Building this is important...

1st Man: Building this is important...

2nd Man: More important again is looking after it.

While many have welcomed the government's emphasis on infrastructure spending, particularly infrastructure firms which have recorded record profits this year, only around 10% of spending has been allocated for maintenance and desperately needed repairs to roads and irrigation systems.

Kompas - December 30, 2015

Merry Christmas

Man: Merry Christmas. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika: The national motto, Unity in Diversity

While there were no reports of violence during Christmas celebrations this year, unable to celebrate at their own premises because they have been sealed off by authorities at the behest of Islamic vigilante groups, for the fourth year running members of the Batak Protestant Churches Filadelfia in Bekasi and Indonesian Christian Church Yasmin in Bogor held Christmas services in front of the State Palace where they placed a red plastic chair with writing above it reading 'Indonesian President'.

Kompas - December 23, 2015

Political Comedy Drama

Kid: Wait! The next episode of the political comedy drama!

Only days after controversial lawmaker Fadli Zon was appointed acting House of Representatives speaker (Ketua DPR) following the resignation of Setya Novanto, just as he was to be found guilty of ethical violations for trying to shake down Freeport Indonesia for 20% of shares in exchange for extending its mining contract, the House has again incurred the public's wrath by announcing that it will begin deliberations on revising the Corruption Eradication Commission (RUU KPK) law, widely seen as yet another attempt to weaken the anti-graft body.

Kompas - December 19, 2015

Politics as Usual

Ball reads 'decision', flag reads 'politics'

Any chance the House of Representatives Ethics Council (MKD) had of restoring public trust in the legislative body through a hearing into allegations that House speaker Setya Novanto demanded shares from Freeport Indonesia in exchange for extending its mining contract were quickly dispelled after the hearings were marred by disagreement on technical trivialities and council members treating key witnesses as if they were defendants, making it clear that the council was simply playing politics as usual rather than seeking the truth behind the alleged misconduct.

Kompas - December 16, 2015

Your Honors

Kid: Your Honor!... Aren’t closed sessions usually for hearings into pornography?

The keyword Yang Mulia (Your Honors) quickly become a trending topic on Twitter as public disgust mounted over the House of Representatives (DPR) ethics council's hearings into the Papa Minta Saham scandal (which were only opened after intense public pressure) as it tried to shield DPR Speaker Setya Novanto by bogging down proceedings with technical trivialities, questioning the standing of witnesses and disputing the validity of a recording of Setya trying to shake down Freeport Indonesia for 20% of shares in exchange for extending its mining contract.

Kompas - December 5, 2015

Papa wants shares

Man: It's like they use the state as a game... (arm reads Gangster Elite)

The arrest in mid-November of the alleged ringleader of the Mama Minta Pulsa (Mama wants phone credit) phone scam syndicate, which had already spawned a hit single of the same name, quickly prompted the creation of the internet meme Mama Minta Pulsa, Papa Minta Saham (the latter meaning 'Papa wants shares') after revelations that House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto requested shares from mining giant Freeport Indonesia, ostensibly on behalf of president and vice president, in exchange for extending Freeport's mining contract.

Kompas - December 5, 2015