VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Illustration of telemedicine service during the COVID-19 pandemic - 

The Ministry of Health has provided a standby channel, or hotline, for people undergoing self-isolation due to COVID-19 but had yet to access free telemedicine services from the government.

Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of the Health Ministry Siti Nadia Tarmizi stated on Saturday that the government's free telemedicine service can be accessed by people, who had tested positive for COVID-19 based on the antigen or RT-PCR test at laboratories affiliated with the Health Ministry.

Initially, the service was specifically for people aged 18 years and above and residing in Greater Jakarta, Karawang, Bandung, Greater Semarang, Greater Surakarta, Yogyakarta City, Greater Surabaya, Greater Malang, Denpasar City, and Nusa Dua.

"In the second week of February, this service was extended to big cities in Java-Bali," Tarmizi noted.

Starting from February 19, the Health Ministry will expand telemedicine services to big cities in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi, she confirmed.

"We continue to expand our telemedicine service to help people, who are self-isolating. With our medicine package delivered to them, hopefully, they do not need to be hospitalized," she remarked.

People, tested positive for COVID-19, who consult with doctors through the government's telemedicine service can also receive free medicine packages delivered to them.

"We continue to improve telemedicine services, so that the medicine packages can reach patients more quickly," Tarmizi stated.

Telemedicine service users, who do not receive messages on the WhatsApp messenger from the Ministry of Health, can confirm by visiting isoman.kemkes.go.id/panduan and entering their identity number (NIK) to proceed to the next submission stage.

Until February 14, 2022, a total of 158,075 asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients had been using the Ministry of Health's telemedicine facilities in the Java and Bali regions. Some 136,028 of them had received free consultation services and electronic prescriptions.

According to the government's data, as many as 129,100 prescribed medicines have been delivered to patients' homes and 85 percent of the patients had received medicine packages the day after ordering.

People, who tested positive for COVID-19 and in need of health consultation services, can contact the Ministry of Health's WhatsApp number at 081110500567, service center 119 ext. 9, or contact their email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. //ANT

Indonesian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Spain Muhammad Najib. (Antara / Documentation of Indonesian Embassy in Madrid) - 

Indonesian Ambassador to Spain Muhammad Najib submitted his letter of credentials as Indonesia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili at the Madrid-based UNWTO headquarters, Feb 17.

Ambassador Najib officially assumes office as Indonesia’s Permanent Representative to the UNWTO, according to a statement from the Indonesian Embassy In Madrid  on  Saturday.

During his meeting with the secretary general of UNWTO, Ambassador Najib conveyed five issues of importance.

First, appreciation to the work of the UNWTO secretariat and its member states' trust to elect Indonesia as host of World Tourism Day 2022.

Secretary General Zurab is expected to attend World Tourism Day in person, to be held in Bali on September 27, 2022.

Second, Ambassador Najib expressed gratitude over Nglanggeran Village, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, being placed on the list of Best Tourism Villages 2021 by UNWTO.

This acknowledgment in turn would offer an added value to Yogyakarta in addition to its existing tourist destinations.

Third, the UNWTO is expected to play an active role in discussing tourism within the G20 forum.

Under the chairmanship of Indonesia, UNWTO is also expected to support community development around the world through efforts to restore the tourism industry, being strongly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Fourth, as Permanent Representative to the UNWTO, Ambassador Najib emphasized his readiness to cooperate and support the work of the UNWTO. Various UNWTO programs have benefitted the world tourism industry, a mainstay contributor for foreign exchange, Indonesia included.

Fifth, Ambassador Najib conveyed his support to the work of the UNWTO to establish a universally applicable health protocol specifically for cross-country travel.

The initiative could be used as reference for various countries to revive world tourism.

The secretary general of UNWTO congratulated Indonesia for its work in advancing the Indonesian tourism industry and its efforts to revive tourism during the pandemic.

UNWTO also sought support and participation of a pair of young Indonesians in the age bracket of 12-16 years for the Youth Meeting on Tourism held in Italy in July.

