“Sejak akuisisi Tokopedia, fokus kami adalah memanfaatkan kekuatan TikTok Shop dan Tokopedia guna melayani basis pengguna kami yang beragam dengan lebih baik” Jubir TikTok ke Kompas 2/6/2025

Kompas asked TikTok about the layoffs at the company affecting hundreds of staff in Indonesia across logistics, operations, marketing, and warehousing. Their response? “Our focus is to leverage the power of TikTok Shop and Tokopedia to serve our diverse customers better”.

Sure.

Detik headline: Kemenkes deteksi 7 kasus COVID 19 di Indonesia. Selasa, 3 Juni 2025

Hello darkness, my old friend, you’ve come to mess with us again

With more than 10K cases a week in Singapore and over 40k a week in Thailand, Indonesia seems to be significantly underreporting COVID cases as people no longer take tests and treating it as severe flu.

News | Ammunition explosion Families reject official narrative of Garut ammunition explosion Army spokesperson Major General Kristomei Sianturi explained that civilians often gather at disposal sites to collect scrap metal for sale. This time they were unaware that the operation was still underway. Family members of victims reject the explanation, saying they were not scavengers but recruited by the Army to help clean up scrap metal after every disposal.

The families of Garut ammunition blast victims strongly reject the 'scavengers' narrative. Multiple relatives claim their family members were officially assisting the military in disposal operations for years, allowing the scraps to be sold as reward. Gov. KDM classified this as workplace incident.

You must be new here

Singapore sees rise in COVID-19 cases as authorities say 'periodic' waves are expected "As with other endemic respiratory diseases, periodic COVID-19 waves are expected throughout the year," said the Ministry of Health and Communicable Diseases Agency.

Did someone forget to tell Singapore COVID-19 is so over? They still have 130+ hospitalized cases daily and in early May had over 14,000 cases in a week.

😮‍💨😷

News | Military Operation 13 dead after premature blast during ammunition disposal in West Java Major-General Kristomei Sianturi told Kompas TV nine civilians and four military personnel died when the military was conducting a disposal of expired ammunition outside of Sagara village in Garut this morning. They are investigating how civilians had managed to be within the blast zone and why the ammunition had exploded prematurely as they were being prepared for detonation.

The explosion occurred Monday morning during the destruction of old munitions in Desa Sagara, Cibalong, using three pits. The first two detonations reportedly went as planned. But during preparations for the third, which was set for used detonators, something went wrong and the blast killed 13.

News | Grab-GoTo Merger GoTo prepares Rp3.3 T share buyback ahead of rumored merger GoTo is launching a massive share buyback while talks of a merger with Grab gain traction, according to documents filed with the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The proposed 12 month buyback is subject to shareholder meeting scheduled on 18 June. While GoTo downplayed reports of mergers, the timing of this plan suggests stock consolidation to maximize returns for major shareholders

GoTo just filed a Rp 3.3T share buyback with the ISX right as merger talks with Grab heat up. The timing isn’t subtle but it’s going to take 12 months, pending shareholder approval in June.

This isn’t just financial housekeeping. It’s positioning.

News | MBG Program Over 1,400 reported cases of food poisoning from MBG program Students and teachers from across the country have fallen ill from suspected food poisoning after consuming food from the government's Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program since the start of its deployment in early January, including the earlier trial period. Several school districts have suspended the program pending further investigations.

More than 1,400 suspected cases of food poisoning have been reported across the country following consumption of food from the government’s ambitious Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, launched in early January. A handful of cases were reported during the trial period late last year.

210 students from eight schools in Bogor suffered from suspected MBG food poisoning between 7-10 May. 129 had mild cases, 47 were given treatment and allowed to go home, while 34 were hospitalized.

*Prevost. Damn you autocorrect!

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost

The new Pope is Robert Francis Provost, the 69 year old American cardinal. He has chosen the name Leo and will be known as Pope Leo XIV. He is the first American citizen to be elected Pope.

This was the fastest Papal election since 1939 when the cardinals elected Pope Pius XII on just the third vote, just like this one. In recent elections the new Pope was announced to the public after just one hour or less. We’re coming up on the hour in just a few minutes.

BBC News Breaking White smoke: New Pope elected

NEW POPE ELECTED

News | Grab and GoTo sitting on a tree Reuters: Grab to acquire GoTo real soon From the rumor that won't die department, Reuters says Grab plans to acquire GoTo Group in the second quarter of this year (that's two months left). GoTo's directors and commissioners left earlier this week to "focus on other interests". If that's not coded, I don't know what is. The deal is said to be worth $7 billion, a $1.2 billion premium on GoTo's current market value. They've been dancing and flirting forever, maybe this time they'll put a ring on it.

Grab said to acquire GoTo in Q2 this year.

They’ve been dancing for years that at this point, this isn't M&A, it's a telenovela. Somebody get Netflix on the line. Title pitch: "GoTo Hell (Or Merger)." Season 1 ran for five years. No end in sight. GoTo Financial not included.

ASEAN+3 Joint Statement: The Economic Airbags You Didn't Know You Needed May the Fourth financial summit: Asian nations build economic airbags while the Trade Wars continue elsewhere.

