TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tempo English rounded the top 3 news on Sunday, December 31, the last day of the year 2023. Here are the highlights: Jokowi Says Ballot Papers Sent Early to Taipei Due to Concern Post Offices Are Closed, McDonald's Malaysia Sues Israel Boycott Movement for $1mn in Damages, and 2023 Kaleidoscope: Tourism Spots That Went Viral in Indonesia.

The following is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today:

1. Jokowi Says Ballot Papers Sent Early to Taipei Due to Concern Post Offices Are Closed

President Joko Widodo or Jokowi said that the Overseas Election Committee (PPLN) in Taipei distributed the ballot papers for the 2024 election early to anticipate if post offices would be closed during the New Year holidays.

“Well I said earlier that there’s a concern as this is the new year [holiday season], the post offices will be closed longer there (Taipei) so [the ballots were] sent early,” he said after attending a national consolidation meeting of the general election commissions (KPU) across Indonesia in Istora Senayan, Central Jakarta on Saturday, December 30.

Jokowi did not say much about the distribution of the ballot papers that were sent before the set schedule. However, he said that KPU chairman, Hasyim Asy'ari, would provide a detailed explanation about the schedule error.

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2. McDonald's Malaysia Sues Israel Boycott Movement for $1mn in Damages

McDonald's Malaysia has sued a movement promoting boycotts against Israel for "false and defamatory statements" that it says hurt its business, seeking damages amounting to 6 million ringgit ($1.31 million).

Malaysia, a majority-Muslim country, is a staunch supporter of the Palestinians, and some Western fast-food brands in the country, as in some other Muslim nations, have been targeted by boycott campaigns over Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

Gerbang Alaf Restaurants Sdn Bhd (GAR), which is the licensee of McDonald's (MCD.N) in Malaysia, is suing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Malaysia movement for a series of social media postings allegedly linking the fast-food franchise, among other companies, to Israel's "genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza".

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3. 2023 Kaleidoscope: Tourism Spots That Went Viral in Indonesia

Indonesia's tourism industry is rebounding from the pandemic slump that lasted for almost three years. A number of sightseeing objects and attractions, both old and new, went viral and became the internet's trending topics.

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