VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia's charismatic Muslim preacher Sheikh Ali Jaber passed away at Jakarta's Yarsi Hospital on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. local time.

Syekh Ali Jaber Foundation Chairman Habib Abdurrahman Alhabsyi announced the demise of this popular Muslim preacher and ulema on the foundation's official Instagram account that ANTARA quoted here on Thursday.

Alhabsyi revealed that Sheikh Ali Jaber had tested negative for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) prior to his death. He was hospitalized since December 29, 2020.

"We sincerely pray for him to return to his Rabb (Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala)," he remarked while urging Muslim communities to prayer for him and forgive the faults he might have ever committed.

Indonesia's several news media outlets widely reported Ali Jaber's demise.

Born in Medina, Saudi Arabia, on Feb 3, 1976, Sheikh Ali Jaber, whose full name is Ali Saleh Mohammed Ali Jaber, was widely known as a Muslim preacher and ulema.

Ali Jaber holds an Indonesian citizenship. He is popular among Indonesian Muslims as a juror of Quran memorization contests on the country's TV stations.

In September last year, this popular Muslim cleric attracted the attention of the Indonesian public and media as well as foreign media outlets after a young man assaulted him at Falahudin Mosque in Bandar Lampung City.

Sheikh Ali Jaber survived the knife attack that occurred while he was attending an Islamic mass gathering at the mosque in the Suka Jawa neighborhood of Tanjung Karang Barat Sub-district, Bandar Lampung City, Lampung, on September 13, 2020.

However, this popular ulema suffered a minor injury to his right arm in the sudden attack launched by Alfin Andrian, 24, while he was conversing onstage with two of the event's participants.

According to a video of the incident circulated on a YouTube channel, Andrian, who reportedly resides in proximity to the mosque, was caught by several participants of the event shortly after attacking Ali Jaber.

Tanjung Karang Barat Police Chief Adjunct Commissioner David Sianipar stated that Sheikh Ali Jaber was admitted to the Gedong Air Public Health Center for administering medical treatment for the wound he incurred during the stabbing incident while the attacker was detained. (antaranews)

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, held a bilateral meeting Wednesday (13/1/2021) afternoon, at the Pancasila Building, Jakarta.

Wang Yi's visit to Indonesia is the first time in early 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A number of issues were discussed by the two Foreign Ministers, related to cooperation in the sectors of the economy, health, protection of Indonesian crews (ABK), to the stability of the South China Sea.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia was interested in working together in the health sector, as an effort to build national health resilience.

"In the future, I convey to State Councillor Wang Yi, Indonesia's plans to build national health resilience, among others, through the independence of the drug industry, medicinal raw materials, and medical devices. Indonesia intends to collaborate with China and other countries in relation to this plan, "said Retno Marsudi, when giving a press statement on Wednesday (13/1/2021) online.

Retno added that the PRC is an Indonesian partner related to health sector cooperation since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"From the bilateral side, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have collaborated with various countries, including China, in the field of providing diagnostic tools, therapeutics, and vaccines," added Retno.

In the trade cooperation sector, according to Retno, China is expected to provide a way out of the obstacles that are still being faced.

"Apart from that, I have also underlined the importance of overcoming trade barriers, especially, I mentioned, market access for Indonesia's top exports to China, for example fishery products, tropical fruit, swallow's nest, and of course palm oil," said Retno.

He said that Indonesia encouraging economic cooperation would create a friendly environment and absorb Indonesian workers.

"In the context of economic cooperation, it is important to continue to improve investment cooperation that is quality, environmentally friendly, and which can absorb Indonesian workers," he explained.

At the meeting that took place in Jakarta, the two parties also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to Increase Joint Activities between the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC.

Also, the Lambakan Dam Feasibility Study document in East Kalimantan.

The percentage of Indonesia's exports to China throughout 2020 is said to have increased by up to 10% when the global economy is facing severe shocks due to the pandemic.

The two foreign ministers also discussed regional and global issues, one of which was related to the South China Sea (SCS).

