Best Indonesia News Podcasts (2024)

1
E51: Going Back to Indirect Elections

3+ y ago

—

Political parties have had enough of direct elections. One of the major changes to Indonesia following the fall of Soeharto and Reformasi was decentralization and a shift to a direct ballot election system. The aim? To ensure that local legislatures were not simply a rubber stamp of Jakarta. In recent years though, we have seen a strong push to ret…

1
E50: Where Do We Draw The Line?

3+ y ago

—

How were borders of Indonesia decided and drawn in 1945? Between May - July 1945, members of the Investigative Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPKI) deliberated on which territories should be included in a future Republic of Indonesia, if Japan granted independence. Should the new state stretch from Southern Thailand all the way …

1
E49: Maritime as A Source of Power?

3+ y ago

—

President Widodo promised to return Indonesia to a maritime power when he first took office in 2014. It was one of Widodo’s major platform policies and there was a lot talk about it in his presidential campaign that year and during the early part of his first term.Intrigued by history, we often wondered, if Widodo hoped to bring back this maritime …

1
Episode 97: Miracle Cures, Trust, and Leadership in the Time of COVID 28:49

3+ y ago28:49

28:49

In this episode, we discuss the recently trending news of a "miracle cure" purported by self-proclaimed microbiologist, doctor, and professor Hadi Pranoto after he appeared in a video with YouTuber Anji and made these claims of cure to COVID-19. In the 30-minute interview that has now been removed by YouTube, Hadi discusses his miracle cure as the …

1
E48: Anywhere but home

3+ y ago

—

There are more and more Nigerians fleeing to Indonesia, why is this the case? Though the local media may have portrayed them more as online scammers and drug dealers, the reality is most of them are just trying to find a better life outside Nigeria doing ordinary jobs. The situation in Nigeria has pushed many youths to emigrate, or attempted to emi…

1
E47: Local, Central & the Blame Game with Dr. Djayadi Hanan

4y ago

—

I sat down with Dr. Djayadi Hanan, the director of political science at Paramadina University and the executive director of LSI, to discuss how the pandemic might impact the controversial Omnibus Bill, the push by political parties to bring more power back to the central government and why has Governor Ridwan Kamil’s popularity increased as a resul…

1
Episode 96: Failing the Litmus Test: The Verdict on the Novel Baswedan Acid Attack Case 25:17

4y ago25:17

25:17

In this episode, we discuss the recent verdict that sentenced two police officers to light prison terms over the acid attack on Novel Baswedan, a chief investigator in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), on April 11, 2017, closing the case on a story that has generated a lot of news over the years. We recap the acid attack itself and the c…

1
Episode 95: Fighting Fundamentalism with Laughs — A Conversation with Sakdiyah Ma'ruf (Repeat) 26:40

4y ago26:40

26:40

We're out this week, so we are repeating our lovely chat with Sakdiyah Ma'ruf—hope you enjoy our conversation! -------------------------In this episode, we have a special interview and conversation with one of Indonesia's fiercest female Muslim hijabi stand-up comedians, Sakdiyah Ma'ruf! Hailed as one of the first female Muslim comics in Indonesia …

1
Episode 94: We Need to be Anti-Racist — A Conversation with Amir Jones (Part 2) 25:17

4y ago25:17

25:17

In this second of a two-part episode, we picked up where we left off with Amir Jones, an African-American Indonesian-American who's living in Washington, D.C. and involved in electoral politics. We continue talking about structural racism in America and the Black Lives Matter protests as a response to the murders of black Americans like George Floy…

1
Episode 93: We Need to be Anti-Racist — A Conversation with Amir Jones (Part 1) 30:08

4y ago30:08

30:08

In this first of a two-part episode, we have a very special guest — Amir Jones, an African-American Indonesian-American who’s living in Washington, D.C. and involved in electoral politics. We dive right into the topics around structural racism in America with Amir, in light of the recent weeks of Black Lives Matter protests as a response to the mur…

1
Episode 92: The Landscape of COVID-19 Testing 37:04

4y ago37:04

37:04

In this episode, we talk to Levana Sani, co-founder and CEO of Nalagenetics, a meditech company based in Indonesia and Singapore that focuses on genetic testing for drug responses, but has now partially shifted focus to helping set up labs for COVID-19 testing. We dive into the basics of genetic testing, in particular human genotyping, which is wha…

1
E46: Economic Challenges with Faisal Basri

4y ago

—

The Central Government has prevented provincial leaders, such as Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan, from implementing a lockdown, despite the fact that Jakarta is the country’s epicentre for the Covid-19 virus. The president says that a lockdown would cripple the country’s economy and lead to social unrest. Does the government have the capacity to su…

