14/01/2026

WEDNESDAY | JAN 14, 2026

7

Indonesia eyes Pakistani jets

o Officials confirm key meetings

and the number of years a proposed deal would span. Indonesia’s Defence Ministry and Pakistan’s military confirmed the meeting between Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. “The meeting focused on discussing general defence cooperation relations, including strategic dialogue, strengthening communication between defence institutions, and opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait told Reuters, adding the talks had not yet led to concrete decisions. The Pakistani military confirmed the meeting in a statement and also said the defence minister met army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for talks that “focused on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional and global security dynamics, and exploration of avenues for enhancing bilateral defence cooperation”. One additional security source with knowledge of military procurement talks said Pakistan was discussing the sale of JF-17 Thunder jets, air defence systems, training for

JAKARTA: defence minister met Pakistan’s air force chief in Islamabad to discuss a potential deal that includes the sale of combat jets and killer drones to Jakarta, said three security officials with knowledge of the meeting. The talks come as Pakistan’s defence industry moves forward with defence procurement negotiations, including deals with Libya’s National Army and Sudan’s army, and looks to establish itself as a sizable regional player. One source said the talks revolved around the sale of JF-17 jets, a combat aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China, and drones designed for surveillance and striking targets. The other two sources said the talks were in an advanced stage and involved more than 40 JF-17 jets. One of them said Indonesia was also interested in Pakistan’s Shahpar drones. The sources did not share any discussions about delivery timelines Indonesia’s

The JF-17 fighter jet is co-developed by Aviation Industry Corp of China and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. – REUTERSPIC

2022 and 48 KAAN fighter jets from Turkiye last year to strengthen its air force and replace its ageing air force fleet. Jakarta has also considered buying China’s J-10 fighter jets and is in talks to buy US-made F-15EX jets. – Reuters

President Prabowo Subianto was in Pakistan last month for a two-day visit for talks on improving bilateral ties, including defence. Indonesia has put in a slew of orders for jets in the past few years, including 42 French Rafale jets worth US$8.1 billion (RM32.85 billion) in

junior, senior Indonesian air force officials and engineering staff. “The deal is in the pipeline,” said retired Air Marshal Asim Suleiman, who remains briefed on air force deals, adding that the number of JF-17 jets involved was close to 40. mid-level, and

Legal reform sparks rights challenges JAKARTA: Activists are challenging Indonesia’s new criminal code, which outlaws sex outside marriage and the insulting of top officials, saying it threatens rights and gives authorities broad power with minimal oversight.

Prabowo fully backs new capital project JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto reiterated his commitment to a US$32 billion (RM130 billion) project to build the country’s new capital city as he made his first overnight stay there as president, the government said. Questions about the fate of the Nusantara capital city project have lingered since Prabowo took office in October 2024. The project is a legacy of his predecessor, Joko Widodo, who first announced his plan to move the capital 1,200km away from overcrowded and sinking Jakarta in 2019. Construction of the city in a remote, southeastern part of Borneo only began in 2022 and Widodo missed his target of moving the government by the end of his second and final term in 2024. Analysts have said Prabowo is unlikely to have the fiscal space to fund his key programmes while continuing to build Nusantara, which Widodo had envisioned as a green, futuristic capital surrounded by forest. Prabowo’s visit “marks an important momentum for the journey to build the Nusantara capital city”, his office said in a statement late on Monday. “Prabowo’s presence in Nusantara demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring the development in the area proceeds according to plan and is sustainable,” it said. The Nusantara National Capital Authority, which oversees the development, said in a separate statement that offices and supporting infrastructure for the executive branch were ready. Construction was underway to meet a completion target of 2028 for buildings for the legislative and judicial branches of government, it said. Prabowo last year approved a budget of US$2.89 billion for the project until 2029, only about 60% of what Widodo spent between 2022 and 2024. Prabowo’s government ran a budget deficit of 2.92% of GDP in 2025, among the largest in two decades and close to a legal deficit ceiling of 3% of GDP. The Constitutional Court last year halved the maximum duration of land rights for investors in Nusantara, dealing another blow to the project. – Reuters

The government has celebrated the new framework, which replaced the Dutch colonial-era criminal code on Jan 2, and insisted the overhaul was not seeking to quash freedoms. But activists, mostly students, are trying to counter the sweeping legal changes, with some cases already before the nation’s highest courts. The new laws pose a “serious threat” to human rights, said Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid. “Civil liberties are increasingly threatened by criminalisation, while the rights of suspects and vulnerable groups could be neglected,” he said. Then-president Joko Widodo signed the changes into law three years ago, while a separate procedural law that President Prabowo Subianto ratified last month also came into effect on Jan 2. The Constitutional Court began hearing on Friday the first of several petitions challenging the new code, which authorities argue includes sufficient protections. When lawmakers approved it in 2022, the UN office in Indonesia warned that some provisions could infringe on “fundamental freedoms and human rights”. But the government has defended the change. Yusril Ihza Mahendra, a minister overseeing legal affairs and human rights, hailed a“historic momentum” for Indonesia as it sheds the penal system inherited from colonial rule. Sexual relations outside marriage were criminalised and now carry a sentence of up to a year in jail, effectively outlawing same-sex relations as such unions are not recognised in Indonesia. And the cohabitation of unwedded couples can see violators imprisoned for up to six months. To ease concerns, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said last week that only spouses, parents or children of anyone involved in these actions can report them. Other provisions that sparked backlash

Activists protesting against the new criminal code outside parliament building in Jakarta on Dec 5, 2022. – AFPFILEPIC

the power to decide what constitutes “urgent situations”, meaning they can search and seize evidence without a court order. Authorities can also detain suspects if they do not cooperate during inquiry, said Iftitahsari, a lawyer and researcher at the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. “Granting these extensive powers could ... create greater space for corruption,” she said. When the rules “are unfair from the start”, abuse of power and procedural injustice can easily increase, she said. Iftitahsari also warned of a democratic decline in Indonesia. The new rules “are certainly far from what is aspired” in terms of upholding the rights of citizens in a democracy, said the lawyer. Amnesty’s Usman urged the government to revoke the code, calling it a“low point in rule of law and respect for human rights”. The new regulations “further legitimise authoritarianism by excessively expanding police powers without adequate judicial oversight mechanisms, undermining the principle of checks and balances”, he said. Edward, the deputy law minister, declined to comment on these claims, citing an ongoing court case. – AFP

include prison terms of up to three years for insults or slander against the president or vice president. While the code stipulates that only they can file complaints, activists say this rule would stifle criticism of public officials. Deputy Law Minister Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej dismissed the claim that the new law was aimed at restricting the freedom of expression. “Criticism and insults are two different things ... critics are not prohibited in this article,” he told a press conference on Jan 5. President Prabowo said he was “grateful” to hear criticism. “If I am being corrected, I consider it as I am being helped,” the former general told a public event after the new code came into effect. Critics warn that the new criminal procedural law, which lays out the framework for the enforcement of the criminal code, grants officials broad powers with minimal oversight. Now “the police have a far greater authority to seize evidence, to arrest people”, said Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher of Human Rights Watch. The rules grant investigators, for example,