VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Aceh provincial government has again transferred Rp50 million to meet the basic requirements of 12 Acehnese students currently stranded in Wuhan, China's city, the epicenter of the deadly new coronavirus.

"Today, we again transferred Rp50 million for our students in Wuhan," Head of the Aceh Provincial Administration's Social Affairs Office Alhudri notified journalists at the Command Post for Assisting the Acehnese Students in China here on Wednesday.

Several days ago, the Aceh provincial administration had also transferred Rp50 million to meet the students' basic necessities.

The students had utilized the money that the government sent them in the first phase. The money transferred for the second time on Wednesday will also be channeled to purchase logistics, he stated, adding that 62 Acehnese students currently study in China.

Of the total Acehnese students studying in China, 36 have returned to Aceh, while six are still in the process of returning to the province; eight students remain in other Chinese cities; while 12 others are yet stranded in Wuhan, Alhudri stated.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin had confirmed on Wednesday that the government was making preparations to evacuate Indonesian citizens from Wuhan's adjoining cities.

"In fact, we, the government, have prepared to conduct the evacuation. However, Wuhan has become an isolated area, so no one can enter or leave. As a consequence, everything in on hold, pending the stance of the Chinese government," Amin noted.

The government will evacuate Indonesian citizens from Wuhan, where the corona virus originated, once the isolation status in the city is revoked, he explained.

The Indonesian government is also awaiting information from the World Health Organization (WHO) over the status of a public health emergency due to the corona virus.

"Our government is ready. If there is a possibility, we will evacuate. However, the government continues to pay attention to our people, especially those in Wuhan," he stated.

Chinese authorities declared the first case of coronavirus after a person with pneumonia was hospitalized in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, according to an official statement of the WHO.

Over the past weeks, people, with symptoms of pneumonia and reported travel history to Wuhan, had been identified at international airports.

This novel coronavirus has, so far, claimed at least 132 lives in China, while several other countries, such as Thailand, Australia, Singapore, the United States, Japan, and Canada, have announced their confirmed cases.

However, none of the confirmed cases were found in Indonesia. Apart from this reality, since the issuance of an official statement by the WHO on the coronavirus outbreak in China, the Indonesian government has remained on alert.

As part of its precautionary measures, thermal scanners have been installed at various airports around the archipelago for screening international passengers. The thermal scanners are aimed at detecting any foreign tourists symptomatic with this novel coronavirus.

Several hospitals in Indonesia's big cities have also made necessary preparations to handle those with suspected coronavirus symptoms. (ANTARA)

A drug dealer, who fled Sialang Bungkuk Penitentiary, Pekanbaru, Riau, along with 472 other inmates on May 5, 2017, was sent back to jail last week, Riau Police spokesman Sen. Coms. Sunarto stated here, Wednesday.

The fugitive, only identified by his initials as ES alias EP, was caught again during a recent drug raid operation at a house in the Widya Graha housing complex in Delima Village, Tampan Sub-district, Pekanbaru City, after being at large for about three years, he told journalists.

This 41-year-old man was apprehended on April 17, 2016, for drug offence and was sentenced by the local court's panel of judges for five and half years in jail. However, he could escape prison along with 472 other inmates on May 5, 2017, Sunarto stated.

ES was apprehended last week by the Riau Provincial Police's anti-drug squad personnel from a house in Delima Village for allegedly trading crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy pills.

The police investigators seized six small packs of crystal meth, or sabu-sabu, and 22 ecstasy pills as well as a digital scale and cellular phone, he stated, adding that ES was then sent back to the Sialang Bungkuk Penitentiary on Tuesday.

A total of 473 prisoners escaped from the Sialang Bungkuk Penitentary on May 5, 2017, after breaking through the prison's front door. Some 100 of the escapees reportedly remain at large.

Indonesia remains under grave threat from drug dealers, as several individuals from its working-age population have been embroiled in a vicious circle.

