Indonesia

Indonesian university students protest outside parliament after the passage of a new criminal code on Dec. 15: Islamists fret that the code does not go far enough to embed Islamic law. 
Opinion

Indonesia's new criminal code reflects unresolved culture clash

Liberals, Islamists and traditionalists have all been left unsatisfied

18 December 2022
Jago Coffee is aiming to expand its mobile stands offering cups of fresh brew to Indonesian cities beyond Jakarta. (Photo by Nana Shibata)
Interview

Indonesia's Jago to deploy 10,000 mobile cafes to serve up coffee

Startup challenges instant-dominated market with fresh-brewed offering

16 December 2022
Workers stand beside an Electric Multiple Unit high-speed train at the Tegalluar train depot in Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia, on Oct. 13. Service begins in six months.
Caixin

How China helped build Indonesia's high-speed railway

Xi Jinping team agreed to transfer technology and hire local workers

16 December 2022
Indonesia's Investree has already expanded into Thailand and the Philippines. (Source images from Investree website)
DealStreetAsia

Indonesia's Investree set to close funding round led by Qatar's JTA

Peer-to-peer lending company looking to enter Middle East market

15 December 2022
Japanese-style oden has proved a hit at Lawson outlets in Indonesia run by Sumber Alfaria Trijaya. The operator of Alfamart convenience stores plans to add up to 1,000 branches of the Japanese chain next year. (Photo by Bobby Nugroho)
Interview

Indonesia's Alfamart operator to open 1,000 Lawson stores in 2023

Country's growing middle class is becoming growth driver for convenience sector

14 December 2022
Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's longest-serving former prime minister, says Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo "is much stronger" than other recent leaders. (Photo by Hakimie Amrie)
Malaysia election

Malaysia lags Indonesia due to political instability: Mahathir

Jokowi's efficient government has attracted investors, says ex-prime minister

13 December 2022
Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, center, deputy minister for law and human rights, speaks at a news conference Monday. He said, "Please, foreign tourists come to Indonesia, because you will not be able to be charged" under the new article forbidding extra-marital sex. (Photo by Nana Shibata)
Politics

Indonesia says new laws won't force marital status checks at hotels

Seeking to reassure foreign travelers, minister says 'concern is excessive'

12 December 2022
U.S.-based think tank ITIF has linked a 1-unit rise on a data restrictiveness index to a 0.5% drop in annual trade for five markets in Asia. (Source photos by Rie Ishii and Reuters)
Technology

Data curbs from Vietnam to Indonesia to hit trade by up to 9%: study

Asia learned 'all the wrong lessons' of China tech crackdown, think tank says

12 December 2022
Paper.id targets small and midsize companies, which still depend heavily on manual methods to manage their business. (Source image from Paper.id Facebook page)
DealStreetAsia

Indonesian invoicing startup Paper.id raises $12m

Company provides platform for businesses to create invoices, manage accounting

12 December 2022
Stream article image
12 December 2022
Activists hold up posters during a rally against Indonesia's new criminal law in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on Dec. 6.
Politics

Indonesia's controversial new criminal code: 7 things to know

Critics say 'authoritarian' legislation taints Jokowi's legacy

10 December 2022
Halodoc's CEO and co-founder Jonathan Sudharta (Photo by Nana Shibata)
Health Care

Indonesian teledoctor Halodoc eyes Thailand, Singapore foray

Health tech app operator aims to attract 100 million users for home market

9 December 2022
Javanese dancers perform at Hotel Tugu Malang in Indonesia's East Java province. Established in 1990, the hotel is filled with old art and a museum dedicated to antiquities from Cambodia and Thailand. (Courtesy of Tugu Hotels and Restaurants)
Life

Preserving Indonesia's cultural heritage, one hotel at a time

Art collector returns some of the country's oldest inns to their former glory

9 December 2022
From late 2024 at the earliest, new rules in Singapore will require ride-hailing and food delivery companies to contribute to social security savings schemes for their workers.
Technology

Singapore's gig economy braces for 'complex' safety net rules

ASEAN's first protections for platform workers have regional implications

8 December 2022
A factory in Vietnam operated by Matsuoka Corporation, a Uniqlo supplier. (Photo courtesy of Matsuoka Corporation)
Business trends

Vietnam, Cambodia draw Japanese apparel makers away from China

Uniqlo suppliers and others lured by lower labor costs and RCEP tariff reductions

8 December 2022
Demonstrators gather near Indonesia's parliament building in Jakarta on Dec. 6 to protest passage of a law that restricts personal freedoms.
Politics

Indonesia's new criminal code spurs democracy, business concerns

Curbs widely criticized, though some say worries of impact on tourism overblown

7 December 2022
Envision AESC CEO Shoichi Matsumoto sees "many opportunities" in the ASEAN region. (Source photos by Erwida Maulia and AFP/Jiji)
Technology

China's Envision sees next 'net-zero industrial parks' in ASEAN

Region's electric vehicle shift expected to fuel greentech demand

6 December 2022
Stream article image
Women's Wealth

Asia's female financial firepower surges to record highs

Combined wealth of women in Asia now world's second-highest, but systemic issues challenge equality

5 December 2022
Vietnamese technical interns work at a construction site in Tokyo. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Japan immigration

Japan to lose pay appeal for Vietnamese, Indonesian workers by 2032: study

Stagnant Japanese wages risk making Southeast Asians look elsewhere for jobs

5 December 2022
Honda Motor showcased its all-electric SUV prototype at the Thailand International Motor Expo near Bangkok on Nov. 30. (Photo by Yohei Muramatsu)
Automobiles

Honda, Toyota race to gain ground in Thai, Indonesian EV markets

Japanese automakers chase Chinese and South Korean rivals after late start

3 December 2022
Broom provides financing for auto dealers who offer their used-car inventory as collateral. (Screenshot from Broom website)
DealStreetAsia

Indonesia auto-finance startup Broom lines up new funding

Company provides short-term loans for car dealers

2 December 2022
Pertamina International Shipping (PIS), led by CEO Yoki Firnandi, has embarked on an aggressive overseas expansion drive. (Photo by Erwida Maulia)
Transportation

Indonesia oil giant Pertamina to boost overseas tanker expansion

Tie-up with Japan's NYK provides tailwind for shipping unit seeking IPO by 2025

2 December 2022
Gojek and other ride hailers in Southeast Asia are battling a shortage of drivers as economies open up from the pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Gojek) 
Transportation

Gojek teams up with top Singapore taxi firm to ease driver crunch

Indonesian ride-hailer aims to tap ComfortDelGro's fleet of 10,000 cabs

28 November 2022
Indonesian military chief Gen. Andika Perkasa said in an interview with Nikkei Asia that the annual joint exercise Garuda Shield will have more countries next year. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
Indo-Pacific

Indonesian military chief eyes wider joint drills in Indo-Pacific

Archipelago seeks more cooperation with Brunei, Malaysia and Quad

28 November 2022
The region's largest tech platforms have reduced their total workforces by as much as 10% this year, with some signaling even further cuts.
Technology

From Sea to GoTo, tech layoffs mount in ASEAN: 4 things to know

Region's platforms hit brakes on aggressive hiring amid market chill

25 November 2022