Indonesia Highlights: Minister Edhy Prabowo Arrested Over Lobster Seed Export | Construction of Mandalika Circuit for MotoGP 2021 Moving Ahead of Schedule | Unilever Appoints Ira Noviarti as New President Director

KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s anti-graft body has arrested Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo for alleged involvement in lobster seed export.

Edhy is the first minister in the cabinet who was apprehended in a KPK operation throughout the leadership of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. During his first term in office from 2014-2019, two of Jokowi’s ministers were also arrested for graft cases, but not in sting operations.

In May, Edhy reversed a ban on exports of lobster seeds imposed by his predecessor Susi Pudjiastuti. The former minister was famous for her ship-sinking policy.

At that time, Susi had ordered her officers to destroy illegal fishing boats in Indonesian waters. Therefore, after Edhy’s arrest, hashtags #tenggelamkanedhyprabowo or loosely translated as ‘sink edhy prabowo’ is currently trending in Indonesia.

On Lombok Island, state-owned construction firm PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PT PP) is building the Mandalika circuit as Indonesia will host the MotoGP 2021. Situated in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone, the project is worth 899 billion rupiahs ($63.6 million).

Today’s important stories in Indonesia, curated by Kompas.com editors:

1. Indonesian Minister Edhy Prabowo Arrested Over Lobster Seed Export

Dok. KKP Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) over lobster seed exports in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Wednesday, November 25, 2020.

Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has apprehended Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo in a sting operation held in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near the capital on Wednesday.

KPK deputy chairman Nurul Ghufron said during the operation, which was held in the early hours, Edhy was arrested alongside his family members and other officials from the ministry.

“They were arrested early this morning at 1:23am at Soetta [Soekarno-Hatta International Airport] alongside the ministry’s officials and family members,” Ghufron said on November 25.

His arrest was related to an alleged graft case in lobster seed exports. “Yes, KPK apprehended [him] for an alleged graft case related to lobster seed exports,” he said but did not elaborate.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2020/11/25/200443474/indonesian-minister-edhy-prabowo-arrested-over-lobster-seed-export?page=all#page2.

2. Indonesia’s Mandalika Circuit for MotoGP 2021 Moving Ahead of Schedule

KOMPAS.com/FITRI R State-owned construction firm PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PT PP) is responsible for the progress of the Mandalika circuit which is situated in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (KEK).

The Mandalika project in Lombok, Indonesia is 32.50 percent complete as of mid-November 2020 though more is needed to prepare for its MotoGP 2021 debut.

State-owned construction firm PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PT PP) is responsible for the progress of the Mandalika circuit which is situated in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (KEK).

Despite having reached a completion rate of less than 40 percent as of mid-November, the company asserts that the construction process is moving ahead far quicker than they planned.

“Even today, the company is pushing for road constructions at the Mandalika Special Economic Zone which will be used as part of the MotoGP circuit during which Indonesia will be the host of the 2021 event,” said PT PP president director Novel Arsyad.

Novel is confident that the Mandalika circuit construction will deliver high-quality results and under international standards set by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.

The Mandalika project in Lombok is worth 899 billion rupiahs ($63.6 million) and is owned by the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2020/11/25/210251774/indonesias-mandalika-circuit-for-motogp-2021-moving-ahead-of-schedule.

3. Unilever Indonesia Appoints Ira Noviarti as New President Director

shutterstock.com A photo of Unilever logo.

Shareholders of consumer goods company PT Unilever Indonesia, Tbk (UNVR) have officially appointed the company’s new president director Ira Noviarti following an extraordinary shareholders meeting on Wednesday, November 25.

Ira is the second female who holds the top job in the company’s 87 years of business.

Previously, she served several key positions in the company, not only in Indonesia but also at the global level.

She served as the managing director of Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) Southeast Asia, which is based in Singapore, from 2014-2017. During her leadership, UFS Southeast Asia achieved the best global performance in three consecutive years.

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2020/11/25/154946126/unilever-tunjuk-ira-noviarti-sebagai-presiden-direktur-perseroan?page=1.