Day: December 27, 2021

Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate held discussions with Marshal (Ret) Hadi Tjahjanto, for preparations for the 2022 MotoGP at the Mandalika Circuit, especially pertaining to the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure sector.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had earlier appointed Tjahjanto as field commander for the 2022 MotoGP race at the Mandalika Circuit, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

“Me and Tjahjanto discussed several aspects regarding the ICT infrastructure sector for the 2022 MotoGP in Mandalika,” Plate said during a press conference on Monday.

The minister highlighted several important aspects discussed at the meeting, with the first related to the readiness of adequate ICT infrastructure, including the additional frequency spectrum for the paddock area.

“The ministry has prepared an additional frequency spectrum of four Megahertz (MHz) in the 400’s frequency range during the race,” Plate stated.

The meeting was held to ensure the availability of an adequate fiber optic network for data transmission from Mandalika across Indonesia and the world to run optimally.

Plate and Tjahjanto also discussed the provision of bandwidth and Base Transceiver Station (BTS) from cellular operators. The ministry had held a meeting with cellular operators to ensure that communication services sufficed during the MotoGP event in March 2022.

“Two major cellular operators — Telkomsel and XL — are operating in Mandalika. I have held meetings with them, and they have confirmed their readiness to provide adequate telecommunications services during the MotoGP event,” Plate affirmed.

Communication services will also be boosted in the lodging area for MotoGP. To this end, Plate and Tjahjanto had discussed the location where the telecommunication signals will be strengthened.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, through the Directorate General of Information and Public Communication, is also aggressively promoting the 2022 MotoGP at the Mandalika Circuit by presenting public service advertisements, speeches, outdoor advertisement, and others.

“We also discuss how to maintain a healthy digital space and expect no circulation of hoaxes on MotoGP in Mandalika. Let us contribute to useful information regarding MotoGP Mandalika,” Plate emphasized.

Meanwhile, Tjahjanto remarked that in February 2022, Mandalika Circuit would hold a pre-season MotoGP match. Later, the match will be serve as an evaluation to finalize preparations for the MotoGP event in March.

“On February 11-13, we will hold the MotoGP pre-season that will be attended by 900 riders and officials. Through the event, we will evaluate our readiness and preparations for the MotoGP racing in Mandalika on March,” he added.

Tjahjanto also ensured that the 2022 MotoGP Mandalika will implement strict health protocols, starting from screening spectators through the PeduliLindungi application to providing PCR and antigen test facilities and regulating audience capacity to maintain social distancing.

Source: Antara News

The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) stated that the prevalence rate of stunting in children had declined to 24.4 percent by the end of 2021.

“Regarding the results of the 2021 Study on Indonesia’s Nutritional Status (SSGI) calculation, we are grateful that the prevalence rate of stunting in 2021 had shown a decline as compared to 24.4 percent in 2019,” BKKBN secretary Tavip Agus Rayanto stated here, Monday.

Rayanto noted that this figure had decreased as compared to Indonesia’s stunting rate of 27.67 percent in 2019.

A decline in the stunting prevalence rates was achieved through various collaborations between ministries and institutions, good practices with neighboring countries, and the help from Indonesian citizens.

“The SSGI result reminds us that the rate of stunting reduction demanded by the government is 2.6 percent per year in order to achieve the 2024 target,” he stated.

However, Rayanto emphasized that this figure is still far from the government-set target for stunting prevalence rate of 14 percent in 2024, as mandated in Presidential Regulation Number 72 of 2021 on the acceleration of stunting reduction.

In addition, families should be edified about family planning, the importance of fulfilling nutritional intake, and improving parenting skills. The government should also provide access to health services to lower cases of stunting in the country.

Rayanto has invited all parties to ensure that all programs, designed for teenagers, prospective brides, pregnant and lactating mothers, and toddlers, can run optimally.

“I would like to invite us all to formulate and implement data- and fact-based activity plans that must lead to the real convergence of target groups’ families,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono noted that the nutritional status in Indonesia continues to improve with each passing year.

Harbuwono stated that the wasting rate in children fell to 7.1 percent after earlier being recorded at 7.4 percent in 2019.

In the case of overweight children, the figure also declined to 3.8 percent in 2021, from 4.5 percent in 2019.

Meanwhile, the percentage of underweight children increased, from 16.3 percent in 2019 to 17 percent in 2021.

Three regions with the lowest stunting prevalence rates were Yogyakarta, at 17.3 percent; Jakarta, 16.8 percent; and Bali, 10.9 percent.

“I would like to thank the three provinces for their efforts in reducing the prevalence rate of stunting below the national average of 24.4 percent,” he added.

Source: Antara News

The sexual violence prevention bill (RUU TPKS) should be synergized with other regulations to prevent overcriminalization, a law expert from the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII), Yogyakarta, said at a national webinar here on Monday.

It is urgent to ratify the bill, but there should be synergy with other regulations, such as the KUHP (Criminal Code), Law No. 23 of 2004 on Eradicating Violence in Households, Aroma Elmina Martha remarked.

