AGP Executive Report

Film: Indonesian horror franchise The Doll Ghawiah is heading to Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market. Directed by Guntur Soeharjanto, the latest Doll story follows a family terrorized after moving from Jakarta to Bandung. Visual Arts: Indonesian calligrapher Ahmed Jalaluddin won an award at Sharjah’s 12th Calligraphy Biennial for The Farewell Sermon. Music & Books: Spotify plans to bring audiobooks to Indonesia as part of an expansion to more than 180 markets by the end of 2026. Stage: Noah the Musical brought children from a Jakarta orphanage together to perform traditional Indonesian songs and dances at the Jakarta Arts Building. Motorsport: Mandalika’s MotoGP weekend is underway, with Indonesia targeting Rp5 trillion in economic impact and promoting the race as a sport-tourism draw.

Creator Rights: Indonesia is pressing for global standards and greater transparency in cross-border copyright royalties, a move that could affect how artists are paid for work used abroad. Calligraphy: Indonesian artist Ahmed Jalaluddin won an Authentic Style award at Sharjah’s 12th Calligraphy Biennale for Khutbat al-Wada’. Live Music: Mataram’s MotoGP festivities will include performances and a bazaar showcasing local food, handicrafts and clothing on October 9–10. Festival Circuit: Indonesian music festival LaLaLa Fest has announced Olivia Dean as the headliner for its Manila edition on January 14, 2027, alongside Filipino acts. Record Culture: Indonesian sellers SRM/Heyfolks and Lamunai Records will join Singapore’s Side A record fair on October 24.

Film: Busan’s festival opened with new A-list status, and Indonesian films are among the contenders in its competition lineup. Creative Rights: Indonesia has brought more than 28 countries together in Bali to push for clearer, fairer rules on cross-border copyright royalties for creators. Music: Spotify’s expanded artist quiz is rolling out to Premium users in Indonesia, with questions on songs, album art and music trivia. Live Entertainment: Kanye West’s sold-out Jakarta concert was billed as his only Southeast Asian show. Concert News: Indonesia has banned a planned concert by US gospel singer Israel Houghton.

Creator Rights: Indonesia is pushing for clearer cross-border royalty rules at a Bali forum bringing together delegates from 35 countries. A separate copyright dispute over AI-made Tung Tung Tung Sahur, created by Indonesian maker Noxa, raises questions about ownership of viral characters. Arts & Heritage: The Westin Jakarta Gallery showcases TULOLA, Garuda Kencana Batik and designer Ferry Sunarto through October. Jakarta is also looking to Seoul’s approach to building creative industries while preserving cultural identity. Screen Industry: Disney+ says Indonesian productions remain “on the menu” as it considers local titles. Live Music: Kanye West brought his only Southeast Asian show to Jakarta.

Kanye West in Jakarta: Raw Vision Collective says the pitch for Ye’s only South-east Asian show went beyond money—Indonesia’s music and culture (gamelan, angklung) and Jakarta’s ability to stage a 77,000-seat production helped seal the deal. Film industry funding: Malaysia’s FINAS chair says government support is lifting local feature-film quality and box-office performance, with more international interest from markets including Indonesia. Music exports: UMG’s Adam Granite points to Asia’s young, mobile-first audiences and streaming as engines for rising artists across Southeast Asia, with Indonesia highlighted for TikTok reach. Nature & heritage: A Bali study warns coral reefs keep declining at Sanur despite restoration, blaming sediment and wastewater plus fragmented governance. Conservation alarm: Indonesia’s Sumatran and Javan rhinos are each down to fewer than 50 in the wild, with poaching and habitat loss driving the crisis. Health checks: Indonesia tightens surveillance at airports and seaports after a Russia lab worker death linked to suspected plague. Arts & culture: The 31st Busan International Film Festival opens with “A-list” status and includes Indonesian films among its lineup.

