Indonesia
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Indonesia

Indonesia
Indonesia
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion from Indonesia.
Capital
Jakarta
Head of State
President Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto
Head of Government
President Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto
Hong Kong immigration officers escort the arrested suspects to a van after searching the food factory in Kwai Chung on Saturday. Photo: Handout
Crime in Hong Kong

2 Hong Kong eatery owners arrested for hiring 5 illegal workers in food factory

Foreign workers, who processed food that supplied owners’ restaurant and local food fairs, also arrested by authorities in citywide crackdown.

Social media

Indonesian beauty doctor under police probe as row with influencer turns ugly

Law

Indonesia’s criminal law overhaul prompts fears of rights erosion

SCMP Highlights

AI scientist leaves US for China; domestic helpers in Asia: 5 weekend reads

From China’s reaction to Maduro’s capture to another AI scientist leaving the US, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

Domestic helpers gather in Hong Kong’s Central to relax and socialise on their Sunday day off. Photo: Karma Lo
Prabowo Subianto

New ‘command economy’? Indonesia seizes land the size of Switzerland

Prabowo Subianto’s government has taken over 4 million hectares of plantations and mines since last January.

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China-EU relations

‘Straddle the middle ground’: Europe’s hard choice over US attacks on Venezuela

Although they do not agree with Trump’s way of doing things, they seem to agree with his ultimate objectives, analyst in China says.

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Marine safety

Body of Spanish football coach found after Indonesian boat tragedy

Fernando Martin, his wife and their 4 children were on a tour boat that sank in the Komodo National Park area on Boxing Day.

Indonesian rescuers on Sunday recover a body believed to be one of the victims of a tourist boat that sank on December 26. Photo: Basarnas / AP
China’s military drills

China to lead joint naval drills with Brics nations in South African waters

It is the first defence cooperation under the Brics framework, with the Russian and Iranian navies reportedly taking part.

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Human rights

Ageing Asia needs domestic helpers, but can it keep them safe?

While the region cries out for care, top source nations the Philippines and Indonesia have tightened controls to curb exploitation and abuse.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s new year revelry sees less waste as tougher littering laws kick in

Some 42 litterbugs caught in a nationwide operation face fines and community service amid stringent enforcement of waste laws.

Fireworks explode near the Petronas Twin Towers during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Xinhua
Switzerland

Explainer | Swiss bar inferno joins long list of world’s worst club fires

A look at some of the worst fires in bars, nightclubs and music venues in past decades, where celebrations turned to tragedy in seconds.

The Mountain B pub in Thailand after it was ravaged by fire in 2022. Photo: AP
Malaysia

No Wi-fi or Grab: Malaysian woman’s kindness saves family’s Hong Kong trip

‘Kindness is still around. It’s just quieter now. It wears hoodies, headphones and tired faces,’ the visitor says of the woman who saved the day.

War and conflict

Letters | May 2026 bring more peace and more jobs

Readers discuss hopes for the new year, the prospect of an EU-like Asian union, and the cult of ‘result-oriented’.

Australia

‘Not cowed’: Australia sees defiant start to 2026 after mass shooting

Many police officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the popular annual fireworks display over Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.

Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the New Year. Photo: Reuters
Australia

Opinion | Australia is losing its ability to engage Asia on its own terms

With security increasingly tied to regional developments, Australia’s eroding Asia literacy risks shutting Canberra out of crucial decisions.

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Chinatown in Melbourne, seen in 2020. Despite its strong trade and people-to-people links to Asia, reinforced by waves of migration, Australia’s Asia literacy has steadily declined. Photo: Shutterstock
SCMP Highlights

Rise of Peranakan Chinese networks, Malaysian ex-PM jailed: 7 Asia highlights

From Indonesia fuming over flag stunt to Duterte’s drug war verdict upheld, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Environment

Opinion | Forest conservation must be long-term priority for Southeast Asia

The region’s challenges are primarily political as underfunding and business interests create fragmented institutions, weak enforcement and poor data.

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Fire at Indonesia retirement home kills 16 elderly residents

Fast-moving blaze engulfed facility on the island of Sulawesi as residents were sleeping, police said.

Local people rescue an elderly man from the retirement home fire. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Indonesian helper battles trauma, faces job insecurity after Hong Kong fire

NGOs say they are bracing for more terminations among helpers as families begin to count the cost of their losses.

Weather

Spanish father, 3 children missing in Indonesia after tourist boat sinks

High waves are believed to have caused the sightseeing boat to capsize en route to popular tourist destination Labuan Bajo.

Artificial intelligence

Macroscope | Can AI deliver the economic goods and high returns? Don’t count on it

The dash towards AI might become a rout as the public rebels against the environmental costs while investors worry about the returns.

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A construction worker stands outside a data centre being built in Sedenak Tech Park in Johor, Malaysia, on September 27, 2024. Emerging AI data centres are giving the region’s main data centre hubs, Japan and Singapore, a run for their money. Photo: AP
Malaysia

How the Peranakan Chinese built one of Southeast Asia’s most powerful networks

Born of trade and migration, the Peranakan community has forged a distinct identity that has bridged China and Southeast Asia for centuries.

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The Khoo elders observe the Tung Chen prayer ceremony in the ancestral hall of the Long San Tong Khoo Kongsi on December 20. Photo: Ushar Daniele
Prabowo Subianto

Power, protests and policy shake-ups shape Indonesia’s 2025

President Prabowo Subianto asserts his authority as he navigates the global stage and domestic challenges in his first full year in office.

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Myanmar

Stay or go? Rohingya see no way out of predicament as Myanmar heads to poll

Myanmar’s phased election, set to start on Sunday, is likely to be steered by the same leaders responsible for driving the Rohingya out.

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Climate change

‘Starting anew’: Indonesians in flood-struck Sumatra hold Christmas mass

Many in the congregation are still sheltering at evacuation sites after the fatal disaster wreaked havoc on the island four weeks ago.

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The Angkola Protestant Church is seen amid flood devastation at Aek Ngadol village in North Sumatra province on Christmas Day. Photo: AFP
Fame and celebrity

Red, white and Blue: Indonesia lodges complaint over porn star’s flag stunt

Bonnie Blue’s run-in with Indonesia began earlier this month when she was arrested for making pornographic content in a Bali studio.

Bonnie Blue pins the Indonesian flag to the back of her dress, causing it to drag on the ground. Photo: Instagram
Environment

Seeking climate justice: Indonesian fishermen’s case against Holcim to proceed

The lawsuit states that Holcim has ‘significantly contributed to climate change with its massive CO2 emissions’.

Singapore

Singapore’s athletes debate on funding after official’s ‘come to party’ review

The debate was prompted by a sports official’s underwhelming assessment of Singapore’s performance in athletics at the recent SEA Games.

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