🇮🇩Week of October 19

Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara reshuffled five senior posts at the Ministry of Finance, swearing in a new secretary-general and two new directors-general. Astera Primanto Bhakti was installed as secretary-general, replacing the secretary-general from Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa's tenure. The ministry described the five as high-ranking madya leaders.12345

The appointments were made at a ceremony the ministry said was meant to stress collaboration and cross-unit synergy. Suahasil also installed a tax expert staff member and delivered a message to the new official. The ministry published the list of five officials sworn in.675

Attributed claim: Outlets framed the reshuffle differently. CNN Indonesia, a centre outlet, led on the removal of the secretary-general from Purbaya's era, while Kompas and Antara led on Astera Primanto Bhakti's appointment as secretary-general and the two new directors-general. CNBC Indonesia and DDTCNews counted five officials installed.42315

The reshuffle was reported on Thursday and Friday, with Detik and JPNN.com asking which officials were moved and Lingkar TV reporting that the secretary-general from Purbaya's era was among those shifted. Harian Jogja published the list of the five.891011

A lawmaker from Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR), Sahroni, said he agrees that causing state losses should not by itself count as a corruption offence, and he pushed for revision of the anti-corruption law (UU Tipikor). The position follows a statement by Luhut that state losses should not be treated as a criminal corruption matter, which drew responses from several quarters.123

Luhut issued a clarification of his remark that state losses are not a corruption crime. The DPR's push for a Tipikor revision is being framed as following the recommendation of the National Economic Council (DEN).345

The proposal to redefine corruption drew a range of public responses, with the debate centring on whether financial loss to the state should remain a criminal category.2

Separately, Ibam accompanied Gus Yaqut at a court hearing and said he hopes the judges will consider a proposal from DEN.6

Saudi Arabia intercepted four Houthi drones over Riyadh, and the Houthis warned that Saudi airspace is unsafe except for Mecca and Medina. The escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has disrupted Umrah travel, and Indonesia's government has asked pilgrims to stay alert.1234

Five countries have urged their citizens to postpone Umrah to Saudi Arabia for safety reasons, and Singapore advised its residents to delay Umrah following the airport attack in Saudi Arabia. Indonesia's Religious Ministry said it has no plan yet to advise Indonesian pilgrims to postpone Umrah after the attack in Riyadh.567

Two Indonesian citizens were injured in the attack at Riyadh airport and have recovered, the Foreign Ministry said. Iran denied involvement in the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.89

Attributed claim: Coverage of Indonesia's response splits: NU Online reported that the government urged Umrah pilgrims to delay departure as the Middle East situation heated up, while Kompas reported that the Religious Ministry has no such plan. KONTAN framed the question as whether Indonesia would follow other countries in postponing Umrah travel.10711

Students held demonstrations in several Indonesian cities demanding that the government declare the forest and land fires (karhutla) a national disaster. The government has not declared one; the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs maintains the state is still capable of handling the situation.1

Jakarta's Metro Police (Polda Metro Jaya) deployed 9,505 joint personnel and urged residents to avoid protest locations in the capital. Five Transjakarta routes did not stop at Balai Kota because of the demonstration.23

A student action at Tugu Tanni broke up and traffic returned to normal, while a separate Jakarta gathering marked two years of the Prabowo-Gibran administration.45

The KMP Batumandi caught fire as it was preparing to dock at Merak Port in Cilegon, sending thick black smoke into the air over the waters off Merak. The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) confirmed that all passengers on board survived the incident.123

One passenger, Purnomo, jumped into the sea without a life vest during the emergency, in what Kompas described as a tense moment aboard the burning vessel.4

The head of state ferry operator ASDP issued a public apology over the fire, CNBC Indonesia reported.5

Singapore has added three more Indonesian companies to a list of firms suspected of links to forest and land fires, bringing the total to 10. The warnings concern transboundary haze drifting from Indonesia, and Singapore's prime minister has said he is preparing legal measures against the companies behind it.12

Singapore is threatening fines of Rp28 billion against the 10 companies. The warnings and the legal review target the same firms, which Singapore says are tied to the burning.32

A Singaporean minister singled out APP in the investigation into the haze from Indonesia. The scrutiny follows earlier warnings to seven Indonesian companies, which Singapore said it was weighing legal steps against.42

Attributed claim: Former trade minister Thomas Lembong criticised Singapore over the fires, saying it dumps waste and defecates in Indonesia. The remark was carried as the lead item by CNN Indonesia, a centre outlet, while Kompas, Detik and CNBC Indonesia led instead with the expanded company warnings and the APP scrutiny.5674

President Prabowo Subianto ordered that forest and land fires (karhutla) be handled on a massive scale and that personnel deployment be optimized, according to a directive reported on Monday. The instruction came as the government weighed how to frame the response, with the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam) insisting the state is still capable of handling the fires.12

The government has not declared the fires a national disaster. CNN Indonesia reported the position as "we are still capable," while Menko Polkam repeated that the state remains able to handle the situation. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said he is still monitoring the economic losses from the fires.324

Prabowo traveled to Riau to inspect fire handling in Sumatra, a visit reported on Thursday. On the same day, Coordinating Minister Dudung said the government is handling the fires at maximum capacity and urged the public not to be swayed by rumors about the response.56

Malaysia will send three aircraft to help Indonesia fight the fires, Coordinating Minister Dudung said on Thursday. The offer adds a regional dimension to a response the government has so far kept under national command rather than a national disaster declaration.7

Attributed claim: CenderawasihPos: Critics pressed Prabowo to move beyond rhetoric. Cenderawasih Pos carried a demand that the president take concrete steps on the fires rather than "just talk," setting the call for action against the government's insistence that it can cope without a national disaster designation.8

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met President Prabowo Subianto at Hambalang, with the Cabinet Secretariat reporting that Guterres praised Prabowo's leadership and Indonesia's steps to help Palestine. Guterres also visited the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the trip.12345

The Cabinet Secretariat disclosed the contents of the Prabowo-Guterres meeting, and Indonesian outlets summarized the sit-down in lists of key points, ranging from four to five items.4678

Speaking on the visit, Guterres praised Indonesia and called for reform of the global financial system.91

Two boys are accused of bullying a child with disabilities in Surabaya until the child died while being treated at a psychiatric hospital (RSJ) in the city. The case has drawn attention to what one outlet described as a crisis of empathy around the treatment of children with special needs.12

East Java Police (Polda Jatim) said the legal process in the child abuse case is being handled professionally and pledged justice for the victim. The Surabaya city government said it is assisting the family of the child with disabilities who died.34

The two boys will receive six months of guidance and be placed in a boarding school (pondok), according to Kumparan. The child at the centre of the case is described as having Down syndrome.5