1
Episode 91: What We Owe To Each Other 27:11

4y ago27:11

27:11

In this episode, we have a very special guest — a long-time friend of ours, Dr. Vania, who is a second-year clinical nutrition resident currently based in Jakarta. We wanted to talk to her about the experience doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals have as the COVID-19 outbreak started to spread in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta. We tal…

1
Episode 90: The Longest Month Ever... So Far 17:03

4y ago17:03

17:03

In this episode, we talk about… nothing in particular, other than how tired we are. We have an honest and sincere conversation about the pressures of working from home coupled with the guilt that comes from not being as productive as we always say we would be, if we had more time. We share our struggles about keeping a healthy work-life balance, an…

1
E45: What's In A Number?

4y ago

—

What do Indonesia’s official Covid-19 statistics really mean, how are they derived and what can we expect going forward? The Coronavirus Disease 19 or Covid-19, continues to spread across Indonesia despite early beliefs by many government officials that Indonesia somehow was immune to it or that because of their religiosity, they would be spared. I…

1
E44: How Do We Know Who to Believe for What Now?

4y ago

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When we ask ourselves how people would even begin to conceive and believe in conspiracy theories and hoaxes during a critical time such as this pandemic, we find that it is so much more than just an issue of how we access and process information, as many would believe. Evidently, world leaders around the world are also engaging in wild narratives s…

1
Episode 89: Is This the New Normal? On COVID-19 and Quarantine Life 23:55

4y ago23:55

23:55

In this episode, we’re [insert number of days] into the lockdown situation in most parts of the world right now and we wanted to have a lighthearted but also sincere conversation about what living in the world is like at the moment. We share bits and pieces about our lives in quarantine, with Swedian in Jakarta undergoing large-scale social distanc…

1
Episode 88: Let's Talk About Mental Health (Repeat) 25:08

4y ago25:08

25:08

Swedian is out sick at the moment (luckily, not because of COVID-19) so in the mean time, and in light of the current situation, we want to repeat our mental health episode, to support those who might be having trouble staying mentally healthy during this pandemic. We hope to be back as soon as we can! Please stay safe and healthy at home.-------In…

1
E43: No Time for Maritime

4y ago

—

During his first term in office, President Widodo promised to return Indonesia to its maritime roots and establish the country as a maritime power. Some may wonder though, how did the world’s largest archipelagic state loose its maritime roots to begin with? Widodo is now into his second term and he appears to have abandoned his maritime vision. Wh…

1
Episode 87: Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands 21:02

4y ago21:02

21:02

In this episode, we’re reacting to the latest news of 2 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia. We break down the sequence of events that led to these confirmed cases. We reiterate some of the basic knowledge about COVID-19 and back it up with scientific data from the latest reports from the WHO, in order to dispel some common misconceptions and/…

1
E42: (Mis) Understood Silence

4y ago

—

When the international community condemned the arbitrary detention, mass surveillance, political indoctrination and restrictions on religious activity of the Muslim minority Uyghur ethnic group in 2019, most of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members instead endorsed China’s treatment of Uyghurs in an official statement. The OIC state…

1
Episode 86: Not Just a Numbers Game: Discussing The Omnibus Law 32:58

4y ago32:58

32:58

In this episode, we tackle the topic of the Omnibus Law, which is a series of laws that has been drafted and are being discussed by the government to streamline some of the existing laws in order to make for better and more efficient regulation. We’re going to talk about some of the most controversial parts of the Omnibus Law that have been protest…

1
Indonesia In-Ten E3 | Indonesia's Shifting Political Landscape

4y ago

—

Nothing is permanent when it comes to relationships among political parties in Indonesia. As parties lack strong ideologies, most relationships are established when it’s deemed beneficial rather than based on issues to stances. It’s now beneficial for both Gerindra and PDIP to collaborate and build a strong relationship, both at the local and natio…

1
Episode 85: Calm Amidst the Storm — Considering Reactions to the Novel Coronavirus 25:35

4y ago25:35

25:35

In this episode, we’ll be discussing the 2019-nCoV, also known (for now) as the Novel Coronavirus, that’s been plaguing China and the rest of the world early this year. First discovered in the city of Wuhan, as of February 4th there has been more than 24,000 confirmed cases in China alone and more than 450 fatalities globally. We break down what th…

1
Indonesia In-Studio E2 | A Piece of the Recording Puzzle

4+ y ago

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From unknown gadgets to the vice president's table, what do some of our team members believe is the most important object/equipment when recording our podcast episodes? Apparently, it's not as obvious as you think! In this Indonesia In-Studio episode, Tanita and Veronica share their experiences in learning what object/equipment matters most when re…

