The Jakarta Post

The lack of a unified framework between authorities persists as one of the issues that exacerbate the poor air quality in Greater Jakarta, according to environmental groups, with the region becoming increasingly unlivable for its more than 42 million residents.

Story by Gembong Hanung.

Illustrated by Adinda.

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1 day ago | [YT] | 8

The Jakarta Post

Five women sat loosely on the platform at Rangkasbitung Station in Lebak regency, Banten, chatting with sacks and cardboard boxes at their feet.

They had just finished their morning shopping at Rangkasbitung Market, just 500 meters away, and were now waiting to go home on the Commuter Line heading to Merak in Cilegon, covering a distance of over 70 kilometers.

Among them were Maryam, 55, who runs a chicken noodle and meatball stall, and Ratniati, 58, a vegetable vendor.

Nearly every day, they commute 8 km between Jambu Baru Station and Rangkasbitung Station to restock.

For years, this meant squeezing into crowded public minibuses for a journey with multiple stops that could take close to an hour in unfavorable traffic.

Now it takes only 10 minutes.

The welcome change began on Dec. 1, when PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI), the subsidiary of state railway company KAI that operates the Commuter Line service, launched a dedicated car for farmers and traders on each train plying the Rangkasbitung-Merak route.

The special car, called Kereta Petani dan Pedagang (Farmers and Traders Train) was redesigned to accommodate them.

Story by Nur Janti.

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2 days ago | [YT] | 13

The Jakarta Post

Normally, Indonesian mother-of-four Rauzah would cook a feast for her family to break their Ramadan fast. This year, she makes do as best she can in the orange tent where they have been sheltering for almost three months.

They are among 26,000 flood survivors still displaced after a monsoon deluge struck their villages on Sumatra island last year.

In hardest-hit Aceh province, which accounted for most of the more than 1,000 deaths, families have become increasingly frustrated over authorities' sluggish response.

Many remain crammed in temporary shelters or a cluster of tents, with little expectation of returning to their mud-caked homes any time soon.

Seated on a thin carpet covering the cardboard floor, Rauzah and her four children share an iftar meal of vegetables and prawns. But at least they are dry and safe.

"I still feel traumatised," said the 42-year-old, who goes by one name. "Whenever it rains, I get anxious. I keep thinking about the children, about how I would save them."

As the weeks amass and donations dwindle, survivors question how long they will be left in limbo after the worst disaster to strike Aceh since a 2004 tsunami.

President Prabowo Subianto has refused calls to declare a national disaster to release emergency funds, and declined international assistance, describing the situation as "under control".
In Pidie Jaya district, not much has changed since the muddy torrent swallowed homes.

"My village still looks as if the disaster just happened," Rauzah said. "The houses are still buried in mud."

Story by AFP/Alfath Asmunda.

Photos by AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin.

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4 days ago | [YT] | 18

The Jakarta Post

Authorities have warned of extreme weather and heightened disaster risks ahead of Idul Fitri, particularly in West Java and Central Java, two provinces expected to see the highest number of travelers during the extended holiday.

Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) head Teuku Faisal Fathani said that moderate rainfall intensity would likely dominate the climate over the coming weeks, including when the mudik (exodus) season begins.

“The BMKG will continue to analyze and monitor atmospheric conditions, as well as keep delivering timely early weather warnings to ensure public safety throughout the upcoming travel season,” he said in a recent meeting with several state agencies.

Muslim-majority Indonesia will celebrate Idul Fitri in the second half of March, a period when millions will travel to their hometowns.

Story by Gembong Hanung.

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#mudik #idulfitri

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5 days ago | [YT] | 7

The Jakarta Post

Most cities and regencies in Indonesia are failing to enforce single-use plastic restrictions, a situation worsened by inadequate monitoring systems and budgets needed to meet the national target of phasing out the use of plastics by 2030, a new report has found.

The report, published in late January by nonprofit Dietplastik Indonesia, formerly known as Diet Kantong Plastik (Plastic Bag Diet) movement, analyzed 101 regulations restricting throwaway plastics, such as shopping bags, food containers, cups and bottles, that were issued in 27 out of 38 provinces across the country.

