E31: One-on-one with Jusuf Kalla
Jusuf Kalla is known as prominent businessman turned veteran politician, serving two five-year terms as vice president for two different presidents. He was the critical figure in mediating peace in Aceh along with conflicts in Poso and Ambon and has been called “the peacemaker”. He was also tasked with running the country’s economy during Yudhoyono’s first term. As he is about to complete his second five-year term as vice president, we take a look on his thoughts, insights and legacy regarding Indonesia's progress in the election, the economy, politics and international affairs.
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E30: Appreciating Indonesia’s Democratic Election
Some people, primarily among the international community, question whether the 2019 Indonesian elections will be free and fair, void of voter irregularities and/or violence. But are these concerns well-grounded? Do we need to be worried? Shawn believes that these concerns are reasonable but unfounded. We take a look at Indonesia’s recent history in 1998 and appreciate how far the country has come in terms of its democratic elections. In addition, we will discuss whether the new shift to a concurrent election system will cause major disruptions during the election process itself.
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E29: ASEAN Through the Lens of a Human Rights Activist Working Inside ASEAN
Although ASEAN has been under fire for its powerlessness in the face of several human rights atrocities such as attacks on Rohingya ethnic minority in Myanmar, internal ASEAN officials, some of whom have lengthy human rights activism experience, remain optimistic that the association can be a force for good. Join us for a discussion with the Indonesian Representative of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission of Human Rights (AICHR), Yuyun Wahyuningrum.
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E28: Lost in Labels
What is wrong with foreign media’s portrayal to a Muslim figure who calls out other Muslims? How could it be harmful? Join us with Sakdiyah Ma’ruf, a brilliant stand-up comedian who gained international recognition for her stand against Islamic fundamentalism and extremism. In this episode, she reflects on her fear of misrepresentation, the actual rise of conservatism in Indonesia, complicated upbringing that influence her stances and untangling her thoughts on the complexities of these issues.
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E27: Simultaneously Strenuous
Despite its importance, not a lot has been discussed about the upcoming legislative election that will take place at the same day with the presidential election. The legislative election this year is going to be tougher as changes in various regulations influence how political parties behave. What’s the relationship between the presidential candidates and their coalition parties? Will political parties benefit from a “coattail effect”? Will we see the end of some old and popular parties this year? Stay tune in this space as we pick on Djayadi Hanan’s insights again on this issue.
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E26: Indonesian Presidential Debates: Do They Matter?
The Indonesian Election Committee (KPU) will conduct the first official presidential debate on the January 17 and discuss pressing subjects such as legal affairs, human rights, corruption, and terrorism. How impactful will this debate be compared to the one in the 2014 election? Can this resolve the current flow of unsubstantial or sensational news relating to the candidates and the election?
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E25: Electronic Nationalism
How do everyday Indonesian youths express their nationalism and how do they reconcile it with their interests? This episode is transporting you to the mind and works of Alffy Rev, the man behind the electronic remixes of Indonesian national songs and even the national anthem. Here is his story exclusively for Indonesia in-depth podcast.
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E24: Doubling Down on Data Part 2
Indonesian officials hope new policies can expedite growth for its digital economy. The government is preparing to finalize the revision to a controversial regulation (GR82/2012) which is viewed as overprotective and inflexible data regime. We breakdown all the essential changes that will impact how data is managed and processed and which data can flow outside Indonesia’s borders.
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E23: Doubling Down On Data Part 1
After a wave of data privacy scandals hitting Facebook, Google and Starwood, the government plans to introduce the Data Privacy Bill to parliament with hopes it will be passed in mid 2019 We discuss all the key points of the bill with the man behind the bill, Director General Samuel Abrijani.
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E22: Between Faith & Hope - Shanty Shamdasani's Journey Towards Politics
After 20 years as a senior executive with multinational corporations across Southeast Asia, Miss Shanti Shamdasani is running for seat in parliament. She hopes to bring her values and lessons learned to the Lower House. She talks to us about the difficulties of staying “clean” and not “paying to play” on the campaign trail, her thoughts on how to improve the e-commerce sector and her stance on the latest Indonesia-Australia Free Trade Deal.
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E21: 2014 vs 2019, Surprise Bill & Rising Stars - Q&A Roundtable
The 2019 presidential race has officially started. With two months into the campaign, we are joined by our colleague at LEXICO Indonesia, Arief Budiman, who shares valuable insights on what’s different from this year’s campaign from the one in 2014, analysis on both campaign teams, and the trajectory for the coming general election next April. We will also learn how bills and policies are strategically prepared during this period and see which may have some surprises.
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E20: Indonesians Hope to Control Their Data in 2019
We discuss important issues involving Indonesia’s technology sector, namely data privacy, data centers and streaming services with senior Golkar lawmaker Satya Yudha. The government will soon submit a new data privacy bill to the House. This is an important bill. We provide you the details and talk about how it will impact both consumers and tech companies.
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E19: Who Controls Water in Indonesia?
We sit down Dr. Mohammad Mova Al’Afghani to discuss the 2018 Water Bill being deliberated by the House. This is a crucial bill and as the current draft stands, it would have a wide impact on the businesses as well as on local communities. This bill involves a lot more than just water and we break down all the key aspects that you need to know.
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E18: Illegal Food, Water & Data Leaks & - Parliament Update
We respond to feedback from listeners and answer some of their questions about bills in parliament such as the Data Privacy Protection Bill, Water Bill and Food and Drug Bill. I also talk about what happens if one of the candidates withdraws from the 2019 presidential election.
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E17: Why Jokowi & Prabowo Need Other Parties
In recent episodes, we have covered the run up to the 2019 presidential campaign and the political negotiations that have been involved, particularly the coalition building between political parties. We also discussed how parties are scrambling to form coalitions to meet presidential thresholds. But why do they even need coalitions and what’s all the fuss about?
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E16: Widodo's Coalition and Next VP Candidate
Despite what the news headlines state, Widodo has yet to decide who will be his next VP candidate. It’s becoming more and more likely that President Widodo’s next vice presidential candidate will not come from a political party but rather be an outsider. We cover Widodo's expectations and negotiations with his coalition partners and Vice President Kalla's efforts to run for a third term as VP.
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E15: 212 Hardline Islamic Association
E16: We focus on the latest developments involving the controversial hardline Islamic association known as the "212 Alumni". This group was instrumental in the campaign against the former Jakarta governor Basuki Purnama or Ahok in 2017. The 212 Alumni is making headlines once again as they hope to play a another role in a new coalition to challenge President Widodo’s re-election run in 2019. We discussed a variety of topics such as, the controversial cleric Habib Rizieq, the use of identity politics, the 212 groups view of Widodo, and how 212 intends to play a role in the upcoming presidential elections in 2019.
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E14: Golkar, Widodo And The VP Seat
The lack of clarity of who will be Widodo’s next vice presidential candidate has caused internal friction inside the Golkar party. This situation has left several senior party members questioning Widodo’s loyalty to his closest ally. Widodo’s key coalition member has become divided on whether to fully back the president for a second term as the president eyes other candidates besides Golkar chairman, Airlangga Hartarto.
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E13: Terrorism and Deradicalization in Indonesia with Rakyan Adibrata
Rakyan Adi Brata, a Jakarta-based terrorism expert and advisor to the Indonesian parliament provides insight and analysis on ISIS, terrorism organizations and the government’s deradicalization program. He talks about JAD terror group, Indonesian ISIS fighters and recent terror attacks in the country.
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