Retno Marsudi emphasized the importance of maintaining the SCS as a peaceful and stable sea.

"To achieve this, there is only one thing that must be done by all countries, namely respecting and implementing international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS," said Retno. (RRI)

China has signaled that it will continue negotiations on the code of conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea (SCS) with ASEAN countries.

“Indonesia and China are the two largest maritime countries in the South China Sea. We will again comply with the principles of consultation, "said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Wednesday (13/1/2021), at the Pancasila Building, Jakarta.

ASEAN and China previously agreed on the CoC framework in 2020.

Wang Yi said China would continue the CoC consultation and fully implement the Behavior of the Parties in the South China Sea (DoC) with ASEAN countries.

“We will work with ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the DoC. And, it will effectively increase CoC consultation, ”said Wang Yi.

Wang Yi added, his party ensures that it is committed to building regional rules that are in line with international law in the SCS through the CoC.

"Together to build regional rules that are in line with effective and substantive international law to protect the peace and stability of the SCS," he explained. At the bilateral meeting, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi also emphasized the importance of maintaining the SCS as a peaceful and stable sea.

"To achieve this there is only one thing that must be done by all countries, namely respecting and implementing international law including the 1982 UNCLOS," said Retno Marsudi.

A number of ASEAN countries through which the SCS has long opposed the principle of the "nine dashed line" which China claims unilaterally.

Indonesia under President Joko Widodo's administration initiated the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, with the main objective of promoting the principles of openness, inclusiveness, transparency, respect for international law and ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific region.

Indirectly, ASEAN emphasized that it must continue to prioritize openness and centrality in dispelling various major powers in the Indo-Pacific region.

Wang Yi stated that in the bilateral meeting with Retno Marsudi, he also discussed the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

"Also, I also discussed with the Indonesian Foreign Minister about the ASEAN outlook on the IndoPacific. And from our comprehensive and strategic partnership, we discussed these issues and increased mutual understanding of these issues, "said Wang Yi.

The SCS, which is a region in the Indo-Pacific, has often become a "battleground" between the United States and China with their respective claims to maintain stability in these waters.

Meanwhile, the Code of Conduct (CoC) or code of ethics of the parties in the SCS is currently still in the discussion stage between ASEAN and China.

The CoC itself was first proposed by ASEAN when the concept was ratified in 1996 with Singapore presenting the framework at the 2018 ASEAN Summit. (RRI)

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi affirmed that procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine, through the COVAX global facility, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Vaccines Alliance (GAVI), will be sooner, in the 2021 second quarter.

"We see a trend of progress [...] if initially the vaccine, via the multilateral route, would only be available in the third quarter or fourth quarter, then in recent communications (with the WHO and GAVI), multilateral vaccines are likely to be available in the second quarter of 2021," Marsudi notified reporters on Wednesday.

To gain access to the COVID-19 vaccine from GAVI, Indonesia, included in 92 low- and middle-income nations, will be assisted by donor countries through the funding mechanism of COVAX AMC.

Indonesia has made the submissions required by the COVAX Facility: an expression of interest letter on October 16, 2020; a request for technical assistance form on November 27, 2020; and a request form for vaccine part A on December 7, 2020, and followed by a part B vaccine request form related to indemnification on January 8, 2021.

The next submission by Indonesia is a form of a cold chain equipment (CCE) support request related to the technical capacity of providing vaccine cooling systems in the first quarter of 2021.

As one of the advance market commitment (AMC) countries, Indonesia has the opportunity to obtain vaccines, with full subsidies, for 20 percent of the total population, or some 54 million people.

By signing the part B vaccine form, Indonesia has the opportunity to receive up to 108 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX Facility.

Vaccine deliveries from the COVAX Facility will be gradual, at three percent, in the first quarter of 2021 and proportionately to the 92 AMC countries.

Earlier, 1.2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine arrived in the country and are currently awaiting permission from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM).

Hartarto noted that 1.8 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine are expected to arrive in January 2021 along with raw materials for producing 15 million doses of the vaccine. (antaranews)