VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Commemorating National Batik Day on 2 October 2021, the Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan held a batik exhibition on 11-13 October in collaboration with Indonesian and Pakistani batik fashion houses. The Indonesian Embassy in its written statement  received in Jakarta Wednesday (13/10) stated that the event was held at the Batik Studio Fashion Store boutique owned by Pakistani entrepreneur, Mohsin Qamar at the Centaurus Mall shopping center in Islamabad.

By inviting batik fashion house from Indonesia, Alleira Batik, the exhibition featured lots of types of batik and wastra or traditional cloth from many regions in Indonesia. Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan, Adam M Tugio when opening the exhibition said that Indonesia and Pakistan have  a lot of similarities, starting from history, culture, culinary until fashion.

In terms of batik, Pakistan has clothes which have similar patterns and motifs to batik, but the method of making is different. The Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad stated that Indonesian representatives in Pakistan will continuously intensify the promotion of batik in the country; one of them is by holding a Pakistani patterned batik design competition. The competition will be held with a number of art colleges and art-loving communities in Pakistan, as well as stakeholders from Indonesia.

The Ambassador also explained that the winners will get the opportunity to visit Indonesia, to learn directly  the method of making batik in batik industry centers in Indonesia and to have the opportunity to print their work. He hopes that art and fashion lovers in Pakistan will have the opportunity to explore interesting experiences about  the uniqueness and beauty of traditional textiles, as well as their blend with Pakistani fashion and lifestyle..

Furthermore, he wants to strengthen people-to-people contacts of both  countries by involving educational and cultural institutions, students, and other elements of civil society in Pakistan. The Ambassador also said that there are good intention and trust built between Indonesia and Pakistan so that the collaboration in the soft diplomacy sector is bright. Related to this, Manager of Communication and Coordination of the Center for Global and Strategic Studies, a Pakistani think-tank, Laraib Fatima Hassan explained that  people-to-people contact is one of the cores of bilateral relations between Indonesia and Pakistan.

For those of you who like water tourism, Curug Putri Kencana or in English means Putri Kencana waterfall can be the next tourism destination, especially if the visit to Indonesia hasbeen reopened. The location is in Karang Tengah, Babakan Madang, Bogor, West Java. From downtown Jakarta, this waterfall can be accessed in approximately 1.5 to 2 hours by motor vehicles. To enter Curug Putri Kencana, there is an entrance ticket worth Rp 25,000 per person, while the motorbike parking fee is Rp 10,000 and the car Rp 15,000 to Rp. 20,000. To arrive at the waterfall, you still have to take a walk about 15 minutes.

Putri Kencana waterfall is approximately 7 meters high. This waterfall is surrounded by high rock walls and wild forests. The water is famous for its blue-green color and it is very clear. The river that flows from the waterfall is only a few inches high. The clear water flow allows you to see the surface clearly. However, the lake around the waterfall is about 4 to 6 meters deep. If you want to swim, you have to be careful not to play or swim near the waterfall.

Besides swimming, you can relax in the lake or play in the river. You can also rent a float and try body rafting activities. Going down the river slowly while enjoying the fresh water is certainly challenging as well as fun. If you want to spend the night here, there is land for camping that can be rented. There are also various lodgings with varying costs. The facilities at Curug Putri Kencana are also quite complete with clean bathrooms, parking lots and restaurants.

This magnificent colonial-style building is a silent witness to the history of the development of Bogor City. Located next to the Bogor palace which is currently the official residence of the President of Indonesia, this old building did not just sit there. This historic building can be said to be luckier than other historical buildings, because until now it still has the same function, namely as a hotel. Salak Heritage hotel staff named Asha told a little about the history of this old building that was built in 1856.

In 1856, this Salak hotel was named the Binnenhof hotel which was owned by the family of the Dutch governor named General Charles Ferdinand Pahud. But in 1913, the hotel was in financial crisis and a few years later, it went bankrupt and the name of this hotel was changed to NV American hotel. And this hotel was liquidated by EA Dibbets in 1922 which is the largest shareholder of NV American hotel and the name of this hotel again changed to Dibbets Hotel. Then, the hotel changed the owners and the hotel changed its name to Bellvieu Dibbets in 1932. During the Japanese colonial period, this 54-room hotel was turned into the Japanese military headquarters, Kempatai from 1942 to 1945,”said Asha

After the Japanese colonial period ended, in 1948, this building was handed over to the Indonesian government for renovation and re-function as a hotel. Asha also said that this old hotel was one of the hotels that accommodated the delegates of the first Asian-African conference which took place in 1955.

Then, this hotel was handed over to the Indonesian government in 1948 and the hotel was renovated and changed its name to Hotel Salak which is taken from the name, Gunung Salak which means Silver. Then in 1955 it became one of the hotels used in the first Asia-Africa conference,”said Asha

Preserving historical buildings is one of the keys to the sustainability of culture in Indonesia. You can also participate in maintaining it.

President Joko Widodo has inaugurated 11 members of the General Election Commission (KPU) and Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) selection committee team. This inauguration was announced by Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian in a press conference in Jakarta, Monday (11/10). The team will hold the selection of KPU and Bawaslu candidates for the 2022-2027 period, since the current KPU and Bawaslu's tenure will end in April 2022. According to the Home Affairs Ministry's Director General for Politics and General Government Bachtiar, the 11 selection committee members consist of three government officials, four academicians, and four community members.

Meanwhile, political observer Adi Prayitno affirmed that the KPU and Bawaslu selection committee team must have the credibility and skills in politics, especially the general election. Besides, the committee members must be independent, impartial, and un-affiliated with any interest or political party.

The 11 selection committee members led by Juri Ardiantoro are expected to work carefully and to be broadminded in selecting the candidates.This is to avoid selecting the candidates without clear track records. There are many smart people. However, being smart is not enough. They also need to have integrity and morals to be trustworthy and honest.

Money politics is often difficult to avoid in elections. Therefore, it is expected that the selection committee team would not be easily swayed by money, but brave enough to refuse any group and party's request in deciding the KPU and Bawaslu commissioner candidates.

Hopefully, the selection committee can work well, honestly and openly and they are committed to the people and the nation. In addition, the openness for input and report from the people for KPU and Bawaslu candidates is important for consideration in choosing the best candidates.