Tenggara Backgrounder February 01

10 Reasons why Ahok will return to politics

Former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama left prison in Jakarta on Jan. 24 after serving time for blasphemy. His strong band of loyal supporters and detractors alike were anticipating his next political move upon his release, but no such announcement came. There were no hints whatsoever of going back to politics. No one can completely rule it out though.

Internal schism puts PKS at risk

The fate of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) continues to hang in the balance. A long-standing schism within the “semi-closed” party unfolded with the emergence of the Indonesian New Direction Movement (Garbi) last year. The fact that Garbi is expanding its presence further signifies the PKS’ steady political demise as the party’s members become more divided ahead of the 2019 presidential and legislative elections.

Vying for control over Jakarta’s transport planning

Following his speech on tackling Jakarta’s traffic jams on Jan. 8, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo appointed Vice President Jusuf Kalla as coordinator of the integration of all transportation modes within Greater Jakarta. He then proposed a plan on Jan. 28 to establish a new authority that not only has the authority to integrate public transportation within Greater Jakarta but also authority over spatial planning and land use management in Greater Jakarta. Some, however, believe it may create tension between Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and the Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ).

Issue update: Jiwasraya scandal, a financial crime?

On Oct. 10, 2018, Jiwasraya announced that the company needed to delay its interest payment as well as a principal payment to 711 policyholders. The delay was reportedly because of liquidity issues following a decline in Jiwasraya’s capital reserve due to falling stock prices Jiwasraya had invested in. Under Hendrisman Rahim’s management, the company recorded a nearly fourfold increase in revenue from Rp 6.7 trillion in 2012 to Rp 25.1 trillion in 2017. However, problems began to emerge after a disagreement between Jiwasraya management and public accounting office PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) about the company’s capital reserve.