ASEAN has a well-earned reputation for producing wordy statements with minimal action. It's the international relations equivalent of that friend who's always talking about starting a podcast but never does, or perhaps like the Galactic Senate, endlessly debating while problems fester. However, this meeting had some concrete developments worth noting

If you're waiting for this to affect your daily latte price, don't hold your breath. The timeframe here is long – most initiatives extend through 2025-2030. For regular folks, the effects are more like economic airbags – you won't notice them until there's a crash.

Even if only partially implemented, these measures represent Asia's growing economic independence and resilience. The region is gradually building systems to manage economic challenges without excessive reliance on Western institutions like the IMF. This is the way.

Some of Asia’s biggest economies got together like a super sentai team forming a giant economic alliance last weekend while we’re busy with Star Wars Day activities. What are the plans? #ASEAN

nuicemedia.substack.com/p/asean3-joi...

Hasan Nasbi resigned but told to keep his job PCO Chief Hasan Nasbi tendered his resignation effective immediately on 21 April following multiple gaffes and seeming inability to effectively do his job leading the President's PR office. However, he was seen at yesterday's cabinet meeting and explained to the press that President Prabowo ordered him to stay and redirected questions to the State Secretary Minister.

Hasan Nasbi still leads the Presidential Communications Office after all, after he was seen at the Cabinet meeting earlier today.“Yesterday I was invited to the Cabinet meeting and thus far ordered to continue leading the PCO. “I’m back working at the PCO today”.

Tweet from @dogerymon: gak bisa bayar gaji karyawnnya, awalnya pada diem karena ownernya bilang mau usahain, tapi karena gak ada tindakan nyata akhirnya pada spill.. desak owner buat bayar gaji, ajuin pinjaman ke bank ditolak terus. akhirnya gedungnya diiklankan buat di jual tuh. cek aja dah gak siaran

Looks like the Masima Radio Network is in trouble. The owners of Prambors, Delta, and Female appears to be selling its HQ building at Fatmawati, South Jakarta and having serious financial problems. Salaries are late, bank loan requests not approved, broadcasts are cut down. Prambors website is down.

News | Unemployment 24,000 jobs lost between January and May Manpower Minister Yassierly told DPR Commission XI more than 24k people lost their jobs between January and end of April 2025, about a third of last year's total, on pace to match the 2024 full year figure of 78k. Last year Jakarta had the most with 17k. This year, top 3 regions with the most job losses so far are Central Java, Jakarta, and Riau.

Manpower Minister Yassierly: 24K+ Indonesian workers lost jobs in early 2025, up 450% monthly in Feb. On pace to match 2024 full year figure.

Worst provinces: Central Java, Jakarta, Riau
Worst sector: Manufacturing (16,801 jobs lost)

Garuda Indonesia has grounded 15 planes, mostly operated by Citilink, due to lack of maintenance budget, Bloomberg reports. Suppliers reportedly have requested full payment for all parts and services out of concern over the airline’s financial challenges.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to remain in office, with the Labor Party potentially winning 56% of the votes having won several seats from the opposition.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton looks to lose his own seat to Ali France of the Labor Party. Labor wins big. #AusPol

*BALI! This is about Bali losing electricity since 4pm on 2 May, and not getting power back until 3:30am the next morning.

In case people missed the story, PLN only just managed to restore electricity supply to the island this morning around 3:30am after a nearly 12 hour total outage affecting every household, business, public service, office, and utility on the island, including hospitals and emergency services.

Secara umum tentu baik ya (MBG). Kasus kejadian secara kuantitatif masih 0.5 persen. Kami ingin mencapai O atau tidak ada kejadian. Dadan Hindayana Head of National Nutrition Agency 25 April 2025

When you reframe 1,000+ food poisoning cases due to the national free meal program into percentages

Food poisoning cases related to MBG program at schools:
Nganjuk (2/10/24): 7
Waingapu (18/2): 29
Nunukan (13/1): 30+
Sukoharjo (16/1): 40
Pandeglang (19/2): 28
Takalar (26/2): 12
Batang (14/4): 60
Cianjur (22/4): 78
Bombana (23/4): dozens
Bandung (29/4): 342
Tasikmalaya (30/4): 400

Graha Pena Surabaya, operators of the Jawa Pos Arena stadium, called out K-pop concert promoters Mecima Pro on Twitter for not having paid the venue in full six months after the sold out Day6 concert in Surabaya.

Trans Digital Media’s Detik laid off 10% of their staff, while MNC’s iNews shuttered all of their local bureau offices, laying off 400 staff at the end of April. Along with layoffs at Kompas Gramedia in the 100s, Indonesia’s media industry is not alright.

Former President Jokowi filed a police report in person against accusations that his university diploma was faked. He said he hadn’t filed it until now because thought it was going to blow over after he stepped down but since the controversy is still ongoing, he wanted to stop it through legal means

Kompas headline: Akhirnya kereta tanpa rel yang sempat mengaspal di IKN balik ke China

The street bus (yes, this is technically a bus, not a trackless train) is finally being shipped back to China from IKN after multiple autonomous navigation test failures last year and inability to be driven both ways like your typical trains and trams.

State Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir conceded that corruption may not be fully eradicated from state owned companies because the system is flawed, but he is working with KPK to introduce improvements to minimize opportunities for corruption.

The death of cyclist Lulu Junayah who crashed into a ride hail car that stopped suddenly on the bicycle lane on Jalan Thamrin outside the Japanese Embassy in Central Jakarta on Sunday has prompted city authorities to announce a crackdown on unauthorized use of bike lanes by motorized vehicles.