The wRap Indonesia: Aug. 26, 2014

JAKARTA, Indonesia – How the reality of Indonesia’s biggest economic problem – fuel subsidies – is sinking in for motorists throughout the archipelago leads our wrap of top stories from Indonesia the past day.

1. Indonesia struggles with subsidized fuel quota

With state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina last week reducing the volume of subsidized diesel and gasoline it distributed to gas stations by 5-15% to keep within the 46 million kiloliter quota for the year, long lines of vehicles have been witnessed at several gas stations in different parts of the country. If consumption isn’t controlled, Indonesia will run out of subsidized diesel by Nov. 28 and subsidized gas by Dec. 19, according to the Energy Ministry. President-elect Joko Widodo has called on outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to share the necessary but politically sensitive move of raising subsidized fuel prices with him. Read more at the Jakarta Globe and Tempo. 

2. 34 Indonesian jihadists fighting with the Islamic State

Ansyaad Mbai, the chief of Indonesia’s National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT), said 34 Indonesians from radical groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah, Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid, and Negara Islam Indonesia have joined the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). Ansyaad said they had passports and flew to Syria via Turkey and Qatar in order to join the jihad there. The 34 are understood to be different from the 56 Indonesians who police earlier said had joined IS. Ansyaad added that data from the European Union indicated there are 2,000 Indonesians in Syria who entered via Australia. Deputy Foreign Affairs Minsiter Dino Patti Djalal said Indonesia is coordinating with Middle Eastern countries to fight the growing threat. Read more on Detik.com and Vivanews.com.

3. Jakarta’s new lawmakers inaugurated

Jakarta’s 106 new regional lawmakers were inaugurated on Monday, more than a half of whom are neophytes. Outside the building, students rallied to demand the lawmakers deliver on their campaign promises and “tackle traffic congestion, poverty, floods, messy urban planning, garbage and many more”, according to Kompas.com. But it seems the first major task the new congress will have to take care of is accepting the resignation of Jakarta governor and President-elect Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Jokowi’s coalition controls 50 seats in the new parliament, less than the 54 required for his resignation to be accepted, according to Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi.

4. Trials to start in Jakarta International School sex abuse scandal

Five janitors will go on trial this week over allegations they sexually assaulted a student at the prestigious Jakarta International School (JIS). The scandal began when a parent alleged in April that outsourced cleaning staff assaulted her 6-year-old son inside a school restroom. The cleaners will be indicted on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 26 and 27, but deny any wrongdoing, a lawyer for two of them said. All of them who previously confessed now plan to recant, claiming police beat them up, he said. Read the full story on Rappler.

5. Yogyakarta aims for world batik city title

Yogyakarta could be named the “world’s batik city” by the World Craft Council (WCC), which recently visited batik centers in the province, National Crafts Council Yogyakarta chapter executive director Roni Guritno said. Yogyakarta, he said, was the center of batik crafting in the country. UNESCO named Indonesia’s handmade batik as a world heritage in 2009. Read more at the Jakarta Post and Tribunnews.com.