VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Muhammad Ali speaks to the press after honoring President Joko Widodo with the Hiu Kencana Honorary Brevet at the Military Sea Command Headquarters, North Jakarta, Saturday (September 28, 2024). (ANTARA/Rangga Pandu A J/rst)

VOI News, Jakarta: President Joko Widodo  emphasized the importance of domestically developing defense equipment, particularly submarine fleets, according to a senior navy official. Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali made the statement after bestowing the Hiu Kencana Honorary Brevet on the president at the Military Sea Command Headquarters in North Jakarta on Saturday as reported by Antara News Agency (28/9).

"The president instructs us to always prioritize the domestic manufacture of these ships," Muhammad Ali conveyed.

Amid the planning to procure submarines from France, the admiral affirmed that cooperation would be established with state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL for the production of Indonesian ships and defense equipment to develop this project.

"This is a joint venture between Naval Group and PT PAL to build the latest Scorpène® Evolved submarine equipped with advanced propulsion and weaponry technology," Admiral Muhammad Ali pointed out.

He further expressed hope that this cooperation would strengthen the capabilities of the Indonesian Navy and support the independence of the national defense industry.

"This Scorpène® submarine is the evolved one, the most recent release, which is quite sophisticated in terms of propulsion and weaponry," he highlighted.

On Saturday, President Jokowi was bestowed the Hiu Kencana honorary brevet as a mark of appreciation for his support for the Navy.

"The president has helped the Navy and Submarine Unit in improving and building the strength of the submarine fleet," Ali remarked.

The Hiu Kencana Honorary Brevet was also conferred on Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who was also present at the event.

According to Admiral Muhammad Ali, President Jokowi has played a significant role in strengthening Indonesia's submarine fleet through policies applied along with Minister Prabowo.

He also noted that the awarding of this honorary brevet is in keeping with the tradition since almost all Indonesian presidents, including Soekarno, Soeharto, Habibie, Megawati, and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, have received the same award. (Antara)

The Kamojang Geothermal Power Plant operated by PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy in Bandung District, West Java. ANTARA/HO-PGE/am.

VOI News, Jakarta: Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia is upbeat about Indonesia mobilizing its profuse natural resources to contribute notably to the global efforts aimed at achieving the net-zero emissions target by 2060.

"Our country is blessed with an enormous amount of natural resources. We have quite abundant renewable energy sources," Minister Bahlil conveyed in a statement received from his office in Jakarta on Friday.

As quoted by Antara News Agency on Friday (20/9), speaking at an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) awarding ceremony  on Thursday (September 19), Lahadalia affirmed that the transition to the more intensive use of new and renewable energy has become inevitable in countries across the globe.

Hence, to this end, the minister underscored the need for Indonesia to assume a strategic role by exerting even greater efforts to preserve the environment and promote the utilization of clean energy.

"Nowadays, talks across the world revolve around green energy and industry, placing focus on long-term sustainability. With that in mind, I believe we have no choice (but to transition). It is necessary to pay closer attention to environmentally friendly development going forward," he said.

The minister also pointed out that in European countries, financial services institutions had begun to embrace the transition to green energy by necessitating people to obtain recommendations from environmental bodies before they could receive financial support.

Indonesia has an enormous new and renewable energy potential of 3,687 gigawatts (GW), comprising 95 GW of hydropower, 3,294 GW of solar power, 57 GW of bioenergy, 24 GW of geothermal energy, 155 GW of wind energy, and up to 63 GW of sea wave power electrification potential.

Furthermore, the Indonesian government has emphasized its commitment to cutting carbon emissions by at least 912 million tons by 2030 in the Enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (ENDC) document.

Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, Admiral Muhammad Ali, delivering a press statement after the launch of two domestically manufactured offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) in Bandarlampung, Lampung province, on Friday (September 20, 2024). (ANTARA/Dian Hadiyatna)

VOI News, Jakarta: The Indonesian Navy is helping support the domestic industry by involving it in the modernization of defense equipment.

As quoted by Antara News Agency on Friday (20/9), Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Muhammad Ali, delivered the remarks after inducting two domestically manufactured offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) into the naval fleet.

"It shows our support for the domestic shipping industry, as 75 percent of the materials in the construction of these ships are all from within the country," he conveyed at the launch of the new ships at a shipyard in Bandar Lampung city, Lampung, on Friday.

The construction of OPV warships is a strategic step taken by the Navy and the Ministry of Defense to increase operational capacity and capability in facing increasingly complex maritime threats, he informed.

"Of course, as a maritime country with great maritime potential, Indonesia cannot escape from various consequences as well as strategic challenges," he explained.

Indonesia's geographical location and marine wealth have made the archipelago vulnerable to maritime security disturbances, Navy Chief of Staff pointed out.

"It includes violations of territory and natural resources. To face these challenges, the Indonesian Navy continues to strive to strengthen and build its strength," Ali expounded.

Therefore, the Navy will continue to modernize its equipment to maintain the sovereignty and security of Indonesian waters.

"The defense equipment modernization program is also in line with the long-term strategic plan that aims to realize a modern Indonesian Navy that is regionally fearsome and has global projections," Ali said.

The Navy has strengthened its combat fleet by adding two OPV warships made by the domestic shipping industry — KRI Lukas Rumkorem-392 and KRI Raja Haji Fisabilillah-391.

The two OPVs will operate at Koamarda III in the eastern waters of Papua. 

Regional Administration Development Acting Director General Amran. (ANTARA/HO-Humas Kemendagri)

VOI News, Jakarta: The Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs is collaborating with several government agencies for the certification of customary lands owned by customary communities across Indonesia.

As reported by Antara News Agency on Saturday (14/9), the agencies working with the ministry include the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

"By exchanging information and experiences in handling customary land issues, we expect that problems or obstacles in registering customary land can be resolved collaboratively," noted Acting Director General of Regional Administration Development, Amran, in a statement from his office on Saturday. To emphasize the authority of regional governments in determining customary lands, the ministry’s Directorate General of Regional Administration Development held a coordination meeting on Thursday (September 12) to establish a Customary Land Data and Information System.

In addition to sharing experiences, this cooperation aims to ensure that all ministries can align their data on customary land areas owned by customary communities.

Each agency will also synchronize regulations to expedite the completion of customary land certification.

In the statement, Head of the Sub-Directorate of Customary Land and Communal Rights of the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Setyo Anggraini highlighted the myriad benefits that customary communities stand to garner if they certify their customary land. She noted that certification will provide legality for their land, thereby reducing future disputes. Furthermore, it will strengthen the communities' position in the event of any land-related issues arising in the future.

“With this certification, the government believes that the customary communities' rights to land ownership will remain guaranteed, which represents a form of the government's recognition of the existence of customary communities in the country," she pointed out.