Busan Film Festival: The 31st Busan International Film Festival opens Oct 6–15 with its first “A-list” accreditation and Academy Awards eligibility for the Busan Award winner, featuring 247 selections from 59 countries and 95 world premieres, including Indonesian titles. Copyright Bill Talks: Indonesia’s DPR and government begin discussions on a Draft Copyright Law, with the government submitting 1,117 issue lists covering royalties, AI regulation, and protection for journalistic works. Extreme Vespa Culture: A look at Indonesia’s “Extreme Vespas” modding scene, where Vespa owners push creativity to the extreme with unconventional materials and designs. Sports & Entertainment Crossovers: Malaysia’s Harimau Malaya campaign in Indonesia’s FIFA ASEAN Cup ends unbeaten and clean-sheet, while Indonesia’s own tournament win over Thailand is highlighted alongside broader regional football buzz. Labor Law: Indonesia’s parliament passes a new labor protection bill, raising severance benefits and limiting “easy” layoffs—an economic story that will also shape entertainment and arts workplaces.

Southeast Asia Tech Reset: Investors and founders at DealStreetAsia’s summit in Singapore say the region is moving past “growth-at-all-costs,” with more durable, operations-led tech plays—especially in enterprise solutions. Data Centres & IPO Watch: Singapore-headquartered DayOne Data Centers filed for a US IPO, aiming to tap demand for AI infrastructure after reporting heavy losses but rising revenue. ASEAN Cup Football: Indonesia won the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, beating Thailand 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 final at GBK, with President Prabowo and FIFA chief Infantino watching. Malaysia’s Third-Place Run: Malaysia edged Vietnam 1-0 for third place, with Fergus Tierney scoring in the 62nd minute. Health Monitoring: Indonesia’s Health Ministry tightened surveillance at airports and seaports after a suspected plague-related death in Russia, using SATUSEHAT Health Pass checks and symptom monitoring. Maritime Recovery: Plans are underway to raise the sunken ferry Virgo Transport 8, potentially enabling recovery of additional missing people. Music & Culture: Indonesia banned an Israel Houghton concert in Jakarta for security and political-sensitivity reasons. Underwater Photo Event: Solitude World announced Real Focus 2027 dates and judges for a macro-focused underwater shootout across Indonesia and the Philippines.

FIFA ASEAN Cup: Malaysia edged Vietnam 1-0 in the third-place playoff in Jakarta, with Fergus Tierney scoring in the 62nd minute as Harimau Malaya finished strong after a week of squad rotation and defensive discipline. National Team Build-Up: Interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe says two Tier 1 friendlies vs China in Guangzhou (Nov 14 and 17) are key for ranking points and testing future squad options. Traditional Music & Culture Economy: Indonesia’s Culture Ministry is rolling out the 2026 Indonesian Traditional Music Festival across 10 cities, spotlighting local sounds from bamboo rituals to Didong and Angklung Gubrag. Wildfire & Orangutan Crisis: Environmental groups warn Indonesia must stay vigilant as hotspot numbers fall, stressing peatland fires can smoulder underground—while orangutan habitats face “local extinction” risk amid El Niño. Sports & Entertainment: VERIVERY kicked off its first solo tour in four years with Seoul shows, launching an 11-city run. Arts & Heritage in Papua: Four recurring festivals—Baliem Valley, Asmat Pokman, Lake Sentani, and Biak Munara Wampasi—keep Papua’s languages, dance, and crafts in the spotlight.

Digital Payments & Policy: Bank Indonesia is pushing the Digital Rupiah to strengthen Indonesia’s payment ecosystem, building on QRIS and BI-FAST as digital transactions surge nationwide. Tech & Safety: Google is rolling out Android’s stricter “advanced flow” for sideloading in Indonesia and other countries, aiming to curb malicious app scams. Arts & Culture (Film): Violinist Lara St. John’s documentary Dear Lara confronts sexual abuse in classical music, drawing on her own allegations and survivor interviews. Sports & Entertainment (Regional): Malaysia’s Brad Tapp says the FIFA ASEAN Cup third-place playoff vs Vietnam is about pride and ending a long winless run. Community & Faith: The Season of Creation is marked with environment-themed Catholic media events in Cebu, including calamay offerings tied to creation care. Public Order (Non-arts but local impact): Philippine raids net 244 foreigners in the “largest Pogo bust,” mostly Chinese, in Zamboanga Sibugay. Security (Indonesia): Densus 88 arrests 11 terrorism suspects across six provinces, citing Islamic State-linked networks.

