
Indonesia's Nusantara dream becomes a vice-ridden nightmare
Once touted as a 'smart forest city', the US$28.5 billion legacy project of former president
Joko Widodo has instead emerged as a magnet for prostitution, gambling dens and mounting scepticism.
Local officials and lawmakers warn that illicit activities have flourished, while the city's governing authority scrambles to play down the scale of the problem – even as the project's future appears increasingly precarious.
'For the past few days, the media has been filled with unpleasant news, including news related to prostitutes … or commercial sex workers,' lawmaker Muhammad Khozin said during a parliamentary hearing on July 8 with the Nusantara Authority, adding that this could cause anxiety for 'the wives of civil servants' based in the city.
Then president Joko Widodo (centre) and other officials inspect progress on Nusantara in June 2024. Photo: Indonesian Presidential Palace / AFP
'Even though they [the officials] have a lot of money and high positions, if they have problems with their wives, their [freedom] in the world would be narrowed,' he said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
In Trump's tariff deals with Southeast Asia, will there be any winners?
Now that Donald Trump's arbitrary July 9 deadline for negotiations on 'reciprocal' tariffs has come and gone, what are the implications for Southeast Asia? To date, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines are the only countries in the region to have secured so-called deals. Other countries are left with the previously announced April tariffs intact, although the negotiating deadline has been extended for three weeks to August 1. As things stand, there remain few winners in Southeast Asia in the ongoing saga. Details on the agreement with Vietnam are sparse, but it seems Hanoi has managed to get its initial 'reciprocal' tariff rate of 46 per cent reduced to 20 per cent. A 40 per cent tariff will be applied on transshipped products – without an exact definition of exactly what constitutes 'transshipment'. Trump posted on social media that Vietnam had granted the US 'TOTAL ACCESS' to its market, which seems to amount to a duty waiver on US products entering Vietnam. An artisan works on a pair of leather boots in Indonesia. Indonesian goods entering the US will face a 19 per cent tariff. Photo: AFP


South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
US' ‘anti-Beijing trade plan', little-known China oversupply issue: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing The United States has struck new trade deals with Indonesia and the Philippines, in a move analysts say could indirectly undercut China by reshaping regional supply chains and tapping rare earth reserves – even if Beijing is not explicitly targeted. Six university students drowned in an industrial tank during a field trip to a mining operation owned by China's most prestigious gold producing company, according to state news agency Xinhua. China released ethical guidelines for autonomous driving technology on Wednesday that said automated driving systems 'must demonstrate a high degree of respect for human life and actively seek effective strategies to minimise harm'.


South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
US agrees trade deals with Indonesia, Philippines – but Chinese firms a step ahead: analysts
The United States has struck new trade deals with Indonesia and the Philippines, in a move analysts say could indirectly undercut China by reshaping regional supply chains and tapping rare earth reserves – even if Beijing is not explicitly targeted. Still, some analysts warn that efforts to counter China may deliver less than intended results, as Chinese firms are already adapting by localising operations across Southeast Asia 'Having failed to secure direct wins against China on tariffs and export controls, [the US] has a stronger incentive to contain China in a more indirect manner, and the deals with Southeast Asian countries are examples of that tactic,' said Xu Tianchen, senior China economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit. But Chinese factories are not as reliant on transshipments as they were five years ago, as they increasingly seek to localise production in Southeast Asian countries, he added. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he had reached trade agreements with the Philippines and Indonesia. According to Trump, imports from the two countries will be charged a 19 per cent tariff, while American shipments to the Philippines and Indonesia will not face any duties.