On his first day in office, the new Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, immediately made headlines. His statement that the people’s “17+8 Demands”  were carried out by only a small group of people amid protests across Indonesia went viral instantly. Purbaya’s speaking style is markedly different from his predecessor, Sri Mulyani, who was formal and cautious. Purbaya’s blunt and flamboyant manner quickly earned him the nickname “cowboy” among netizens. However, it’s not ju

It is done. What until now could only be felt and not explicitly said, now there is no doubt anymore: Chinese Indonesians do not have a place in Indonesia.  By declaring the very president that led the actual genocide in 1965 and passed laws that could be considered as cultural genocide in form of a “forced assimilation” – which was recognized as a form of war crime in the Geneva Convention – as a national hero, the Indonesian government is proudly and openly stating to Chi

A little over a year ago, some of us sat with experts to map what free nutritious meals could unlock for Indonesia and what might trip it up -- looking hard at nutrition, human capital, local agriculture, and the public budget. The program is now on the ground and reach is visible, yet the past year shows how often announcements ran ahead of kitchens, logistics, and open numbers. The same checklist we drafted then still reads as the yardstick today. Will this become a big pr

The country is once again facing a tragedy as a result of the Indonesian central government's policy: the free nutritious meal program (abbreviated: MBG). Though the program is not called the free poisonous meal program, it has indeed caused mass mass-poisoning recently. The government's responses towards critiques and moratorium-calls are overwhelmingly elitists and ignorant. A minister said that it's rather the school pupils who have not adjusted their stomach to the food

President Prabowo Subianto launched Indonesia's ambitious free school meal program, Makan Bergizi Gratis  (MBG), shortly after the...

No Indonesian, who do not enjoy the privilege of having been born in rich family, are content with how Indonesia is developing and...

Batagor is an Indonesian dish that originated from my hometown, Bandung, in West Java. It is, in essence, a fried dumpling dish with fish...

The tragic end of a series of demonstrations on 28 August 2025 will be remembered by those who were there and fell victim to the state...