Indonesia is also expected to actively participate in the Joint Meeting Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the Commission on South Asia, set to take place in Maldives, on July 5-7, 2022.

The secretary general of UNWTO again highly lauded Indonesia as the first member state to sign the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics on October 2, 2020.

The secretary general is optimistic that other member states would take the same steps in adopting the convention.

Indonesia and the UNWTO have worked closely through workshops on reopening Bali tourism in 2020.

The tourism sector and Indonesia's creative economy have implemented the globally standardized CHSE (Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability) in the same year.

Indonesia also became a barometer of global tourism when it became the first signatory to the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics risk-based approach//ANT

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi (right) after signing the FIR agreement with Singapore's Minister of Transport S. Iswaran (left), which was witnessed directly by Singaporean Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Bintan Island, Riau Islands, Tuesday (25/1). (Palace Press Bureau) - 

On January 25, 2022, the Indonesian and Singaporean governments had approved agreements on extradition, Flight Information Region (FIR), and defense cooperation.

Under the agreement on FIR, the air space area of ​​249,575 square kilometers (km), which has been controlled by Singapore, will be managed by Indonesia.

It was no easy matter for Indonesia to finally achieve success in taking over the air space of 249,575 square km.

Apart from the protracted period of time taken, meetings between the two countries were also quite long.

Some 40 meetings were held between Indonesia and Singapore, and discussions or negotiations regarding the FIR

had also reached a tough juncture.

During a joint press statement with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated that the new extradition agreement extended the retroactive period, from 15 years to 18 years.

Meanwhile, with the signing of the FIR agreement, Jakarta's FIR scope will cover all of Indonesia's territorial airspace, in particular, around Riau Islands and Natuna Islands, the Indonesian president stated.

The president expects that the cooperation in law enforcement, aviation safety, and defense and security between Indonesia and Singapore will continue to be strengthened based on the principle of mutual benefit.

The results of the negotiations between Indonesia and Singapore on realigning the FIR over the Riau and Natuna Islands' air space are optimal while still promoting the principles of harmonious and mutually beneficial foreign relations, especially with neighboring countries, the president affirmed.

Since 1946, the areas were under the Singapore FIR, as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assessed that Indonesia had not been able to regulate air traffic in the areas.

The regulation necessitates Indonesian aircraft to report to Singaporean authorities if they are looking to fly over the area.

Hence, the Indonesian government is striving to take over the areas from the Singapore FIR to strengthen international recognition of Indonesia, as an archipelagic country, which has full and exclusive sovereignty on the airspace above its territory.

Under the agreement on airspace management, Singapore and Indonesia have agreed to realign the boundary between the Jakarta Flight Information Region (FIR) and Singapore FIR.

Indonesia will delegate the provision of air navigation services for parts of its realigned FIR to Singapore.

This agreement will remain in force for 25 years and can be extended by mutual consent.

Meanwhile, Legislator Sukamta, Indonesian House of Representatives' (DPR RI's) Commission I member, urged the government to make the document of the Flight Information Region (FIR) agreement between the governments of Indonesia and Singapore accessible to the public.

"Agreements made with other countries are included in the category of public policy because they concern the lives of many people and also involve state sovereignty. The agreement documents related to extradition, airspace services, and defense cooperation that have been signed must be made accessible to the public," Sukamta noted.

Sukamta remarked that the government's explanation on the FIR agreement, so far, concerned the points of the agreement and not the texts of the official document that had been signed.

Natuna Islands and Riau Islands are very strategic for Indonesia, so the public is optimistic that sovereignty over land, sea, and air is within the scope of control of the Indonesian side, according to the legislator.

"Based on agreements contained in the UNCLOS III 1982 and the Chicago Convention 1944, state sovereignty over the air space above the territory is exclusive. This means the (realignment of FIR is a testament to Indonesian sovereignty over) air space within its territory, in particular above the Natuna Islands and Riau," he remarked.

Hence, based on this claim, the Indonesian side should be in charge of the management of FIR in the area, he stated.

