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The Star
21-06-2025
- The Star
83 Indonesians fall victim to human trafficking to European countries
Two suspects allegedly involved in a human trafficking ring (second left and second right, front row) are displayed on Thursday while the Central Java Police's General Crimes Directorate chief Sr. Comr. Dwi Subagio (left) and chief spokesman Sr. Comr. Artanto (centre) hold envelopes of evidence in Semarang, Central Java. - Photo: Antara JAKARTA: The Central Java Police have exposed a human trafficking ring accused of deceiving Indonesian job seekers and sending them to European countries without proper documentation. Detectives from the Central Java Police's General Crimes Directorate arrested two people identified as KU and NU, from Tegal and Brebes, as suspects. The two suspects were arrested after allegedly swindling 83 people by promising to send the victims to work abroad legally, causing a loss of around Rp 5.2 billion (US$316,700), said General Crimes Directorate chief Sr. Comr. Dwi Subagio. Dwi said the arrests were made after two victims, identified as AM and AKB, filed police reports. 'The modus operandi was promising that the victims would work as ship crew or restaurant servers in Spain with a salary between €1,200 [US$1,383] and €1,500 per month,' Dwi said during a case expose at the Central Java Police headquarters on Thursday (June 19), as quoted by 'The victims are mostly from various regions in Central Java and were sent to several countries, such as Spain, Portugal, Greece and Poland.' The suspects also promised that they would manage and apply for the workers' residence permits in the countries of destination. However, the victims were forced to work in improper conditions and without legal documents, Dwi said. The Central Java Police have coordinated with the National Police's International Relations Division to track the whereabouts of other workers who have been sent abroad, Antara news agency reported. One of the victims said they had to work 24 hours per day for five consecutive days with a salary much lower than promised. Restaurant owners also told the workers to hide if there was a police raid, the victim added. Feeling unsafe and suffering from improper working conditions, the victims finally decided to return to Indonesia with their own money. As soon as they arrived in Indonesia, they filed police reports. For their actions, KU and NU face charges based on Articles 68, 69, 81 and 83 of Law No. 18/2017 on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, as well as Article 4 of Law No. 21/2007 on Human Trafficking. The offences are punishable with prison terms from three to 15 years with a fine of up to Rp 5 billion. Recently, many Indonesian job seekers have fallen victim to bogus recruiters who promise good paying jobs abroad as looking for a job in Indonesia is becoming increasingly difficult. Some were tricked into working for online gambling syndicates, both legal and illegal, or forced to work in online scam call centres. The Indonesian Embassy in Cambodia recorded that there were some 1,300 cases involving Indonesians in the first three months of 2025, most of which involved exploitation, violence and human trafficking. The majority of the workers were told they would work in hotels in Thailand but were instead sent to Cambodia for various illegal jobs, reported. Similar schemes were also used for syndicates operating in Myanmar. The government repatriated about 400 Indonesians from Myanmar in March who had been working as operators in a fraud call center managed by a Vietnamese syndicate. The situation has led the government to ban Indonesians from working in Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Star
Uncooked rice, ultra-processed food included in free meals programme
A student of state junior high school (SMPN) 1 Denpasar in Bali shows a variety of food items received as part of the government free meals programme on March 17, 2025. - Antara JAKARTA: The government's free nutritious meal programme has once again come under public scrutiny following reports of uncooked ingredients and ultra-processed foods being distributed in South Tangerang, Banten, as schools begin their holiday break this week. A foundation operating the Cempaka Putih Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) in East Ciputat, South Tangerang, Banten, admitted to including uncooked rice in its meal packages, alongside protein sources, fruit and ultra-high temperature milk so the food 'could be taken home and stored for longer periods'. The kitchen stated via its Instagram account, @sppg_yasmit_cemput, earlier this week that the menu was adjusted due to most schools being on break. However, the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) that oversees the programme emphasised that it had never instructed any SPPG to distribute raw food items. 'Distributing raw food is not part of the free nutritious meal policy. There should be no such initiative,' BGN head Dadan Hindayana told The Jakarta Post on Thursday (June 19), adding that the agency had ordered the Cempaka Putih SPPG to immediately halt the practice. 'SPPG units are responsible for continuing to provide meals during school holidays, but only if students and teachers are willing to come to the school. If they don't, then no service should be provided,' Dadan explained. While the BGN has yet to issue an official policy on how the free meals programme should operate during the school break, Dadan confirmed the agency was currently drafting technical guidelines to address such situations. 