VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (voinews): Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin left for Japan on Sunday morning for a five-day working visit aimed at increasing cooperation between the two countries.

During his visit until March 9, he will hold bilateral talks in Osaka and Kyoto to enhance cooperation, particularly in the field of Islamic economics and finance, according to his spokesman Masduki Baidlowi.

Apart from the bilateral talks, Amin will also deliver a keynote speech at a symposium at Kyoto University.

"The Vice President will share Indonesia's experience as a plural nation living peacefully in a religious context," he said.

Baidlowi said that Amin will inaugurate the Istiqlal Mosque in Osaka, which is the largest mosque in Japan, and engage in talks with the people in Osaka and Kyoto.

The Vice President, along with his wife and a limited entourage, departed from Jakarta's Soekarno Hatta International Airport at 8:30 WIB and is expected to arrive at Kansai International Airport, Osaka, at 5:30 PM local time (3:30 PM WIB). 

Upon arrival, they will be greeted by the Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Heri Akhmadi, and other Indonesian representatives in Japan.

On Monday, Amin is scheduled to inaugurate the Istiqlal Mosque in Osaka by signing an inscription. Later that day, he will attend the Indonesian National Dialogue event at the Imperial Osaka Hotel.

On Tuesday, he will travel to Kyoto to hold a dialogue with Indonesian diasporas, meet with the Governor of Kyoto, and deliver a public lecture at Kyoto University. (antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that the area around Pertamina's Plumpang fuel depot is a danger zone that can no longer be lived in.

"I have asked the State Owned Enterprises Minister and Jakarta Governor to immediately seek solutions for the incident in Plumpang, especially because this is a dangerous zone, no longer inhabitable," Jokowi said here on Sunday.

The president conveyed the statement after monitoring an evacuation site for the fire victims located at Rasela Child-Friendly Integrated Public Space (RPTRA), Koja, North Jakarta.

"It is possible that the Plumpang (fuel depot) is moved to a reclamation (island) or the residents are moved to a relocation (area)," he added.

Jokowi recalled the plan to build a buffer zone that will separate Plumpang fuel depot and the residential area surround it.

The issue regarding the buffer zone resurfaced following a fire incident at the Plumpang fuel depot operated by state energy company Pertamina on Friday (March 3, 2023), which claimed 17 lives and inflicted serious injuries to 49 people.

"Back then, it was 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 said.

He explained that a buffer zone with a distance of 50 meters between the fuel depot and the residential area had been proposed by the Jakarta Provincial Government in 2009.

The proposal was made after an explosion at the Plumpang fuel depot, which caused a massive fire that reached nearby residential area in 2009.

President Jokowi stressed that he would continue to seek solutions because the safety of the community is the main priority.

The president has ordered State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir and Acting Governor of Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono to relocate the victims' homes in one or two days. (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): The Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) recorded that 1,085 people were sought refuge in some nearby buildings following a fire that broke out at a fuel storage depot operated by state energy company Pertamina in Plumpang, North Jakarta.  

The fire broke out on Friday (March 3, 2023) at around 8:10 p.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB).

"Joint officers that are coordinated by BPBD have provided services to the evacuees," Acting Head of Data, Information and Communication Center of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Abdul Muhari said here on Saturday.

The 1,085 people were evacuated to several locations: 356 evacuees at Rasella Child-Friendly Integrated Public Space, 258 evacuees at the Golkar Walang building, 132 evacuees at North Jakarta Red Cross Indonesia (PMI) office, and 79 evacuees at South Rawa Badak village head office.

Then, there are also 74 evacuees at the office of North Jakarta Manpower, Transmigration, and Energy Office, 63 evacuees at Al-Kuromas Mosque, 63 evacuees at As Sholihin Mosque, and 60 evacuees at Al-Muhajirin Mosque.

The joint officers have distributed food assistance, such as mineral water and ready-to-eat foods, as well as non-food assistance, such as mattresses, blankets, under-five child packages, family packages, sarongs, Muslim women's prayer clothes, tarps, clothing packages, and childrenswear.

The BPBD recorded that several things that are urgently needed by the survivors are mattresses, family tents, blankets, mats, ready-to-eat foods, medicines, and clean water.

According to the BPBD, the fire incident claimed 17 lives, inflicted serious injuries to 49 people, and caused moderate injuries to two.

The seriously-injured and moderately-injured survivors have been treated in several hospitals, such as Pelabuhan Hospital, Mulya Sari Hospital, Firdaus Hospital, Pekerja Hospital, Tugu Koja Regional Public Hospital, and Koja Regional Public Hospital.

Several other medical facilities have also been readied to provide services to people affected by the fire.

Currently, officers are still searching for 18 missing persons. (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Provincial Government has cooperated with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and three universities to tackle locust swarms that often attack agricultural crops on Sumba Island.

"We are cooperating with FAO and Gadjah Mada University, University of Indonesia, Bogor Agricultural University, in carrying out research for tackling migratory locust pests in Sumba," Secretary of NTT Agriculture and Food Security Office Joaz Bily Oemboe Wanda said in a statement received here, Sunday.

He explained that his office, FAO, and the three universities are carrying out field research regarding migratory locusts, including their ecosystem, to support the handling.

According to Wanda, the problem of locust pests on Sumba Island is quite complex because it involves the ecosystem that is interrelated.

He noted that the habitats of migratory locusts are damp and closed areas or forests like in East Sumba District.

Certain bird species has become the predator of migratory locusts that put their population under control. However, when the population of predator birds is declining, the population of locusts rises rapidly.

"Complex conditions like this are studied in the field, including the environmental changes that cause locusts to migrate to seek new places to eat," he said.

Wanda added that migratory locusts usually attack agricultural crops, such as corn, sugarcane, and rice, sporadically at certain locations.

He stated that efforts to tackle locusts have also been made through synergy with the relevant ministry and four district governments on Sumba Island.

According to him, the provincial government also has one plant protection technical unit in Lewa Sub-district, East Sumba District, that provides and distributes pesticides.

"Steps for handling locust pests are conducted massively in the field. Thus, it is expected that in the future, the potential for damages in agricultural crops can be minimized," he remarked. (Antaranews)