Sukamta is optimistic that the agreement document, or MoU, would be accessible to the public, so that all parties would be able to provide an objective assessment of the points of the agreement that had been signed.

Accountability of FIR Agreement

Hikmahanto Juwana emphasized the need for the government to make the requisite submission for the FIR Agreement to be ratified by the House of Representatives, as it must be accountable to the people.

Professor of International Law from the University of Indonesia Hikmahanto Juwana affirmed that the government's accountability is reflected through three aspects, with the first being transparency. Transparency of the 2022 FIR agreement is paramount to ensure that what is claimed by the government regarding the management of the FIR has a basis.

Until now, the government has never opened the 2022 FIR agreement to the public.

If the ratification of the 2022 FIR agreement is carried out with the Presidential Regulation, then the public will only be able to know about the contents of the agreement when Indonesia has been fully bound, University Chancellor of General A. Yani remarked.

Second, accountability regarding the government's reasons for making the 2022 FIR agreement must be disclosed.

“Is this in line with the mandate of Article 458 of the Aviation Law? What is the government's reason for re-delegating to Singapore certain areas of Indonesian sovereignty at an altitude of up to 37,000 feet? Does this mean that since 1946 until now Indonesia has not been able to manage FIR for all areas under Indonesian sovereignty?” he emphasized.

Finally, accountability on the part of the government should be able to ward off various public suspicions, Juwana stated.

“Some of them are what are the differences between the 2022 FIR Agreement and Article 2 paragraph (1) of the 1995 FIR Agreement?” he noted.

He noted that Article 2 paragraph (1) of the 1995 FIR Agreement stipulates “The Government of Indonesia delegates to Singapore 90 nm airspace from SINJON (01 13'24"N 103 51'24"E) to an altitude of 37,000 feet in the Jakarta and southern Singapore FIR adjustment, which is called as Sector A…”

“Then there is public suspicion as to why the government is willing to follow Singapore's will to integrate the three treaties at once, namely the FIR Agreement, Defense Agreement and Extradition Treaty? Has the government calculated the consequences of Singapore's clever move?” Juwana stressed.

The government's accountability should be established in the House of Representatives as a representation of the people and in an open forum//ANT

President Joko Widodo met with the president of the Asian Development Bank, Masatsugu Asakawa, at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Friday (February 18, 2022). (ANTARA/Lukas/Press Bureau of Presidential Secretariat/uyu) - 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) met with officials from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to discuss the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the bank’s support for the energy transition in Indonesia.

"First, the President apprised the officials about the latest developments regarding COVID-19 handling in Indonesia,” National Development Planning (PPN) Minister Suharso Monoarfa said in a statement released after the meeting, which was held at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Friday.

The President also highlighted the fact that currently, Indonesia is the fourth country in the world with the highest vaccination coverage of over 330 million doses, even though it is not a vaccine manufacturer, the minister informed.

In addition, President Jokowi told the ADB officials about Indonesia's economic performance in the fourth quarter of 2021, when the country recorded economic growth of over five percent.

The ADB officials also commended Indonesia's economic growth in 2021.

"Although the total of 2021 national economic growth was only 3.7 percent, the achievement was quite good. The ADB officials praised it by saying that Indonesia’s economic growth was 'amazing',” the minister stated.

Furthermore, the President also talked about the downstreaming attempts of the industry sector to provide added value to export commodities as well as improve the country’s trade balance, he added.

“The President conveyed that Indonesia could get an income that is 20 times higher by halting raw materials exports and starting to sell finished goods,” Monoarfa informed.

Meanwhile, the ADB officials expressed their support for energy transition financing.

"In addition, they will continue to support the funding for the current 14 ongoing projects. The ADB and Indonesia have collaborated for quite a long time—55 years," the minister noted.

ADB officials who attended the meeting included the president of the bank, Masatsugu Asakawa, ADB executive director representing Indonesia, Arif Baharudin, and ADB country director for Indonesia, Jiro Tominaga//ANT