Grief has engulfed Sumatra. Flash floods and landslides have devastated the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra, leaving behind not only the ruins of homes and infrastructure but also the deepening realities of hunger, displacement and profound uncertainty. Yet the government's decision to slash disaster funding to its lowest level in years is now testing its ability to help the affected rebuild their lives.

After last month's controversial passage of the revised Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) bill, concerns have emerged regarding a significant legal loophole: wiretaps. Activists say that if left unchecked, law enforcement agencies like the National Police will have leeway to wiretap anyone at any time without formal mechanisms and restrictions once the KUHAP comes into force on Jan. 2.

The flash floods and landslides that ravaged Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra should prompt far deeper scrutiny than they have so far received. While Cyclone Senyar intensified the rainfall, the scale of destruction reflects decades of unchecked ecological degradation that have left communities acutely exposed.

The Riau Provincial Government affirmed its commitment to fully support the acceleration of the Dumai-Melaka Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) Line project, which is expected to improve regional connectivity and trade. This commitment was demonstrated by hosting a visit from the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) at the Riau Governor's Office on Nov. 17, 2025. The visit aimed to discuss economic, transportation, and trade cooperation in the Riau region.

The Army is creating 750 new battalions of combat troops in the next four years to ensure presence in every district nationwide, but in the absence of a credible explanation of where the new external threats are coming from, the plan raises speculations about the real motive.

Indonesia's draft revision of its renewable energy regulation has raised concern that the government is backtracking on its energy transition commitments. Rather than accelerating the shift to clean energy, critics say the revision to Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 112/2022 on Accelerating the Development of Renewable Energy for Electricity Procurement would open the door to more coal-fired power plants (CFPPs). The move risks derailing Indonesia's net-zero emissions (NZE) target and reinforces perceptions that the Prabowo Subianto administration prioritizes energy security over transition efforts.

Bungo Regent Dedy Putra announced that Muara Bungo Airport will add a Jakarta-Bungo route served by Lion Air Group subsidiary PT Batik Air Indonesia with its Airbus A320 and Sriwijaya Air Group subsidiary PT NAM Air starting from February 2026. To support smooth and safe transportation activities, the Indonesian government is currently increasing the thickness of the airport apron, where aircrafts are parked, loaded, refueled, boarded, and/or maintained.