Asian Games wrap: Indonesia closed the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 39 medals (five gold), surpassing its target of four golds, with wins in badminton, weightlifting, sport climbing, and archery. Community sport: Jakarta’s People’s Sports Festival (FOR) drew about 10,000 participants at the velodrome, mixing aerobics, traditional games, marching bands, and street soccer to push togetherness beyond elite athletes. Public safety & infrastructure: Bandung Raya faces fresh cable-theft concerns, hitting traffic lights and Whoosh train lines and raising risks for road and rail operations. Health amid haze: In Palangka Raya, a community Smoke Safe House is offering free oxygen and nebulizer treatment as thick smoke worsens breathing problems. Earthquake updates: Two quakes struck Indonesia—Sumba (6.1) and Aceh (5.9)—with aftershocks expected and no immediate damage reports. Digital talent: Indonesia and Russia’s Positive Technologies are exploring university training cooperation in data science, AI, and cybersecurity. Wildlife hope: Two critically endangered Sumatran rhinos at a sanctuary are pregnant, boosting conservation hopes.

Asian Games Spotlight: Qatar made padel history at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, with Rashid and Mashari Nawaf winning the first-ever men’s padel gold at the Asian Games, while Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan completed a beach volleyball hat-trick by beating Indonesia in a comeback final. Regional Sports Drama: Iran defended the men’s volleyball title with a 3-1 win over host Japan, and Pakistan grabbed bronze after a long wait. Indonesia Angle: Japan edged Indonesia 2-1 in sepak takraw’s men’s quadrant final, taking the sport’s first Asian Games gold. Arts & Culture Note: Indonesia’s creative ties also show up beyond sport, with coverage of cultural exhibitions and arts programming—plus a reminder that the Games keep spotlighting new disciplines and audiences across the region. Environment & Public Health: NASA imagery highlights peat fires in Indonesia worsening as El Niño strengthens, with underground smoldering driving hazardous smoke.

Asian Games, Sports: Japan beat Indonesia 2-1 in men’s sepak takraw quadrant, taking the country’s first-ever gold in the sport, while padel also marked a debut win for Japan as the Aichi-Nagoya Games near their close. Asian Games, Indonesia Spotlight: Indonesia’s sepak takraw men fell short in the quadrant final, but the wider Indonesian sports scene keeps moving—KOI also announced a stronger partnership with ASTAF to build a sustainable sepak takraw ecosystem. Indonesian Culture & Heritage: The Ministry of Culture is preparing an Amsterdam exhibition on Sheikh Yusuf Al Makassari, pairing a seminar and film screening to share his legacy of knowledge, freedom, and humanity. Food & Tourism: Indonesia’s Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy (WIG) 2026 series is set to link chefs and communities with industry and markets, aiming to turn culinary heritage into travel-driven, sustainable local benefits. Tech & Education: Indonesia is pushing coding and AI into schools, but only about 25% of schools offer it as electives—teacher readiness is the key bottleneck. Digital Policy: The communications ministry says some mobile data quota protections still fall short of the Constitutional Court ruling, after operators were found to rely too much on simple expiration notifications.

