VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Rice is the staple food of most Indonesians. Therefore, the availability and quality of rice become very important. In general, clean and fragrant white rice is categorized as high quality rice. However, people should be careful and sure of the use of chemicals as rice bleach. The use of rice bleach is certainly not good and harmful to health. To know the existence of bleach in rice, two students of Sebelas Maret University (UNS) Surakarta have created a tool called SCRAPER, orthe Smart Chlorinated Rice Portable Detector based on microcontrol Atmega8535 and Light Dependent Resistor (LDR). They are Intan Mulia Rahayu from Food Science and Technology Studies Faculty of Agriculture and Kevin Ikhwan Muhammad (Chemical Engineering). According to Intan, using chlorine as bleaching agent is very dangerous for health. Chlorine can damage blood cells, disrupt liver function, and damage the respiratory system. When using chlorine reaching 3-5 ppm in rice or even reaching a dose of more than 30 ppm, it can cause death. SCRAPER appears to address market issues about the rampant unscrupulous sellers of rice that deliberately add bleach / chlorine to low quality of rice. With chlorine, the rice looks clean,and white like,the super quality but most consumers cannot distinguish rice that contains bleach or not. This innovation was featured at the Thailand International Inventors Day 2018 International Innovation Competition held at Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC), Thailand from 2-6 February 2018. Both students also won a special award from the World Invention Intellectual Property Association (WIIPA). Intan, who is chairwoman of the research team, said that her side hopes that this innovation tool can be useful for the community in a bid to prevent the consumption of unhealthy rice, and can assist the government in the inspection of rice sellers in the market. The competition was organized by the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) with the International Federation of Inventor's Associations (IFIA) and the World Invention Intellectual Property Association (WIIPA). The Thailand Inventors Day is held annually to showcase the potential of innovation and discoveries from international innovators. The event was attended by 24 countries, including Indonesia, Canada, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Iran and Japan.

Welcome back in Book and Film Review where we will review Indonesian books and films.

We will review an Indonesian novel entitled "Laut Bercerita" or in English "Laut Storytelling" written by Leila S. Chudori. Leila has been well-known for her short stories, novels, and TV drama scripts. She began her career in literature since she was young. Most of her works are about honesty, belief, determination, principle, and sacrifice. Leila had a scholarship in Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific (United World Colleges) in Victoria, Canada. In Canada, she graduated from Political Science and Comparative Development Studies at Trent University.

Since 1989, Leila has been a journalist of Tempo news magazine. The early works of Leila had been written when she was 12 and were published in Si Kuncung, Kawanku, and Hai. In 2009, Leila S. Chudori launched her newest anthology entitled "9 dari Nadira" which was seen by literature critics as a novel and a book entitled "Malam terakhir" by Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia publisher, which was said by Kompas daily as "the return of Indonesian literature's golden child". Later in December 2011, Leila was invited to the Asia Pacific Literary Symposium in Perth; Winternachten Literary Festival by Writers Unlimited in The Hague in 2012; and Leila Chudori Soiree Literature Event held by Indonesia-France Association in Paris also in 2012.

The novel "Laut Bercerita" is about a family who lost, friends who feel empty, a group who favors torture and betrayal, some families who look for the graves of their children, and about an eternal love. This book is also telling about how some students who were involved in the reformation vanished one by one.    

In an evening, at a flat in Jakarta, a student named Biru Laut was arrested by four unknown men. Along with Daniel Tumbuan, Sunu Dyantoro, and Alex Perazon, he was brought to an unknown place. For months, they were locked up, interrogated, hit, kicked, hanged, and electrocuted so that they would answer one important question: who initiated the movement of activists and students at that time.

The family of Arya Wibisono, as usual, on Sunday evening cooked together, making the favorite food of Biru Laut. The father will put one plate for him, one for the mother, one for Biru Laut, and one for the youngest Asmara Jati. They sit and wait. But, Biru Laut never comes home.

Asmara Jati along with Missing Persons Commission led by Awin Pradana tried to look for their lost tracks while recording and studying the testimony of the survivors. Anjani - Laut's girlfriend, the parents, and the wives of the missing activists demanded the answer about their missing families. Meanwhile, Biru Laut from the silent sea bottom told the world a story, about what happened to him and his friends.

Through "Laut Bercerita", Leila, who is also a journalist, tried to arrange the whole events happening in Indonesia during the transition year in 1998. Although Leila changed the characters' names, but most part of the plot was based on the past events.

As the title, "Laut Bercerita" is about Laut storytelling. The main character is Biru Laut, an English literature student in Yogyakarta joined Winatra, a student organization for poor people such as labors and farmers. With all government-opposing actions, Laut and his friends in Winatara and Wirasena organization must live in the shadows. More overly when Winatra was seen as riot mastermind, such as the Dark Saturday - a riot at Indonesian Democratic Party Central Board in Jakarta. In addition, the government publicly listed the activists of Winatra and Wirasena as wanted people.

The story of "Biru Laut" is a fiction, but living in pursuit feels so real. In the chapter of Biru Laut, we were told about struggle and betrayal. But, readers' emotion peaked in Asmara Jati chapter, which was about loss and denial. It shows how the parents of Biru Laut are still in a "cocoon" they made, denying that their son was dead by preparing a plate for Laut during lunch and dinner. Also, it was about how Asmara Jati -the sister tried to get her parents out of the cocoon and face the reality, that Laut is gone and will never return.

