VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Education and Culture Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra along with the Indonesian Academics and Researchers Network Australia (IARNA) brought together Indonesian and Australian researchers in a webinar themed “Recent Update on 3D Printing Technology for Concrete.” The webinar which took place in Canberra on Friday (25/1) was attended by Prof. Jay Sanjayan from Swinburne University of Technology and Associate Prof. Sotya Astutiningsih from the University of Indonesia.

Education and Culture Attache of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Mukhamad Najib in a written statement received on Saturday (26/1) explained that the purpose of the webinar is to facilitate communication between Indonesian and Australian researchers in the same field so that the collaboration can be carried out sustainably. The topic discussed in the webinar is the application of 3D printing technology in the construction industry, which is currently growing in Australia and Indonesia. Najib hopes that the event can encourage the transfer of knowledge and technology so that the research in Indonesia can develop rapidly and Indonesia can be parallel with Australia in the field of science and technology.

Director of Swinburne's Center for Sustainable Infrastructure, Jay Sanjayan said that 3D printing is a three-dimensional printer technology, which can create three-dimensional images on a computer and print in three dimensions. According to Jay, this technology has been applied to build bridges and buildings in various countries, such as in the UK, Italy, China and Australia.

While the lecturer at the University of Indonesia, Prof. Sotya Astutiningsih said that although in Indonesia, 3D printer technology is relatively new, currently there are startup companies, which have successfully used 3D printer technology to make type 36 landed house buildings. She added that the challenges of using 3D printing technology in Indonesia are the weather, because the hot temperature causes the cement to dry quickly and harden.

More recently, the Indonesian people have been disturbed by the discourse that the 2024 General Election should  be postponed for one or two years. This was voiced by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives who is also General Chairperson of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Muhaimin Iskandar after receiving guests from a group of entrepreneurs and banking economic analysts. He perceived that Indonesia’s economy due to the Covid-19 pandemic has not fully recovered so that the 2024 General Election may have the potential to cause conflict. If the election is postponed, President Joko Widodo will get an extension of the term of office.

The proposal immediately resulted in pros and cons. The National Mandate Party (PAN) became one of the parties that supported the proposal. On the contrary, the NasDem party, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Democrats, and PDIP rejected the proposal.

The proposed postponement of the election evoked public memories of the discourse in 2019 on the extension of the presidential term of office for three terms. This was firmly rejected by President Joko Widodo. He even suspected that the party who proposed it deliberately wanted to mislead him. The President also emphasized that he was a product of direct elections based on the Constitution 1945 post-reform.

The discourse of a three-term presidency reappeared in 2021. Once again, President Joko Widodo asserted that he had no intention and no interest in serving for three terms. He also affirmed that his stance of rejecting the discourse would never change. President Joko Widodo brings this up as a commitment to interpret the contents of the 1945 Constitution that the term of office of the president is limited to two terms only. He also asked all sides not to make trouble. According to President Joko Widodo, it would be better if all focus on handling the Covid-19 pandemic.

Postponing the election would have an impact on the extension of the president's term of office. Until now, President Joko Widodo has not responded to the current discourse. However, the potential for disruption has begun to appear. A number of parties also want the president to respond immediately.

If the five-year extension is vehemently rejected by President Joko Widodo, just a short extension through the postponement of the election seems unlikely to be approved. Even though he stated his stance in the past. But now, President Joko Widodo should immediately respond to the discourse so that the controversy is not prolonged by encouraging the General Elections Commission to immediately prepare for the 2024 election as well as possible. This action can at the same time answer public questions on the president's position in responding to the discourse of postponing the election.

Raigo is a traditional dance that describes victory in efforts of joy and gratitude for a cheerful harvest. Then, this expression became a movement and at the same time, it became an expression of worship of the Creator. Raigo began to develop in the people of Central Sulawesi, particularly the Kulawi ethnic group. Not all people of the Kulawi have this dance skill. There is an assumption that Raigo is only intended for the Totuangata or the elderly. The knowledge and skill to perform this dance are only limited to the older generation. So, now the number of Raigo dancers is decreasing.

The people of Kulawi in Central Sulawesi know some Raigo Dances. The dance is almost present in the life stages of the people of Kulawi. One of them is Raigo Mpae. Raigo means dance, while Mpae means rice. From its origin, Raigo Mpae or also known as Raigo Vunja is a dance that is held post-rice harvest. The rhythm is full of passion, desire, and belief in the Creator. The chanting poetry containing a moral message accompanies this dance. Moreover, there is a type of Raigo Potinowu dance that is performed during the ceremony to pay the dowry by the groom. Then, the Raigo Pobalai is held at the wedding ceremony, and Raigo Puncumania is held at the circumcision ceremony.

There is also Raigo Bobongka Ombo which is held on the seventh day of the death of a noble. Raigo Popowata is held while waiting for the dead man. Raigo Mpainu is held at a bathing ceremony for heroes who will go to war. Raigo Popatunahou is held when building a new house, and Raigo Pangkasuwia is held to welcome guests. The accompaniment of the Raigo dance is usually sung in a tempo con brio, delce, de Marcia, forte, or presto that accords with the heroic and patriotic theme. The accompaniment song for Raigo was initially sung by a solo singer led by Tapanguli Raigo. Then, it is followed by singing men.

To travel to Jakarta, someone may visit various interesting tourism attractions. One of the most popular and up-to-date ones is Pos Bloc. Pos Bloc Jakarta is a public creative space that provides several micro, small, and medium enterprises, such as culinary and creative products. The location is the ex-post office building of the Dutch East Indies era, precisely located on Jalan Pos No. 2, Pasar Baru in Central Jakarta. Initially, the place was a Dutch colonial Philatelic building that was founded in the 1860s and was used as a post office. Now, the Pos Bloc has become a cultural heritage. This new hangout is strategically located. For users of public transportation, the Pos Bloc can be reached by getting on TransJakarta buses and getting off at the Juanda shelter.

There is no entrance ticket that must be paid for, but to enter the Pos Bloc, you must scan the QR Code via the PeduliLindung application. You are also required to wear a mask and keep your distance. From the front entrance, you can see various stalls selling local products, such as batik, local bags, and shoes.The price of the product is also very affordable, starting from Rp 10,000 to Rp 70,000. There is also a post office kiosk in the corner of the room. In the central area of the building (Great Hall), there is a grandstand which is a place to sit and chat. At the bottom of the stands, there is a Photobox. There are many spots in the living room that can be used as a background for selfies, highlighting the beauty of this old building.