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A screenshot of the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) head Hasto Atmojo Suroyo reporting on the progress of compensation applications of terror victims during the online commemoration of the International Day of Commemoration and Respect for Victims of Terrorism on Saturday (August 21, 2021). (ANTARA/Muhammad Jasuma Fadholi) - 

The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) is committed to securing terror victims' rights and compensation, the agency's chairperson said on the International Day of Commemoration and Respect for Victims of Terrorism on Saturday.

"The LPSK reported the progress to fulfill terrorism victims' rights and compensation according to Government Regulation No. 35 of 2020 on compensation rights for victims and witness is ongoing," LPSK chairperson Hasto Atmojo Suroyo reported at the online commemoration event here on Saturday.

A total of Rp39.25 billion (around US$2.70 million) in compensation was successfully secured for 215 victims of terrorist acts due to quick action by the LPSK and the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) in compiling data on past terror victims, he informed.

The agency is currently advocating compensation for 413 victims for this year, he added.

"We hope the 413 victims' compensation applications on this year could be disbursed by the end of 2021," he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected LPSK's efforts to secure compensation for past terror victims, particularly applicants living outside Java Island, Suroyo informed.

He appealed to applicants awaiting the disbursement of compensation to have patience and affirmed the LPSK's commitment to advocating their compensation rights.

Suroyo then paid his respects to terror victims and lauded them for surpassing the difficult task of surviving a terrorist act.

"I hope we can learn from their persistence to living on, particularly during this difficult time we currently face," Suroyo remarked.

The commemoration on Saturday was attended by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, head of BNPT, Boy Rafli Amar, representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for Indonesia, Collie Brown, Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, terrorism survivors, and deradicalization partners from across Indonesia//ANT

Air Force Chief of Staff Air Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo (Right) greets aviator corps and aircrew involved in the evacuation operation of Indonesian citizens in Afghanistan at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Jakarta, Saturday, August 18, 2021. (ANTARA PHOTO/HO-Air Force's Enlightenment Office/KT) - 

The Air Force's success in evacuating Indonesians from Afghanistan should be emulated by other members of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), Air Force Chief of Staff Air Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo stated here on Saturday.

Prasetyo remarked that Air Force units involved in the evacuation process had demonstrated professionalism despite little preparation time.

"I am very proud of all of you because with such quick preparation, you were able to show professionalism. This is a matter of pride for the soldiers, who successfully executed their operational duties and returned safely," Prasetyo stated at the apron of the Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase, as quoted from his written statement.

He expressed optimism that professionalism would be exemplified by other members of the Indonesian Air Force.

"Even in uncertain conditions, the soldiers can perform their operating duties very well. This should be an example for the others," he emphasized.

The humanitarian operation evacuated 26 Indonesian citizens along with five Filipino nationals and two Afghan nationals from Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, aboard a Military Air Force Boeing 737 series 400 Air Squadron 17 from the Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase. The evacuation aircraft was flying with a "Kencana (Gold) Zero Four" signal.

Meanwhile, soldiers of the Air Force involved in the evacuation belonged to the Specialized Force Corps of the Bravo Detachment 90.

The aircraft, carrying the evacuees, was flown by Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Corps Ludwig Bayu and Major Aviator Corps Mulyo and accompanied by six flight crew members on duty: Captain Aviator Corps Sang Made K Y, First Lieutenant Aviator Corps R P Pratama A, First Lieutenant Aviator Corps Andhika, Second Lieutenant of Engineering Suparno, Second Lieutenant of Engineering Yusuf Affandi, Second Lieutenant Andromeda, Chief Sergeant Priyan Wahyu, Chief Sergeant Riyan Agieta, Chief Sergeant Budi R, and First Private Yulio A.

Meanwhile, six members of the Specialized Force Corps of Bravo Detachment 90 were Captain Pas Galih Pinto Nugroho, Second Sergeant Trenggono, Second Sergeant Yudi Aji Widagdo, Second Corporal Umar Haris, Chief Private Aidil Artawijaya, and Chief Private Ilham Dwi Laksana.

The overall evacuation team comprised TNI (the Indonesian Defense Forces) soldiers, members of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), and the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The government decided to use military aircraft to repatriate dozens of Indonesian citizens in Afghanistan to ensure their safety and security, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated during a press conference at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport here on Saturday.

The Air Force aircraft departed from the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport on August 18, 2021, at about 6:00 a.m. local time. However, the landing permit at the Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul was only granted by local authorities on August 20, 2021.

The evacuation process took two hours, longer than the original 30-minute plan.

The route taken by the aircraft was from Jakarta to Aceh Province and then to Colombo in Sri Lanka followed by Karachi and thereafter transited at Islamabad in Pakistan before finally reaching Kabul, Afghanistan.

