VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The President expressed his appreciation for his staff both at central and local level for the achievement to reduce the number of Forest fire. Nevertheless, he cautioned that this handling and prevention should be intensified.

President Joko Widodo Tuesday morning led the National Coordination Meeting on Forest and Land Fire Control of 2018. The coordination meeting attended by several regional heads and police and military devices from the region was held at Istana Negara, Jakarta, on Tuesday, February 6, 2018.

The handling of forest and land fires by the government and its staff in recent times has made significant progress. Data obtained by the President mentions that the number of hotspots in the forest and land fires subscription area is further reduced.

"According to the data given to me and earlier it has been reported by the Coordinating Minister for Economy, there is a very significant reduction of hotspot.In 2015 there were 21,929 hotspots. In 2016 it dropped drastically to 3915. In 2017 it dropped to 2,567 hotspots," he said.

In the event which was also attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, the President expressed his appreciation for his staff both at the central and local level for the achievement. Nevertheless, he cautioned that this handling and prevention should be intensified.

President Joko Widodo does not want to compromise in case of forest fires and unrestrained land in 2018. Specifically for police and military devices, strict sanctions await them. ( biro pers ) 

Indonesia is a country that lives in diversity, having more than 1,100 regional languages, 714 tribes and six official religions, namely Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. This diversity and difference, of course, requires a sense of mutual understanding. Otherwise, it will lead to friction that sometimes triggers disunity.

Islam becomes the majority religion, with the number of believers in Indonesia reaching 88 percent. However, this does not mean that Islam controls all aspects of socio-political life, nation and state. Muslims in Indonesia are very concerned about harmony among religious followers and they have a high tolerance of other faiths.

So far, Islamic scholars or ulamas are considered very instrumental in maintaining harmony and diversity in Indonesia. Throughout the history of the founding of Indonesia, they have been able to maintain the unity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia -NKRI. Their contribution in maintaining unity is also unquestionable. It is not surprising that President Joko Widodo in his speech at Haul Majemuk Masyayikh at Pesantren (Ponpes) Salafiyah Syafi'iyah Sukorejo, Situbondo, East Java on Saturday (03 Feb), said that the preservation of Indonesia's diversity is due to the major role of the ulamas.

The role of the ulamas became a decisive factor in several heroic events prior to and after the proclamation of Indonesian independence. Ahead of the proclamation of independence, the involvement of KH Abdul Wahid Hasyim, the founder of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Islamic organization, in the Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI) has an important meaning in maintaining cultural, ethnic and even religious diversity. The tough debate about the Jakarta Charter at that time could be solved well, because of its broad Islamic views, without having to be trapped in the formalization of religious teachings.

In addition, after the proclamation, when there were many separatists in various regions in Indonesia, who want to separate themselves from the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, Islamic scholars have played a major role in maintaining, and upholding Indonesia’s unity.

Indonesia is a country with belief in one God, humanity, and a sense of unity and it always tries to solve problems through deliberation, and social justice. It is the duty of the Indonesian nation to keep the state based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitutions ass mandated by the founders of the nation who have struggled to fight for the sovereignty of the nation and the state in the sense of ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’ or Unity in Diversity’.

Two new comic books were launched on Sunday February 4^th in Jakarta to encourage young Indonesians to visit museums and learn about their culture and heritage. The books were published by a group called the Culture and Museum Lovers of Indonesia (KPBMI) that held a launch party for the books at the National Museum in Central Jakarta. The group's chairman Dhanu Wibowo said that the group worried that young people no longer care about their culture and history, and don't like going to museums. The group want to entice them back to museums, and not just to take selfies. The comics, "Ayo ke Museum" (Let's Go to the Museum) and "Cagar Budaya" (Cultural Heritage), were both written by members of the group. Dhanu said, Ayo ke Museum tells kids what museums we have all over the country and what interesting activities are available there. Meanwhile, Cagar Budaya tells them how young people can help preserve our cultural heritage. The group said they decided to release the guide books as comics to make it easier for young Indonesians to understand the message. People of all ages and backgrounds make up the members of the KPBMI. They meet regularly for public discussions and museum visits every month. The group was established in 2015 and has been working together with the Education and Culture Ministry since last year on campaigns to encourage young Indonesians to learn more about their own culture and history. JG 05.02.2018 Rezha