Within the context of the sexual violence prevention bill, overcriminalization could occur if the punishment delivered to perpetrators is higher than what is stipulated within existing laws, she explained.

Synergy between the bill and other laws, especially the ones that pertain to sexual violence, could be realized by considering the cost and the benefit, she said.

According to Martha, within the bill, the House of Representatives (DPR) should consider the cost of criminalization, which would cover law enforcement, and whether its benefits to the people are aligned with other laws.

Moreover, the sexual violence prevention bill should include legal procedures that do not overlap with other regulations, she added.

During the webinar held by UII’s Law Study Center, she underlined that the bill, along with other new regulations concerning sexual violence, should be complemented with information dissemination among the public.

With this, the implementation of these regulations would be optimal, Martha said.

According to the 2021 annual record of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), 299,991 cases of violence against women were reported in 2020.

Sexual violence accounted for most of the cases, with 45.6 percent of sexual violence incidents occurring in public spaces and 17.8 percent in the private domain, as per the data.

Meanwhile, according to data provided by the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, the number of cases of violence against children reached 12,566, as of November 2021.

Sexual violence emerged as the most frequent form of violence experienced by children, accounting for 45 percent of the cases.

Source: Antara News

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has inaugurated a nickel ore processing and refining plant in Konawe district, Southeast Sulawesi, which will have a production capacity of more than 1 million tons per year.

“Today, we see immediately, we will officiate a smelter that produces ferronickel. Imagine if we only export raw materials,” he remarked at the inauguration on Monday, which was streamed on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.

The President lauded PT. Gunbuster Nickel Industry for building the nickel smelter plant. He said that the added value of nickel produced from the smelter will be up to 14 times higher compared to its raw form.

He stressed that Indonesia will continue to try to stop the exports of raw materials by promoting the national downstream industry. After halting exports of nickel raw materials, Indonesia will next halt exports of bauxite raw materials, he informed.

“At the end of next year, I will have given a warm-up beforehand (by) stopping the (export of) raw materials for bauxite. Next year, we will cease (exporting) again, for other minerals and coal,” he said.

That way, industry players and investors will set up factories in Indonesia whether they like it or not, Widodo remarked. If downstreaming continues to be expedited, then Indonesia will get many benefits such as increased tax revenues, job creation, and also foreign exchange, he highlighted.

“So that we no longer export raw materials, which we have been doing for decades, which does not provide so much added value to the state,” he said.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Cabinet Secretary Minister Pramono Anung, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, National Police chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, and other officials also attended the inauguration.

Source: Antara News

Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini called to pick up residents, eligible for social assistance in the form of the Family Hope Program (PKH), from their respective homes during the PKH disbursement in Surabaya City.

“I urge the regional head to distribute social assistance in each village and pick up the beneficiaries from their respective homes,” the minister stated while distributing PKH in Sawahan Sub-District, here on Monday.

Rismaharini also urged to accelerate the disbursement of social assistance to beneficiaries in all regions before December 31, 2021.

The minister requested to pick up PKH recipients at their respective homes since only 70 people were present for the PKH disbursement that she had attended. Rismaharini immediately ordered the local government to pick up all the social assistance recipients.

Acting promptly, Deputy Mayor of Surabaya Armuji, who accompanied Rismaharini, immediately called the PKH recipients and ordered his staff to pick up the beneficiaries.

“Please immediately send two units to help pick up PKH beneficiaries in receiving their social assistance,” he stated.

A while later, the prospective recipients, who arrived at the location, were immediately subject to file verification by having to furnish their passbook and ATM card for withdrawing the social assistance at the provided bank outlets.

The PKH social assistance is only given to families registered in the Social Welfare Integrated Data (DTKS) and according to the category of PKH recipients based on data from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

The amount of PKH assistance in 2021 provided to pregnant women reaches Rp3 million per year, while Rp 3million per year for early childhood education for those up to six years of age, Rp900 thousand per year for children receiving Elementary/Equivalent Education, Rp1,500,000 per year for students in junior high school/equivalent education, Rp2 million per year for students in high school/equivalent education, and Rp2,400,000 per year for people with severe disabilities.

Source: Antara News

The question of the possibility of Indonesia establishing diplomatic ties with Israel has again attracted the media spotlight, similar to speculation in Israeli media in December 2020 after several Arab nations agreed to normalize relations with Israel.

Axios (www.axios.com), an American news website, on December 22, 2021, reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had raised the possibility of Indonesia normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel during meetings with officials in Jakarta, December 13 and 14.

The report, however, added that Israeli officials had stressed that no such step was imminent.

The US media outlet also wrote that the Biden administration is trying to build on the Trump-era Abraham Accords, and in this case, looking beyond the Middle East to the largest of the countries that do not recognize Israel.

The Abraham Accords refer to agreements between Israel and four Muslim-majority countries — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan — for normalizing relations.

“We are always exploring additional opportunities for normalization, but we’ll leave those discussions behind closed doors until the right moment,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told Axios.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry later confirmed that Blinken did raise the issue during talks with Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, told the media on December 24 that during the meeting, Marsudi “conveyed Indonesia’s consistent position towards Palestine that Indonesia will continue, with the Palestinian people, to fight for justice and independence.”

