March 6, 2023 – Page 5 – Indonesia News Gazette

March 6, 2023

Plumpang fire: Police pick up 14 persons for questioning

Jakarta (ANTARA) – A joint team of personnel brought in 14 persons for questioning in connection with the fire outbreak at Plumpang oil depot, North Jakarta, last week, the National Police informed on Monday.The joint team comprised personnel from the Criminal Investigation Agency of the National Police and the Greater Jakarta Area Police Department.

“There are 14 people who have been brought in for questioning,” head of the public information bureau of the public relations division of the National Police, Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan, said at the National Police Headquarters here on Monday.

Of the 14 people, nine are Pertamina staff and included operators, security personnel, technicians, and supervisors, and the remaining five are civilians, he disclosed.

Currently, the police, the national defense force, and other relevant stakeholders are searching for missing victims, he said. The police force has deployed some heavy equipment as well as police dogs to support the search process.

It has also established a public kitchen and medical posts, and sent medical personnel to assist the victims of the fire, he added.

“We also dispatched a trauma healing team. This trauma healing team (included) policewomen and National Red Cross (volunteers who will assist) children who are victims of the Plumpang Pertamina Depot fire,” he expounded.

The police have also dispatched personnel to keep watch on homes abandoned by the victims, so as to protect their assets from getting looted, he informed.

“Of course, to secure the assets, which are not damaged yet or still intact. Protecting them from the risk of unwanted things,” Ramadhan added.

The fire at the Plumpang Pertamina Depot in North Jakarta broke out around 8 p.m. local time on March 3. It was extinguished by around 11 p.m. local time.

The Jakarta Fire and Rescue Department dispatched 52 fire trucks and at least 250 personnel to put out the fire.

t least 19 people died in the incident, comprising 14 adults and five children. Three children have been reported as still missing following the fire.

Source: Antara News Agency

March 6, 2023

Superior human resources needed to build Golden Indonesia: ministry

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Manpower Ministry has said that building superior human resources (HR) is key for achieving the Golden Indonesia vision by 2045.”In order to achieve Golden Indonesia 2045, namely an advanced, prosperous, and independent Indonesia, we must prepare ourselves and our younger generation to become superior human resources,” the ministry’s Director General for Vocational Training and Productivity DevelopmentBudi Hartawan said in Jakarta on Monday.

t a Manpower Ministry event on “Strengthening Synergy and Collaboration to Build Superior Human Resources for Advanced Indonesia” on Monday, he stressed that superior HR must have a great passion to build their country and human resources themselves.

In addition, the meaning of an advanced Indonesia is a country with prosperous people who can compete at the global level, he added.

Regarding the development of superior human resources, he said that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has outlined four strategies for Indonesia’s development program, namely development from the womb, character development, education, and skill building.

“Efforts to create superior human resources require synergy, collaboration, inspiration, and enthusiasm from all sectors,” Hartawan added.

While it is one of the ministries leading efforts to develop human resources and make them skilled and competent, the Manpower Ministry cannot carry out the task alone, he said.

“Instead, all activities must be in the form of collaboration between the Manpower Ministry and other related stakeholders,” he added.

In addition, the effort to achieve Golden Indonesia 2045 also requires synergy from each element in order to generate added value for accelerating the human resource quality improvement program in Indonesia, Hartawan observed.

To achieve these goals, Indonesia must carry out a major transformation of its strategy for building superior human resources by developing their competence and competitiveness, he said.

“As a driving force in the process of developing Indonesian human competence and competitiveness, we cannot bargain and must strengthen collaboration and synergy immediately,” he emphasized.

Source: Antara News Agency

March 6, 2023

Jokowi voices support for KPU appeal against election delay ruling

West Java (ANTARA) – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has expressed support for the General Elections Commission’s (KPU’s) decision to appeal the Central Jakarta Court’s rulingdirecting that the 2024 general electionsbe postponed.”And indeed, it is a controversy which caused pros and cons; but the government also supports the General Elections Commission’s decision to issue an appeal,” he said after a working visit to RancabaliSub-district, Bandung, West Java, on Monday.

The government has committed to ensuring that the 2024 General Elections go well and according to plan, he stressed.

“The budget has also been prepared well. We expect for the course of general election to still be carried out,” he said.

On March 2, 2023, the Central Jakarta Court approved Prima Party’s appeal calling for the commission to cease the remaining preparations for the 2024 General Elections and restart the process in two years, four months, and seven days.

The court approved the appeal based on certain considerations, which included ensuring a fair condition and preventing other mistakes due to inaccuracies, lack of professionalism, and unjust aspects imposed by the General Elections Commission, as claimed by the defendant. The panel of judges ordered KPU to cancel the remaining 2024 General Election stages.

The panel noted that the legal facts proved that in the Political Parties Information System, an error was caused due to the quality of the device used.

Thus, the court ordered that the general election, which was initially scheduled for February 14, 2024, be pushed back.

On Monday, the General Elections Committee prepared the documents to appeal the decision after it received a copy of the court’s order.

