The wRap Indonesia: Jan. 14, 2015

JAKARTA, Indonesia  – The new controversy surrounding Indonesia’s corruption-tainted police chief nominee and the latest news on AirAsia QZ8501 lead our wrap of stories today. 

1. Corruption-tainted Indonesian Police chief nominee defends himself

A day after he was named a corruption suspect, Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan appeared before the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III on Wednesday, January 14, to defend himself and convince them he still deserved to become the next chief of the Indonesian Police force. Budi said the National Police had already cleared him in an internal investigation into allegations he had suspiciously large amounts in his bank accounts, explaining further that the funds in his accounts were related to a family business. He also said he suspected there was political maneuvering involved in the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) decision to name him a suspect a day before the fit-and-proper test and just a few days after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo nominated him. So far, Jokowi hasn’t withdrawn his nomination, which had been controversial from day 1. 

2. Divers investigate object thought to be AirAsia jet fuselage

Scores of divers on Wednesday shifted their focus to investigating an object thought to the crashed AirAsia jet’s main body, which was earlier spotted on sonar scans and is lying about two miles (3 kilometers) from where the plane’s tail was found. Finding the fuselage of the Airbus 320-200 is seen as vital, as most of the victims are believed to be still trapped inside. Just 48 bodies have so far been recovered. Search and rescue agency official S.B. Supriyadi said if the object, which is lying about 30 meters (100 feet) under water, turned out to be the fuselage, divers would examine how it could be raised from the water. “If it is not too heavy, we may lift the whole piece and evacuate the victims,” Supriyadi, who is coordinating what has been a huge, international search, told AFP. “If it’s too heavy, we may then swim into the fuselage and pull out the bodies one by one before lifting it.” Read the full story on Rappler.

3. Muhammadiyah calls new ‘Charlie Hebdo’ cover a ‘test of patience’

Abdul Mu’thi, the secretary general of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s second largest Islamic organization, said he was deeply disappointed with the printing of another Prophet Mohammed cartoon on the cover of French magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday. While he called on Muslims in Indonesia to exercise restraint against the tabloid, he said he deplored the move that might provoke Muslims. “Muslims need to exercise restraint. It will be better if we can look at it as a test of our patience,” Mu’thi said, according to state news agency Antara. “We should be able to respond to it wisely by refraining from anarchic acts,” he added. Read the full story on Rappler.

4. Jakarta cancels plan to expand motorcycle ban

Motorcyclists can breathe a sigh of relief. Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama said on Tuesday, January 13, that the plan to expand the motorcycle ban on January 17 won’t push through. The city banned motorcycles from two key roads – Jalan MH Thamrin and Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat – on December 17, and it was set to expand that ban to Jalan Sudirman a month after. But the governor said sufficient public transport alternatives were not yet ready, Beritajakarta.com reported.  

5. Government wants foreign workers to take Bahasa Indonesia test

Manpower Minister M. Hanif Dhakiri revealed earlier this month that foreigners who want to work in Indonesia would soon have to complete the Test of Indonesian as a Foreign Language. The exam will be part of a new set of requirements that will determine the eligibility of a foreigner to work in the country, and is included in the ongoing revision of a 2013 Manpower Ministry regulation. “We hope that the revision can be complete in February so we can immediately implement the Indonesian language skill test for foreign workers who wish to work in Indonesia,” Hanif was quoted as saying by state-run Antara news agency. Read the full story in the Jakarta Globe.