Indonesia Roundup: Aerospace industry, Google partnership, jailed comic

Boeing’s interest in supporting Indonesia's aerospace industry

U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing has expressed interest in partnering with the Indonesian government to support the country's aerospace industry and help achieve its vision for Golden Indonesia 2045. "We are very interested in partnering with the Indonesian government to achieve the vision of a Golden Indonesia 2045," said Zaid Alami, Boeing Indonesia country managing director. This partnership will cover aspects of the supply chain, customers, airports, and university partnerships, according to Tempo Co. Boeing aims to take a holistic approach to explore opportunities to build partnerships, and collaborations, and support the growth of Indonesia's aviation industry.

Budget to help farmers fight drought

The Indonesian government is reallocating Rp7 trillion (about $430 million) from its budget to help the nation’s farmers fight drought. According to Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, the funds were originally allocated for other purposes, but will now be used to purchase seeds, pumps, and agricultural machinery. "These funds will now be used to purchase seeds, pumps, and agricultural machinery for farmers," he said. The goal is to address the effects of El Niño and drought and ensure continued agricultural production during the critical three-month period, Indonesia’s state news agency reports.

Focus on renewable energy for net-zero emissions by 2060

Indonesia's State Electricity Company (PLN) is focusing on renewable energy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060. According to state news agency Antara, they are greening their electricity provision, decarbonising fossil fuel power plants, and developing new renewable energy sources. "These efforts encompass short-term and long-term plans, alongside the development of renewable energy and its supporting ecosystem," said General Manager of the PLN East Java Main Distribution Unit, Agus Kuswardoyo.  According to Antara, collaboration with stakeholders and increasing solar power generation capacity are part of their efforts.

Partnership with Google to prevent online gambling content

Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is working with Google to use AI to prevent online gambling content. They are using a preemptive approach similar to that used for filtering out pornographic content, Tempo Co reports. The ministry is awaiting further development and innovation from Google. The goal is to prevent online gambling on digital platforms or at least identify it for filtration measures, an official of the ministry stated.

Comic jailed for joking about the name 'Mohammed'

Indonesian comedian Aulia Rakhman has been jailed for seven months for joking about the name Mohammed, sparking concerns over blasphemy laws in the country. Human rights groups have called for the abolition of the blasphemy article in the law, which has been used to jail innocent people, according to reports. The case adds to concerns over the toxic nature of the blasphemy law in Indonesia.