Top 10 Stories From Indonesia in 2025

Kenneth Yeung looks back at some of the year’s top stories, another year older but no wiser.

August Riots

Mass riots in Jakarta and other Indonesian cities are rarely spontaneous acts of suffering civilians. They are usually engineered by feuding members of the ruling elite, looking to score points by discrediting rivals. The August unrest stemmed from protests against massive allowances for legislators, some of whom responded callously to criticism. On the 28th of August, police in Jakarta fatally ran over a young motorbike taxi driver caught up in a protest. This was the spark for organised riots against police, arson attacks, and the gleeful looting of houses of some legislators and then-finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati. Rather than publicly confirm the role of masterminds, authorities instead trotted out vague lines about treasonous terror instigated by foreign-linked groups.

Pertamina Scandal

In February, the Attorney General’s Office arrested three executives from units of state oil and gas company Pertamina for allegedly mismanaging imports and mislabelling lower-grade fuel sold as high-octane fuel. Estimated state losses reached Rp193.7 trillion (US$11.6 billion). Pertamina denied wrongdoing, but many consumers felt cheated and opted to buy from Shell and BP, which later ran out of fuel due to limited quotas. Indonesia’s previously untouchable “godfather of gasoline”, Reza Chalid, was also named a suspect but fled Indonesia. Targeting certain malfeasant figures for punishment is no guarantee that they won’t be replaced by others who are more politically acceptable.

Free School Meals

President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship policy of providing free nutritious meals to combat stunting now reaches around 20 million recipients, mostly schoolchildren, across Indonesia. Some pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are also beneficiaries. The annual cost is Rp71 trillion (US$4.25 billion). Rather than prioritising the poorest districts with the highest stunting rates, the rollout has been strong in big cities. Critics argue that stunting would be better tackled by improving sanitation, maternal health, and nutrition for infants, whereas students need free books, free uniforms, and better school buildings. Images of well-fed or overweight children tucking into free lunches have raised eyebrows, and thousands of students have suffered food poisoning after eating the meals. Allegations of profiting from the programme have been denied.

Deadly School Collapse

Poor safety standards at Indonesian Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) were exposed when a three-storey building collapsed on hundreds of teenage boys performing afternoon prayers at the Al Khoziny school in Sidoarjo, East Java, on the 29th of September, killing 67. The incident was due to a structural failure while upper floors were being built without a permit. Some officials and even parents said the tragedy was “God’s will”. Earlier that same month, about 30 people were injured when a roof collapsed at a school in Bogor, West Java. In October, 14 students were injured when a religious study room collapsed during a storm in Karanganyar, Central Java.

National Football Woes

There was a lot of buzz around Indonesia’s national football squad this year, ending with a sting when the team failed yet again to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. In January, respected coach Shin Tae-yong of Korea was fired on the grounds that better communication was needed with the team of predominantly imported Dutch players, fast-tracked as naturalised Indonesians. Shin had an impressive record of 26 wins, 14 draws, and 17 losses, and elevated Indonesia’s world ranking from 173 to 127. He was replaced with Dutchman Patrick Kluivert, who was dumped in October after Indonesia suffered defeats to Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Nickel Mining Controversies

In June, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources revoked the mining licences of four nickel ore companies operating in the Raja Ampat islands for alleged environmental violations. Part of Southwest Papua province, Raja Ampat is one of Indonesia’s most exclusive marine tourism destinations. Legal and environmental investigations remain ongoing, and the revocations do not yet mean a permanent shutdown. Nickel mining has also been under the spotlight in Central Sulawesi, where it emerged in November that an airport had been operating without immigration or customs checks, prompting the military to raise concerns over “sovereignty”, as the airport is a hub for Chinese workers.

Soeharto & Other National Heroes

In November, former president Soeharto (1921-2008) was among 10 Indonesians named national heroes. Soeharto ruled for over 30 years, allowing corruption, collusion, and nepotism to flourish. His regime was also notorious for human rights abuses, which included crushing dissent and press freedom. Fellow general Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, who oversaw the lethal extermination of Indonesian communism in 1965-66, was also named a hero. The same honour went to Marsinah, a labour rights activist, who was found raped and murdered in 1993 after visiting a military command post. Successive governments have never unmasked her killers.

American Arrested for Live Porn

US citizen Taylor Whitmore was arrested in Bali in May for violating the terms of his tourist visa by producing and selling live-streamed pornography. He was nabbed after a sharp-eyed immigration cyber patrol team saw an online ad for a live sex show under the name Oliver Wood, featuring an Indonesian woman billed as Kirei Ineko. Viewers each paid Rp500,000 or US$30 to watch the show, with the performers splitting the money. Authorities said Whitmore also made pornography featuring a woman billed as Vlora Zekiyah. The videos were made at the Habitare Rasuna apartment in Jakarta. Whitmore was tried at South Jakarta District Court on immigration offences, rather than under Indonesia’s anti-pornography law. He received a six-month jail sentence, a Rp30 million fine, and his digital camera, iPhone, and iPad were all confiscated “for the state”.

Political Chess

After coming to power in October 2024, partly thanks to an endorsement deal with his predecessor Joko Widodo, President Prabowo Subianto this year moved to consolidate power. Several ministers, state officials, and top military officers have been replaced, indicating that loyalty may trump meritocracy. The fate of the nation’s new capital in Kalimantan remains uncertain, while state enterprises have come under a new sovereign wealth fund that answers ultimately to the president. As the military gains a greater social role, attention is turning to the 2029 presidential election, where Prabowo Subianto is expected to win a second term, while prospects for Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka remain unclear.

Oiling the Wheels

The Attorney General’s Office in June seized Rp11.88 trillion (US$71 million) from five subsidiaries of palm oil giant Wilmar over alleged bribes for crude palm oil export permits. Authorities seized additional funds from Musim Mas and Permata Hijau, two other large Indonesian palm‑oil producers, bringing the total handed over to the state treasury in October to Rp13.5 trillion. Prosecutors said the companies paid bribes for permits and influence. A lower court acquitted the firms, but this was overturned by the Supreme Court in September.