1
E41: Out with the New, In with the Old

4+ y ago

—

Indonesia’s political liberties have progressed since the reformation era began in 1998. However, in recent years, civil liberties in the country appear to be eroding with laws and regulations that limit freedom of expression, freedom of the press and instances where the government has restricted access and even shut off access to the internet. Wha…

1
Indonesia In-Ten | Megawati & Jokowi

4+ y ago

—

President Jokowi has been in office since 2014 and was just inaugurated for a second term last October. He’s a member of the PDIP party, but is not as influential in the party as some might expect. In fact, part of his first term was spent convincing his own party on his policies and direction for the country. Will this be the case in his second te…

1
Episode 84: Jakarta Underwater: Discussing the January 2020 Flooding 22:01

4+ y ago22:01

22:01

In this episode, we talk about the dramatic flooding that plagued Jakarta and its neighboring cities on New Year’s Day 2020. We give our reactions to the news of the flooding that, as of January 6, has claimed 66 lives and continues to displace hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. There have been reports saying that floodwater reached …

1
Indonesia In-Studio | Unexpected Interview & A Newfound Interest

4+ y ago

—

Ever wonder what it takes to produce our episodes? There is an entire process that goes into each and every one and often times they are not as simple as record and publish! The process includes brainstorming, research, finding the guests, conducting the interview, crafting a story, collecting extra clips and editing all of that raw audio. All that…

1
Episode 83: Revisiting Stephanie's Baby Journo Works(Repeat) 15:57

4+ y ago15:57

15:57

In this episode, we’ll be featuring Stephanie’s audio pieces that she did as part of her grad school studies at the Columbia School of Journalism. The pieces are titled “Unsilent Night” — which is about a decades-long sound composition against traditional Christmas music — and “A Night at Greenwood Cemetery” — which is about Stephanie’s night tour …

1
Episode 82: Flying Too Close to the Sun: The Garuda Smuggling Scandal 23:13

4+ y ago23:13

23:13

In this episode, we discuss the recent Garuda smuggling scandal, which involved their president director Ari Askhara who had arranged for a vintage 1970s Harley Davidson, specialty Brompton foldable bikes, and their respective spare parts, to be smuggled into Indonesia through a Garuda plane, bypassing the appropriate taxes and the customs office. …

1
Episode 81: The Legal Road Ahead — A Conversation with Pramudya Oktavinanda (Pt. 2) 18:29

4+ y ago18:29

18:29

In this second of our two-part episode with Pramudya Oktavinanda, an old friend of the podcast (and our resident legal expert), we continue our conversation into some of the legal circumstances of Jokowi and his 2nd term administration. We discuss a variety of topics that are not often covered by mainstream media, such as coalition loyalty in Indon…

1
Episode 80: The Legal Road Ahead — A Conversation with Pramudya Oktavinanda (Pt. 1) 21:39

4+ y ago21:39

21:39

In this first of our two-part episode, an old friend of the podcast (and our resident legal expert) Pramudya Oktavinanda is back to discuss some of the legal challenges Jokowi and his 2nd term administration will face over the next 5 years. Given the unrest last month over the old Parliament’s decision to pursue what some have called draconian legi…

1
E39: Compromises, Equalizers & Dynasties

4+ y ago

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President Widodo set lofty goals when he took office in 2014 and many have yet to be achieved. Hoping to achieve them in his second term, Widodo’s newly-formed cabinet has raised serious questions as to whether those goals are attainable. The government coalition is super-sized and the make-up of cabinet is full of political accommodations and comp…

1
E38: Indonesia's 21-year Transition to Democracy

4+ y ago

—

Indonesia began its transition to democracy in 1998 amid a simultaneous political, social and economic crisis. While the country has made tremendous progress with important economic and political reforms, Indonesia continues to remain in a democratic transition today. At an Indonesinist live event hosted by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affair…

1
Episode 79: Building Climate Resilience in Indonesia — A Conversation with Barry Beagen 25:01

4+ y ago25:01

25:01

In this episode, we talk to Barry Beagen, an architect and urban planner who is the Program Director at Kota Kita, an urban planning NGO based in Indonesia that works in governance, inclusivity, and climate change resilience. We discuss the complex and difficult (but necessary) topic of climate change mitigation and the real work that goes behind m…

1
E37: "This is not an insult, it's just a critique!"

4+ y ago

—

The Indonesian parliament has delayed passing the controversial new amendments to the criminal code, which dates back to the Dutch Colonial Era. Widodo backtracked his support at the last minute after public protests against the bill which is viewed as overcriminalization and draconian. One article in the bill that garnered attention is on the rein…

