VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Craft industry in South Kalimantan grows rapidly and absorbs nearly 40 thousand employees. Most of them are women. Chairman of regional national craft board of South Kalimantan province, Raudhatul Jannah Sahbirin Noor said in Banjarmasin on Friday that based on the data, there were almost 20 thousand craft businesses in South Kalimantan in 2017. The increase cannot be separated from guidance and coaching from the board. She also said that her side keeps trying to accelerate the board’s programs, especially in improving quality of craft industry. The board of province, regency and city continue to increase various craft products, especially based natural resources that surround the neighborhood, such as Purun craft industry, various kinds of processed water hyacinth plant, which have been in demand from domestic and abroad.

Regional government of South Solok in West Sumatera province involves state-owned enterprise in conducting renovation and revitalization in Seribu Rumah Gadang area. One of the state-owned enterprises, Natour hotel manages hotel industry in Indonesia. It is  even ready to manage hotel if the regional government to be able to invite investor which is ready to conduct physical development. President Director of Indonesia Natour hotel, Iswandi Said stated on Friday (30/3) that lodging concept which can be developed in South Solok, especially Seribu Rumah Gadang area, is homestay. Later, Gadang houses which have been revitalized are ready to be 3-star homestay. Regent of South Solok, Muzni Zakaria said that Seribu Rumah Gadang area in Nagari Koto Baru has 138 units of Gadang house. 40 units of them are moderately to undergo severe damage. Earlier, President Joko Widodo instructed to revitalize those traditional houses.

North Buton of Southeast Sulawesi province develops 10 Varieties of Organic Red Rice. Regent of North Buton, Abu Hasan said in Kendari on Friday (30/3) that there are 10 local Red Rice Varieties which are developed at all districts in North Buton. Abu Hasan said that so far, red rice has been nly developed naturally by villagers at Kambowa and Bonegunu districts. He also mentioned that around 400 hectares of organic rice are ready for harvest. Due to good market, his side encourages people to plant red rice whose economic value is higher that the white one.

The General Review Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA) which has been issued since 2015 is targeted to be finished at the end of 2018. It was discussed in the 7th meeting of joint agreement committee in Nusa Dua, Bali on March 28 to 30. Indonesian delegation was led by Director General of International Trade Agreement at the Trade Ministry, Iman Pambagyo. Japanese delegation was led by Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs Ministry, Keiya Lida. Iman said in the meeting that the implementation of the agreement since 2008 has been evaluated. Based on the evaluation, the two countries will make Joint Report which includes recommendation to make the agreement more appropriate to the recent situation. Indonesian delegation viewed General Review as the opportunity to bring the economic relations of the two countries to higher level. Japan and Indonesia have established close relations in various fields so far and the agreement is strengthening the partnership between the two countries. Therefore, the Indonesian delegation always emphasizes that the the review has to be mutual benefit for both countries.

Indonesian Ambassador to Islamabad, Iwan Suyudhie Amri invites one of the key authority institution supervisors of processed products of palm oil, Punjab Food Authority (PFA) to increase market of Indonesian palm oil products in Pakistan. The step aims at strengthening sustainable economic and trade cooperation of Indonesia and Pakistan. According to Iwan Suyudhie Amri, more than 80 percent of Pakistani palm oil requirement is imported from Indonesia. He also said that the problem and the issue faced by Indonesian palm oil are different and unique in every country of destination export so that it needs strong efforts of palm oil diplomacy in those countries such as Pakistan, with the contribution of foreign exchange of more than $1.6 billion dollars. Ambassador Iwan Suyudhie also said that involving Punjab Food Authority is mportant because its function is health authority supervisory body of food and beverage products in Punjab province as a leading province in Pakistan and also becomes the main contributor in the agricultural, industrial and service sectors.

Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur invites Executive Board Management of the Special Branch of Muhammadiyah in Malaysia to develop education for Indonesian migrant workers. The invitation was conveyed by Attache of Education of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Prof. Ari Purbayanto when meeting with the chairman of Muhammadiyah in Malaysia, Dr. Sonny Zulhuda along with his staffs in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (31/3). They met and discussed the people’s learning center. Through the program of learning center, the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia tried hard to help Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia to get their rights of education with free of charge. Later, the migrant workers can get certificate which is viewed paralel with elementary school, junior high school, and senior high school. Chairman of Muhammadiyah in Malaysia, Dr. Sonny Zulhuda conveyed that his office will try to help the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in order the program can run well according to the target.

Indonesian Supreme Court (MA) deserves being appreciated since it has issued a ban on fugitives listed on the People Search List (DPO) to file a pre-trial lawsuit. Supreme Court’s Circular No. 1/2018 dated on March 23, 2018 closes the fugitives’ opportunity to file a pre-trial. The letter also confirms that if a pre-trial petition is still filed by the lawyer of fugitive suspect, the judge does not accept it. The suspect also cannot file a legal action regarding the verdict. So far, people have often got very angry because many fugitives, especially corruptors escape abroad. They file a pre-trial through their lawyer or family. As a result, some of them win the pre-trial. One of them is Sudjiono Timan convicted of corruption case of Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) that made the state money worth Rp 1.2 trillion lose. He fled a few days before being convicted by the Supreme Court (MA) on a higher court with the sentence 15 years in prison. In his escape, Timan's wife filed a Judicial Review (PK) and the Supreme Court accepted the judicial review on July 31, 2013, and Timan was free without attending the court. The judicial review (PK) is a legal effort which can be taken by a convicted person in a legal case against a court’s verdict that has permanent legal force within the judicial system in Indonesia. The court ruling which has the permanent legal force is the verdict of the District Court that has not been filed an appeal, the verdict of the Supreme Court which is not appealed at higher court or the higher verdict of the Supreme Court. The circular of the Supreme Court No. 1/2018 that bans the fugitives to file a pre-trial lawsuit should be appreciated by all circles. This is an appropriate step for law enforcers to legally process the fugitives without being in absentia. A fugitive in exile could file a pretrial and then he or she wins. Of course, this cannot be tolerated because it will make the concerned do anything. If this is allowed to occur, there will be inequality and even injustice because such persons are still given access to leeway.

Indonesia, which consists of different tribes and cultures, has ritual to call rain. Take for example, in East Java, especially in Trenggalek, Blitar, Kediri and Tulungagung, people have Tiban ritual or Tiban dance which is believed to be able to make the rain fall. The word of ‘’Tiban’’ comes from “tiba” in Javanese language meaning fall. Tiban means that something appears, which cannot be expected before. In this regard, “Tiban” indicates to rain which falls suddenly from the sky. The dance is folk dance from generation to generation which is part of culture of local people. Tiban dance is a prayer to the God to call the rain. Behind the ritual of the dance, there is a hoping meaning, a noble message for natural preservation. Tiban dance was performed for the first time in the era of Kediri Kingdom. When paddy barn of the villages began to decrease due to long dry season, people considered it as a curse for unbelief and unfaithfulness to the God. Then, Demang or heads of villages deliberated with the elder to get advice and opinion to compensate the curse. The villagers gave their a little treasure to be used as requirement of the implementation of traditional ceremony. Then, they communicated with the power of supra-natural and beg for forgiveness and continued by torturing and sunbathing under the sun. The self-torture was by using a whip made of sticks of palm leaf midrib. This ritual procession took the form of mutual whipping between the participants of the ritual. Tiban dance consists of 2 groups and it is led by one referee or called Landang. The dance is accompanied with Gamelan. Tiban dance is still conducted until now, although the dance has different function from religious media to become entertainment. Being appropriate with development, the Tiban dance procession is conducted not only on the field but also on the stage. The regional government of Kediri determined that the implementation time of the dance is every 1 Suro in Javanese calendar.