'If students are able to come to school, meals will be provided as fresh, ready-to-eat food,' the agency emphasised. Otherwise, the distribution will be adjusted to prioritise other eligible groups, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and toddlers. The programme, a flagship initiative from President Prabowo Subianto's election campaign last year, seeks to tackle the country's persistently high stunting rate, which affects more than 21 per cent of children across Indonesia's population of approximately 282 million. The government initially allocated Rp 71 trillion (US$$.3 billion) from the 2025 state budget for the programme, later increasing it by an additional Rp 100 trillion to expand its coverage. In May, it announced that the BGN would receive around Rp 217 trillion next year for the implementation of the free meals programme, the largest allocation among 98 ministries and agencies. Despite receiving high-level attention from the President, the programme continues to face challenges, including food safety concerns. The latest incident occurred at a kindergarten in Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, where several students reportedly suffered vomiting and diarrhoea after consuming free meals on Tuesday. The Kulon Progo Health Agency promptly dispatched a team to investigate the incident. Agency head Sri Budi expressed hope that the responsible SPPG unit would learn from the case and improve its operational standards, particularly regarding sanitation, food ingredient selection and storage. 'Schools must also remain vigilant. They need to inspect the food provided to children to prevent similar incidents from recurring,' he said, as quoted by - The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Tiny homes for young urbanites draw criticism over livability
JAKARTA: The government's proposal to develop compact, subsidised housing for urban youth is facing growing criticism from both experts and potential occupants, who say the poor design and cramped living conditions of these 'mini houses' could jeopardise their inhabitants' physical and psychological well-being. The Public Housing and Settlements Ministry last week showcased two prototype units at Lippo Mall Nusantara in South Jakarta. The homes, which are slated for development in Jakarta and the surrounding cities of Bekasi, Bogor, Depok and Tangerang in partnership with real estate giant Lippo Group, have a starting price of Rp 100 million (US$6,121) and can reach up to Rp 140 million, depending on location and size. The single-bedroom unit measures just 14 square metres and sits on a 25 sq m plot, featuring a living room and a bathroom, while the larger double-bedroom unit offers 23.4 sq m of floor space on a 26.3 sq m plot that includes a living room and two bathrooms. Each unit also comes with a carport nearly as large as the living area. 'These smaller homes aim to attract young people, particularly Gen Zers who wish to [live] closer to their workplace [in] minimalist and affordable homes in urban areas,' Urban Housing Director Sri Haryati said on Monday (June 16). However, critics say the mini houses fall far short of acceptable standards and could do more harm than good. Observers have noted that their design lacks basic features such as proper lighting and ventilation, key elements of livable housing. These compact units also appear to violate existing regulations. Under a 2023 decree of the Public Works and Housing Ministry, a subsidised house must occupy a 60-200 sq m plot and its minimum building area must cover 21 sq m. They also fail to meet the international standards of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), which require a living area of at least 30 sq m per house. 'This proposal represents a step backward in the fulfillment of the right to a decent home,' Tulus Abadi, chairman of the Indonesian Empowered Consumers Forum (FKBI), said in a statement received on Tuesday by The Jakarta Post. 'A house is not just a shelter. It is a space that supports physical health, emotional stability, family life and overall well-being.' Tulus added that such tiny homes were unsuited to long-term human habitation, as they did not have the capacity to accommodate the evolving needs of growing families. Eventually, their occupants might abandon them, leaving behind empty dwellings and deteriorating neighborhoods. The FKBI has urged the government to abandon its plan to build mini houses and instead focus on developing affordable, livable vertical housing, especially in space-constrained urban areas like Greater Jakarta. 'We don't need cheap homes that diminish the human spirit. We need decent housing that upholds dignity,' Tulus said. 'Don't chase the target of three million homes at the expense of basic human values.' A draft ministerial decree leaked at the beginning of June revealed a proposal to downsize subsidised homes from a minimum 60 sq m plot to just 25 sq m and a minimum 21 sq m building area to 18 sq m. Sri Haryati defended the proposed size reduction, saying it aimed to address the national housing backlog of 9.9 million units, 80 percent of which were in urban areas. The proposed downsizing was previously questioned by the public housing task force led by presidential adviser Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who is also the younger brother of President Prabowo Subianto. On Tuesday however, housing minister Maruarar 'Ara' Sirait said he had explained the plan to Hashim, whom he described as 'really helpful' to the programme. For Rahma, a university student who lives in Depok, owning such a tiny home is simply not viable. 