The Defense Ministry is planning to utilize medical laboratories owned by the Indonesian Military’s (TNI) three branches to produce drugs and distribute them through the Red and White Village Cooperatives Program in a bid to lower medicine prices and improve distribution.

Having control over most of the House of Representatives should be enough for President Prabowo Subianto to push for deliberations of the long-awaited asset forfeiture bill, which is expected to be used to help the country in fighting against corruption.

Indonesia is in a “difficult situation” in terms of press freedom due to increased intimidation by police and military personnel, as well as increasing financial instability that often leads to layoffs and salary cuts amid few economic protections for journalists.

The press is facing mounting repression, with journalists reporting growing intimidation and attacks, sparking concerns over the state of media freedom as the country transitions into President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.

An abortive order to transfer Lt. Gen. Kunto Arief Wibowo, the son of former vice president Try Sutrisno, on his tour of duty has fueled rife speculation of an emerging rift within the military, following calls by a group of retired generals to impeach Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Just six months into office, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has already faced a groundswell of public discontent, with critics persistently seeing him as a symbol of dynastic privilege while opponents cast doubts on his legitimacy and public image.

President Prabowo Subianto has conveyed his willingness to name Marsinah, a labor activist who was murdered during the New Order era, a national hero, following suggestions from workers during the commemoration of International Labor Day on Thursday.

Prabowo said that state assets, which naturally belong to all citizens of a nation, should all be controlled by the government based on the 1945 State Constitution. 

Human rights groups have called for further reform on the draconian cyberlaw often used to silence freedom of speech, following a much-celebrated Constitutional Court ruling this week that bans the government and companies from filing defamation reports against its critics.

Amnesty International annual human rights report raises a red flag on a decline in freedom of expression and the press as well as an increase in oppression by security forces against government critics, sounding an alarm against the rise of authoritarianism in Indonesia.

Human rights activists have said the Electronic Information and Transaction Law is a threat to freedom of speech in the country and that the government has used it to criminalise its critics. 

Six months after stepping down from the nation’s top post, former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has been the target of a barrage of lawsuits, which analysts say underscores the accumulated disapproval over his presidency.

In a statement published on Tuesday, Hasan said that he tendered his resignation on April 21 to both State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.

A proposal to reinstate Surakarta’s special designation status has resurfaced, potentially paving the way for the hometown of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to be separated from Central Java, long considered a stronghold of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

The Higher Education, Science and Technology Ministry has downplayed public concerns that the Indonesian Military’s (TNI) involvement in university teaching could stifle academic freedom and student expression.

During a hearing for a case involving Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto, a phone call recording revealed that a party politician said the order to bribe former General Elections Commission (KPU) came from “ibu” (madam).

Many viewers have dismissed Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s discussion of youth’s crucial role in realizing the Indonesia Emas (Golden Indonesia) 2045 vision on his YouTube channel @GibranTV, his first monologue video since taking office, as overly flowery and lacking in substance.

President Prabowo Subianto has cautiously responded to a set of demands from a group of retired Indonesian Military (TNI) officers, who called for the removal of ministers linked to his predecessor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and the replacement of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, eldest son of the former president.

Petitions challenging the results of the 2024 regional election revotes may signal incompetence by poll bodies in organizing the election reruns, election observers have argued.

President Prabowo Subianto is considering tapping into more members of his inner circle to use as spokespeople to work alongside State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, who has already begun assuming the role of presidential spokesman, marking a shift in how the administration handles public messaging.

The House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs are focusing on finishing the deliberation of Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) by the end of this year, before moving on to other law revisions, including those governing the Attorney General’s Office and the National Police.

The Surakarta District Court has scheduled the first hearings for both lawsuits on April 24, 2025 at 10 a.m.

A proposal for the government to name late president Soeharto as a national hero has been met with stiff opposition from rights activists, who fear it would exacerbate a culture of impunity and eventually absolve the authoritarian leader of his alleged corruption and rights violations.

President Prabowo Subianto has called on his ministers to maintain unity in his administration amid speculations of divided loyalties among some cabinet members and the lingering influence of his predecessor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the father of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Legal experts say the government’s policies aiming to improve judges’ welfare in a bid to curb corruption in judicial bodies will not work without stronger internal and external oversight of Indonesian judges.

The presence of Indonesian Military (TNI) members at two university student gatherings last week has further raised concerns about the growing threat to academic and civic freedom in the country.

President Prabowo Subianto faces pressure to assert his leadership amid concerns over the persisting influence of his predecessor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, whose son and cabinet loyalists have carved for themselves a niche in the new government.