Story by Gembong Hanung.

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The Jakarta Post

Indonesia has suffered an estimated total loss from online scams of around Rp 9.1 trillion (US$542 million), according to a recent report that claimed the country is facing a “digital fraud” emergency.

The report, issued by the Indonesian Anti-Slander Society (Mafindo), is based on 432,637 reports received by the Indonesia Anti Scam Center (IASC) between November 2024 and January.

IASC is a collaborative initiative between a task force led by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and banks, e-commerce platforms and other financial firms.

A separate survey conducted by Mafindo with 179 respondents based in five cities across the country found that most of the digital scams took place on WhatsApp messaging application.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 14

The Jakarta Post

Tech CEOs are locked in an artificial intelligence "arms race" that risks wiping out humanity, top computer science researcher Stuart Russell told AFP recently, calling for governments to pull the brakes.

Story by AFP/Katie Forster.

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The Jakarta Post

When most Indonesians hear the term “modern slavery,” they think of perbudakan in its historical sense, people in chains, legally owned by others, with no freedom at all.

In reality, modern slavery goes far beyond this. It is about an absence of choice: situations where workers lack the real freedom to stop working because of threats, coercion, deception or debt.

In recent years, its scope has been increasingly expanded to include abusive labor practices and the worst forms of child labor.

#Opinion by Yohanes Jeffry Johary and James Boyd.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 19

The Jakarta Post

Thirty-seven year old Ibnu Riaga still clearly remembers the flash flood that swept through the village where he lived with his family in Kayu Pasak, Nagari Salareh Aja, Palembayan, Agam Regency, West Sumatra, on Nov. 27, 2025.

At that time, Ibnu was not at home. Only his wife and their three children were there. That day, heavy rain poured down relentlessly all day long until finally the floodwaters came and swept through the village.

Tragically, Ibnu's wife and third child became victims in the flash flood incident. Both were even missing for four days after being carried away by the raging current, until they were finally found.

Not only did he lose two of his loved ones, but Ibnu and his two surviving children also lost the house he had built since 2018. The house, which cost up to Rp500 million to build, was almost completely leveled by the floodwaters.

Everything he owned was gone, leaving only one motorcycle and the clothes he was wearing. In that moment, it felt as if the world had collapsed.

"However, Allah still entrusted me with these two living children," Ibnu said. That was what kept Ibnu strong and motivated to rise again. He tried to endure and not drown in sorrow. "Because when we are sad, the children feel even sadder," Ibnu said.

Two months passed. In a situation where he had almost nothing left, Ibnu and his two children now began to occupy a temporary housing unit (Huntara) along with hundreds of other refugees, after previously staying at an evacuation site.

With help from work friends, Ibnu transported a mattress and kitchen utensils provided by the government using a cart to Huntara block VII, not far from his village.

Unwilling to simply sit back and wait for aid, Ibnu chose to be more useful. He decided to take part in various social activities to serve the flood victims. One of the things he did was support the clean water supply program for the temporary housing.

His skills as a technician for the Kayu Pasak Drinking Water and Sanitation Management Group (KP SPAMS) gave Ibnu the confidence to contribute to the post-flash flood recovery in his area.

Ibnu installed a pipeline network from the clean water intake or catchment building to the water tank and onward to the temporary housing network. This clean water now serves the needs of 117 heads of households who are survivors living in 117 temporary housing units. At least 485 heads of households are supplied with water from this assistance.

In addition to hoping that the government can provide scholarships for his children's education, Ibnu also hopes that survivors like himself can get decent jobs. For Ibnu, this would be very meaningful for him and other survivors to rise again and rebuild a better life after the disaster in their place of residence.

Story and photos by Antara/Iggoy el Fitra.

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 11

The Jakarta Post

In the first year of his administration, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has repeatedly conveyed his ambition to elevate Jakarta’s status to a top global city, but the vision risks overshadowing mounting urban problems that still confront the world’s most populous metropolis.

Story by Gembong Hanung.

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