The wRap Indonesia: March 2, 2015

JAKARTA, Indonesia – In today’s wrap of stories from Indonesia, what the anti-graft commission is doing with the controversial Budi Gunawan corruption case and the Jakarta governor’s stance on the death penalty.

1. KPK passes Budi Gunawan case to Attorney General

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday, March 2, handed over the corruption case of former police chief nominee, Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) because the agency “still has 36 other cases of alleged corruption” to deal with, acting KPK chief Taufiqurrahman Ruki said in a press conference. “For one case, we, KPK, accept defeat, but that does not mean we’re giving up. There are still many cases in our hands,” he said, adding that there was also the matter of the pre-trial hearing. The South Jakarta District Court last month declared as invalid the KPK’s decision to name Budi a corruption suspect, because he technically wasn’t a state official or law enforcer at the time the alleged crime was committed. Read the full story in Bahasa Indonesia on Rappler. 

2. Jakarta governor doesn’t agree with Jokowi on the death penalty

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his former deputy, now Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, have worked very well as a pair. But apparently there’s an issue they don’t agree on: The use of the death penalty for drug cases. The governor said over the weekend that he believes the death penalty should only apply to drug convicts who are found to still be taking drugs in prison, but otherwise they should be given a chance to become better human beings. By contrast, Jokowi has remained firm on rejecting all clemency requests for drug convicts on death row. In fact, he reiterated over the weekend that Indonesia’s stance on the pending executions of 10 inmates was “clear”, after Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott suggested Jokowi was “carefully considering his position”.

3. Fire destroys oldest Chinese temple in Jakarta 

Ini terjadi shubuh tadi tweeps, Kebakaran kelenteng cin de yen di petak sembilan. wihara bersejarah. via @nitrodamuz pic.twitter.com/4lVb6Gg8rC

— Rappler Indonesia (@RapplerID) March 2, 2015

A fire destroyed Vihara Dharma Bhakti, the oldest Chinese temple in Jakarta located in densely-populated Glodok, early on Monday, March 2. Some houses located near the temple, believed to be more than 400 years old, were also damaged, Tri Sugianto, an official at the West Jakarta Fire Agency, told Liputan6.com. Thirty firetrucks were sent to the venue but it was too big to handle, authorities said, as it was made worse by the pile of incense inside the temple. “It’s too difficult to get water there,” Tri said. The cause of the fire has not yet been identified.

4. Zulkifli Hasan elected chairman of National Mandate Party

Zulkifli Hasan, the current People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker and former forestry minister, was elected chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) on Sunday, March 1. Zulkifli, an in-law of PAN cofounder and senior politician Amien Rais, beat the incumbent, former vice presidential candidate Hatta Rajasa, in a close race, the Jakarta Post reported. In 2013, Zulkifli, as forestry minister, made international headlines after he threatened to deport Hollywod actor Harrison Ford after the latter subjected him to a “rude interview” on climate change.

5. Inflation rate slows in February, but fuel prices increase again

Indonesia’s inflation slowed to 6.29% in February, from a 6.96% rise in January, owing to the lower cost of fuel and some staple foods in Southeast Asia’s top economy. Indonesia has allowed fuel prices to float with the market, which means the collapse in global oil prices has fed through to lower inflation. However, fuel prices were increased from IDR6,600 per liter to IDR6,800 on March 1 as global oil prices rebounded 18% in February after 7 months of losses. – Rappler.com