OPINION

People who reside on Java are privileged to enjoy the convenience of public transportation, which is not the case for those living in Maluku Province. Public transportation in this province is far from decent, let alone comfortable. With the operation of Jakarta-Bandung WHOOSH high-speed rail, the gap between public transportation services on the main island and the regions has become more overwhelming.

Eliminating the superlative subjective authority of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) is tantamount to diminishing the highest power of a sovereign people. People’s power determines the direction of the nation-state and should be restored to complement the power to elect the president and the members of Parliament. 

By the early afternoon of Wednesday, October 25, 2023, the process of registration of Candidates for President and Vice President in the 2024 Election was completed. Indonesia now has three pairs of candidates for President and Vice President: Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar, Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD, and Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka. They are supported, respectively, by the NASDEM Party, PKB and the PKS Party, PDI-P, and a Coalition of GERINDRA Party, GOLKAR, DEMOKRAT, PAN and BULAN BINTANG Parties. 

The global economy is facing unprecedented challenges, with the conflict in the Middle East between Palestine and Israel and the unceasing Russia-Ukraine war. 

An estimated 23 million persons with disabilities (PWD) in Indonesia lack access to crucial supportive technologies. This could cost the global economy up to 7% on average of annual GDP – one of the outcomes of a public discussion on disability inclusion by KATALIS, a program sponsored by the Indonesia – Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) in Jakarta, on 26 September 2023.

On October 24, the United Nations, as the largest international organization, will shortly celebrate its 78th anniversary. The moment of celebration becomes such an awaited-time to show a more charismatic posture of UN performance itself before the international public, where their states are members. During the establishment of the UN, it seems this expectation was dynamic.

Despite its rolling hills and mountains, Papua – the Land of Cendrawasih – is blessed with a number of ports. Along its coastlines, ports with impressive performance, such as Jayapura Port in Papua Province and Sorong Port – which has become part of Southwest Papua after regional proliferation – decorate the region. I once had an opportunity to take a glimpse at the two ports, experiencing the hustle and bustle there. 

Last month, I happened to have the opportunity to attend an international conference on supply chain and operations management in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This prestigious conference was attended by various experts from all over the world, with a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, including the field of architecture, which was my own particular area of interest. 

October 16 has been dedicated as “World Food Day”, a day when every country takes stock of food challenges that are still rampant and in dire need of resolution. In Catholic churches within the Diocese of Jakarta, while no Saturday or Sunday mass featured a homily by the celebrating priest, the Church instead played a video of a sermon delivered by the Archbishop of Jakarta, Ignatius Cardinal Suharyo, S.J., on the commemoration of World Food Day. 

In a world grappling with an unexpected surge in rice prices, propelled by India’s rice export ban and adverse weather conditions affecting production in many locations, the global economy finds itself at a critical crossroads.

The national vision and mission, enshrined in the preamble of the 1945 Constitution, must be realized through planned and sustainable development based on realistic targets. This vision and mission is also the mandate of the people of the sovereign republic as stated in the State Policy Outlines (PPHN). Thus, they must be adhered to while serving as a constitutional guarantee for sustainable efforts to realize a prosperous society.