Indonesian officials routinely highlight the success of the Indonesian ride-hailing unicorn company GoJek, whose founder Nadiem Makarim became Education Minister in President Jokowi’s latest cabinet. The green jackets of GoJek’s motorcycle taxi drivers and its regional competitor Grab have become ubiquitous in Indonesia’s cities - both companies also offer online taxis, food delivery, and a range of other services through their apps. Companies like GoJek and Grab claim to provide a platform to more efficiently bring service providers and customers together, but across the world their critics claim such companies have eroded worker rights and made the nature of work more precarious. But how do these dynamics play out in Indonesia, a country where tens of millions of people have always worked in the informal sector under very adverse conditions? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Diatyka Widya Permata Yasih, a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, who has interviewed dozens of GoJek and Grab drivers for her research on the gig economy. Her research on the gig. Economy is also featured in. the inaugural edition of Melbourne Asia Review, a new online publication being launched by the Asia Institute next week. The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Photo credit: Agus Bebeng for Antara Foto

Talking Indonesia

Diatyka Widya Permata Yasih - The Gig Economy

In this belated Chinese New Year special, Charlotte Setijadi chats with Dr Josh Stenberg about the little known topic of Chinese Indonesian performance arts, and how their histories represent the strategies of Chinese minority self-representation over time.

Dr Josh Stenberg - Chinese Indonesian performing arts

Talking Indonesia: Regulating Islamic Preachers? Growing religious conservatism in Indonesia has turned some Islamic preachers into minor celebrities and influential political powerbrokers in recent years. The government has expressed concern about these developments, especially after some radical preachers took leading roles in the 2016 protests against former Jakarta governor Ahok. Are these concerns warranted? What role do preachers actually play in local communities? And how realistic are proposals to regulate preaching in Indonesia? In today’s podcast, Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these and other questions with Professor Julian Millie, an anthropologist and Professor of Indonesian Studies at Monash University in Melbourne. Photo credit: Julian Millie

Prof Julian Millie - Regulating Islamic Preachers?

Beginning on New Year's Eve, torrential rain caused some of the worst flooding in and around Jakarta for more than a decade. Residents of this low-lying city are used to heavy rain and flooding at this time of year, but as a spokesperson for the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said, this was "not ordinary rain". More than 300mm fell in a single day – the most since 1996, when records began. Up to 100,000 people were reportedly forced to flee their homes and more than 60 people died. Fixing Jakarta's problems with flooding has been a fraught political issue for decades. In the wake of these floods, and with so many Jakartans from all walks of life affected, people were again looking for a target for their frustrations. Informal settlements along the Ciliwung River have long been a focus for politicians and policymakers, with their removal a key policy of both former governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and current governor Anies Baswedan. But what do we know about the people who live in these settlements, sometimes for decades, risking constant threats of floods and eviction? Who are they? What has brought them to live in such precarious conditions? What is their everyday experience of living with regular flooding? Can they be part of the solution to better tackle this problem? In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Jemma Purdey chats to anthropologist Roanne van Voorst, who lived for more than a year in a settlement on the banks of the Ciliwung River. They discuss the histories of these settlements and the complex social structures within these communities, their warning and recovery systems after flooding, and how residents negotiate their vulnerabilities everyday. In 2019, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey(link is external) from Deakin University and the Australia-Indonesia Centre, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Charlotte Setijadi (link is external)from Singapore Management University and Dr Dirk Tomsa(link is external) from La Trobe University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes(link is external) or listen via your favourite podcasting app.

Dr Roanne van Voorst - Jakarta's Floods

During December 2019 and January 2020, Indonesia and China have again become involved in a series of periodic confrontations over fisheries to the north of Indonesia’s Natuna Islands. Chinese Coast Guard vessels have accompanied a fleet of fishing boats in an area China says is part of its traditional fishing grounds, but which Indonesia claims as its exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Indonesia has sent naval and civilian patrol vessels in an effort to force the Chinese craft to leave, and Indonesian president Joko Widodo has personally visited the Natunas to underline the importance of the dispute to Indonesia, as he did in the aftermath of a previous confrontation with China in 2016. What do such incidents tell us about the implications of China’s rise for Indonesia, and how is the Indonesian government tackling the challenge of China as an ever larger strategic and economic power on its doorstep? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, the first episode for 2020, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Emirza Adi Syailendra, Associate Research Fellow in the Indonesia Programme of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, who has written extensively on Indonesia and its foreign policy approach to China. The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Photo credit: M Risyal Hidayat for Atara Foto