Both domestic and transnational drug dealers perceive Indonesia as one of their potential markets due to its large population and millions of drug users. The drug trade in the country is estimated to reach nearly Rp66 trillion.

According to the National Narcotics Agency's (BNN's) report, some 50 drug use-related deaths occur in a day in Indonesia. However, their deaths have failed to deter other drug users in the country from consuming these banned substances.

Users of crystal methamphetamine, narcotics, marijuana, and other addictive drugs transcend communities and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

On January 20, 2020, the South Jakarta Metropolitan police had apprehended a 27-year-old US national, only identified by his initials as CCB, at his apartment in Bintaro, Jakarta, for allegedly smuggling marijuana into Indonesia.

The suspect allegedly smuggled the marijuana that he had camouflaged in brownies and vape liquids. He concealed this illicit drug in a bag that he carried along while boarding the aircraft, South Jakarta Police Chief Sen. Coms. Bastoni Purnama revealed.

CCB told police investigators that he worked for a mental health clinic in California and arrived at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport on January 17, 2020, on a tourist visa.

The suspect was arrested at his apartment on Monday after a tip-off received by the South Jakarta police’s anti-drug squad personnel on a drug transaction at the apartment. (ANTARA)

Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has confirmed that the government is making preparations to evacuate Indonesian citizens from Wuhan’s adjoining cities. "In fact, we, the government, have prepared to conduct the evacuation. However, Wuhan has become an isolated area, so no one can enter or leave. As a consequence, everything in on hold, pending the stance of the Chinese Government," Amin remarked here on Wednesday.

The government will evacuate Indonesian citizens from Wuhan, where the coronavirus originated, once the isolation status in the city is revoked, he explained.

The Indonesian government is also awaiting information from the World Health Organization (WHO) over the status of a public health emergency due to the coronavirus.

"Our government is ready. If there is a possibility, we will evacuate. However, the government continues to pay attention to our people, especially those in Wuhan. If I am not mistaken, they are some 100 people, 84 of whom are students. Hence, we assist them by providing logistics to them through our embassy in China," he stated.

Amin explained that Indonesia was not the only country that faced difficulty in evacuating its citizens on account of the isolation status in Wuhan. Japan and the United States had also encountered difficulties in evacuating their residents from Wuhan.

"Also those from Japan that has sent a plane cannot be evacuated yet. The US Embassy, which has been closed, reportedly also has not been able to get out. This situation is since Wuhan has been declared an isolated area," he noted.

To assist Indonesian citizens in Hubei Province, the Government of Indonesia has allocated Rp133,280,000 to procure logistics whose prices have increased due to the isolation of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province. (ANTARA)

Indonesia's investment realization in 2019 had outstripped its target to reach Rp809.6 trillion during the January-December period, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Head Bahlil Lahadalia stated.

"Realization of investment in the fourth quarter of 2019 during the period from October to December had reached Rp208.3 trillion, increasing 12 percent from the corresponding period in 2018," Lahadalia noted here on Wednesday.

The increased investment has bolstered the board's commitment to supervise and ensure the realization of investment in the country, he noted.

"This is my promise that the realization of investment in 2019 would reach its target. We continue to focus on qualified investment and those that involve small- and medium-scale enterprises in a bid to proffer a multiplier effect on the people," he noted.

Investment in the fourth quarter of the year had absorbed 330,530 workers, thereby bringing the total workforce absorbed in 2019 to over one million.

Domestic investment during the period was recorded at Rp103 trillion, or increased 18.5 percent, while foreign investment rose 6.4 percent to Rp105.3 trillion as compared to the same period of 2018.

Investment in regions outside Java Island increased 22.6 percent to Rp103.8 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2019, while investment in Java Island reached Rp104.5 trillion, or increased 3.2 percent, as compared to 2018.

Lahadalia stated that investment outside Java Island should be increased further to encourage equalization of economy in the country. (ANTARA)