VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Jakarta: Chairman of the Hong Kong and Macau Foreign Election Committee (PPLN), Agustinus Guntoro, said the PPLN Hong Kong and Macau hopes that employers who employ Indonesian migrant workers can give permission to exercise their voting rights in the upcoming 2024 General Election. In addition, according to him, PPLN has also communicated with migrants agencies to inform the employers about the importance of the 2024 Election for migrants.

"We have made letters in English and Chinese addressed to employers. We have gathered the migrants agents," he said at the Smart Voting Movement Workshop organized by RRI Voice of Indonesia in Hong Kong, Sunday (24/9/2023).

He explained that migrant workers in Hong Kong and Macau can exercise their voting rights in the upcoming elections by voting directly and by post.

As of April 2023, the Permanent Voter List registered at PPLN Hong Kong and Macau reached 164,691. According to Agustinus Guntoro, the number is still increasing with the arrival of new Indonesian migrant workers, including the arrival of Indonesian tourists to Hong Kong and Macau.

"All newly arrived Indonesian citizens, if they bring a letter of transfer to vote from Indonesia, it is actually easy to be processed into DPT here. But if they don't bring a transfer letter, they can still be registered as voters," he concluded. (VOI/Andy)

VOInews, Hong Kong: Preparations for the 2024 general elections are underway abroad, including Hong Kong and Macau in China. Currently, the Hong Kong and Macau Overseas Election Committees (PPLN) are in the verification and socialization stages.

"Until today and then there is still data processing, data verification. Then at this time we are still busy with socialization activities," said Chairman of PPLN Hong Kong and Macau Agustinus Guntoro at the Smart Voting Movement (GCM) Workshop at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) Hong Kong, Sunday (24/9/2023).

Guntoro said, since last April PPLN Hong Kong and Macau had completed the voter data collection process. A total of 164,691 Indonesian citizens have been recorded in the Permanent Voters List (DPT) in Hong Kong and Macau. Unlike the data collection in Indonesia, he admitted that his party encountered its own challenges, such as data verification.

"The obstacle is in data verification, in updating the data. We, through pantarlih (Voter Data Updating Officers), volunteers, and ourselves can only do it when our friends are out of the house, on holidays, which are usually Sundays," he continued.

Guntoro said that socialization is the key to solving voter problems in the field. His party now claims to have carried out various socialization methods, such as through social media, advertisements in newspapers, to souvenirs. In addition, PPLN Hong Kong and Macau also attended socialization invitations, both from the Consulate General and community organizations.

In addition to PPLN, the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong also conducted socialization. Acting Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong and Macau Slamet Noegroho socializes elections at every activity organized by the Consulate General.

"We have programs, in which we socialize elections. The difference is, we adjust it to the audience we are targeting. For example, workshops or consular stalls with PMI," he said.

Meanwhile, IDN Global Chapter Hong Kong-Macau Founding Chair Nathalia Widjaja mentioned issues that could affect voter participation. Especially in Hong Kong and Macau, where less than 50% of Indonesian citizens voted in the 2019 elections. One of them is the matter of moving voter data for most Indonesian citizens, who are Indonesian migrant workers (PMI).

"PMI said, it is not allowed to use the employer's address directly (to send ballots). This is related to data transfer and data recording. (Moreover) they do not immediately report themselves (to the Consulate General when there is such a problem)," she said.

Nathalia also highlighted the need for socialization to prospective voters, especially regarding postal elections. The postal method is one of the methods applied by the Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau, apart from at polling stations. According to him, PPLN needs to socialize how to submit requests to vote by post, cast ballots, and return them to PPLN.

The GCM workshop was organized and broadcast by RRI Voice of Indonesia, in collaboration with the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong. The 2.5-hour event was part of LPP Radio Republik Indonesia's Smart Voting Movement. This movement is an election literacy movement so that prospective voters use their voting rights properly in the upcoming 2024 elections. (VOI/Rama)

VOInews, Jakarta: Ahead of the 2024 General Elections, both executive and legislative, Radio Republic of Indonesia (RRI) Program and Production Director Mistam urged Indonesian citizens in Hong Kong to look at the actions and ideas of all candidates participating in the 2024 elections.

"Starting now, all of you are searching, who is the presidential candidate that suits your conscience. The track record is searched, then our representatives are all searching," the Program and Production Director said in his remarks at the Smart Voting Movement Workshop organized by RRI Voice of Indonesia, in Hong Kong, Sunday (24/9/2023).

Mistam advised Indonesian voters in Hong Kong not to make the wrong choice of the nation's successor leader because, the future of Indonesia is determined by the choice of Indonesian citizens wherever they are.

"The brothers and sisters in Indonesia have declared that we are not only limited to giving love to the family. But also give love to the people in our hearts, who are the people in our hearts," said Mistam.

Then, Mistam hopes that RRI's GCM activities in Hong Kong can clarify Indonesian citizens' knowledge about the 2024 Election. Moreover, RRI always presents credible sources in accordance with their fields.

"So that later when choosing it is in accordance with our conscience. RRI is once again present to provide accurate and objective information," he concluded. (VOI/Ranov)

VOINews, Jakarta - The 2024 General Election, both executive and legislative, is getting closer. Currently, the phases/stages for overseas elections are underway, starting from the formation of the Overseas Elections Committee (PPLN), voter registration, and updating voter data.

The Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) projects that there will be almost two million overseas voters in the 2024 elections. This number is not much different from the 2019 election, namely 2,058,191. Of this number, around 200 thousand people live in the working area of the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau.

According to the Director of Voice of Indonesia, the Overseas Service of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), Soleman Yusuf, Indonesian citizens abroad, including in Hong Kong and Macau, need to know and understand the important value of holding elections.

For this reason, through the Sarasehan Gerakan Cerdas Memilih (Discussion on Smart Vote Movement) which is held in collaboration with the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, Voice of Indonesia will play its role as government media to educate voters about the importance of elections.

"The Discussion on Smart Voting Movement seeks to provide education and literacy to Indonesian people abroad, including nearly 200 thousand people living in Hong Kong and Macau," said Soleman.

He also said that the active participation of Indonesian voters living overseas in electing the nation's leader in the General Elections on February 14, 2024 will be very important in determining the future of the nation and state.

"Electing our nation's leaders determines the sustainability of our future," he added.

He also said that the discussion is Voice of Indonesia's commitment to assist voters, especially young voters, to become good Indonesian citizens (WNI), by providing correct, educational and intelligent information regarding the 2024 elections.

"In order for our citizens to become intelligent voters, they must understand the rules, the process, and understand what kind of leader candidate they want to elect. So, it is the task of Voice of Indonesia RRI to present correct information," said Soleman.

The discussion, SARASEHAN GERAKAN CERDAS MEMILIH which was held at the Hall of the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, on Sunday 24 September 2023, raised the theme "Towards Smart Voters". This theme will be discussed by the speakers; Acting Indonesian Consul General for Hong Kong and Macau Slamet Nugroho, Chairman of Hong Kong Foreign Overseas Election Committee Agustinus Guntoro, Member of Hong Kong Overseas Elections Supervisory Committee Yessi Kapitan, and Founding Chair of IDN Global Chapter Hong Kong and Macau Nathalia Widjaja.

Apart from that, the discussion will also be attended by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of LPP (Public Broadcasting Service) Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) Anwar Mujahid Adhy Trisnanto, LPP RRI Program and Production Director Mistam, Director of Voice of Indonesia Soleman Yusuf, as well as approximately 150 participants representing Indonesian Students Association, Indonesian Migrant Workers and the Indonesian Community in Hong Kong.// VOI/DP/EDT