As an aside, Indonesian free-to-air television is available to those within the footprints of Indonesian satellites such as Palapa D. This includes Australia, but as of yet there is no dedicated Indonesian international service to promote the nation’s culture and language. As a handy distraction from more vital issues, nationalists periodically call for foreigners working in Indonesia to be proficient in the Indonesian language. Last year, a regulation was drafted to require mandatory language testing of foreigners in order to get a visa and work permit. The plan was widely denounced as impractical and was eventually quashed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo – to the great relief of Australians.

Duncan Graham is an Australian journalist based in Malang, East Java province, who has been writing about Indonesia for the past 20 years.

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