VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo inaugurated the operation of the first phase of the 1x660 MW Cilacap Steam Power Plant (PLTU). The inauguration took place in Kesugihan District, Cilacap Regency, Central Java, on Monday, February 25, 2019.

The president said that the ​​38.28 hectare power plant would later be able to supply additional electricity for industries and households in Java.

"I really appreciate the steam power plant in Cilacap. This large, 660 MW, thus increasing supply, especially in Java both for industry and shortages in households," he said.

The issue of meeting electricity needs has indeed been one of the government's focuses over the past few years. The president said, four years ago, a shortage of electricity supply was usually experienced by regions in eastern Indonesia and a number of other remote areas.

"If you see in eastern Indonesia, in remote islands, in our remote villages, there are still many electricity that have not been available for four years," he said.

However, the government seeks to meet the demand for electricity throughout the country. Based on data received by the President, currently the national electrification ratio has reached 98.2 percent. This means that, unlike four years ago, more and more households have now enjoyed electricity connections.

"The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources has promised that at the end of this year, 99.9 percent all households in this country must have electricity," the President said.

To note, the Cilacap PLTU Expansion which was inaugurated by the President consists of two stages. The first phase with a capacity of 1x660 MW was completed and the President has inaugurated it and was expected to be able to serve additional new customers of up to 682,000 customers from household groups.

While for the second stage, the construction is expected to be completed sooner than the target. The construction of the second phase of the Cilacap power plant with a capacity of 1x1,000 MW will be completed by the end of 2019.

"There is still 1,000 MW remaining which will also be completed later this year. The Managing Director has told me that this seems to be able to progress in one year. It should be 2020 but maybe God willing, we can finish it later this year," said the President.

With an additional 1x1,000 MW the government through the State Electricity Company (PLN) will be able to provide more electricity supply to the people of Indonesia.

Also present accompanying the President were Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan, Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Rini Soemarno, Minister of State Pratikno, Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning / Head of BPN Sofyan Djalil, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, and Cilacap Regent Tatto Suwarto Pamuji .(Release Biro Pers)

Some 32 volunteers of the humanitarian outfit -- the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) -- departed for Gaza, Palestine, to work on the second phase of construction of the Indonesian Hospital in the conflicted area.

The volunteers are divided into two groups, each of which departed for Gaza on Friday (Feb 22) and Saturday (Feb 23).

Member of MER-C Presidium Faried Thalib, Dr Arief Rachman, MER-C Chair of the Construction Division Idrus Muhamad Alatas, and architect of the hospital building Rizal Syarifuddin are joining the team.

According to member of MER-C Presidium Sarbini Abdul Murad -- the first Indonesian doctor to have succeeded in entering the Gaza front line during the Palestine-Israel conflict in 2008-2009 -- the volunteers from the MER-C Construction Division are estimated to stay in Gaza for a year.

He noted that most of the dispatched volunteers are the alumni of the first phase of the hospital`s construction, whose commitment and expertise had been demonstrated by the establishment of the current Indonesian Hospital in Gaza.

Their departure to Gaza is possible after MER-C received entry permits from the Egyptian government and local authorities in Gaza, with assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"This team has been waiting for a year, until finally we met Foreign Minister (Retno Marsudi) and her staff (informing us) that the team can go (to Gaza)," Murad revealed.

The budget for the second-phase construction of the Indonesian Hospital has come from donations offered by Indonesian people reaching Rp75 billion to Rp80 billion (US$5.7 million).

Construction of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza initially began with the mission of the Indonesian humanitarian aid team that brought medical aid for people in Gaza, who suffered from a 22-day war between the Palestinians and Israeli Zionists that took place since the end 2008 until early 2009.

At that time, the mission was led by Ministry of Health Head of Crisis Control Rustam S. Pakaya and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of Middle East Affairs Aidil Chandra Salim.

In its development, MER-C then raised funds from the Indonesian people to build a hospital in Bayt Lahiya, North Gaza.

In fact, the official launch of the Indonesian Hospital`s construction in Gaza will be attended by volunteers and journalists, who had participated in the mission, six years earlier.

However, due to the problem in getting permission to enter Gaza, the launch was held in Indonesia on January 9, 2016.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla attended the handover ceremony of the Indonesian Hospital from MER-C to the Palestinian people.

The Indonesian Hospital in Gaza is evidence of Indonesia`s staunch support for the Palestinians` unfinished struggle for their independence.

However, in October last year, the process of building the hospital was challenged by threats from the Israeli military that launched air raids, targeting more than 80 sites in the besieged Gaza Strip in retaliation for rockets fired at southern Israel.

According to Al Jazeera, none of the Israeli citizens were killed or wounded by the rockets that the Palestinian fighters launched from Gaza Strip. Instead, one of the Israeli air raids wounded nine Palestinians and damaged the Indonesian Hospital.