Asian Games & Sports Diplomacy: Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape of the Philippines struck gold in mixed individual virtual taekwondo, adding to a medal haul that also saw Kurt Barbosa and Tachiana Mangin take silvers, while the Philippines’ Alas Pilipinas men’s volleyball team snapped a four-game skid with a win over Uzbekistan and set up a 13th-place match. Indonesia Arts & Culture: Pestapora wrapped up in Central Jakarta with three days of music across 19 stages, but the festival’s fifth edition still carried echoes of last year’s controversy over extractive mining sponsorship. Regional Music Spotlight: P-pop group KAIA is set to perform at Singapore’s Music Matters Live, with Indonesian singer-songwriter Jordan Susanto also appearing at a related Bridges & Beats event. International Arts & Film: Andrea Bocelli marked 30 years of “Romanza” with Indonesia shows, underscoring how classical-pop crossover continues to travel. Tech & Creative Industry: Indonesia’s AI data center push is accelerating, with new reporting focusing on what rules and resources are needed to scale responsibly.

Asian Games buzz: India’s Sujeet Kalkal stunned everyone with a late comeback to win men’s freestyle 65kg wrestling gold, turning a 2-9 deficit into victory in the final seconds. Boxing headlines: Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal also struck gold for India, keeping the medal rush going. Tennis spotlight: China’s Wang Xiyu beat Zhang Shuai to take women’s singles gold and an LA 2028 ticket, after earlier battling Philippines star Alexandra Eala. Indonesia in the region: Indonesia’s Deputy Foreign Minister urged steady cooperation to prevent tensions in the South China Sea, pointing to workshops and confidence-building projects. Cultural ties: China brought nearly 800 titles to the Indonesia International Book Fair in Jakarta, aiming to deepen publishing and cultural exchange. Tourism vibe: A new resort on Indonesia’s Rote island is drawing surf lovers with its raw beaches and low-key island feel. Sports governance note: Malaysia’s FAM plans to ask FIFA about a stoppage-time change in Indonesia vs Bangladesh qualifiers at GBK.

Asian Games & Sports Culture: Indonesia’s FIFA ASEAN Cup hopes stayed alive as Malaysia fans were reportedly held inside Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium for over an hour after the clash, with bottles thrown and threats made, while Malaysia still managed a 0-0 draw with Indonesia. Music & Festivals: Borneo Jazz Festival returns for its 20th edition on Dec 4–5 in Miri city centre, expanding beyond concerts with a broader “Beyond Jazz” festival experience. Film & Streaming: Disney+ and Indonesia’s Vidio launched a subscription bundle, pairing global franchises with local originals and live sports. Media & Entertainment Industry: Meta named Dhruv Vohra to lead Southeast Asia business, covering Indonesia among other markets. Arts & Design: A new art fair, Art KL, turns a former printing factory in Kuala Lumpur into a Southeast Asia-focused platform for emerging artists. Health & Lifestyle (local angle): A British nutritionist in Singapore says her daily Teh C Siew Dai habit left grey tooth stains, sparking a wave of local tips. Environment & Public Mood: Wildfires and haze continue to disrupt parts of the region, with “unhealthy for sensitive groups” air reported in Metro Manila and Cebu.

Asian Games Spotlight: Indonesia’s Nurisa Dian Ashrifah edged Team Philippines’ Amaya Cojuangco 139-137 to win women’s compound archery gold, while India’s Nitesh Siwach took Greco-Roman 97kg silver after a 0-4 loss to Japan’s Yuri Nakazato. Streaming & Media: Disney+ and Indonesia’s Vidio launched a subscription bundle, pairing global franchises and local originals with major live sports. Tourism & Culture: Wonderful Indonesia Gastronomy 2026 returns in Solo and Yogyakarta (Sept 26–Oct 4) to sell food as a story-driven tourism experience. Tech & Business: Meta named Dhruv Vohra to lead its Southeast Asia business, covering Indonesia and neighbors, as it pushes AI-enabled growth for advertisers. Public Health: Metro Manila air quality hit “unhealthy for sensitive groups” levels amid haze possibly linked to fires in Kalimantan, with DENR urging mask use and limited outdoor exposure. Arts & Entertainment: Jakarta illustrator Ardhira Putra’s “Henshin Atomic Daydream” brings superhero art and retro-pop nostalgia to a new exhibition. Politics: President Prabowo reshuffled key cabinet roles, replacing foreign minister Sugiono with diplomat Arrmanatha Nasir.