Three government critics have been reported to the police for something they said in public while an online magazine has seen the circulation of an Instagram article restricted, further evidence of Indonesia’s shrinking civic space. These incidents happened not long after the March 12 acid attack against a human rights activist, an attack which the military and police have blamed on members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) intelligence agency.

President Prabowo Subianto on Apr. 8 instructed the accelerated revocation of hundreds of “questionable” mining business permits (IUPs) within a one-week deadline, a move that raises concerns over rushed implementation. The directive comes in the aftermath of severe flooding in Sumatra in December, widely linked to environmental degradation exacerbated by natural resource extraction. While the policy could curb illegal mining and deforestation, its effectiveness will depend on follow-up actions and careful execution.

It is hard to conceive of a national political landscape without constant maneuvering among political parties, trying to shape its direction. Recent speculation over a potential unification of the NasDem Party and Gerindra Party has brought a recurring question to the forefront: Do parties function as institutional channels of representation, or have they become mere instruments of elite bargaining?

The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) enacted a new provision setting the minimum free float requirement at 15 percent for both listed companies and prospective issuers, doubling the previous threshold of 7.5 percent. This change was made in response to concerns raised by MSCI regarding the low free float levels of Indonesian equities, which led the index to freeze Indonesia’s inclusion in its indices in February and March. These measures are being implemented to demonstrate regulatory compliance ahead of MSCI’s May index 2026 review.

Indonesia’s largest state-owned construction firms – Wijaya Karya (Wika), Pembangunan Perumahan (PP), Adhi Karya (Adhi) and Waskita Karya (Waskita) – have sunk deeper into financial distress, posting a combined loss of around Rp 28 trillion (US$1.7 billion) in 2025. Far from incidental, these losses reflect years of aggressive and often unprofitable investments tied to the infrastructure push under former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, turning what was once a growth engine into a mounting financial burden.

Of its plan to deliver 3 million homes, the government is partnering with state-owned PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) and PT Astra International to build 1,000 low-cost flats on KAI-owned land in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, financed through Astra’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) scheme. While the model appears efficient, it raises a key question: Is this a sustainable solution to Indonesia’s housing shortage, or merely a stopgap that masks deeper structural gaps and potential quid pro quo dynamics?

Over the past two weeks, the government has begun overseeing the implementation of Communications and Digital Ministerial Regulation No. 9/2026. The policy reflects a national push to strengthen protections for children, though concerns have emerged regarding its effectiveness and its potential impact on children’s access to information and freedom of expression.