On this “Special International Edition” of Indonesia In-depth - A wave of optimism flowed over Myanmar in 2010 when the military leadership began the slow process of opening up the country and implementing both economic and democratic reforms. At the same time, the government began new efforts to establish peace with more than a dozen armed ethnic minority groups, which has been one of the world’s longest civil wars. This was followed by historic general elections in 2015 and a new government. I...
Jul 24, 2019•35 min
Presidential contender, Prabowo Subianto and his political coalition, rejected the official presidential election results announced by the General Election Commission (KPU) and filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court citing that “structural, systematic and massive electoral fraud” had occurred. His challenge received quite a bit of attention in both the local/international media and by political observers that believed such a move could escalate political tensions and divide the country. Des...
Jul 11, 2019•28 min
We start with this question: Are there any alternatives for borrowers to take loans safely without resorting to predatory loan sharks? But our quest to seek answers reveal how complicated Indonesians’ relationship with loans are. The obstacles with financial inclusivity in the conventional system and the growing online loan services clearly complicate the deeply-rooted loan culture among Indonesians. Join us in this episode with Dr. Chaikal Nuryakin from the Institute for Economic and Social Res...
Jun 21, 2019•30 min
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 I...
Apr 26, 2019•30 min
We had the honor and privilege to interview Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, on April 18, 2019, less than 24 hours after the nationwide elections. 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...
Apr 26, 2019•30 min
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 concur...
Apr 16, 2019•23 min
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 concur...
Apr 16, 2019•23 min
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. What do they actually see in ASEAN’s non-interference and consensus principles? Why do they keep on appeasing the Myanmar Government while violence raged in Myanmar’s Rakhine State? Why do m...
Mar 22, 2019•27 min
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. ...
Mar 01, 2019•41 min
Despite its significance, not much has been discussed about the upcoming legislative and presidential election that will be held concurrently for the first time. The legislative election this year is going to be tougher as changes in various laws influence how political parties behave. What’s the relationship between the presidential candidates and their coalition party members? Will political parties benefit from a “coattail effect”? Will we see the end of some long-established parties this yea...
Jan 30, 2019•14 min
</p> As part of the upcoming 2019 legislative and presidential elections in April, the Indonesian Election Committee (KPU) will conduct the first official presidential debate on 17 January. The themes for this first debate are some of the most strategic and pressing subjects, which are 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 rela...
Jan 17, 2019•31 min
<p>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. Like many Indonesian youths, he is ambitious and creative, out of the box and radical, and definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. In a crossroad between his creative insights and deep sense of national pride, here i...
Dec 21, 2018•17 min
Indonesian officials hope new policies can expedite growth for its digital economy. After years of deliberations, the government is preparing to finalize the revision to a controversial regulation (GR82/2012) that has prevented the county’s e-commerce and online businesses from living up to their fullest potential due to a overprotective and inflexible data regime. After discussions with government officials, we breakdown all the essential changes that will impact how data is managed and process...
Dec 07, 2018•25 min
After talking with key lawmakers overseeing the information and communications sector about data privacy and security, we are back with a follow up episode on this topic but this time from the government's perspective. We sat down with the Director General of Information & Applications, Mr. Semuel Abrijani, a key official behind two major legal frameworks on data which will determine how consumer data can be used, how companies can store their data and how far the government can oversee thes...
Nov 30, 2018•24 min
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. Hosts: Shawn Corrigan & Tanita https://www.linkedin...
Nov 16, 2018•43 min
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. Tune into this episode to a...
Nov 08, 2018•32 min
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. Host: Shawn Corriganhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/Email us! [email protected] to this podcast on Amazon’s Alexa!T...
Oct 25, 2018•35 min
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. Hosts: Shawn Corrigan & Tanita https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ Email us! [email protected] Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndoIndept...
Oct 18, 2018•39 min
I 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. Host: Shawn Corrigan https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ Email us! [email protected] This podcast is brought to you by LEXICO Indonesia, a political risk advisory in Jakarta. www.lexicoindonesia.com...
Sep 14, 2018•13 min
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. Some listeners have requested that I provide background on why political coalitions are even needed and which parties are building them. We keep talking about how Widodo is managing his coalition and how...
Aug 04, 2018•12 min
It’s becoming more and more likely that President Widodo’s next vice presidential candidate will not come from a political party. As mentioned in a previous episode, some senior party members in the government coalition such as Golkar and PKB, have privately suggested it might be prudent to withhold party resources for Widodo’s reelection bid if they are not rewarded with the vice presidential seat or if not promised with a large number of cabinet seats as a substitute in the next administration...
Jul 28, 2018•10 min
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,...
Jul 22, 2018•27 min
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. With less than 30 days to go before parties must register their presidential candidates, 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, Airlang...
Jul 11, 2018•13 min
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. Host: Shawn Corrigan https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ Email us! [email protected] Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndoIndepth We are also available on Spotify, iTunes, Google and on ...
Jul 06, 2018•45 min
This is an informal yet insightful conversation I had with with Islamic extremism expert Ridlwan Habib. We discuss the history of Islamic radicalization in Indonesia dating back to the 1940s to the June 2018 death sentence verdict for the JAD ideologist, Aman Abdurrahman. Hosts: Shawn Corrigan https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ Email us! [email protected] Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndoIndepth We are also available on Spotify and on Amazon’s Alexa! This podcast is brought to y...
Jun 27, 2018•33 min
We speak with Michael Sianipar, at age 27, he was one of former Jakarta Governor Ahok's trusted assistant until his final days in office. He is now head of the Indonesia Solidarity Party (PSI) Jakarta office. We discuss Ahok's demise, his style of leadership and the future of Indonesia. We also learn more about one of Indonesia's newest political parties and how this younger generation plan on changing Indonesia politics. Host: Shawn Corrigan https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ Email us!...
Jun 24, 2018•49 min
We sit down with Deputy Speaker of the House and Senior Gerindra Party member Mr. Fadli Zon to discuss the Anti terrorism Bill, the Criminal Code Bill, the dire Rohingya situation in Myanmar and of course the Prabowo Subianto’s run for the presidency. Hosts: Shawn Corrigan https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ Email us! [email protected] Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndoIndepth We are also available on Spotify and on Amazon’s Alexa! This podcast is brought to you by LEXICO Indonesi...
May 18, 2018•37 min
This episode is your new manual for Indonesian politics! We lay out all the pieces of the Indonesian political Rubik’s cube and put them all together. We cover all the important elements of the 2018 regional elections, the political party dynamics, the political battle for House seats in 2019, which parties are set to become extinct as well as the Widodo - Prabowo contest for the presidency. It’s a full episode and the go to guide for understanding Indonesian politics. Hosts: Shawn Corrigan &...
May 17, 2018•1 hr 5 min
We provide insights into the most recent House session along with key bills being deliberated such as the Alcohol Bill, Anti Terrorism Bill and the Water Bill. Host: Shawn Corrigan https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ Email us! [email protected] Listen to this podcast on Amazon’s Alexa! This podcast is brought to you by LEXICO Indonesia, a political risk advisory in Jakarta. www.lexicoindonesia.com
May 07, 2018•17 min
We speak with one Indonesia's rising stars in Indonesian politics. Observers have dubbed him "a politician to watch in 2019". We discuss his future plans, his key policies and about developments in the West Nusa Tenggara Province. Hosts: Shawn Corrigan https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ Email us! [email protected] Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndoIndepth We are also available on Spotify and on Amazon’s Alexa! This podcast is brought to you by LEXICO Indonesia, a political risk a...
Apr 13, 2018•23 min
