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September
Keeping Neutrality of State Civil Apparatus in Simultaneous Regional Election 2020
Written by nuke
photo : kpu klaten
One of the crucial problems during the regional election that will be simultaneously held in 270 regions on December 9 2020 is not only about people’s participation but also keeping the neutrality of the state civil apparatus. The state civil apparatus’ neutrality is regulated in Law no. 5 year 2014. Article 70 verse 1 of the Law says that state civil apparatus involved in candidates’ campaign can be charged 6-month imprisonment. Based on data from the State Civilian Bureaucracy Commission until August 2020, there were 499 reports on suspected neutrality violations. Then after further investigation, 389 state civil apparatus were proven guilty.
The neutrality violations done by them included giving support for prospective candidates on social media or mass media, introducing prospective candidates through campaign equipment, attending activities that benefit the candidates, declaring themselves as prospective candidates, inviting or intimidating people to support a candidate. State civil apparatus’ neutrality is important to avoid division and conflict of interest, as well as to guarantee the bureaucracy as the keeper of unity in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. Therefore, neutrality must be kept and monitored so that the regional election can be fair and honest between candidates who have power and those who do not possess power relations in a government bureaucracy environment.
Therefore, to keep the state civil apparatus neutral, Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform along with Ministry of Home Affairs, National Civil Service Agency, State Civilian Bureaucracy Commission, and Election Supervisory Board had readied Joint Decree on Guidance for Monitoring State Civil Apparatus Neutrality in Simultaneous Regional Election 2020. The Joint Decree signing was done on September 10 20202 at the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry Office in Jakarta. The Joint Decree aims to be the guidance for government institutions in keeping the neutrality of state civil apparatus, especially during the Simultaneous Regional Election 2020.
Besides, there must be synergy, effectiveness, and efficiency to be created in monitoring the state civil apparatus’ neutrality and realizing legal certainty towards neutrality violation. It is certainly expected that the violation of state civil apparatus neutrality will not happen again or at least is kept at minimum level with the synergic monitoring.
September
Relations between the two neighboring countries, namely Greece and Turkey, have recently deteriorated. The leaders of the two countries even began to discuss the deployment of troops to face each other.
Facing Turkey's military might, Greece said it would strengthen its military with new weapons, increasing troops and developing its defense industry. Greece also mentioned France, which it said would cooperate. As stated by government spokesman, Stelios Petsas, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will announce plans to increase the country’s military strength in his annual economic address this weekend. Greek mass media reported that the Greek government is likely to buy French fighter jets, Rafale, and a frigate.
Greece's tension with Turkey was triggered by a dispute over the boundary of the East Mediterranean Sea which has a lot of hydro-carbon content.
The Turkish government carried out military maneuvers in the disputed region and issued a tense discourse following an agreement between Greece and Egypt over the East Mediterranean. The European Union, as said by its Secretary General Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen, will try to help overcome tensions between the two countries that are members of the European Union.
From an economic point of view, the discourse of fighting against Turkey is likely to further aggravate Greece's economic conditions. Apart from experiencing the burden of having to strengthen the economy, the Greek government is also trying to overcome various problems due to the Corona pandemic. This condition also seems to be used by Turkey to pressure Greece to enter into negotiations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously warned Greece to discuss resolving territorial disputes in the East Mediterranean region.
In fact, it is still open for the two governments to hold talks and find a solution. It is hoped that the two countries will not repeat history. At the beginning of the 20th century, after the first world war, the two of them fought with each other's strengths. This cannot be repeated. Because war everywhere always costs lives, including innocent people, and property. Something no one wants.
September
PHOTO : BRITISH COUNCIL
September 8 is commemorated by the world as International Literacy Day. Since 1967, every year International Literacy Day has been commemorated to remind people of the importance of literacy as a matter of human dignity and rights.