'I saw the display [unit], and I couldn't even imagine stretching out comfortably in it,' she told the Post on Monday. Rahma added that she would rather spend more money to rent a larger space than live in something that could harm her physical and mental health. A 2024 survey by consulting firm Inventure Indonesia found that two out of three Gen Z respondents expressed pessimism about the prospect of buying a house in the next three years, citing soaring real estate prices as the biggest obstacle. Urban planning experts say the government's housing policy is driven by market logic rather than living needs. Anwar Basil Arifin, head of research at Menemukenali Project, a media platform focusing on urban advocacy, said the government should prioritise house designs that met health and safety standards that were also easy to navigate. Speaking on Sunday at the Jakarta Future Festival 2025, which ran from June 13 to 15 at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Menteng, Central Jakarta, Anwar highlighted that the key to the city's housing strategy was transit-oriented development. 'Jakarta's housing crisis isn't just a market failure, it is a crisis of urban design and imagination,' he said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Tiny homes for young urbanites in Jakarta draw criticism over liveability
JAKARTA: The government's proposal to develop compact, subsidisd housing for urban youth is facing growing criticism from both experts and potential occupants, who say the poor design and cramped living conditions of these 'mini houses' could jeopardis their inhabitants' physical and psychological well-being. The Public Housing and Settlements Ministry last week showcased two prototype units at Lippo Mall Nusantara in South Jakarta. The homes, which are slated for development in Jakarta and the surrounding cities of Bekasi, Bogor, Depok and Tangerang in partnership with real estate giant Lippo Group, have a starting price of Rp 100 million (US$6,121) and can reach up to Rp 140 million, depending on location and size. The single-bedroom unit measures just 14 square metre (150sq ft) and sits on a 25sq m plot, featuring a living room and a bathroom, while the larger double-bedroom unit offers 23.4sq m of floor space on a 26.3sq m plot that includes a living room and two bathrooms. Each unit also comes with a carport nearly as large as the living area. 'These smaller homes aim to attract young people, particularly Gen Zers who wish to [live] closer to their workplace [in] minimalist and affordable homes in urban areas,' Urban Housing Director Sri Haryati said on Monday (June 16). However, critics say the mini houses fall far short of acceptable standards and could do more harm than good. Observers have noted that their design lacks basic features such as proper lighting and ventilation, key elements of liveable housing. These compact units also appear to violate existing regulations. Under a 2023 decree of the Public Works and Housing Ministry, a subsidised house must occupy a 60-200sq m plot and its minimum building area must cover 21sq m. They also fail to meet the international standards of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), which require a living area of at least 30sq m per house. 'This proposal represents a step backward in the fulfillment of the right to a decent home,' Tulus Abadi, chairman of the Indonesian Empowered Consumers Forum (FKBI), said in a statement received on Tuesday by The Jakarta Post. 'A house is not just a shelter. It is a space that supports physical health, emotional stability, family life and overall well-being.' Tulus added that such tiny homes were unsuited to long-term human habitation, as they did not have the capacity to accommodate the evolving needs of growing families. Eventually, their occupants might abandon them, leaving behind empty dwellings and deteriorating neighborhoods. The FKBI has urged the government to abandon its plan to build mini houses and instead focus on developing affordable, liveable vertical housing, especially in space-constrained urban areas like Greater Jakarta. 'We don't need cheap homes that diminish the human spirit. We need decent housing that upholds dignity,' Tulus said. 'Don't chase the target of three million homes at the expense of basic human values.' A draft ministerial decree leaked at the beginning of June revealed a proposal to downsize subsidized homes from a minimum 60sq m plot to just 25sq m and a minimum 21sq m building area to 18sq m. Sri Haryati defended the proposed size reduction, saying it aimed to address the national housing backlog of 9.9 million units, 80 per cent of which were in urban areas. The proposed downsizing was previously questioned by the public housing task force led by presidential adviser Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who is also the younger brother of President Prabowo Subianto. On Tuesday however, housing minister Maruarar 'Ara' Sirait said he had explained the plan to Hashim, whom he described as 'really helpful' to the programme. For Rahma, a university student who lives in Depok, owning such a tiny home is simply not viable. 