VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The 5.2-magnitude earthquake in Bali on Tuesday was triggered by the Flores back-arc thrust activity, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported.

"By observing the location of the epicenter and the depth of the hypocenter, the earthquake was shallow and occurred due to the Flores back-arc thrust activities,” the head of BMKG’s Earthquake and Tsunami Center Daryono confirmed here on Tuesday.

He said that the earthquake was centered at 8.29 degrees south latitude and 115.62 degrees east longitude.

Its epicenter was located undersea at a depth of 30 kilometers and lay 1 km east of Kubu, Karangasem, Bali, he added.

The earthquake occurred at 5:38 p.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB) on Tuesday in the Karangasem eastern coast area. It was felt at a Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) of III-IV, meaning many residents felt the tremors indoors.

The earthquake was felt in Mataram, North Lombok, Central Lombok, and West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, at an intensity of III MMI, meaning the vibrations were felt inside the house and were similar to those produced by the passing of a truck.

The quake was also felt in Tabanan, Kuta, Buleleng, and East Lombok at an intensity of II MMI, meaning the vibrations were felt by some people and caused light, hanging objects to sway.

As of 6:30 p.m. in Jakarta, BMKG's monitoring showed 21 aftershocks, with the largest magnitude recorded at 4.6.

"The modeling results show that this earthquake does not have the potential for a tsunami," Daryono added.

As of 8 p.m. Jakarta time, several buildings were reported to have been damaged. They included four houses in Baturinggit Kelod hamlet, Baturinggit village, and one house in Pagubugan hamlet, Manggis village.

Balimed Hospital in Karangasem was also damaged in the earthquake. So far, there have been no victims in the quake. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) issued Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) Number 1 of 2022 on elections, which among others, regulates the impact of new provinces' establishment on the 2024 elections.

The regulation that amended Law Number 7 of 2017 was uploaded on the Ministry of State Secretariat's official website on Tuesday.

According to Jokowi, extraordinary policies and steps are deemed necessary to anticipate the impact of the formation of four new provinces -- South Papua, Central Papua, Papua Pegunungan, and Southwest Papua -- for the 2024 Election.

Hence, the 2024 election would run on schedule to create domestic political stability.

"As an implication of the formation of the provinces of South Papua, Central Papua, Papua Pegunungan, and Southwest Papua, it is also necessary to organize electoral districts and allocate seats for members of the People's Representative Council (DPR), members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and members of the Provincial Regional People's Legislative Council (DPRD) as well as general election organizers, so legal certainty needs to be given," he stated.

In issuing the Perppu, the president also considered the need to make changes to several issues in Law Number 7 of 2017 related to the strengthening of election organizers, schedule for the electoral campaign for members of the DPR, DPD, DPRD, as well as president and vice president candidates.

Some changes are also related to general elections in the capital city Nusantara as well as adjustments to electoral districts and the number of seats for Provincial DPRD members as a result of an increase in population.

The Perppu changes several provisions in the General Elections law, among others, the establishment of provincial KPU in South Papua, Central Papua, Papua Pegunungan, and Southwest Papua.

Article 92A of the regulation stated that Bawaslu forms the Provincial Bawaslu in the four new provinces.

Article 186 of the Perppu stipulates that the number of seats for members of the DPR reaches 580.

The Perppu also stipulates that between Article 568 and Article 569, one article is inserted, namely Article 568A, which reads that the implementation of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election, members of the DPR, DPD, Provincial DPRD, and members of the District/Municipal DPRD in 2024 in East Kalimantan Province that is included in the capital city Nusantara as referred to in Law Number 3 of 2022 concerning the State Capital, is still guided by the provisions in Law Number 7 of 2017.

The Perppu was signed by President Jokowi on December 12, 2022, and promulgated on the same date. (Antaranews)

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said that foreign tourists should not hesitate to visit Indonesia, because the government will guarantee the private sphere of tourists. This was conveyed by Sandiaga Uno due to concerns over the RKUHP which was ratified some time ago. In The Weekly Briefing with Sandi Uno, Monday, Sandiaga Uno also explicitly stated that there would be no cancellation of tourist visits to Indonesia after ratifying the RKUHP.

As of today, there are no cancellations from our partners. So we can expressly say that the latest development has not been hoaxed as a cancellation. Precisely from the current daily average Denpasar DPS airport serves around 340 take-off and landing, 22 to 23 thousand international passengers. "This trend continues to increase and there are 24 routes and 14 countries and 27 international airlines and the total passengers at Bali airport have reached 10.8 million," said Sandiaga Uno.

Sandiaga Uno further stated that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy had fielded a direct team in Australia, and in 5 other important destinations, namely; India, Singapore, Malaysia, the United States and the United Kingdom to carry out promotion and education as well as communication and outreach to tourists and tourism industry players so they don't hesitate to come for a trip and invest in Indonesia. In accordance with the president's directives, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy must continue to increase tourist arrivals, including foreign tourists, in 2023.

On the same occasion, the Deputy Governor of Bali, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati denied reports that a number of foreign tourists had canceled their flights due to the passing of the new Criminal Code Law some time ago. According to him, there has been a significant increase in the number of international flights.

"If we look at the data prior to December 6, 2022, (international flight numbers) are still at 10-11 thousand. However, after December 6 there was a significant increase touching 12,400 (flights) per yesterday (11/12/2022), and this figure according to Angkasa Pura will increase until the end of the year," he said.

Meanwhile, the Spokesperson for the National Criminal Code Outreach Team, Albert Aries, added that the Criminal Code Law, which was only ratified on December 6, 2022, has not yet been put into effect in the near future. "The national Criminal Code will only come into effect three years after it is ratified," said Albert. (VOI)

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is committed to supporting Bantul Regency to become a world creative city that is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of crafts and folk arts. The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, in his "Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno" Monday (12/12) said this commitment started with the establishment of Bantul Regency as part of the Indonesian Creative Regency/City (KaTa) ecosystem through Regency/City Self-Assessment activities. Creative Indonesia (PMK3I) with craft as its flagship.

"I wish congratulations and success to Bantul Regency, which has just received the designation of the Indonesian Creative Word for 2022. The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy as the national focal point for UCCN is committed to accompanying Bantul Regency so that it can network at the global level," said Sandiaga Uno.

The potential for handicrafts in Bantul Regency is relatively high among the regencies/cities in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. It is recorded that approximately 70 percent of creative products such as souvenirs being sold in Malioboro come from Bantul Regency. Apart from that, in Bantul there is the Yogyakarta Indonesian Art Institute, a craft community, and a variety of traditions that have survived to this day.

Indonesia itself already has four cities that have received UCCN titles, namely Pekalongan in the craft and folk arts category, Bandung in the design category, Ambon in the music category, and Jakarta in the literature category.

However, if it gains legitimacy from UNESCO, it will certainly have a big impact. Not only in the sustainability and development of creative economic potential, but also indirectly as an effective means of promotion. That way the interest of tourists to come to Indonesia, especially Bantul, will increase and the community will be more prosperous.

Bantul Regent Abdul Halim Muslih admitted that economic growth in crafts and folk arts in Bantul Regency was actually relatively well established. However, if it can enter the world's network of creative cities, then Bantul's economic growth will certainly be more inclusive and sustainable.

In a series of processes towards the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of crafts and folk arts, the Government of Bantul Regency together with all stakeholders organized various activities ranging from seminars, festivals, exhibitions to performances. (VOI)