Source: Antara News Agency

March 6, 2023

Lampung governor urges foreigners to conduct activities legally

(ANTARA) – Lampung Governor Arinal Djunaidi has urged foreign nationals in the province to conduct activities legally and comply with the applicable laws and regulations.”Lampung is a crossing area, far end to Jakarta, so it has great potential to be visited by foreigners either by land, sea, or air transportation,” Djunaidi said here on Monday.

With Lampung being a potential stopover for foreigners, all parties need to monitor their activities, he added.

“What we do is coordinate with all parties. We welcome foreigners here as investors or to run a business, but everything must be legal, no one must violate the rules,” he explained.

The formation of the Foreigners Supervision Team (Timpora) is the right step to secure the movement of foreigners in Lampung and prevent any negative impact that could occur due to illegal activities, he said.

“The presence of foreigners is not necessarily negative, (but) it needs to be controlled to prevent abuse,” the governor added.

ccording to him, weak supervision may lead to irresponsible foreigners abusing their stay permits, including purchasing land in their name.

Hence, preventive measures against the misuse of residence permits and other possible negative impacts will continue to be enforced in an integrated manner with the related parties, he emphasized.

“It should be the responsibility of all parties to maintain the comfort and safety of the community. I hope this cooperation is well established to prevent any negative impact from the presence of foreigners here,” he said.

The surveillance of foreigners’ movement via land, sea, and air must run well, he added.

The supervision of foreigners is regulated by Law No. 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration, which requires the task to be carried out through the formation of Timporas from the central to the regional level.

Source: Antara News Agency

March 6, 2023

Navy sends aircraft for stranded Vivie Rae II in Arafura Sea

Papua (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has deployed an aircraft to check on the condition of the passenger vessel KM Vivie Rae II stranded in the Arafura Sea, a navy commander reported here on Monday.Commander of the Navy Main Base in Merauke, Brigadier General Gatot Mardiyono, told ANTARA that since Sunday (March 5), the Navy’s Casa plane had been patrolling the area where KM Vivie Rae II was stranded.

In addition to the aircraft, it deployed a warship KRI Tarakan from Ambon, Maluku, to aid the stranded KM Vivie Rae II.

The Navy had communicated with the crew of the ship carrying aboard six tourists from Mashall Island.

Based on the communication results with the crew, it was known that all passengers were in good health, Mardiyono remarked.

Earlier, Chief of the Merauke Search and Rescue (SAR) Office Supriyanto Ridwan stated that a joint SAR team was compelled to postpone the operation of evacuating KM Vivie Rae II due to unfavorable weather conditions.

“The joint SAR team using KN (navigation ship) Merpati returned to the Merauke navigation pier on Sunday at 2 a.m. local time, since upon arrival in the waters of Habee Island, the sea conditions had become more extreme,” he explained.

KN Merpati is still waiting for the weather to improve to continue the rescue operation. His side also conducted e-broadcasts to ships passing around the whereabouts of KM Vivie Rae II to ask for assistance.

KM Vivie Rae II, sailing from Marshall Island on February 26 to Sorong, is carrying six tourists comprising two South African citizens, one American, two Canadians, and one Britisher.

The ship has been stranded since Thursday (March 2) after experiencing engine failure due to a rope wrapped around the propeller.

The ship is located south of Komoran Island, some 300 km from the Merauke pier.

Source: Antara News Agency

March 6, 2023

Cleanliness in handling poultry meat key to preventing bird flu: govt

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The government’s ambassador for the adaptation of new habits, Reisa Broto Asmoro, has underlined that cleanliness in managing poultry meat for consumption is key for preventing stunting in children and bird flu.”Please remember that the need for animal protein intake is indeed important to prevent stunting, from pregnancy to the 1,000 first days of life (HPK). However, protein is still needed by adults as well,” she said during a “Health Broadcast,” which was followed from Jakarta on Monday.

She informed that animal proteins can be obtained at affordable prices, namely by consuming local foods, such as eggs, fish, and meat of poultry such as chicken and ducks.

With the discovery of bird flu or H5N1 cases in Indonesia, people must pay more attention to poultry meat, especially if it has been purchased at a market or a supermarket, she said.

When choosing meat, people must choose healthy, clean, and fresh meat, she advised. It is not advisable to buy meat that is too pale and with an excessively pungent aroma.

Poultry meat that is too soft or mushy with mucus must also be avoided by people, she added.

If the meat purchased is in the form of packaged food, she urged the community to check the expiration date carefully.

t home, the meat must be stored in the refrigerator (freezer) if it is not going to be consumed right away, she said.

“If you want to store it in the refrigerator, you do not need to clean it first. You can wash it right before you cook it,” Asmoro added.

Washing meat before consumption can help prevent the buildup of bacteria in meat, such as salmonella bacteria. Meat must be cooked at 70 degrees Celsius at least, she said.

smoro also asked people to ensure that cooked meat has no pink parts for safety and health reasons.

“For poultry, please cook it thoroughly. Besides to avoid bird flu, we must make sure it is free from other harmful bacteria,” she explained.