Emirza Adi Syailendra - China's Rise

With rapid urbanisation and rising inequality in Indonesia, levels of urban poverty have also increased, and people living and working in informal circumstances face ongoing threats of eviction. Periodically, the urban poor’s activism to defend and advance their interests has taken centre stage in Indonesian politics, never more so than in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections, when the issue of evictions became entwined with Islamist opposition to the incumbent governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok, in the massive mobilisation against him. What is the lived experience of urban poverty in Indonesia, and what forms of activism do the urban poor engage in? How have various Indonesian governments responded, and what prospects do the urban poor have to carve out a place for themselves in Indonesia’s cities? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Dr Ian Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Politics and Terrorism and Count-terrorism Studies at Murdoch University and the author of The Politics of Protection Rackets in Post-New Order Indonesia: Coercive Capital, Authority and Street Politics. The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University and Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Photo credit: Rivan Awal Lingga for Antara Foto

Dr Ian Wilson - The Urban Poor

So much is still unknown about China-Indonesia relations during the Cold War, and in particular China’s role in the pivotal events of 30 September 1965. In a new book “Migration in the Time of Revolution: China, Indonesia and the Cold War” (Cornell University Press), Dr Taomo Zhou analyses the nature of China’s involvements in the immediate periods leading up to 30 September. Using materials such as then-declassified archives of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taomo pieces together the movements of various Chinese and Indonesian actors that contributed to the diplomatic and political dynamics at the time. She also shows how state-to-state diplomacy was influenced by transnational ethnic ties and the political practices of the ethnic Chinese.

Dr Taomo Zhou - China, Indonesia and the Cold War

The Indonesian media is heavily politicised. Many TV stations are owned by political power brokers or party leaders. During elections, these ownership structures place significant restrictions on the independence of journalists and media freedom more broadly. But how exactly do media bosses interfere in the daily lives of Indonesian journalists? What forms of intimidation do journalists face? And what are the implications of Jokowi’s victory for the Indonesian media? In today’s podcast, Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these and other questions with Hellena Souisa, a former journalist and PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute. In 2019, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from Singapore Management University and Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes or listen via your favourite podcasting app. Photo credit: ANTARA FOTO/Indrianto Eko Suwarso

Hellena Souisa - The Media and Elections

Since its formation in 2003, Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has established itself as one of Indonesia’s most trusted and popular institutions, owing to its prosecution of a string of powerful figures for graft. Indicative of the Commission’s strong public support, in 2014 Joko Widodo initially courted then KPK chairperson Abraham Samad as his vice-presidential running mate, although ultimately the pairing did not proceed. Once Jokowi was elected, he also asked the KPK to vet potential members of his cabinet, resulting in the exclusion of several potential ministers. But much has changed over the course of President Jokowi’s five years in office. No invitation was extended to the KPK in 2019 to vet Jokowi’s second term cabinet. The president also agreed in September to amend the KPK’s founding statute, significantly curtailing the KPK’s distinctiveness and independence. What accounts for this shift? And what are the prospects for the KPK and Indonesia’s fight against corruption more broadly? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Dr Laode Muhammad Syarif, one of five commissioners of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Appointed in 2015, Dr Syarif will complete his term in December 2019. The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University and Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University. Photo credit: Novrian Arbi for Antara Foto

Dr Laode Muhammad Syarif - Indonesia's Fight Against Corruption

Indonesia has recently seen widespread protests against proposed changes to the Criminal Code (KUHP), which threatened to tighten restrictions on human rights and freedoms, particularly those of religious and sexual minorities. In the latest episode of the Talking Indonesia podcast, we reflect on the progress made by persecuted and vulnerable minorities since the fall of the New Order more than 20 years ago. For the LGBTIQ community in particular, what gains have been made since 1998 and where are the threats to these gains coming from? How do we explain increasing intolerance for the rights of minorities and what do the recent protests across the country tell us about Indonesian democracy and the protection of vulnerable groups within it? To talk about these issues and more Dr Jemma Purdey chats to Dede Oetomo, renowned scholar, activist and founder of the Gaya Nusantara Foundation. Dede was recently in Melbourne and sat down with Talking Indonesia as the protests against the Criminal Code and other controversial bills were gaining momentum. In 2019, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from the Australia-Indonesia Centre, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes or listen via your favourite podcasting app. Photo: ANTARA FOTO/Akbar Nugroho Gumay/ama