Laut is the main character that was depicted realistically by Leila. The book has also been adapted to short films about the victim families of 98 tragedy. Leila cannot tell the whole events of the New Order, but by writing the story of Biru Laut, Leila successfully depicted what happened and the feelings, especially the feelings of the grieving families, with a little spices of friendship, love, and betrayal. Laut lived, and he vanished and died not in simple way. "Laut Bercerita" is a very good history-based book about the dark politics in Indonesia at that time.

Mosaic of the Archipelago is presenting information on Tangerang invites ICLEI to implement low emission development. The second one is that Solok Radjo coffee penetrates the United Nations market. We end Mosaic of Indonesia with the news on Batam is ready to develop Putri island.

The government of Tangerang city, Banten province cooperated with International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) to implement low emission development. The cooperation is marked by signing a Memorandum of Understanding -MoU which is valid until 2020. Mayor of Tangerang, Arief R Wismansyah said in Tangerang on Tuesday (13/2) that Tangerang city and the council will arrange the preparation of urban development program which focuses on low emission development. According to Arief R Wismansyah, the programs are reduction of greenhouse emission, namely by making absorption wells or biopori, regreening and reduction of traffic jam. International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives is an international organization. Its members are cities in the world. It aims at preventing and solving environment’s problems in local, regional and global scope. Representatives of the Council, Slamet Dorayni and Gina Karina conveyed their appreciation on the government of Tangerang city’s commitment to implementing environmentally friendly city. Gina explained, with this cooperation, in the near future, the government of Tangerang city can implement low emission city in effort to be one of environmentally friendly cities in the world, especially in reducing emission.

Solok Radjo of Arabica coffee which in 2018 is able to penetrate the US market. This was stated by Head of Cooperative, Small and Medium Enterprises Office of West Sumatera, Zirma Yusri in Padang on Tuesday (13/2). According to Zirma Yusri, this year, the Arabica coffee will be exported to the USA. The market of the coffee product is higlighted in exhibitions in some countries which introduced the Solok Radjo coffee to the world. In addition, the review from Q grader has helped the introduction of the product to the coffee lovers. Zirma also said that the coffee has typical aroma and taste. It has fresh sour flavor, mixed with sweet flavor. The coffee has also spicy fragrant. The typical taste and aroma have made the coffee popular among the coffee lovers, not only in West Sumatera but also in Indonesia, even in the world. According to Zirma, the Solok Radjo Coffee is developed by a young man, the owner of coffee plantation in  Solok, Alfridiansyah. He has formed a cooperative to ease the product’s processing since 2014. Currently, the cooperative has hundreds of members. Most of them are coffee farmers. Now, the coffee begins to penetrate international market and the farmers in Solok begin to feel the result of their effort.

Batam is ready to develop Putri island. The government of Batam city, Riau islands provided regulation for tourism development in Indonesia's outer island, namely Putri island. This island borders with Singapore and Malaysia. Mayor of Batam, Muhammad Rudi said in Batam on Tuesday(13/2) that  tourism development of Putri island will be harmonized with Zoning Plan of Coastal Zone and Small Islands whose regional regulations are now being drafted by the Riau Provincial Government. The Mayor also said that the city’s government will develop marine tourism, especially to optimize beach as tourism destination and to increase International tourist arrivals. According to the Mayor, there are potential beaches to be developed on the main and supporting islands, including surrounding Putri island. So far, most tourists have come from Singapore and Malaysia to Batam to shop in the city. Mayor Muhammad Rudi emphasized on the government’s seriousness to develop tourism industry and to support the people’s economy. The government of Batam city is improving the city’s infrastructure.  According to Mayor Muhammad Rudi, the main task of the government is to build infrastructure to make tourists feel comfortable during their stay in the outermost city in Indonesia.

That was Mosaic of Archipelago.

Here are the Headlines of several national newspapers published today, February 15 2018.

Media Indonesia wrote “Time to Uphold Commitment for Indonesia.”

Indonesian Chinese Association invited all to have the Chinese New Year 2569 as time to renew and uphold the commitment for Indonesia, based on Pancasila ideology, 1945 Constitutions, and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. The invitation was stated by the Indonesian Chinese Association as a form of love for the country. In the invitation, they reminded that Chinese New Year is a perfect moment to strengthen loyalty to Indonesia, Pancasila, and 1945 Constitutions as guidance for life in diversity. That was stated by Chairman of Indonesian Chinese Association, Teddy Sugianto in Jakarta on Wednesday (14/2). Teddy Sugianto also invited the people to celebrate the Chinese New Year modestly and solemnly, as well as to use it to get closer to God. The Chinese New Year, Teddy Sugianto said, must also be a moment to enhance empathy for all.

While Republika wrote “Indonesian Police Chief Instructed Regional Police to Guard Ulema”.

Indonesian Police Chief Tito Karnavian at the Vice President Office in Jakarta on Wednesday (14/2) said, the police will carry out preventive efforts after the attacks against religious figures recently. He claimed to have instructed the regional police across the country to increase security around worship houses. On the past attacks, Chief Tito Karnavian said the police will investigate more deeply the case to find if the cases are related.

Kompas wrote “House: KPK Must Be Monitored”.

The House of Representatives’ Inquiry Committee suggested Corruption Eradication Commission -KPK to form independent supervisory institution. The institution consisting members from KPK and integrity figures is needed to create check and balance. The supervisory institution forming is one of ten recommendations from the Inquiry Committee and had been announced during House’s Plenary Session in Jakarta, Wednesday (14/2). However, KPK did not attend the session. Instead, KPK sent a letter to the Speaker of the House and Inquiry Committee. In the letter, KPK stated to be appreciating the works of Inquiry Committee, despite of some disagreements on the report. KPK will only carry out relevant recommendations to be implemented in a bid to strengthen the institution and the corruption eradication efforts.