UNESCO notes that there is progress in efforts to eradicate illiteracy. However, currently at least, 773 million adults worldwide still lack basic literacy skills. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia said that the illiteracy rate at the age of 15-59 years in Indonesia reaches 1.78 percent of the total population. When compared with previous years, this figure continues to decline. Director General of Early Childhood Education –PAUDat the Basic Education and Secondary Education Ministry of Education and Culture, Jumeri said that his side is targeting the achievement of illiteracy by 0 percent by 2023.The Illiteracy must be done, although it has to face challenges. Then what efforts should becarried out and what kind of literacy learning program is effective amid the Covid-19 pandemic? Of course, every country has its own answers and methods. Indonesia has chosen “Literacy Learning in the Covid-19 Pandemic, Momentum for Paradigm Change” as the theme for the commemoration of International Literacy Day 2020. This theme refers to the theme carried out by UNESCO, namely, “Literacy Teaching and Learning in the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond with a Particular Focus on The Role of Educators and Changing Pedagogies”.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, various efforts, innovations and participation must be carried out. If in the period before the pandemic, the introduction of literacy at an early age might be mostly done in Early Childhood Education (PAUD) or kindergartens. However nowadays, it is mostly done in the family. Parents can use any method to introduce characters, including through online broadcasts, of course with tight supervision. Currently, a lot of children actually recognize characters through broadcasts on the internet. Direct community participation in the eradication of illiteracy in their neighborhood must be further enhanced. One of them is through reading gardens. With the support of the government, of course the reading gardens in the community will be able to improve their role. In addition to eradicating illiteracy, and creating individuals who can read, write and count, the provision of the reading gardens is one solution to addressing gaps in the distance learning process. The reading gardens can facilitate environmental, character and social learnings for children. Of course, health protocols should not be ignored.
Based on the awareness that literacy is the right of every human being, illiteracy freedom should be the concern of all stakeholders. The involvement of every individual with any method must be boosted. The government support for community participation in literacy eradication could be further improvedby providing financial assistance, training and facilities to people who actively contribute to efforts to eradicate illiteracy. So, zero percent illiteracy in Indonesia in 2023 can be achieved. In the end, this can improve the welfare of the Indonesian people.
September
Air pollution is a problem faced by all countries in the world. Smoke from motor vehicles and factories, as well as forest fires, is the cause of air pollution. At this moment, the situation has become something alarming. In fact, World Health Organization -WHO calls air pollution the silent killer. Various studies show that air pollution can cause serious health problems ranging from damage to cells in the body, stroke, brain cancer, miscarriage, to mental health problems.
How serious the impact of air pollution is that the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) adopted the resolution of International Clean Air Day for blue skies on 19 December 2019. Then, BreatheLife was launched, a joint campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Environment and the Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to mobilize cities and individuals to protect health and the planet from the effects of air pollution. The commemoration of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is observed for the first time today on 7 September 2020.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries in the world carried out lockdowns by implementing stay-at-home policies. This condition causes the air quality in several cities in the world to be better. Air pollution has decreased and the environment has become cleaner than before. However nowadays, when several countries have begun to open up and allow their people to carry out various activities outdoors, air quality has decreased and air pollution has increased again, even in some places more than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Director General of the World Health Organization, António Guterres, in his message on the occasion of International Clean Air Day, said that dramatic and systemic changes are needed by strengthening environmental standards, policies and laws to prevent increased air pollution. He also advised countries of the world to end subsidies for fossil fuels.
Indonesia, which is one of the countries with a high level of pollution, has made efforts to reduce air pollution, especially from motor vehicles. One of them is by developing electric powered cars. Indonesia is considered to have the availability of natural resources that can be utilized to create independence in the development of electric vehicle batteries.
Given the importance of using environmentally friendly energy for vehicles, it is time for the community to gradually switch to reducing the use of fossil fuels, using electricity, also new and renewable energy.
Efforts to create clean air free of pollution can be done not only by the government but also the people by reducing the use of motor vehicles and switching to public transportation. Besides, there must be planting more trees, quitting smoking and not burning trash. Hopefully, the efforts made, both by the government and people, can reduce air pollution and can create clean air for the blue skies.
September
Last week, Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe officially announced his resignation from office for health reasons. He said that he did not want his illness to interfere with making decisions and apologized to the Japanese people for not being able to complete his term of office.
Shinzo Abe is Japan's longest serving non-stop prime minister since being appointed in 2012.
Japan is a country that is often marked by resignation of officials. The culture of shame and guilt runs deep in their lives. If a public official is guilty, he or she will automatically resign from his or her position. Take for instance the case of Shinzo Abe. Because of being ill, he felt that he was not able to carry out his duties optimally. So, he decided to resign.
Some literatures explain that Bushido, which is said to be the basis of ethics for the Japanese population, is the root of the frequent resignation of public officials. One of the values in Bushido is Meiyo, namely maintaining a good name and self-respect by having respectful behavior. So, it is not surprising that many Japanese leaders prefer to resign honorably if they make mistakes.
In 2010, for example, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama resigned because he failed to fulfill his promise during an election campaign to move US military bases out of Okinawa.
