Coronavirus isn’t here — yet | Indonesia Intelligencer (Jan. 25-31)
Hello Coconauts!
Welcome back to Indonesia Intelligencer and a special welcome to our new subscribers. Please feel free to forward this along to friends and colleagues who are interested in Indonesia and staying on top of the must-know stories.
We’ve opened up today’s edition to the full list. If you’d like to join us here for regular updates please subscribe below:
See you next Friday!
The Lede
The coronavirus death toll has risen above 200 and the World Health Organization has officially declared it a global health emergency.
Professor Amin Soebandrio from the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology says the reagent needed to correctly identify the virus is not yet available in Indonesia, suggesting it could be a few days away from arriving. “Currently we don’t know if the virus has entered Indonesia or not,” he said.
Regardless, Indonesia is well-placed to combat coronavirus says the WHO. “Indonesia has a functioning early warning system and 100 hospitals in various locations that serve as referral [centers] and can handle cases with proper measures as well as effective infection prevention,” country representative Navaratnasamy Paranietharan said.
Meanwhile, at least 243 students are awaiting evacuation from the Hubei Province lockdown. President Joko Widodo says the embassy in Beijing is in contact with the students while efforts are underway to evacuate early next week.
Business
Get better soon
Central banks are worrying they’ll get sick too, but Bank Indonesia is monitoring the impact. “So far what we have felt, and also other central banks are also feeling, is the impact of the coronavirus through the financial markets,” Governor Perry Warjiyo told Bloomberg. So far, the exchange rate and government bonds remain stable, he added.
Bigger and better
It’ll be my head, says the boss of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). Bahlil Lahadali vowed to resign if Indonesia did not enter the world’s top 50 countries for ease of doing business within the next five years. Indonesia ranked 73rd last year according to World Bank data.
A challenger enters
Harry Tanoesoedibjo is catching a ride. The tycoon’s Indonesia Transport & Infrastructure will acquire a majority stake in ride-hailing firm Anterin Digital Nusantara. The challenger differs from Grab and GoJek by allowing drivers to set their own fees and paying a monthly wage rather than a cut of each ride. Anterin is still a smaller player at less than a year old, but already boasts 300,000 drivers across 51 cities.
Recommended read
The mogul-turned-minister reforms Indonesia's state (Asia Nikkei Review)
Youthful with thick black hair, the 49-year-old Thohir is one of Indonesia's most recognizable -- and popular -- business leaders. His track record of successes includes buying and later selling Italian soccer club Inter Milan, directing the 2018 Asian Games and managing Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's triumphant 2019 re-election campaign.
That is one reason why Widodo chose Thohir -- as well as a handful of other go-getters such as Nadiem Makarim, the founder of ride-hailing giant Gojek, and Bahlil Lahadalia, the former head of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association -- to give his second-term cabinet more of a business edge.
Politics
Up in smoke
Here’s a novel idea from the usually conservative Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Could marijuana be the next great export of Indonesian? PKS member Rafli made the suggestion during a commission meeting with Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto this week. Aceh could be a good spot, he notes, since it has grown there successfully and has less of a taboo.
Hit the polls - if you can
Six districts have told the General Elections Commission (KPU) that they may fall short of funding to hold September’s local elections. The districts will require IDR11.95 trillion (US$876.4 million) to administer elections but can no longer commit. As of mid-January, the KPU found just 4.47 percent of all allocated budgets had been released. “We have found that many local administrations, which are required to fund their regional elections, have revised their election budgets, which raises concerns over their ability to fund an election,” KPU chief Arief Budiman told the Jakarta Post.
Recommended read
Is Indonesia Becoming a Two-Tier Democracy? (Carnegie Endowment)
Questioning the “democratic maturity” of the voters who elected them just a few months ago, the government and allied parties in parliament have proposed reverting to an indirect system, in which local executives would be elected by regional legislatures. Indirect regional elections were previously used under the New Order dictatorship of President Suharto (1966–1998) and continued during the early years of democratization until direct elections were introduced in 2005.
One option under review is to revert to indirect regional polls uniformly across Indonesia. Another is to develop an asymmetric model of regional elections. This scheme would allow direct elections in regions where voters are considered competent enough to make responsible electoral choices but revert to the indirect system in areas that are deemed not ready to bear such burdens. The result will be a two-tier democracy.
Other news and notable features
Heading home
American national Philip Jacobson will likely be deported from the country on visa violations, authorities say. The 31-year-old Mongabay editor has been released from jail in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan but has been ordered to stay within the city. Authorities say they will continue to investigate if Jacobson had violated other crimes before a deportation order is issued.
Bad blood
The Environment and Forestry Ministry has ditched a 25-year agreement with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) over a forest fire. The Ministry accuses WWF of allowing a fire within its concession to burn, as well as hypocrisy for criticizing the government over its fire policy. “The WWF Indonesia Foundation deeply regrets the unilateral decision taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to terminate our decades-long agreement,” Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, chairman of WWF Indonesia’s advisory board,” told Reuters, adding that it will impact conservation efforts.
Royal mess
National Police in Bali is on the hunt for two brazen alleged scammers. Saudi Arabia’s Princess Lolowah bint Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Saud reported a property scam to authorities after handing over money for two resort developments. “It is estimated that she lost about IDR512 billion (US$37.5 million),” Ferdy Sambo, from the National Police, told media. The princess filed a report after repeated delays to construction before investigations revealed the land had been valued much higher than it is actually worth — and the owner wasn’t interested in selling it.
Recommended read
Aceh is currently home to eight women executioners. Zakwan said it was initially difficult to convince them to do the job but after years of persistence, he was able to form the nation’s first all-woman flogging team. He trained them on caning techniques and how to minimise wounds.
“We are essentially indoctrinating them to understand their roles — to show no mercy to those who violate God’s law,” Zakwan said.
The first caning by a female executioner in Aceh took place on December 10 last year, when a 26-year-old woman was caught with four military men in a private setting. She was sentenced to five lashes. The four men? They evaded a caning and were tried separately in a military court.
Top Coconuts news
To grill or not to grill: Insta-celeb Anya Geraldine enters F&B game with BURGERBAR
Mexican-inspired American food chain Taco Bell to open 5 stores in Jakarta starting April
West Java teen returns home pregnant after abducted for 4 years by neighbor
‘Just enjoy’: Indonesia’s Health Minister urges public not to panic over coronavirus outbreak
Police uncover prostitution operation in Jakarta’s Kalibata City Apartment involving underage pimps
Indonesia tightens health monitoring at entry points, cancels flights to and from Wuhan
Police in Banda Aceh looking into viral video showing young boy hanged upside down by his mother