Reformasi Dispatch

10 months to the day before next year's momentous election, Indonesia's electoral process is plodding through a veritable gauntlet of meddling.  This includes spurious procedural disputes, unscrupulous legal attacks and a late-stage attempt to revise rules.  And the once-independent Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) is at issue: an editorial in Tempo, once a staunch KPK defender, asserts that the commission is now an instrument of abuse.  Machinations seemingly aim to indict Anies Baswedan regarding funding for a Formula-E grand prix -- but a weak charge against a presidential contender would likely call the election's legitimacy into question.

Jeff and Kevin discuss the rapidly evolving state of play -- and assess the assertion of Jakarta's rumor mill that Megawati has finally decided to imminently endorse Central Java Gov Ganjar Pranowo as the presidential nominee of PDI‑Perjuangan.  Did the decision come about at considerable cost to Ganjar's support among football fans?  Indonesia lost its right to host the Under-20 football World Cup amid calls from Ganjar and others to ban the Israel team.  And finally, a look at the timeline for when the bulk of Indonesia's parties might finalize their presidential nominations.  Did we mention there are only 10 months to the elections? Enjoy the show.

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International scrutiny of the processes that produce batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) is inevitable -- and already beginning.  The author of a recent Wired article on the topic joins the pod.  Also: Jeff and Kevin discuss the implications of a potential attempt by the chair of the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) to name former Jakarta Gov Anies Baswedan as a suspect, and a clear-cut case of a tourist-on-tourist stalking exposes law-enforcement frailties.

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Steven and Jeff speak with Awan Puryadi, one of the lawyers in involved in a class action suit on behalf of 25 families of victims who had drank cough syrup laced with industrial grade solvents that are lethal for humans.

The families are seeking billions in compensation from pharmaceutical companies, distributors and the government for allowing the mass poisoning. The Pak Awan says the families want the government to devote resources toward long term care for those suffering debilitating injuries including organ failure and paralysis, which are permanent and an apology.

Kevin is off this week, the guys will be back next week with a full show. For now, here’s Pak Awan.

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Disgraced former police general Ferdy Sambo was found guilty and sentenced to death for ordering the death of his subordinate, Yosua Hutabarat. Four more defendants including his wife were also found guilty with three dealt lengthy sentences behind bars. Even so, after a slew of high level dismissals last year the appetite for reform of Indonesia's crusty criminal justice system is still a long way off.

Then, Jeff gets to segue neatly into Indonesia slump down Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index -- worst one-year fall since the dying days of Suharto. University of Michigan Professor Dan Slater joins Jeff and Kevin to discuss what Indonesian democracy can teach world and how efforts to criminalize critical speech and protest risk undermining the country's two decade transition from authoritarian rule.

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Tito Ambyo, who is wrapping up a PhD on Indonesian horror, a lecturer on journalism at Melbourne's RMIT and co-host of the podcast Talking Indonesia joins Jeff and Kevin to discuss whether Jokowi is setting the table to break with Ibu Mega.

We also get into the very real horror story of childhood stunting, and finally wheeling and dealing on the power grid that might make room for consumers who want to source electricity from renewable sources - scary stuff for coal fired power plants.

Later Tito talks to the guys about the enduring love of horror in Indonesian popular culture and how discussing the supernatural and the ghosts of women and ethnic minorities who are wronged in this life is a way of backing into the taboo and fraught topics like the rights of women, and the communist purges of the 1960s.

You can listen to Talking Indonesia here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6gwgrqZuYIw5gVaSjisQ1R?si=5juHLsamQmSgOD3iPvklbw

Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:
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It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.

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Erin Cook, author of substack Dari Mulut ke Mulut, joins Jeff and Kevin to discuss the presidential horse race. With almost exactly a year to go to elections, the stage is set for the big coalitions to announce their standard bearers after Agus Yudhoyono of Partai Demokrat drops demands for VP nominee and endorsed Anies Baswedan.

Erin walks the guys through elections in Thailand and the impact of a corruption purge in Vietnam that has claimed some of the country's leadership including the president. After the break Jeff talks with Laode Syarif, executive director at the partnership for governance reform in Indonesia to discuss whether the KPU's independence is under threat by the palace to allow small, anti-Baswedan parties to run in local legislative elections next year.

Reformasi Dispatch listeners get 25% a one year subscription by visiting: darimulut.substack.com/reformasi and don't forget your two week free trial of Kevin's newsletter Reformasi Weekely: reformasi.info

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Ruby Kholifa of the Muslim Action Network (Aman) joins the pod to discuss campaigns against female genitalia mutilation (FGM) and other aspects of a recent landmark conference that she helped lead. 

Also: Imam of the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) discusses his trip to Morowali and Jiangsu Delong's Gunbuster Nickel (GNI), site of recent deadly worker clash.  And finally: Jeff and Kevin discuss prospects for a 'superticket' following recent political party developments.

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A landmark 2-hour address by the PDI‑Perjuangan chair -- to a red-clad audience of 3,000, including the president and half the cabinet -- made no mention whatsoever of Ganjar Pranowo, the PDI-P Central Java governor who leads presidential polls. Preparations may now be underway for his split from the party in order to join the United Alliance (KIB) -- a process that will likely be messy. 

Also: unsettling claims from credible figures about administration pressure on the General Election Commission (KPU); and a remote Indonesian offshore gas project that at once affects interests from the UK, Russia, Vietnam and China.

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New poll data provides depicts the state of the presidential race and a World Bank report assesses economic reform.  Jeff and Kevin discuss listener questions about a recent controversy surrounding foreign property interests in the Widi Islands and the state of the planned capital move.  Also, hear from sound engineer Steven Handoko, whom we unmute (on purpose).

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After 60 years of trying, Indonesia finally has a new criminal code that standardizes sentencing, boosts legal certainty and updates penalties that were more in line with the Indonesia of the Dutch colonial era than that of the 21st century. But, as Anugrah Rizki Akbari, lecturer of Criminal Law at Universitas Indonesia told Kevin and Jeff, the passing of the criminal code is not the finish line, but rather the beginning of a three-year process of combing through decades of statutes from to bring them in line with the new code. While an improvement on the patchwork of laws that date back to the 1800s, the code is proving controversial.

Conservatives in parliament are on board because the new criminal code includes jail time for extra marital sex. The president and vice president can levy criminal charges for defamation. These provisions will need safeguards and must be followed up with robust training of Indonesia's vast police force and public prosecutors. On balance the new criminal code is a welcome development -- but in the wrong hands it could undermine Indonesian democracy, personal liberties and the country's standing in the world.

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It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.

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