Dr Dede Oetomo - Persecuted minorities

Freedom of expression is under attack in Indonesia. Under President Jokowi, protests against the government have been routinely met with repression and intimidation. In 2019 alone, the space for public dissent has shrunk dramatically, as was evident during the presidential election campaign, during demonstrations in Papua and, most recently, during widespread student protests that occurred shortly after this podcast was recorded. What explains these increasing restrictions on freedom of expression? How does the government justify them? And how do Indonesian human rights activists respond? In today’s podcast, Dr Dirk Tomsa discusses these and other questions with Dr Ken Setiawan, a lecturer in Asian and Indonesian Studies at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute. In 2019, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from Singapore Management University and Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University. Photo credit: ANTARA FOTO/Novrian Arbi/foc

Dr Ken Setiawan - Freedom of Expression

President Jokowi increasing highlights the digital economy and technology as central to Indonesia’s future, quipping during one of the presidential election debates in 2019, ‘In the future, strong countries won’t control weak countries. Fast countries will control slow countries.’ In line with this focus, digital start-ups such as ride-hailing company Go-Jek and e-commerce company Bukalapak have become some of Indonesia’s best known companies. At the same time, there are concerns about potential disruptive and divisive effects as the digital sphere becomes ever more pervasive. How will Indonesia change as the digital economy expands? And what role will government and the private sector play in this transformation? In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Putri Alam, head of Government Relations and Public Policy at Google Indonesia. She spoke at the Indonesia Development Forum in July 2019 on the digital economy and the changing nature of work. Today’s episode is the third in the “Policy in Focus” series of Talking Indonesia episodes, supported by the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), a partnership between the Australian and Indonesian governments that aims to improve the use of evidence in development policymaking. This series will appear periodically in alternate weeks to the regular Talking Indonesia episodes. The views expressed in this podcast episode do not represent the views of the Australian or Indonesian governments. The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University and Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Photo credit: Aprillio Akbar for Antara Foto

Putri Alam - Digital Economy - Policy in Focus

Not long after winning a second term, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo announced that the nation’s capital will be moved from Jakarta to a new site in East Kalimantan. Jokowi said that the decision was mainly motivated by the fact that Jakarta is literally sinking from over-development and it can no longer handle the burden of being Indonesia’s centre of commerce and government. The government has argued that moving the capital to East Kalimantan will also help to redistribute economic development to regions outside of Java, particularly in eastern Indonesia. The news was received with both excitement and caution. A move of this scale will take many years to complete, and the costs will be astronomical. There are also questions about the environmental and social impacts of building a new city from scratch in an area that was formerly a tropical forest with rich biodiversity. To discuss the planned capital city move, I speak with Dr Martin Siyaranamual, a microeconomist and lecturer in the Department of Economics at Padjadjaran University in Bandung, and Dr Rita Padawangi, a Senior Lecturer at Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Dr Martin Siyaranamual & Dr Rita Padawangi - Moving the Capital

Indonesia is one of the world’s leading emitters of carbon dioxide and the fifth largest producer of coal, both for export and its own domestic use. Recently, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo reiterated his commitment to reducing Indonesia’s dependence on fossil fuels and has set ambitious renewable energy targets. Indonesia is a signatory to the Paris Accord for climate change. But with Indonesia’s economy growing at a rapid pace and its energy needs increasing at around 5 per cent annually, are these goals realistic? How can Indonesia wean itself off coal and protect its electricity supply at the same time? With renewables currently making up only 7 per cent of its energy output, what is the future of this sector?   In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Jemma Purdey discusses these issues and more with Emanuel Bria, the Indonesia Country Manager at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). Emanuel is a fellow at he Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), in Bonn, Germany, and teaches energy policy at the Paramadina Graduate School of Diplomacy.  In 2019, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from the Australia-Indonesia Centre, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University. Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes or listen via your favourite podcasting app. Photo: JasonParis @Flickr Creative Commons

Emanuel Bria - Energy

Talking Indonesia: Social Mobility Moving up the social ladder is a clear aspiration for many Indonesians – public opinion surveys show a large proportion of those who self-identify as being in the bottom two income quintiles predict they will have moved on within five years. But what are the prospects for young Indonesians today, as they and their peers become better educated and stand to live longer? And what social change are we seeing as important demographic characteristics of Indonesia’s population shift. In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Dr Ariane Utomo, a social demographer from the School of Geography in the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne. The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University and Dr Dirk Tomsa from La Trobe University. Photo credit: Yulius Satria Wijaya for Antara Foto

Dr Ariane Utomo - Social Mobility

In the Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae, Dr Jemma Purdey, Dr Charlotte Setijadi and Dr Dirk Tomsa present an extended interview each fortnight with experts on Indonesian politics, foreign policy, culture, language and more. Find all the Talking Indonesia podcasts and more at the Indonesia at Melbourne blog.

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Talking Indonesia

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