Day: April 10, 2022

Hundreds of inmates of Bagansiapiapi Penitentiary in Riau Province continue to enliven the Ramadan spirit by performing Islamic rituals despite limitations to the prison condition at the prison with the highest density in Indonesia.

Besides conducting a congregational Tarawih evening prayer, the inmates also take turns reciting the Quran together, Head of the Bagansiapiapi Class IIA Prison Wachid Wibowo was quoted as saying here Sunday.

Every evening, up to 90 inmates join the evening prayer, while around four- five inmates take turns reciting the Quran at several areas under officers’ supervision, he said.

“We also organise religious lectures, congregational daily prayers at the prison mosque, Quran classes, and morning and noon Quran reciting assembly. All Muslim inmates have equal opportunity (to join the assembly) yet they must wait for their turn due to limitations on the facility capacity and number of prison officers,” Wibowo remarked.

Meanwhile, Riau Province’s Law and Human Rights Office Regional Office Head Mhd Jahari Sitepu said that the prison, located in the northern part of Riau Province, and was initially readied only to accommodate up to 98 inmates, is currently having a 990-per cent overcapacity with 970 inmates incarcerated in the prison by April 2022.

“Due to the increase of inmates population, Bagansiapiapi Prison was elevated to Class IIA Prison in 2020,” Sitepu said.

Despite the overcapacity issue, the monitoring process and daily activities in the prison remain normal, he highlighted.

Sitepu said that inmates are enthusiastic to attend religious activities at the prison, and unhealthy inmates are barred from joining congregational activities.

He pointed out that the key to success in maintaining prison conditions, despite the discrepancy between prison officers and inmates, is by enhancing camaraderie between officers and inmates, as well as by encouraging the prisoners to improve their religious faith.

“I always remind prison officers to respect the inmates as their own brothers. I also told the inmates that the prison is our home, that security and order must be maintained, and that they must respect prison officers,” he noted.

The office head added that to alleviate Bagansiapiapi Prison overcapacity, the Law and Human Rights Ministry would commence the construction of a new prison in Ujung Tanjung region this year on a land plot acquired in 2021.

Source: Antara News

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly will visit Indonesia and Vietnam to reinforce bilateral relations and expand partnerships in Indo-Pacific.

Minister Joly announced that she will be travelling to Indonesia and Vietnam from April 9 to 14, said the Canadian Embassy in Jakarta in a statement received here on Sunday.

While visiting Indonesia and Vietnam, Minister Joly will expand partnerships and reiterate Canada’s commitment to engagement with nations throughout the region as part of the forthcoming Canadian Indo-Pacific Strategy.

“Canada has been a strong, reliable and effective partner of Indonesia, Vietnam and ASEAN, and our celebration of several decades of cooperation is an excellent opportunity to reflect on our experiences and achievements,” said Foreign Minister Joly as stated in a statement from the Canadian Embassy.

“I look forward to visiting Indonesia and Vietnam to gain a better understanding of the region, to expand partnerships and to contribute successfully to a more secure, resilient, inclusive and sustainable Indo-Pacific for the benefit of all people,” she stated.

Beyond Pacific coastline and geographic proximity, Canada and the Indo-pacific region have shared histories, cultures and significant people-to-people ties.

Canada is committed to deepening our diplomatic, security, trade and economic engagement in the region to ensure we are seizing opportunities for Canadians and advancing shared priorities, said the Embassy in its written statement.

Throughout her trip, Minister Joly will stress Canada’s commitment to pursuing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.

She will also engage in discussions on pressing global challenges, including the need for a diplomatic solution on the unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine and the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.

In Jakarta, Minister Joly will meet with Indonesian government officials, including Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, to highlight Canada’s 70th anniversary of bilateral relations with Indonesia.

The Canadian FM will also meet with stakeholders on policy and regional security in the Indo-Pacific and with leaders supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment in Indonesia.

In meetings with ASEAN officials, Joly will reaffirm Canada’s commitment to the association, particularly to its central role in bringing peace, security and prosperity in Southeast Asia.

In Hanoi, Vietnam, Minister Joly will meet with Prime Minister Ph?m Minh Chính, Bùi Thanh Son, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Nguy?n H?ng Diên, Minister of Industry and Trade to underscore Canada and Vietnam’s long-standing bilateral ties in the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023.

Source: Antara News

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono has encouraged travelers to take the southern coastal area as an alternative route during the Eid homecoming period, in addition to the northern coastal and the central route of Java.

“The southern coastal route is expected to be an alternative for travelers, hence, traffic congestion could be distributed evenly and not concentrated only on the northern coastal and the central routes,” Hadimuljono said in his statement received here on Sunday.

The minister said that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed better preparation for 2022 Eid homecoming travel this year, as residents’ enthusiasm to travel after a two-year homecoming restriction due to the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to cause a surge in travelers number.

The 1,242-kilometres southern coastal route starts from the Bayah region in Lebak District, Banten, passing through Cilacap and Kebumen districts in Central Java, and ends in Pacitan District, East Java, he noted.

“The southern coastal route was developed in stages for six years with budgets procured from the state budget, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). We will continue the development till 2024 to connect the route to Banyuwangi District, East Java,” he elaborated.

The minister encouraged travelers to travel through the southern coastal route which has beautiful panorama and various beaches which could make travel much more memorable for families.

The route stretched in five provinces in Java Island, with the 169.5-kilometres Simpang Labuhan-West Java Province boundary route constituting the road section in Banten Province, and the 417.1-kilometre Sindang Barang-Central Java Province boundary road section formed the route in West Java.

The route continues through the 212.5-kilometre Congot-Glonggong road section in Central Java, and the 120.8-kilometre Karang Nongko-Legundi-Duwet road section constitutes the route in Yogyakarta.

The final portion of the road is the 627.6-kilometre Panggul-Sendangbiru-Jarit-Puger-Glenmore route in East Java.

The construction of new roads and maintenance, rehabilitation, and renovation of existing roads and bridges would be conducted continually to ensure the route able to cater to travelers anytime, he said.

Source: Antara News

Minister of Communications and Informatics Johnny G. Plate said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had clearly asked political parties to stop talking about the postponement of the 2024 General Elections or presidential term extension.

“The president has said clearly, in order to be constitutional, please follow our constitution. There is no need to talk about extending the presidential term or postponing elections,” he said here on Sunday.

This affirmation, he said, was conveyed by President Jokowi at the Plenary Cabinet Session which was attended by cabinet members. However, the same thing was then conveyed to the public through digital means.

If the statement has been made public, it means that the statement is also automatically addressed to political parties, according to Plate.

All parties, he said, must now focus on the national agenda and other national issues. The public has already known the schedule of the 2024 parliamentary and presidential elections. The date is February 14, 2024.

The election organizers — General Election Commission (KPU), Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), Election Organizer Honorary Council (DKPP), and related agencies — are working to prepare credible elections, he said.

“This is to improve our democracy and the circulation of power so that it can be carried out well,” he said.

The KPU members or commissioners will soon be inaugurated by President Jokowi. It means that the election process and the 2024 presidential election on the national agenda will go well. Therefore, he asked for no more excessive activity.

“It can actually confuse people,” he said.

Source: Antara News