VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

An archive photo: forest fire in West Kalimantan Province. ANTARA PHOTO/Jessica Helena Wuysang/16

The Environmental Affairs and Forestry (LHK) Ministry officially issued a decree (SK) on releasing 6,901 hectares of protected forest area, or 69,011,965 square meters, in Sekadau District, West Kalimantan Province.

"We have good news. We have received a decree from the LHK minister pertaining to the release of protected forest areas," Sekadau District Head Rupinus stated in Sekadau, W Kalimantan on Thursday.

The LHK minister’s decree is a follow up to a proposal submitted by the Sekadau district government several years ago and also a follow up of an event held at the Tugulis Untan Monument in Pontianak in September 2019 when President Joko Widodo handed over a decree on land distribution to the local people, he noted.

In accordance with LHK Ministerial Decree Number 25 / MENLHK / SETJEN / PLA.2 / 6/2020, the government releases a total of 69,011,962 square meters of protected forests located in Mount Naming - Lubuk Lintang - Gunung Burung, Gunung Biwa, Gunung Tinjil Limited Production Forests, Buayan River, Kenyabur River, and Mount Tinjil Permanent Production Forest - Buayan River, Kenyabur River, Betung Mountain, Jabai Mountain, Sekayam River, and Mengkiang River. 

In the near future, the village heads will be invited in Pontianak for the symbolic handover of land from President Joko Widodo through videoconferencing, he stated.

Sekadau is West Kalimantan’s only district to receive land that was initially part of the protected forest area, he pointed out.

Rupinus is optimistic that the community would stand to benefit from the LHK minister's decision to convert the protected forest area into a non-protected one.

"The names of all villages (receiving the land) are listed. It is expected to benefit the community, either for settlements, plantations, or farming," he remarked.

The Sekadau district head spoke of his plan to soon coordinate with the National Land Agency to prioritize the issuance of free certificates for the newly converted land. (ANTARA)

A simulation of COVID-19 handling in Aceh, May 29, 2020. ANTARA PHOTO/Rahmad)

Aceh Provincial Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Response (GTPP) confirmed that no new case of COVID-19 was recorded in Aceh Province’s five districts and cities despite growing number of cases in other regions.

"Zero cases of COVID-19 were recorded only in Southeast Aceh, West Aceh, Aceh Singkil, Nagan Raya, and Subulussalam," the task force's spokesman, Saifullah Abdulgani, stated in Banda Aceh on Thursday.

COVID-19 has spread to 18 districts and five cities in Aceh.

Aceh recorded 45 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, following the spread of COVID-19 to Central Aceh.

"The first three cases of COVID-19 in Central Aceh were part of the 45 new cases reported from 11 districts and cities in Aceh," he noted.

Of the 45 new cases, 11 were reported in Bener Meriah; eight in Aceh Tamiang; six respectively in Bireuen and Aceh Besar; four in Lhokseumawe; three each in Central Aceh and South Aceh; and one respectively in North Aceh, Southwest Aceh, Pidie, and Banda Aceh.

The COVID-19 tally in Aceh reached 238 cases, including 132 people still receiving medical care, 94 people recovering, and 12 people, who succumbed to the disease, he noted.

In the meantime, 43 Indonesian districts and cities have not reported a single case of coronavirus infection and remain free from the pandemic, according to the National Task Force on COVID-19 Response.

“Hence, it turns out that when we delve deeper, there are still 8.4 percent, or around 43 districts and cities in Indonesia, which have never registered COVID-19 cases. It is (their COVID-19 case count) zero,” Dewi Nur Aisyah, a member of the task force's Expert Team, stated at a press conference in Jakarta on July 27, 2020.

According to the task force’s data, 66.3 percent, or some 341 districts and cities, recorded below 100 cases until now.

"This means more than 50 percent of districts and cities in Indonesia (have less than 100 cases),” she remarked. (ANTARA)

Jakarta (VOI News) - Eid al-Adha in Ethiopia falls on Friday (31/07). In contrast to last year, this year the Indonesian Embassy Addis Ababa in Ethiopia did not hold mass Eid al-Adha prayer together at the Indonesian Embassy. Eid al-Adha prayers will only be held on a limited basis by applying health protocols. This was conveyed by the Indonesian Ambassador to Ethiopia concurrently Djibouti and the African Union, Al Busyra Basnur, to Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta, Thursday (07/30). However, Al Busyra Basnur added he and the staff of the embassy still feel the atmosphere of excitement and solemnity of the Eid al-Adha holiday.

"This year we at the Indonesian Embassy in Addis Ababa do not hold Eid Al-Adha prayers together with the Indonesian community as in the previous year because we have to follow the COVID-19 protocol. In this case we must obey orders and regulations set by the Ethiopian government. However, we still feel the atmosphere of festivity and solemnity of Eid al-Adha. We only carry out a limited prayer attended by staff of the Indonesian Embassy," said Al Busyra Basnur.

Ambassador Al Busyra Basnur said there are currently around 150 Indonesian people in Ethiopia and around 6 people in Djibouti, a country located in northern Ethiopia. (VOI / AHM)

Jakarta (VOI News) - Despite of not holding Eid al-Adha mass prayer, the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta this year still carries out the slaughtering of sacrificial animals while still following the health protocol. This was conveyed by Abu Hurairah, Deputy Head of Takmir or Worship Division of the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta to Voice of Indonesia, recently. He said the process of slaughtering sacrificial animals which will take place on Saturday (1/8) will avoid crowds by limiting no more than 50 people and implementing health protocols. For the distribution of sacrificial meat, Abu Hurairah said it would be carried out by delivering it directly to homes and mosques adjacent to the Istiqlal Mosque.

"The distribution of the sacrificial meat is insha Allah, if we start slaughtering on Saturday at 8 am it means after the Dzhuhur prayer, our sacrificial meat can be distributed. As in the previous years, in the past 4 or 5 years, the we no longer distribute coupons to the public, but on the contrary, the committee of the Istiqlal mosque sacrifice committee will deliver the meat to houses, small mosques, or mosques and we prioritize the meat distribution, of course, to the people who live close to the Istiqlal Mosque," said Abu Hurairah..

Abu Hurairah added, until Wednesday (7/29) the number of sacrificial animals received by the Istiqlal Mosque was 18 cows and 11 goats. The sacrificial animals are given by the the community, businessmen, and state officials. (VOI / AHM)