For cooking equipment, people must ensure that both the knife and cutting board used to process raw poultry meat are kept separate from the equipment used to process fruit and vegetables, she said.

“Do not forget to wash your hands with soap after touching meat. Also, differentiate equipment used to process raw meat and fruit and vegetables to avoid cross-contamination from bacteria or viruses in poultry,” she added.

Source: Antara News Agency

March 6, 2023

Jakarta to follow central govt’s policy regarding Plumpang remapping

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Acting Governor ofJakarta Heru Hartono said his side will follow the central government’s policy to review remapping of settlements and Pertamina’s fuel terminal in Plumpang, North Jakarta, following the fire incident on March 3.”The Jakarta Provincial Government will follow policies from the central government,” Hartono noted in Jakarta, Monday.

Hartono remarked that all options regarding the spatial planning for the Plumpang fuel terminal are currently being discussed by State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir in accordance with the directive of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

“President Jokowi had ordered Minister Thohir to handle this matter. Now, it is being discussed,” Hartono remarked.

Earlier, President Jokowi had paid a visit to refugees impacted by the Pertamina fuel terminal fire at the Child-Friendly Integrated Public Space (RPTRA) Rasela South Rawabadak, Koja, North Jakarta, on Sunday.

During his visit, the head of state instructed Minister Thohir and Acting Governor Hartono to immediately relocate the refugees within a day or two.

Under this relocation plan, either the refugees would be moved to the reclamation island or the Pertamina fuel terminal would be relocated.

“I have ordered Minister Thohir and Jakarta Acting Governor Hartono to immediately find a solution regarding this matter. The residents can no longer live near the fuel terminal. There are two options, namely, relocating the residents or the fuel terminal,” Jokowi stated.

baca-jugaRelated news: Plumpang is a danger zone, no longer inhabitable: Jokowi

He noted that the condition of the land was one of the obstacles posed in creating a buffer zone that separates the fuel terminal from the surrounding settlements.

He explained that a buffer zone, with a distance of 50 meters between the fuel terminal and settlements, had been proposed by the Jakarta provincial government in 2009.

The proposal was based on the explosion at the Plumpang fuel terminal that resulted in the fires spreading to people’s homes in 2009.

“In the past, we have planned to create the water zone, rivers on the left and right sides. However, it has not reached the point of finding solutions for the residents there,” Jokowi remarked.

On Friday, March 3, the fuel terminal of the state-owned oil company, Pertamina, in Plumpang, North Jakarta, caught fire and spread to the settlements around the facility.

Based on data from the Jakarta Provincial Health Service on Monday morning, 18 people had died, while 37 people were being treated at the hospital.

ccording to data from the Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency, the number of refugees was recorded at 214 people, who are temporarily staying at the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Office in the North Jakarta branch, comprising 186 people and 28 people at the RPTRA Rasela.

Source: Antara News Agency

March 6, 2023

Ministry outlines three strategies to tackle obesity in Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Health Ministry highlights three communication strategies under the endeavors to encourage collective action to prevent obesity in Indonesia.”This year’s global theme is ‘Changing Perspectives Let us Talk About Obesity’ while the national theme is ‘Recognize, Prevent, Overcome Obesity for a Healthier and Productive Life,'” the ministry’s Director General of Disease Prevention and Control Maxi Rein Rondonuwu stated during a press conference to commemorate 2023 World Obesity Day in Jakarta on Monday.

With this theme, all stakeholders must actively discuss and change perspectives on obesity through concrete actions to reduce cases in Indonesia, he noted.

He highlighted that the first communication strategy was to raise the issue of obesity as a topic during formal and informal discussions among health workers, professional organizations, community organizations, and up to the level of policy makers.

For the second strategy, Rondonuwu encouraged to bring up the topic of obesity as part of collective efforts.

“We must change the perspective of obesity as an individual problem. We are trying to educate everyone to understand that there are other factors that influence obesity,” he stated.

He also remarked that a joint movement is deemed necessary to tackle obesity in the community.

“Obesity is a global problem that requires real and effective joint collective action,” he stated.

The third strategy is to formulate national efforts, starting from collective action to an evidence-based national action plan to prevent obesity, he remarked.

He pointed out that obesity is a global problem that affects around two billion people worldwide.

“By 2030, it is estimated that one in five women and one in seven men will live with obesity or the equivalent of one billion people worldwide. The prevalence of obesity is higher in women,” he stated.

On the other hand, Rondonuwu said that apart from being a double burden in developing countries, obesity also triggers malnutrition.

In Indonesia, he drew attention to a doubling in obesity prevalence from 2007 to 2018, from 10.5 percent to 21.8 percent.

“Obesity is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, hypertension, metabolic and non-metabolic diseases, and is the highest cause of deaths due to cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and diabetes,” he pointed out.

Rondonuwu pressed for conducting comprehensive intervention for tackling obesity since it also has an impact on economic losses caused by treatment costs.

“Health budgets in Indonesia are spent on non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, blood vessel diseases, diabetes, stroke, and cancer,” he noted.

Source: Antara News Agency