'I saw the display [unit], and I couldn't even imagine stretching out comfortably in it,' she told the Post on Monday. Rahma added that she would rather spend more money to rent a larger space than live in something that could harm her physical and mental health. A 2024 survey by consulting firm Inventure Indonesia found that two out of three Gen Z respondents expressed pessimism about the prospect of buying a house in the next three years, citing soaring real estate prices as the biggest obstacle. Urban planning experts say the government's housing policy is driven by market logic rather than living needs. Anwar Basil Arifin, head of research at Menemukenali Project, a media platform focusing on urban advocacy, said the government should prioritise house designs that met health and safety standards that were also easy to navigate. Speaking on Sunday at the Jakarta Future Festival 2025, which ran from June 13 to 15 at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Menteng, Central Jakarta, Anwar highlighted that the key to the city's housing strategy was transit-oriented development. 'Jakarta's housing crisis isn't just a market failure, it is a crisis of urban design and imagination,' he said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Alleged laptop procurement graft puts ex-minister Nadiem in spotlight
Former education, culture, research and technology minister Nadiem Makarim (centre) sits next to his lawyers Hotman Paris Hutapea (right) and Mohamad Ali Nurdin (left) during a press briefing in Jakarta. The former minister dismissed allegations of corruption pertaining to the Google Chromebook laptop procurement project in his ministry between 2019 and 2022. - Antara via The Jakarta Post/ANN JAKARTA: After finishing his term as former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's education minister, Nadiem Makarim is back in the public spotlight in the Attorney General's Office's (AGO) investigation into alleged corruption pertaining to a procurement project during his ministerial tenure. Investigators with the Office of the Assistant Attorney General for Extraordinary Crimes (Jampidsus) launched an investigation in May into alleged graft related to the procurement of Google Chromebook laptops by the then-education, culture, research and technology ministry between 2019 and 2022. Investigators interrogated at least 28 witnesses. Among them was Fiona Handayani, one of Nadiem's special staffers, who was summoned by the AGO on Tuesday (June 10) for an interrogation session. The AGO previously confiscated her laptop and mobile phones during a raid last month. AGO spokesperson Harli Siregar said that investigators planned to call in two of Nadiem's other former special staffers, identified as Jurist Tan and Ibrahim Arief, for questioning this week Investigators also seized their phones and computers as well as other documents from their houses during a recent raid. The AGO also slapped the three former special staffers with a travel ban on June 4, as they failed to fulfil a summons for an interrogation. According to the AGO, the procurement cost around Rp 9.9 trillion (US$607 million), around two-thirds of which was taken from a special allocated fund originally earmarked to be transferred by the central government to regional administrations. Harli said that investigators found indications of collusion to procure Chromebook laptops to be distributed to schools around the country. The Google-based laptops were picked despite initial tests in 2018 by the ministries' research team that discouraged the use of laptops because of their lack of effectiveness in regions without internet connections. He added that investigators also probed an allegation of price markup for the laptop. While Jampidsus investigators already had the name of five vendors allegedly involved in the case, Harli did not elaborate further on Google's role in the illicit practice. A representative of Google Indonesia was not immediately available to respond to The Jakarta Post's request for comment. The Jampidsus investigators were still looking for the people managing the procurement project as well as the mastermind who first proposed the idea. During a press briefing on Tuesday, Nadiem denied allegations of collusion to favour the Chromebook over other laptops. He also rebuked claims that his ministry dismissed the 2018 study outlining the laptop's disadvantage, claiming that the research was done before he took office in October 2024 and focussed on gadgets for schools in less developed and remote areas. 'Meanwhile, the laptop procurement during my term of office was not targeted for remote and less developed areas,' Nadiem said in the televised press conference. He added that the gadgets were intended to prevent 'learning loss' among students in areas with established digital infrastructure and internet connections during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as to help educators in their teaching process. Nadiem picked famed lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea to represent him in the matter. The lawyer argued that allegations made by AGO investigators missed the mark. 'Nadiem never veered [from the study's results] because the study [and Nadiem's Chromebook procurement] were two different projects. They cannot be linked to each other,' Hotman said. The former education minister further claimed the programme was a success, with 97 per cent of the 1.1 million Chromebook laptops procured during his term delivered to 77,000 schools by 2023. He also claimed that his ministry undertook a 'periodic census' to count the laptops. Despite dismissing the allegations of involvement in the case, Nadiem said that he was 'ready to cooperate' and support investigators by providing needed information or clarification on the investigation. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