After Yukio Hatoyama's resignation, the position of Prime Minister of Japan was then filled by Naoto Kan. But after one year in charge, Naoto Kan also decided to resign because he felt he had failed to restore Japan after being hit by a tsunami in March 2011 which caused a nuclear crisis. Shinzo Abe was promoted to become Prime Minister in 2012, but finally he also decided to resign for reasons of health that made him unable to carry out his duties properly.
Shinzo Abe's resignation sparked a vote within the LDP Party to replace him as chairman. This election will be followed by a vote in parliament to determine the figure to replace as prime minister until Abe's term ends in September 2021.
Whoever replaces Shinzo Abe later will be faced with a very difficult task. Japan, like other countries in the world, is on the verge of a recession. The Japanese economy was minus 2.2% in the first quarter of 2020, while in the second quarter, it was minus 7.8%. The economic growth in the second quarter was the worst decline since 1980. It is hoped that Shinzo Abe's successor will be able to pass through the needle hole of the world recession and bring Japan to a better condition.
September
The cohesiveness of Arab states to support Palestine is being tested. After successfully establishing good relations with the United Arab Emirates, Israel is reportedly continuing to make approaches to other Arab countries. In Abu Dhabi for the first time, the Israeli flag was raised. It occurred when the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the United States high ranking officials met for the first time after the inaugural landing of an Israeli aircraft at Abu Dhabi international airport.
The trilateral meeting of the UAE, Israel and the United States in Abu Dhabi is a follow-up to the peace agreement between the UAE and Israel which was concluded two weeks ago. Abu Dhabi's decision has greatly disappointed Palestine as shown by the withdrawal of the Palestinian Ambassador from the United Arab Emirates. Palestinians regret the change in attitude of the United Arab Emirates that agreed to normalize relations with Israel last August 13. This action is considered a betrayal by the Palestinian people.
The remorse of the Palestinians for the United Arab Emirates may continue. Israel reportedly is making approaches to various other Arab countries. An Israeli official said it was possible that Bahrain, Oman and Sudan would follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates. This may become a reality because Israel's move is fully supported by the United States, which is its main ally.
If that happens, then the struggle of the Palestinian people to achieve a truly sovereign state will become even harder. Diplomatic steps need to be optimized. Good relations with countries that support it must be maintained through diplomacy and other strategic steps.
August
A wave of rejection of the omnibus law on the Work Creation Bill occurred again last week, in line with the ongoing discussions by the House of Representatives -DPR. This rejection apparently came from the concern that the design would harm workers, farmers, fishermen, including office workers.
Broadly speaking, there are several articles that are feared to threaten workers if the Job Creation Bill is passed. There are related to the reduction of rest time, the elimination of long leave, the hourly wage payment scheme and the stipulation of timeframes for a certain time work agreement or contract workers.
There are two points that will have a direct impact on the wage system for workers. They are the standard wage based on the unit of time and the unit of yield. Many think that this wage scheme will be the basis for companies to enforce hourly wage calculations.
The Job Creation Bill also changes the terms of time for fixed-term work agreements or contract workers.
The regulations regarding work agreements in the Job Creation Bill are considered to be detrimental to workers because of the unequal power relations in making agreements. The term of the contract will be in the hands of the employers, which can even make the contract status last for good. Employers can at any time dismiss contract workers as long as they provide compensation in accordance with the additional provisions in article 61A, which are not contained in the Manpower Law.
In fact, companies and workers need to build equal, mutually beneficial and harmonious relationships, because both sides need each other.
August
Hurricane Laura hit Texas and Louisiana, United States, with full force or category 4, damaging homes and buildings, even resulting in death. The wind blew up to a speed of 150 miles or about 240 kilometers per hour on Thursday (27/8/2020) at around 01.00 am local time. Laura became the most powerful hurricane to hit Louisiana, even surpassing Katrina, which hit the US in 2005. This disaster evacuation process was also complicated by the Covid-9 pandemic which was also endemic in Texas and Louisiana.
Truly, 2020 is an extraordinary year. Before various countries were hit by the Covid-19 outbreak, since early 2020, at least there have been several major natural disasters that have occurred and affected the world. Take for example, forest and land fires in Australia, glaciers in New Zealand that turned brown, Mount Taal eruption in the Philippines, melting of glaciers in the Himalayas and several other incidents, including massive floods in Jakarta at the beginning of the year. Almost all observers of environmental and climate issues agree that extreme conditions in all parts of the world have something to do with climate change and global warming.