In Islamabad, evacuation teams waited long for permission to land at Kabul's Hamid Karzai Airport from local authorities.

During takeoff from the Hamid Karzai Airport, the plane landed again in Islamabad for refueling before returning home using the same route: Karachi, Colombo, Aceh, and Jakarta//ANT

Officials at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, move containers loaded with Pfizer vaccines obtained by the Indonesian government through a business-to-business scheme on Thursday (August 19, 2021). (ANTARA/HO-Health Ministry/aa/KT) - 

Pfizer vaccines under the COMIRNATY brand that recently arrived in Indonesia are being distributed in the metropolitan area of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi city (Jabodetabek), the Health Ministry has said.

The Pfizer vaccine is targeted at the unvaccinated public in the Jabodetabek area and will be provided for free, the ministry's head of communications and public services, Widyawati, said in a statement received here on Saturday.

According to Widyawati, the distribution of the vaccine in the Jabodetabek area has been prioritized because of the complex logistics system: the vaccine requires special handling and needs to be stored at a very low temperature of -90 to -60 degrees Celsius.

"This vaccine must be prepared by trained health workers to use certain techniques in dealing with cold chains, including how to dilute the vaccine before it is injected," she emphasized.

As many as 1,560,780 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Indonesia on Thursday through a direct purchase scheme, she informed. Fifty million Pfizer vaccines will gradually arrive in Indonesia this year through the scheme, she added.

The number does not include Pfizer vaccines which will be obtained through the GAVI/Covax scheme, under which Indonesia will secure 4.6 million doses in the next few weeks, she said.

"The Pfizer vaccine received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Drug and Food Control Agency on July 14, 2021, so that the public can get the jab," Widyawati said.

There are currently six types of vaccines being used in Indonesia to fight the COVID-19 virus: the CoronaVac, Sinopharm, COVID-19 vaccine (made by state-run pharmaceutical firm Bio Farma vaccine using raw materials from Sinovac), AstraZeneca from the United Kingdom, and Moderna and Pfizer from the United States.

"The government continues to bring the best vaccines from many manufacturers in order to secure the availability of vaccines to protect the 208 million Indonesians targeted by COVID-19 vaccination," Widyawati said.

Although there are several types of vaccines made available in Indonesia, the public must not be picky about vaccines because the government has guaranteed the safety and efficacy of each vaccine type, she added.

She assured all vaccines are safe and efficacious and called on the public who have not received COVID-19 shots to get them immediately//ANT

This handout photo from Malaysia's Department of Information taken and released on Aug 21, 2021 shows Malaysia's incoming Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (left) receiving documents from King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah before taking the oath as the country's new leader at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo: Khirul NIZAM ZANIL / Malaysia's Department of Information / AFP) - 

Mr Ismail Sabri Yaakob was sworn in as Malaysia’s prime minister on Saturday (Aug 21), ending almost a week of political turmoil in Putrajaya.  

The 61-year-old politician from United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) took the oath of office before King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at the national palace. 

The ceremony was held a day after the appointment was announced by the king, following a special meeting of the Conference of Rulers. The government should continue efforts to fight COVID-19 immediately, the king had said. 

Mr Ismail Sabri was most recently deputy prime minister and defence minister in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government led by Mr Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned on Monday after losing majority support in the Lower House.

A number of UMNO MPs, led by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, had withdrawn their support for Mr Muhyiddin. The PN government was formed only about 18 months ago in March 2020 after a power tussle caused the Pakatan Harapan government to collapse.  

On Tuesday, Malaysia's 220 MPs were asked to submit a statutory declaration stating their preferred prime minister candidate to the palace.

A total of 114 MPs picked Mr Ismail Sabri, giving him a simple majority.

He was supported by 50 MPs from PN and 41 MPs from Barisan Nasional. Additionally, 18 lawmakers from Gabungan Parti Sarawak, one from Parti Bersatu Sabah and four independent lawmakers also backed Mr Ismail Sabri.

Another UMNO politician who was said to be in the running to be nominated by the party as its prime minister candidate was veteran lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. He abstained from backing Mr Ismail Sabri.

The opposition's candidate for prime minister, Mr Anwar Ibrahim, was backed by 105 lawmakers. He has urged his supporters to accept Mr Ismail Sabri's appointment.

In an audience with leaders of major political parties on Wednesday, the king had decreed that all should work as one team. 

The new prime minister should also seek a confidence vote in the parliament as soon as possible, he said, adding that a general election was not the best option currently. 

Speaking to Bernama on leaving the palace, Mr Ismail Sabri expressed his thanks to the king for consenting to his appointment. 

The new prime minister also expressed appreciation for the support given by the MPs and heads of political parties.

"For the people, I will make a statement tomorrow," he said//CNA