Arlina Arshad

Indonesia Bureau Chief

Arlina is The Straits Times’ Indonesia bureau chief. A journalist since 2000, she has covered various issues, from politics and the economy to culture and religion, across South-east Asia. Previously, she was ST’s regional correspondent and Agence-France Presse’s correspondent for Indonesia and Timor-Leste. She considers Indonesia her second home, and the warm people there her family.

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What Indonesia stands to gain – or lose – from being on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

epa12671255 Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto speaks during a panel discussion during the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum(WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, 22 January 2026. The 2026 summit, running from 19 to 23 January and held under the theme 'A Spirit of Dialogue,' brings together global political leaders, corporate executives, and scientists to address international challenges. EPA/GIAN EHRENZELLER

In Indonesia, faith and fun collide after sexy dangdut show at Islamic event

After the sermons and prayer, a dangdut singer in a skin-tight tube dress took to the stage.

Scrapping direct regional elections in Indonesia shifts power to elites, analysts warn

Formal parliamentary deliberations are not expected until mid-year, but analysts said the outcome is clear: it points towards a return to indirect elections.

Scandals, divorce, graft probe: What led to the downfall of this Insta-famous Indonesian governor?

Former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil and his ex-wife Atalia Praratya on the campaign trail in his gubernatorial bid for Jakarta in November 2024.

Indonesia’s new sex laws could turn bedrooms into ‘Batman traps’ for the unwary: Analysts

Activists protesting outside Indonesia's Parliament in December 2022 as a new criminal code is set to be passed.

10 questions on what 2026 holds for Asia

America’s waning appetite for global leadership is spawning levels of uncertainty and unreliability that many countries are unaccustomed to navigating.

Cyclone Senyar leaves mother-of-four widowed in West Sumatra

wysumatra// Widowed by the recent flash flood in Sumatra, full-time housewife Ms Ratnawati told The Straits Times that she now faces the difficult task of finding work so she can continue caring for her four children. Her late husband had worked as a waiter at a local restaurant.

Decades of forest loss hit home: Future cyclones could batter Indonesia harder, analysts warn

An aerial view shows a damaged area hit by deadly flash floods in Palembayan, West Sumatra province, on Nov 30.

Storm in a tumbler: A missing cup sparks debates about empathy in Indonesia

PT Kereta Api Indonesia/INSTAGRAM

Train commuters Anita Dewi Lestari (in blue) and her husband Alvin Harris Setiadi (in brown), with passenger officer Argi Budiansyah (in grey) during a mediation session on Nov 28, 2025.

Recruiting in Roblox: Extremists exploit gaming platforms as radicalisation channels in S-E Asia

In 2023, Singapore authorities disclosed that they had placed a 16-year-old who used footage from the online platform Roblox to produce ISIS propaganda videos under a restriction order.

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.