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INDONESIA PERSPECTIVE
THE WAR THAT ENTERS KITCHENS: FROM MANILA TO ISLAMABAD, RISING PRICES STRANGLE DAILY LIFE
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DOMINANT ANGLE
The energy crisis transformed into an opportunity for administrative modernization
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Jakarta does not discuss prices but energy conservation. On April 1, 2026, the Indonesian government mandates telework on Fridays for all civil servants, central and regional. State Minister Prasetyo Hadi frames the measure as a "cultural transformation" in response to "geopolitical dynamics affecting every nation." Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto specifies that strategic sectors (health, security, energy, logistics, finance) are exempt.
The measure goes further: 50% reduction in official vehicle use, encouragement of bicycles for home-to-office commutes. Evaluation is scheduled in two months. Antara News presents the policy as forward-thinking and modern, never as an admission of weakness.
This is non-alignment applied to energy policy. Indonesia cannot criticize the United States (22.6 billion dollars in recent Japanese investments, ASEAN alliance) or Iran. So it transforms the crisis into a modernization opportunity. Friday telework is not a response to war—it is a way of not naming war while responding to it. The world's largest Muslim-majority country manages the oil crisis without uttering the word Iran once.
KEY POINTS
- Mandatory Friday telework for all civil servants effective April 1, with evaluation in two months
- 50% reduction in official vehicle use and encouragement of bicycling
- No mention of Iran or war: the crisis is presented as a 'geopolitical dynamic'
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
Active non-alignment: transforming crisis into positive public policy without designating responsibility
Proactive framing that masks actual energy urgency
Complete silence on religious dimension (Islamic solidarity) despite status as the world's largest Muslim-majority country
SOURCES (1)
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