VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Head of National Library, Muhammad Syarif Bando officially open the the Magetan Regency Literacy Center Graha in Plaosan, Magetan, East Java, on Friday (12/17/ 2021) - 

National Library (NLI) R.I. is committed to providing a stimulus for local governments through the provision of the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) for the library sub-sector.

This is given to local governments to prepare basic public service infrastructure. This year, Magetan Regency, East Java Province, became one of the recipients of physical DAK assistance for the library sub-sector worth Rp. 10 billion. The funds were allocated to build the Magetan Regency Literacy Center Graha.

The Head of National Library, Muhammad Syarif Bando, welcomed the commitment of the Magetan Regency Government to facilitate community needs. "We appreciate the policy efforts of the district government and its ranks for its alignment with the community. The construction of this Literacy Center Graha is an inspiring thing," said Syarif Bando after inagurating the Magetan Regency Literacy Center Graha in Plaosan, Magetan, East Java, on Friday (12/17/ 2021).

He added, to take advantage of the Literacy Center Graha, the Magetan Regency Government needs to synergize and involve community components. "This is to ensure that Magetan Regency grows with new ideas and ideas, all of which knowledge is in the library," he continued.

On that occasion, Syarif Bando received a book written by the Regent of Magetan, Suprawoto, with the title Sewing Dreams of the People and Email Saka Jakarta. Syarif Bando hopes that the books can be digitized. In addition, various books with local content, such as the origin of Magetan, the potential of human and natural resources, history, culture, and tourism, are also expected to be digitized. In this way, these books can enrich the literacy treasures of the National Library of Indonesia.

"How powerful it would be if one digitized book would penetrate millions of human heads and grow millions of new human values," he said.

Meanwhile, Regent Suprawoto, said that the construction of the Literacy Center Graha was an effort to advance education, human resources, interest in reading, and literacy in a broad sense in Magetan Regency.

As a district that has a small APBD and does not have a university, Suprawoto said that it is difficult to bring in experts and professors in Magetan. According to him, it was just a dream.

"But that dream can come true because of the National Library of Indonesia. It is impossible for us to bring in experts, but people can access great works (books) in the library," he said.

This Literacy Center Graha will become a literacy center in a broad sense, not just reading and writing interests. This building can also be used by anyone, not limited to the people of Magetan.

Regent Suprawoto conveyed that easy access to the library is expected to produce great works. Moreover, the National Library of Indonesia has digitized more than 600,000 book titles, as well as the availability of scientific journals. "So we can write, learn from various knowledge here. There is no reason not to work because there is no access," he said.

In addition, the Literacy Center Graha can also be used as a literacy tour for students. According to him, tourism does not have to be interpreted with nature tourism. "We want to change that, that we can travel but provide added value. Children during school holidays can come here, then return from here, they can make short stories, poetry or geguritan," he explained.

The presence of the Literacy Center Graha is believed to have an impact on the people of Magetan Regency and inspire other regions. "I invite the public and literacy activists to take advantage of this place. Create a good program so that people can come to learn, and share knowledge. On behalf of the people of Magetan, I thank the National Library of Indonesia," he concluded.

Before inaugurating the Magetan Regency Literacy Center Graha, the Head of the National Library and the Magetan Regent visited the Digital Reading Corner (Pocadi) in Pasar Baru, Magetan, which was assisted by the National Library of Indonesia//VOI-NK

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto. (ANTARA/HO-Kemenko Perekonomian/FR) - 

The Indonesian government is continuing to expand the scope of COVID-19 vaccinations and the readiness of health facilities to prevent any potential spike in cases amid the emergence of the new variant and increasing public mobility.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, made the remarks in a written statement issued here on Friday.

"We expect that a third wave would not happen in Indonesia. However, because of the new variant and increasing people's mobility, we have to be cautious," he said.

The readiness of health facilities, such as the availability of medical oxygen at COVID-19 referral hospitals across Indonesia, is crucial, he stressed.

This readiness is required as a precautionary measure to treat patients with moderate and severe symptoms in case of emergency, he explained.

The trend of hospitals with less than 12 hours of oxygen stocks has increasingly declined compared to when cases peaked in the July–August 2021 period, the minister noted.

"The government continues to ensure the availability of medical oxygen and medicines that involves every party, both domestic and abroad," Hartarto affirmed.

"The existence of this oxygen generator and compressor assistance will certainly help the government in bolstering health service facility and handling the COVID-19 pandemic," he said during an event held to distribute oxygen generators and compressors in Jakarta's eastern outskirts of Bekasi.

