VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Army Chief of Staff, General Dudung Abdurrachman, holding a video conference with Australian Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr, from the Army Headquarters in Jakarta on Friday (February 11, 2022). (ANTARA/HO-Dispenad) - 

The Indonesian and Australian armies on Friday agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation for developing their capabilities.

The agreement was inked during a video conference between Indonesian Army Chief of Staff, General Dudung Abdurrachman, and Australian Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr, on Friday.

During the video conference, Abdurrachman expressed confidence that cooperation between the Indonesian and Australian armies will flourish further in the future.

The collaboration will be essential to enhancing cooperation, particularly in the training and education sectors, as well as dialogue between the two national armies, he said.

"After the COVID-19 pandemic ends, it will be the best moment to enhance the cooperation between the two national armies that would also bolster the Indonesian-Australian bilateral relations," he remarked in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday.

Meanwhile, Burr affirmed that deliberations on partnership and cooperation commenced by Abdurrachman's predecessor would be continued by him and his successor in the future.

Exchange of army personnel and instructors must be initiated to enhance human resources of the Indonesian and Australian armies, the Australian army chief said.

Concurring with Burr, Abdurrachman reiterated the importance of maintaining fraternal relations between both national armies.

"Let us initiate a joint activity or training session in the future, and I hope the relationship between Indonesian and Australian armies will be enhanced further," he said.

Training and education aspects must be prioritized in the cooperation between the two armies, he added.

Indonesia and Australia must also align their perspectives and combine the tactics and techniques that they would develop, including the education aspect that is essential for enhancing the quality of commissioned and non-commissioned officers, he said.

"We must align our perspective in our training, and the education must not be reserved only for commissioned officers but must extend to non-commissioned and lower non-commissioned officers as well," the army chief of staff added.

To follow up on the meeting, Abdurrachman is expected to visit Australia in April 2022//ANT

Coordinator for data and information for BBMKG Region I Medan, Eridawati, explains the characteristics of geo-hydrometeorological disasters at the Regional Apparatus Organization Forum held in Parapat, North Sumatra, Friday (February 11, 2022). (FOTO ANTARA/HO-BBMKG Region I Medan) - 

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said it has continued to improve technology-based weather, climate, earthquake, and tsunami early warning services.

"We hope the strengthening of technology-based weather information can convey information to the public quickly and accurately," Head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Center (BBMKG) Region I Medan Darmawan said here on Friday.

During a meeting with regional apparatus organizations (OPD) of North Sumatra, he informed that the BMKG provides a general view of the conditions in North Sumatra in accordance with its duties, in collaboration with the North Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).

BMKG is also currently focusing on strengthening its human resource capacity to ensure clean, clear, and qualified procurement of goods and provide quick, precise, and easily understood meteorology, climatology, and geophysics services with a high level of accuracy, he informed.

"We are ready to support North Sumatra BPBD in disaster socialization to reduce the impact and risk of geo-hydrometeorological disasters in North Sumatra through BMKG data services," he added.

Meanwhile, field coordinator of data and information for BBMKG Region I Medan, Eridawati, made a presentation on the potential for disasters in North Sumatra based on the characteristics of geo-hydrometeorological disasters in the province.

The potential for disasters in North Sumatra generally stems from extreme weather including strong winds, high waves, floods and landslides, droughts, forest fires, poor air quality, climate change, earthquakes, and tsunamis, she explained.

Reducing the risk and impact of geo-hydrometeorological disasters in North Sumatra requires coordination and synchronization among all BPBDs in North Sumatra, and in particular with the local Regional Apparatus Organization Forum, she said.

"This includes data service support and installation of meteorology, climatology, and geophysics tools such as AWS, AWOS, ARG, radar, rain gauge posts, and earthquake sensors," she added.

Meanwhile, a researcher at BBMKG Region I Medan, Marzuki Sinambela, said that the use of meteorology, climatology, and geophysics data is expected to support the performance of BPBD in North Sumatra as a working partner.

He cited the example of an earthquake in North Sumatra in 2021, which was recorded as many as 2003 times.

"The record of this incident can certainly be a lesson learned, especially in synergizing data and information among regional apparatus organization forums to strengthen the capacity of the regional apparatus in disasters in the province," he remarked//ANT

Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. (ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Religious Affairs) - 

Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas  has asked Indonesian Hindus and Buddhists to prepare national and global worship agendas following the inking of an MoU on the use of Borobudur and Prambanan temples as global worship sites.

"Please prepare various agendas for Hindus and Buddhists religious worship activities for Indonesians and the world," he  remarked in a statement received here on Friday.

The Indonesian government has officially declared Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, as well as Borobudur Temple, Pawon Temple, and Mendut Temple in Central Java as international places of worship for Hindus and Buddhists, he noted.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed to that effect by several ministries across sectors would strengthen the harmony and cooperation of all parties to develop and utilize the temples in the perspective of cultural and spiritual values, Qoumas said.

"Through this MoU, all parties can navigate their roles and abilities (in managing the four temples)," he added.

According to the minister, the use of Prambanan and Borobudur temples for religious events is a concrete measure for realizing the strategic super-priority tourism destination plan launched by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The use of these temples as international worship places should be seen as a way to preserve temples or candi as a cultural heritage as well as noble relics from Indonesia's ancestors, he explained.

The temples of Prambanan and Borobudur are really unique in terms of their spiritual and cultural value and natural beauty, he said.

He further said he was grateful that the temples can now be actively used for Hindus and Buddhists around the world, as this implementation had been anticipated before.

The launch of the four temples as global worship sites would showcase Indonesia's extraordinary cultural diversity and plurality of beliefs, he added.

"This utilization is a form of religious moderation and government's will in guaranteeing all religious people in carrying out their worships," he remarked//ANT

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo checks the preparation for the MotoGP pre-season test at Mandalika Circuit, West Nusa Tenggara, on Friday (Feburuary 11, 2022). ANTARA/HO-Divisi Humas Polri - 

National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo conducted an in-person check of the security and health protocols for the MotoGP pre-season test at the Madalika Circuit, West Nusa Tenggara, on Friday.

"We directly checked the security preparations for the entire series of pre-season activities and the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia MotoGP that will be held in March," Prabowo noted as quoted from his written statement.

The police chief made assurance of having addressed all problems that had arisen at the Mandalika Circuit. The same was also true with regard to the health protocols being strictly implemented, starting from the entry gates to Indonesia.

The health protocols are implemented at accommodation places and up to the Mandalika Circuit location. Inspections ranging from documents to RT-PCR tests, and daily antigen tests as well as managing area limitations for participants, officials, and the public are also implemented.

Prabowo ensured that the travel bubble policy is being implemented in accordance with the standard operating procedure (SOP), so that the event could run safely and smoothly while still taking into account the health of all parties involved.

"We see that the travel bubble system to maintain health protocols is running well," he affirmed.

The Police chief confirmed that as many as 1,598 joint personnel from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri), as well as other parties will be deployed to secure the event.

"Of course, there will be further deployment (of personnel) that are adjusted to the pattern of security and threats faced," he stated.

He remarked that the TNI and Polri along with the regional leadership coordination forum (Forkopimda) and the Mandalika MotoGP field coordinator Air Marshal (Ret.) Hadi Tjahjanto continue to conduct evaluations for the smooth running of the 2022 MotoGP Official Test and the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia.

"In general, I see that everything is going well. Evaluation will continue to be conducted by the Regional Police chief in coordination with the field coordinator, so that all series of events can run safely and the health protocols can be implemented as expected," he remarked//ANT