After hours of air raids, Al Jazeera reported that the Islamic Jihad movement on Saturday announced Gaza ceasefire with Israel.

The Israeli attacks that had damaged its hospital in the 11-year-long besieged Palestinian territory was condemned by the Indonesian Government, saying that Indonesia`s government and its people will continue to support the Palestinian people in their struggle for independence.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo condemned the air raids that the Israeli jet fighters launched on October 27, 2018, that had damaged the Indonesian hospital.

The head of state noted that the attacks had damaged not only the Indonesian Hospital but also its neighboring areas. However, this incident will not be able to change Jakarta`s stance on the Palestinian issues.

"Indonesia will remain with the People of Palestine in fighting for their independence. We do not retreat," President Widodo noted.

Indonesia has been known as one of the staunch supporters of the Palestinian people`s unfinished struggle for independence. Jakarta`s political stance on the Palestinian issues has also remained unchanged since the era of President Soekarno.

In 1962, this founding father of Indonesia had uttered a statement, which was then used as a guidance in the Indonesian foreign policy on the Palestinian issues.

"As long as the freedom of Palestine has yet to be returned to the Palestinians, then it will forever be for Indonesia to stand in defiance against the occupation by Israel," President Soekarno stated. (ant)

Indonesian weightlifter Eko Yuli Irawan took home a gold medal from the World Weightlifting Championships held in Fuzhou, capital of China`s Fujian province, from February 22 to 27.

"Eko won a gold and two silver medals, while other (Indonesian) weightlifter, Deni, secured a silver and two bronze medals," chief of development and achievement of All Indonesia Weightlifting, Bodybuilding and Powerlifting Association (PABBSI) Alamsyah said in a short message text on Saturday.

Eko, who competed in the men`s 61 kilograms lifted 297 kilograms in total, consisting of 136 kilograms in snatch and 161 kilograms in clean and jerk.

The gold medal will pave the way for his attempt to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic 2020, Dirja Wihardja, coach of the association`s national training center, said.

"The result will maintain his position as the world`s eighth seed. But he still has to take part in five to six other championships to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic 2020," Dirja said.

Eko will have a greater chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic if he secures a gold medal in the Asian Championships 2019 to be held in Ningho, China, from April 18 to 22.

"The World Championships 2019 in Fuzhou is a tournament with a silver category, while the Asian Championships in Ningbo is a tournament with a gold category," he said.

In the 61 kilograms, Deni won a bronze medal with a total lift of 305 kilograms, consisting of 135 kilograms in snatch and 170 kilograms in clean and jerk.

The silver medal went to Vietnamese weightlifter Thach Kim Tuan who lifted 295 kilograms in total. Host weightlifter Wang Hao won a bronze medal with a total lift of 286 kilograms.

In the 67 kilograms, Deni won a bronze medal by lifting 305 kilograms in total consisting of 135 kilograms in snatch and 170 kilograms in clean and jerk.

The gold medal went to Pak Jong Ju of North Korea who managed to lift 318 kilograms in total, while Huang Minhao of China secured a silver medal with a total lift of 314 kilograms.

The Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR ) and the French government have agreed to strengthen cooperation in sustainable urban development.

On February 20, 2019, Indonesia and France held the second joint meeting group on sustainable urban development to evaluate the implementation of the results of the previous meeting and to compile a renewal of the 2019-2020 action plan, the ministry said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.

Indonesian Minister of Public Works and People`s Housing Basuki Hadimuljono and French Minister of Industry, Digitalization and Innovation Cristhophe Sirugue signed a cooperation agreement in the field of sustainable urban development, On March 29, 2017.

Furthermore, Indonesia and France conducted the first joint meeting group regarding sustainable urban development in October 2017.

The meeting was chaired by Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Works and People`s Housing (PUPR ) Anita Firmanti and Director for European and International Affairs, Ministry for the Ecological and Solidary Transition, Virginie Dumoulin.

"The second meeting discusses the progress of working group including the obstacles in the implementation," Anita Firmanti remarked.

The cooperation must be directed to support the tasks of the Ministry of Public Works and People`s Housing, she remarked.

The first working group discussed urban planning including a plan of cooperation in planning two regions, namely Borobudur in Yogyakarta and the Special Economic Zone of Mamminasata (Makassar, Maros, Sangguminasa, and Takalar) in South Sulawesi.

While the second working group discussed urban settlements. The two delegates discussed arrangement of slum areas in the cities through program of no slum city.

The two delegates agreed to carry out feasibility study in an attempt to develop Eco District in Semarang, Wonosobo, and Yogyakarta.

Whereas the third working group discussed the development of human resources competency in the Ministry of Public Works and People`s Housing and the regional government through short-term training in the fields of urban planning and civil engineering.