1
Episode 78: The Word on the Streets: Discussing the Recent Protests in Indonesia 21:50

4+ y ago21:50

21:50

In this episode, Stephanie chats with Anindya "Vivi" Restuviani, a leading feminist and social activist in Indonesia and co-director of Hollaback! Jakarta, an organization dedicated to fighting street harassment in Indonesia. Vivi was part of the recent protests that erupted over the last week in Jakarta, as thousands of students and protestors gat…

1
Episode 77: The President We Didn't Deserve: In Memoriam B.J. Habibie 29:09

4+ y ago29:09

29:09

In this episode, we commemorate the life and legacy of our former President, B.J. Habibie, who passed away on September 11, 2019, at the age of 83 years old. Considered by many as the father of Indonesian innovation and engineering, Habibie was thrust into the limelight in 1998 when he became president following the May 1998 riots and the fall of S…

1
Episode 76: Let's Talk About Mental Health (Repeat) 24:51

4+ y ago24:51

24:51

Swedian is in the midst of his move back to Indonesia, so we're going to repeat an episode on a topic that's always worth having conversations on — and that's mental health!-------In this episode, we're discussing the topic of mental health! This issue has been in the news lately because Sandi, Prabowo's running mate in the upcoming presidential el…

1
E36: The Future of Dining

4+ y ago

—

We explore the behavioral insights in the F&B sector, the explosive growth of online food ordering and delivery services and rise of virtual kitchens in Indonesia with Edward Tirtanata, co-founder of Kopi Kenangan, the grab-and-go coffee chain that has experience explosive growth in the Jakarta metro area and Surabaya. On this episode of Indonesia …

1
Episode 75: Unpacking the Recent West Papua Protests 29:45

4+ y ago29:45

29:45

In this episode, we discuss the recent protests that broke out in Manokwari and Jayapura over the recent arrest and detention of 43 West Papuan students in Surabaya over allegations of destroying and damaging the Indonesian flag. We want to unpack the historic tensions and conflicts that has led to this point. We begin with the historic tussle in t…

1
E35: What It Takes To Rig An Election

4+ y ago

—

Photo by Tyler Easton/ Unsplash The 2019 presidential election is over but the discourse about “election fraud” in Indonesia remains foggy and tends to shun away from the statistical elements that makes up the election itself. The Constitutional Court rejected Prabowo’s challenge to the 2019 presidential election results when he complained of “stru…

1
Episode 74: The People's Prime Minister — A Profile of Sutan Sjahrir 30:14

4+ y ago30:14

30:14

In this episode, we talk about one of the lesser-known founding fathers of Indonesia, our first ever Prime Minister, Sutan Sjahrir!Dubbed the ‘Smiling Diplomat,’ Sjahrir is one of our nation’s greatest intellectuals and patriots, and was a key figure in the independence movement — from his time with Mohammad Hatta in the Netherlands organizing the …

1
E34: A Receding Wave of Optimism in Myanmar

4+ y ago

—

Photo by Soe Zeya Tun/REUTERS A wave of optimism flowed over Myanmar in 2010 when the ruling military general, Than Shwe, implemented the first steps in the nation’s roadmap to democracy by 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 min…

1
Episode 73: In Pursuit of Pride & Progress — An Interview with Rocky Intan (Repeat) 32:23

5y ago32:23

32:23

We don't have a new episode for you this week, so we are repeating one of our most popular episodes last year — our conversation with Rocky Intan on LGBTQ identity, Pride, and true progress.-------In this episode, Stephanie is still out, so Swedian talks to a longtime friend and supporter of Dialogika, Rocky Intan, who is currently getting his Mast…

1
E33: "The election system is broken"...again

5y ago

—

Presidential contender, Prabowo Subianto along with his political coalition, rejected the official presidential election results announced by the General Election Commission (KPU) and filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court in May citing that “structural, systematic and massive electoral fraud” had occurred on election day. According to the KPU…

1
Episode 72: The Bleeding Bauhinia — A Conversation with Wilson Leung 31:52

5y ago31:52

31:52

In this episode, we chat with Wilson Leung, who is a founding member of the Progressive Lawyers’ Group (HKPLG) — a group of Hong Kong lawyers dedicated to promoting rule of law, democracy, human rights, freedom and justice — about the recent extradition bill protests in Hong Kong. Wilson breaks down the situation on the ground over the last few wee…

1
E32: Happiness On Loan 29:58

5y ago29:58

29:58

We start with this question: Are there 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 …

1
Episode 71: All the President's Parties, or Why The Parliament Matters 27:28

5y ago27:28

27:28

In this episode, we dive deep into the 2019 legislative/parliamentary election results and break down what the numbers mean. We give a quick rundown of the political parties that made it to the Parliament (the usual suspects) and explain a little about the process in which they had to make it there (spoiler alert: it involves the parliamentary thre…

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