This stance is in accordance with the policy of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), who has affirmed that Indonesia will continue to stand with the Palestinian people until the day they gain independence.

Indonesia has consistently supported Palestine’s claims, the President said while speaking at the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2020.

The consistent stance against colonialism and occupation is in line with the mandate of Indonesia’s 1945 Constitution and its Preamble, which states that colonialism must be abolished in this world, he added.

During a bilateral meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties (COP) 26 World Leaders Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, on November 1, 2021, President Jokowi reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to supporting Palestine’s struggle to become an independent, fully sovereign, and self-determined state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“Palestine has always been an important concern for Indonesia,” the President said, as quoted by the press bureau of the Presidential Secretariat.

Furthermore, the head of state noted that Indonesia has several concerns regarding Palestine.

First, Indonesia is very concerned and condemns the various violations being done by Israel, he said.

Hence, on various occasions, Indonesia has proposed the establishment of an international peacekeeping mission to serve as the international community’s “ears” and “eyes” to various incidents occurring in Jerusalem, he explained.

“In addition, the mission aims to ensure the safety of the residents in the occupied territories and maintain its status as a holy city for three religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism),” he affirmed.

Second, Indonesia also encourages credible multilateral negotiations, Jokowi said.

“Indonesia is willing to encourage the Middle East Quartet to restart peace negotiations to achieve a two-state solution that can coexist peacefully,” he added.

The quartet is a group of nations, international organizations, and the supranational entity of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia, which are mediating the peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel.

President Jokowi pledged that Indonesia will continue to support Palestinians’ struggle at various international forums, for instance, the meetings of the United Nations (UN), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Lastly, the Indonesian President urged Palestine to strengthen unity among Palestinians, saying national unity is crucial to the success of their struggle for independence.

In the meantime, Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Puan Maharani, affirmed Indonesia’s support for Palestine’s independence and urged all member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to pledge their support to the Palestine cause, too.

The House Speaker delivered the statement during the inauguration of the Parliamentary Network of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Madrid, Spain, in November 2021, on the sidelines of the 143rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly.

“The parliaments of member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) should encourage their respective governments to support Palestine’s independence,” Maharani said.

NAM countries have jointly sought Palestine’s independence since the Bandung Conference in 1955, but the goal has still not been realized, she noted.

“The Bandung Conference principle has mandated NAM countries to support Palestine in their struggle for justice,” she added.

Considering the number of member countries (120), NAM has the potential to make a significant contribution to resolving global issues, she said. However, this potential must be interpreted by each member country so it becomes a positive influence and can make a real contribution, she added.

“This requires all of us to be solid and work together in unity,” Maharani affirmed.

Recently, an expert on the Middle East at the University of Indonesia (UI), Yon Machmudi, said that the interests of Palestine have become a major consideration for Indonesia in deciding whether to establish diplomatic ties with Israel or not.

This is because the Palestinian cause is part of the main core of Indonesian diplomacy, he added.

“If America and Israel think that normalization (between Indonesia and Israel) is necessary, then it must be balanced with their seriousness in materializing a solution for Palestine’s independence,” Machmudi said.

As long as Palestine is still under the occupation of Israel, establishing diplomatic ties with Israel would trigger domestic political instability in Indonesia, he added.

He said that normalization with Israel must be one package with the independence of Palestine. When Palestine gains its independence, there will be no more reason to deny diplomatic ties with Israel, he added.

Source: Antara News

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has confirmed that Suramadu Bridge will be closed on New Year’s Eve, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time.

“On December 31, 2021, the (Suramadu Bridge) will be closed at 8 p.m., and (it will be) re-opened at 5 a.m. on January 1, 2022,” Parawansa told reporters at the Grahadi State Building, here on Monday.

The step is part of anticipatory efforts to reduce crowding on New Year’s Eve, as well as preventing the transmission of COVID-19, which has not ended, she explained.

In addition to closing the 5.4-km bridge, all fields in 38 districts/cities in East Java will be closed at the same time, the governor informed.

Not only that, all major roads that have the potential for crowding and convoys will also be shut during the same hours, she said.

“In Surabaya, the Kenjeran area, Tunjungan Street, Raya Darmo and others are certainly to be closed starting at 8 p.m.,” the governor informed.

However, she said, there will be some exceptions, such as vehicles carrying logistics, fuel oil, or dealing with emergencies and health services, which will be allowed on the roads.

Parawansa also reminded that there will be no New Year’s Eve celebrations, such as gatherings, lighting of fireworks, and marches around the city.

“Those who gather with family and relatives shall be limited to no more than 50 people,” the first women governor of East Java affirmed.

“Let’s keep a conducive situation. Insya Allah (God willing), COVID-19 conditions in East Java are currently under control,” she remarked.

She also advised people not to loosen up on following the health protocols and limit mobility during the holiday period.

Several concrete efforts in the transportation and tourism sector will be taken to anticipate the emergence of the third wave of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, she said.

Source: Antara News