In Indonesia, the dream of becoming Southeast Asia’s electric vehicle powerhouse is colliding with an age-old nemesis: preman organised crime groups.
Advertisement
These shadowy enforcers, long the scourge of street vendors and small businesses, are now accused of disrupting a US$1 billion factory by Chinese EV maker BYD – a project hailed as a cornerstone of the nation’s economic future.
The allegations, which surfaced last month, spotlight a deeper tension in Indonesia’s modernisation push: can the government root out the deep-seated gangsterism that has thrived for generations under the protection of powerful backers?
Preman, with their alleged ties to political elites and law enforcement, can trace their origins back to the Dutch colonial era, when local enforcers were used to extract wealth for the colonisers. Today, they have become an entrenched force in the country’s economic and political fabric.
The allegations surrounding disruption at BYD’s factory came to light on April 20, when Eddy Soeparno, deputy speaker of Indonesia’s People’s Consultative Assembly, publicly raised concerns after a visit to a BYD assembly plant in Shenzhen, China.
Advertisement