Indonesia’s New Workers Party: Ambiguity in Labour Politics by Max Lane

The formation of a new Workers Party backed by the country’s labour unions signifies a new trend in Indonesian politics. In August 2021, a new Workers Party (Partai Buruh, PB) was formed. The structure of the party was formalised through a congress in October 2021. For union confederations, 50 trade union federations and a women’s fishermen and […]

How have Two Years of Pandemic Affected Indonesian Political Life? by Max Lane

From ISEAS Perspective, No 7, 2022. “A more fundamental reason why the pandemic has not significantly altered Indonesian political life is that Indonesia’s underlying political structure reinforces policy homogeneity within the broad ruling elite. The primary focus of contestations remains the maneuvering and positioning in relation to the 2024 elections, both presidential and parliamentary..” Read […]

Food story: “Borek in Melbourne and the Indonesia factor.”

Eating as a source of pleasure obviously has a long history. No doubt there is a physiologically based link between that pleasure, registered primarily in the mouth, nostrils and stomach, and the urge to eat to sustain ourselves. The pleasure can be very private, as when we indulge secretly in a favourite chocolate or a […]

Articles by Max Lane on the Institute for Southeast Asia’s Websites – 2021 (until September)

Articles by Max Lane on the Institute for Southeast Asia’s Websites – 2021 (until September) WIDODO’S EMPLOYMENT CREATION LAW, 2020: WHAT ITS JOURNEY TELLS US ABOUT INDONESIAN POLITICS in Trends – click immediately below. EMERGING POLITICAL PARTIES IN INDONESIA: RAISING THE WATER LEVEL OF POLICY DEBATE? POLITICIANS’ BILLBOARD WAR UNDERSCORES ABSENCE OF POLICY CONTESTATION THE […]