Day: July 24, 2021

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Jakarta metropolitan police this week arrested a 46-year-old man with alleged links to a South African drug ring and seized one kg of crystal methamphetamine from him.

The suspect, identified by his initials as ADM, was apprehended while picking up two bags of crystal meth at a courier service provider’s office in West Jakarta on July 21, 2021, head of the West Jakarta Police’s Narcotics Unit, Adjunct Sen.Coms. Ronaldo Maradona Siregar, said on Friday.

The suspect hid the drugs in a modified document bag when cops came to arrest him, he added.

He said the case is still being investigated, but did not disclose where the suspect was planning to sell the drugs.

To uncover the international drug crime, the Jakarta police worked closely with the Indonesian Customs and Excise Directorate, he informed.

Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, with many from its working-age population trapped in a vicious circle of drugs.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which struck the country on March 2, 2020, drug lords have continued to be a serious threat with drug-trafficking rampant even amid the health crisis.

Since his first leadership term, President Joko Widodo has been reminding the nation of the serious impact of drug consumption on Indonesia.

While inaugurating a grand mosque in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on January 20, 2015, he had warned that at least 50 people were dying of drug abuse every day. The statistic included those who failed to get rehabilitated, he said.

According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the deaths have failed to deter drug users in the country.

The users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other types of addictive drugs come from different communities and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

Citing the result of a survey by the BNN and Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Vice President Ma’ruf Amin noted that Indonesia has over 3.4 million drug users.

The survey has shown that about 180 out of every 10 thousand Indonesians, aged between 15 and 64, have been pushed into drug addiction, he noted.

Therefore, during this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking commemoration, Amin drew the collective attention of Indonesians to the grave threat of drug crimes.

Source: Antara News

Kendari (ANTARA) – Southeast Sulawesi Provincial Police Chief Inspector General Yan Sultra Indrajaya has sought a persuasive approach to be applied by his staff in enforcing Community Activities Restrictions (PPKM) in the area.

“Apply a humanist and persuasive approach in handling people behind crowding. Show that we are part of them (Indonesians), and this is for everyone’s safety,” Indrajaya noted in Kendari, capital of Southeast Sulawesi province, Saturday.

Indrajaya appealed to his staff to work along with the Indonesian military (TNI) to edify the public to stay disciplined in applying health protocols, especially the 5M: wearing masks, washing hands with soap in running water, maintaining distance, avoiding crowds, and limiting mobility and social interaction.

“The principle is we are educating people politely. Show that we are part of the community,” he affirmed.

Indrajaya highlighted the criticality of applying health protocols and conducting vaccinations on account of the continued rising trend of COVID-19 cases, including in the Southeast Sulawesi region.

The Provincial Police chief vowed that his side will extend all-out assistance to the government to address the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Southeast Sulawesi.

“We are doing our best to help and support government policies to offer awareness of the importance of health protocols to the public,” he remarked.

The Police and TNI in Southeast Sulawesi proceed to visit the community directly to provide basic food assistance, especially for residents affected by the implementation of PPKM, to stem the spread of COVID-19.

As of July 23, 2021, the Southeast Sulawesi COVID-19 Task Force recorded that out of 14,726 patients, 11,838 recovered, 2,585 were undergoing treatment and isolation, and 303 people died.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Parents need to obtain birth certificates for their children to ensure their rights as Indonesian citizens are protected once they grow up, Rita Pranawati, deputy chair of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), has said.

“Why is (birth certificate) essential? Because as their first identity certificate with their ID number recorded, it is legally important for our child. That is why the birth certificate should not be traded and must be free from age fabrication during the certificate recording,” Pranawati said during a webinar originating from here on Saturday.

She pointed out that based on recent data, more than five million Indonesian children do not have birth certificates.

One current difficulty being faced by children who do not have birth certificates is that they are losing out on the opportunity to get vaccinated despite the authorities rolling out vaccinations for their age group, she said.

Children in state-owned and private orphanages are also facing the same issue, she added.

“The Health Minister has understood this issue. He just recently relaxed the vaccination criteria as recipient candidates often have no ID number or birth certificate, and consequently cannot be registered to receive the vaccine,” Pranawati explained.

Reflecting on the issue, she urged parents to apply for birth certificates for their children as soon as they are born to protect their legal rights as Indonesian citizens in the future.

Securing a birth certificate for their offspring also shows parents’ conscience to protect their children, she remarked.

Besides fulfilling their offspring’s legal rights, parents ought to understand their children’s needs and provide them a safe environment, she said. Only by satisfying the two necessities can parents fully protect their children’s rights and future, she stressed.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Parents should not allow their children to access electronic gadgets until they are two years of age, so they do not experience speech delay, Jakarta’s Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) Head Rini Sekartini stated.

Sekartini explained that early exposure to gadgets, especially without parental supervision, may hinder the child’s speech development.

“Children (especially toddlers) should not be left alone with a gadget. You can say that gadget is an enemy since it was found that on average, children exposed to gadgets tended to experience speech delays. Hence, I advise parents to not give their children a gadget until they are two years of age,” Head of Jakarta’s IDAI stated during an online seminar titled “Optimizing Children’s Growth Early” on Saturday.

Sekartini noted that from birth up to two years of age is a period of golden age, deemed an optimal time for child development.

According to Mother and Children’s Health (KIA) Book published by the Ministry of Health, one of the indicators of successful child development is clear speech by the time they are two years of age.

However, Sekartini pointed to times when busy parents allow their children to use gadgets to silence them, but this could hinder their growth and be causal to speech delay.

Moreover, Sekartini suggested parents to monitor the development of their children by using the guidelines in the KIA Book.

If parents found that their children did not fulfill several criteria of successful growth listed in the KIA Book, then they should immediately consult with a pediatrician for further intervention.

Source: Antara News