The climate crisis can actually be minimized if the targets of the Paris agreement on the environment can be achieved by all parties, especially those bound by the agreement to reduce the rate of global temperature rise to below 2 degrees. Even, it is more ambitious below 1.5 degrees and it must be implemented through each country's NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution).
Each country should take a major role in contributing to the problem of the climate crisis because it affects lives and global disasters. In addition, to stop or reduce climate change, mitigation measures must also be taken by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases that cause climate change, which must be done decisively and wisely, especially by big countries.
Hurricane Laura, which hit amid Covid-19 pandemic, is yet again a reminder of how nature calls for comprehensive improvement. It is time for humans to improve a way of life that is more friendly to nature, in order to reduce the possibility of the next disaster.
August
Israel Military Attack On The Palestinian Settlement
Written by Nouvarah Ahdiba
Tensions between Israel and Palestine in the West Bank have escalated coinciding with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Israel. Using military troops, Israel attacked Palestinian settlements in the eastern part of Ramallah on the West Bank, Tuesday, August 25. This aggressive action was carried out on the grounds that Palestinians built housing without permission. Reports say the attack was carried out before sunrise. 200 Palestinians have indeed built settlements in Wadi Al Siq, the East Ramalah area, which is in area C.
In 1995 Palestine and Israel through an agreement in Oslo, Norway agreed that the West Bank is divided into three areas namely Area A, B, and C. The Palestinian Authority controls Area A which covers 18 percent of the territory of the West Bank, Area B which covers about 21 percent is under the Israeli and Palestinian civil security administrations. The remainder is included in Area C, which represents 61 percent of the territory under Israeli control.
Almost simultaneously with the attacks on Palestinians in area C, the Israeli military also bombed militia groups' positions in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army argued that the reason was because Palestinians had launched incendiary balloons at southern Israeli farms the day before. The bomb attack, which was intended to retaliate for the incendiary balloon launch, was carried out for two consecutive days.
The actions of Israeli military in both area C and the Gaza strip were carried out in conjunction with the visit of the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. It should be noted, this visit was carried out not long after an agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates normalizing diplomatic relations was signed.
It seems, that apart from security reasons, the Israeli authorities' aggressive actions by means of their troops may have political aims. To its staunch ally, Israel wants to show its strength and power. Namely by carrying out military attacks, arguing that there were acts of provocation by Palestinians. Israel continues to try to convince the United States, its ally, that its position in the dispute with Palestine is getting stronger. (kbl/art)
August
Productive Assistance to Generate Micro and Small Enterprises
Written by Nouvarah Ahdiba
President Joko Widodo launched the productive presidential assistance (banpres) program for micro businesses at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday (24/8). This assistance is aimed at providing additional working capital for micro and small entrepreneurs in Indonesia. The target is that there are 12 million micro and small businesses that will receive the assistance worth Rp 2.4 million. Handing over the assistance symbolically, President Joko Widodo emphasized that the assistance provided is a grant.
The criteria to receive this productive assistance are micro and small businesses, banking customers or financial institutions with deposits below Rp 2 million. Another criterion is that they do not have credit in banks or other financial institutions. For them, this productive program is certainly a refreshing injection, and it is hoped that it can make them stronger in doing their businesses.
Facts reveal that since Covid-19 hit Indonesia, micro and small businesses in Indonesia have become one of the forefronts affected by the impact. Large-Scale Social Restrictions –PSSB causes the income they get to be increasingly limited. Of the approximately 63 million micro and small enterprises, it is estimated that 50 percent would be directly affected. The steps taken by the government are expected to increase the capital of micro and small businesses so that they rise from the impact.
The micro and small entrepreneurs are indeed the first to be saved so that they can revive much strongly to support the Indonesian economy. Lookingback two decades ago, when Indonesia faced economic crises in 1998 and 2008, The micro and small entrepreneurs actually became one of the sectors that supported and contributed to the stability of the Indonesian economy.
The revival of the micro and small entrepreneurs cannot rely only on the government. The involvement of other stakeholders is certainly needed, including e-commerce players or market places. They can provide technical guidance to the micro and small businesses by using technology to market their products. The hope is that their business products can dominate the marketplace to replace imported products. Of course, the most important thing is the business players. They must develop themselves and make innovations to respond to the challenges they are facing.
Hopefully, this productive presidential assistance will be the right vaccine for the micro and small businesses not only to rise from hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but to have a positive impact in the long term. (rhm)