He lauded the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Singapore and the Indonesian Diaspora in Singapore for making a real contribution to COVID-19 handling efforts in Indonesia through the fund-raising they organized.

"We channel that fund-raising to become oxygen generators and compressors that we distribute to 12 hospitals in eight provinces in Indonesia, including Bekasi Hospital," the minister said.

Speaking about vaccinations, Hartarto said that of the total 208.3 million recipients targeted by the vaccination program, the first dose has been administered to around 71.12 percent and the second dose to 50.06 percent as of December 15, 2021.

Meanwhile, the third-dose vaccinations of health workers have reached 85.91 percent, he added//ANT

Illustration of Umrah in Masjidil Haram, Makkah Al Mukarramah, Saudi Arabia. (ANTARA PHOTO/Aji Styawan/nz/rst) - 

The departure of Indonesian Umrah pilgrims will be postponed until 2022 after President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) appealed to Indonesian people to avoid traveling abroad.

Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas also advised people to adjourn their plans for overseas travel.

Director General of Hajj and Umrah at the Religious Affairs Ministry Hilman Latief noted that this decision was taken after his side held a meeting with the Association for Umrah Travel Organizers (PPIU).

"We prioritize protecting Umrah pilgrims in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially after the new variant called Omicron emerged. For this reason, the departure of Umrah pilgrims will be postponed until early 2022. We hope that the condition would get better soon," Latief noted in a written statement on Saturday.

Latief added that the PPIU also supported the government's decision to postpone Umrah. He admitted to a sense of disappointment arising owing to the Umrah plan being delayed for a long time, but all parties understood that the pandemic was not over yet, and a new variant had also emerged.

"There is still hope for Umrah's departure, although the number has reduced. In general, the PPIU association understands and obeys the government's regulation to postpone traveling abroad," he remarked.

Latief expressed optimism that this appeal would be applicable for all flight plans abroad and not only for Umrah.

Latief said the Ministry of Religious Affairs, as a regulator and supervisor of the implementation of the Umrah pilgrimage, continues to coordinate with all relevant parties to ensure a healthy and safe Umrah.

He remarked that the implementation of Umrah during the pandemic was also a pilot for the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage in 1443 H/2022 AD.

"Of course, this postponement is a bitter decision. However, this is being done for a common good. We are optimistic that all parties would understand, and hopefully, lessons would be learnt from this decision," Latief added//ANT

A ceremony for one company of the South Sulawesi police personnel, who were deployed to Selayar Islands District on Friday (Dec 17, 2021) to join disaster mitigation efforts there. (AMTARA) - 

The South Sulawesi police headquarters has deployed a company of personnel from the elite Mobile Brigade unit to Selayar Islands District to assist residents reeling from the impacts of a recent strong earthquake.

The South Sulawesi police also shipped one thousand food aid packages to be distributed to displaced residents along with the deployment of personnel, South Sulawesi Police Chief Insp. Gen. Nana Sudjana stated.

The packages contained staple food items, such as rice, eggs, and instant noodles, Sudjana noted in a statement that ANTARA quoted in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi Province, on Saturday.

The company of police personnel had headed to Selayar Islands District's targeted areas on Friday.

During their community service, the police personnel would help set up public kitchens in several temporary shelters and coordinate with local authorities to help rebuild damaged houses and school buildings, he stated.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Flores Sea in East Nusa Tenggara Province on December 14, 2021, had severely affected the sub-districts of Pasilambena and Pasimarannu in Selayar Islands District, South Sulawesi.

The earthquake had severely damaged 359 houses, while 236 other houses, three school buildings, and two houses of worship sustained minor damages, he remarked while quoting reports of authorized agencies.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) revealed earlier that the traumatic experience of a strong earthquake and tsunami in 1992 might still haunt and trigger a large number of refugees in Selayar Islands to take refuge.

As of Friday, some 5,064 residents were still taking refuge following the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Flores Sea in East Nusa Tenggara Province on December 14, 2021, according to BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari.

Most of the displaced people taking refuge are the residents of Selayar Islands District in South Sulawesi Province, he stated.

Some 266 other displaced residents are in the Flores area of East Nusa Tenggara, he remarked, adding that the recent strong earthquake did not cause any fatality.

Despite no fatality reported, one resident was seriously wounded, while 97 others sustained minor injuries in the recent strong earthquake, according to Muhari.

Earthquakes regularly strike various parts of Indonesia, as the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities//ANT