VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Seoul, South Korea has been ready to implement Presidential Election to be held in 2019. The South Korean Election Committee has been formed and has signed the Integrity Pact at the Embassy Hall in Seoul recently. Indonesia's Ambassador to South Korea, Umar Hadi told RRI World Service -Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta on Thursday (April 5) that based on previous elections, there are two challenges faced in holding elections in South Korea. The first challenge is related to the distribution of information to voters and updating of voters’ data. The second one is how Indonesian citizens -WNI in South Korea can have the opportunity to cast their voting rights. Thus, the Embassy launched Seoul's Whatsapp Center and will deploy voting booths -TPS in strategic areas.

“We have developed a new system using Whatsapp. We update the data of the voters of our migrant workers scattering everywhere in Korea. They do not need to come to the Embassy, they just need WA. With the technology, we can confirm the data and their existence. Secondly, on Election Day, there will be a method of voting by mail so that they do not also have to take a day off to vote. Later, we will map, so that we spread the TPS in a strategic location to enable as many as possible our citizens to cast their voting rights,” Umar Hadi said.

Ambassador Umar Hadi further explained that Indonesian people living in South Korea today are mostly migrant workers. There are at least 40,000 Indonesian citizens. More than 30,000 have complete data and have the rights to vote in the 2019 Presidential Election. He also said that based on 2014 election data, only 10 % of Indonesian citizens in South Korea can use legislative voting rights and 30% presidential voting rights. Therefore, Indonesian Embassy is always improving efforts to facilitate Indonesian citizens in casting their voting rights. Currently, the Embassy in Seoul is starting to update data and it has collected around 30 thousand of Indonesian citizens in South Korea. (VOI/Skr/RHM)

Minister for State Enterprises Rini Soemarno said state-owned PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA) will start construction of a rolling stock factory in the regency of Banyuangi, East Java, by the end of this year.

"INKA has received growing orders both for domestic use or for exports. Therefore we are speeding up preparation for the construction of a new factory in Banyuwangi," the minister said in Banyuwangi on Friday.

PT Inka is a state-owned railway manufacturing company based in Madium, East Java, producing passenger trains and freight cars. Rini said, currently, preparation is in progress in a location where the factory is to be built in the land belonging to state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara XII in the district of Banyuwangi.

"Hopefully groundbreaking will take place before the end of 2018," Rini was quoted as saying in a written statement issued by the Banyuangi district administration.

Rini said Banyuwangi was chosen as the place for the new factory for the strategic location of the coastal district, which is growing rapidly over the past several years.

"This place is close to railroad, port, and we are building toll road. We will make the district brisker with economic activities," she said.

Rini was full of praise for Banyuwangi saying the city is a convenient place with easy accessibility. Banyuangi Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas thanked the minister saying the BUMN ministry would contribute to bolstering the district economic development with its plan to build the rolling stock factory. (antara)

President Joko Widodo emphasized that infrastructure development across Indonesia, which is currently being promoted by the government, is an effort intended not only to build the economy but also to maintain unity. In his meeting with a number of cultural activists at the State Palace in Jakarta, the President gave an example when he traveled to Papua. At that time, he found a price disparity of fuels when compared with prices in Java. President Joko Widodo views that the inequality may bring about an impact on possible disintegration of the nation, if not addressed by infrastructure development.

"Infrastructure is not only about economic aspect. In my understanding, it is not like that. This infrastructure will unite us. If the inequality as I said before, we cannot be united. Unifying means that I used to carry out and experienced; I flew from Aceh in Banda Aceh, and directly flew to Wamena. It took 9 hours 15 minutes. What does it mean? Yes, this makes us be aware that this nation is a great nation. If we fly from London 9 hours it reaches Istanbul in Turkey. It has already passed how many countries; maybe 6, 7 or 8 countries. Yes, this is our country. But if we do not prepare it whether the airport, the seaport or the road, the occurrence of inequality among regions will be getting bigger," the President said.

Furthermore, President Joko Widodo also disclosed that after completing the stage of infrastructure development as the first stage of nation building, the government will continue the second major development stage by investing in human resource development. He perceived that this is done because of the high value of Indonesian culture in supporting the development of the Indonesian nation. The President added that the development of working ethos, productivity and integrity will be the backbone and foundation of Indonesia's future development. (Ndy-VOI/Trans by Rhm)

A New Zealander named Andrey Voytech was found dead after going missing while climbing Mount Merbabu, Central Java, at 8:40 am local time on Saturday.

"The body of the climber was found in the river allegedly after falling off the cliff," Zulhawary Agustianto, a spokesman of the National Search and Rescue Agency of Central Java, noted in Semarang, Central Java Province, on Saturday.

According to Agustianto, the victim allegedly fell off an eight-meter-high cliff. He revealed that the body of the deceased was taken through the Chuntel ascent to the Salatiga District General Hospital for an autopsy. The cause of death is yet to be ascertained, pending the police's autopsy. Earlier, Andrey Voytech, a New Zealand climber, was reported missing by his friend, who was staying at a hotel in Magelang. The victim`s friend confirmed that Voytech was on his way to Merbabu via Cunthel of Semarang District on Friday (Mar 30). (antara)