotel in Central Jakarta over the weekend. Yoseph Sairlela, adviser at Indonesia’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, was beaten to death according to local media. Indonesia's National Police stated that it suspects the murder is related to the ‘Benjina-case’. The ministry requested police protection for other key witnesses.

Lanjut baca ›

Shares of Kalbe Farma, Indonesia’s largest pharmaceutical company, have been under pressure over the past couple of days due to the deaths of two hospital patients after they had taken a medicine manufactured by Kalbe Farma. According to the Indonesian Pharmacy Association (GP Farmasi Indonesia) Buvanest Spinal, an anesthetic, was wrongly packaged and hence did not contain bupivacaine but instead tranexamic acid, which aims to stop or reduce heavy bleeding (usually used during surgery).

Lanjut baca ›

Indonesian authorities said that divers have located the black box recorders of Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 on Sunday (11/01). Ships involved in the search operation picked up strong ping signals less than 0.6 miles from the location where the tail of the AirAsia aircraft was found. However, divers have not been able yet to collect the black box (which contains crucial flight data) due to the strong undercurrent. Moreover, the black box is stuck under debris at about 30 to 35 meters below sea level.

Lanjut baca ›

Although Indonesian rescuers are still searching for the black boxes, casualties and other remains of Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 that crashed tragically in the Java Sea on 28 December 2014 en route from Surabaya (East Java) to Singapore, some preliminary findings have already been presented to the media. These findings do not involve the accident itself but rather involve massive violations that were exposed as a consequence of the AirAsia tragedy. Apparently, 61 flights (involving five Indonesian airlines) lack the necessary permits.

Lanjut baca ›

One of Indonesia's largest listed property developers - Agung Podomoro Land - saw its shares plunge 10 percent on Monday (04/04) after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the country's anti-graft agency, named the company's President Director Ariesman Widjaja a suspect in a bribery case that also involves a Jakarta legislator. Allegedly, Muhammad Sanusi, legislator of the Jakarta provincial assembly and member of Prabowo Subianto's Great Indonesia Party (Gerindra), accepted money in exchange for support related to the Pluit City project.

Lanjut baca ›

Jero Wacik, Indonesia's former Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (2011-2014) and Minister of Culture and Tourism (2004-2011), could face nine years in prison, a fine of IDR 350 million and may have to pay compensation up to IDR 18.8 billion to the government. These are the demands expressed by prosecutor Dody Sukmono at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor) on Thursday (21/01). Wacik is being accused of mishandling ministerial funds and extortion by the country’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Lanjut baca ›

Former Indonesian Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali (who was also Chairman of the Islamic political party PPP) was sentenced to six years in jail and a fine of IDR 300 million (or three additional months in prison) by the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor) on Monday (11/01). Suryadharma was found guilty of self-enrichment by deliberately mishandling state funds that were allocated to the hajj pilgrimage program covering the financial years 2010-2013.

Lanjut baca ›

Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), the central government's agency that regulates and supervises Indonesia's financial services sector, needs to hire hundreds of new staff in order to safeguard monitoring of the nation's banking sector and to enhance its early warning system in order to detect possible corruption cases. As up to 350 OJK workers are expected to return to the central bank per 1 January 2017, good monitoring of the banking sector is in jeopardy.

Lanjut baca ›

Dengan kebakaran hutan yang masih membara di wilayah-wilayah pulau Sumatra dan Kalimantan, merusak lingkungan hidup tropis, sementara kabut asap beracun masih menyebar ke wilayah-wilayah lain di Asia Tenggara, menyebabkan kira-kira 500.000 kasus infeksi saluran pernapasan dan juga 19 kematian, bencana yang masih berlangsung ini telah diklasifikasikan sebagai kejahatan atas kemanusiaan. Sebuah laporan penelitian baru dan menarik, diterbitkan oleh Dr. Herry Purnomo (ilmuwan dari Center for International Forestry Research yang bermarkas di Bogor), menunjukkan hubungan antara pemilihan umum di daerah dan kebakaran hutan di Indonesia.

Lanjut baca ›

In the past couple of days Indonesian media touched upon the government’s proposal to revive a law that had been removed by Indonesia’s Constitutional Court in 2006. This law makes the act of insulting the Indonesian president an illegal act and can lead to prison sentences and fines. Criticism on the government’s proposal immediately emerged as several legislators and human rights activists fear that freedom of speech will be curtailed in the young democracy. Moreover, it can further erode public support for President Joko Widodo.

Lanjut baca ›

Berlin-based Transparency International released the 2014 edition of its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) earlier this week. In the new edition Indonesia was ranked 107th (out a total of 175 countries), up from 114th in the previous edition. As such, Indonesia continues to improve gradually through the ranks of the index. However, with a score of 34 (out of a possible - and perfect - score of 100) the country still lags behind its regional peers such as Singapore (84), Malaysia (52) and the Philippines (38).

Lanjut baca ›

The Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, OJK) of Indonesia announced that it has declared five Indonesian insurance companies insolvent as they do not meet capital requirements. OJK official Dumoly Freddy Pardede said that Bakrie Life, Asuransi Jiwa Tugu Mandiri and MAA General Assurance are three of the five insolvent companies. He refrained from mentioning the names of the other two insurance companies. The OJK will continue to monitor the five companies and force them to meet all capital requirements.

Lanjut baca ›

At 14:00 pm local Jakarta time zone, Indonesia’s Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi) is expected to announce its decision on Prabowo Subianto’s election result challenge. The defeated presidential candidate filed a court case claiming that massive fraud and violations took place amid the voting and counting processes in the context of Indonesia’s July 2014 presidential election, won by Joko Widodo (securing 53.15 percent of the votes). Although the court’s decision is final and legally binding, Subianto not expected to surrender yet.

Lanjut baca ›

Former Deputy Governor of Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) Budi Mulya was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and a fine of IDR 500 million on Wednesday (16/07) after being found guilty of self-enrichment and corruption in connection to the government's USD $573 million bailout package for Bank Century in 2008 when, amid the global financial crisis, this bank was on the brink of collapse. However, many disagree that Bank Century was about to collapse as no deep analysis had been conducted on the financial condition of the bank.

Lanjut baca ›