The Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono (ANTARA)

Jakarta- The United States, China, and Japan have offered their help in finalizing the design of the new capital city, the Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono has said. The final design of the new capital city would still use the basic design of the winner of the design contest, Hadimuljono said in Jakarta Friday.

"The basic design by the winner of the contest will become the basis because the Indonesian element is there," he said after the meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and winners of the design contest for the country’s new capital city in East Kalimantan.

The meeting has also discussed the possibility of involving foreign consultants to finalize the design.

Some countries have tasked their consultants to help Indonesia design the new capital city, Pandjaitan disclosed in the meeting.

"This would be bilateral cooperation," he said, adding that the help would be provided in the form of grants.

Winners of the design contest will also share their advice in the final design.

The Public Works and Housing Ministry had announced the "Nagara Rimba Nusa" design as the winner of the contest for the new capital city in East Kalimantan.

The design beat 755 other contestants to win a prize of Rp2 billion.

The ministry also announced four other runners-up namely The Infinite City, A Thousand Furrows, The Emerald of the Equator and The Village of the People of the Archipelago.

Despite being the winner, the "Nagara Rimba Nusa" design would not be used as the sole basis for the new capital. The government would collaborate with the top three contestants as well as international designers. (ANTARA)

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan (ANTARA)

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan has proposed the purchase of ocean going vessels to strengthen Indonesia's capability of safeguarding its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) rights from violations by foreign ships.

"I have proposed the purchase of these ocean going vessels. We have never possessed such ships since the existence of this Republic," he told journalists following his meeting with Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto who visited his office here on Friday.

Pandjaitan proposed the purchase of those ocean going ships amid the recent violations of Chinese coast guard vessels escorting tens of Chinese fishing boats to poach on Indonesia's EEZ near the Natuna waters on Dec 19 and Dec 24, 2019.

This incident has made the Indonesian Foreign Ministry lodge a diplomatic protest by summoning China's ambassador in Jakarta.

Pandjaitan said the government has agreed to have more patrol vessels to secure the country's maritime boundary, and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto is willing to purchase the 138 up to 140-meter-long frigates.

Regarding China's recent violations in the Indonesian EEZ, he said the case need not be exaggerated because, in fact, Indonesia's capability of conducting regular patrols in its EEZ remains limited.

At present, Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) was still in a process of being empowered to enable it to become a real powerful coast guard, he said, adding that intensifying patrols in Indonesia's EEZ is needed, and the Chinese violations should be taken as a momentum for a self-reflection.

In response to  China's recent violations in the Indonesian EEZ, the University of Indonesia's international law expert, Hikmahanto Juwana, told ANTARA that Indonesia rejects China's claim of having traditional fishing rights on the North Natuna Sea.

According to Juwana, the Indonesian Government must have one voice in addressing this issue as represented by Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi. At the same time, the government needs also intensify regular patrols on the North Natuna Sea, and enforce law against the violations of foreign vessels.

"Our intensive patrols are also aimed at protecting our fishermen's fishing boats from being disturbed by the Chinese coast guard vessels," he said, adding that a negotiation with China regarding the issues of North Natuna Sea is totally unnecessary.

Over these past three years, the Chinese coast guard vessels have repeatedly violated Indonesia's EEZ rights.

In March 2016, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi had also lodged a protest with the Chinese Charge d'affaires in Jakarta Sun Weide over Chinese coast guard violations in the Indonesian waters.

At that time, Minister Marsudi revealed that the protest note addressed to the Chinese Embassy contained at least three main points.

First, the Indonesian Government had objected to the violations committed by the Chinese coast guard against the country's sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the EEZ and continental shelf.

Second, the Indonesian Government raised a protest on the violation by the Chinese coast guard against its law enforcement agencies on the EEZ and continental shelf.

Third, the Indonesian Government protested to the violation committed by the Chinese coast guard on its marine territorial sovereignty.

The minister said the Indonesian government had sought clarification from the Chinese government over the incident.

Marsudi also stressed that as part of sound state relations, each country must respect the principles of international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982.

She also emphasized that Indonesia is not a claimant state in the South China Sea and not a claimant state in the South China Sea dispute. (ANTARA)

A resident wades through a flooded road along with a motorcycle in Cawang, East Jakarta, on Wednesday(ANTARA)

Jakarta - Social Affairs Minister Juliari P. Batubara conducted an inspection of a public kitchen for flood victims sheltered at the PSBN House in Cawang, East Jakarta, on Thursday.

During the visit, he vowed to undertake steady, concerted efforts to offer humanitarian aid to flood evacuees in Jakarta.

"For the time being, the Social Affairs Ministry supports the local administration (in handling the flood evacuees). The BNPB (the National Disaster Mitigation Agency) and SAR (Search and Rescue) officers have stepped in (to help them). We will continue to monitor (the situation) by utilizing all resources that we have," he remarked.

Batubara pointed to East Jakarta being the municipality in Jakarta to have borne the maximum brunt of the flooding.

"Of course, we give priority to the worst affected areas (in providing humanitarian aid)," he noted.

He admitted that several victims could not be evacuated from their flooded homes that were difficult to reach.

A total of 31,232 residents of Jakarta were compelled to flee their flooded homes as of Wednesday night, according to the flood command post.

Some 310 of the flood victims were found in Bendungan Hilir, Petamburan, and Karet Tengsin, Central Jakarta. They were provided shelter at two evacuee camps.

In North Jakarta, floods affected 1,515 people in Rorotan, Semper Barat, Semper Timur, Sukapura, Kelapa Gading Timur, and Pegangsaan Dua. They sought refuge in 23 evacuee camps.

The number of flood evacuees in West Jakarta reached 10,686 people, who were accommodated in 97 evacuee camps. They came from Jelambar, Tomang, Wijaya Kusuma, Srengseng, Semanan, Kalideres, Tegal Alur, Pegadungan, Kota Bambu Selatan, Kedoya Utara, and Sukabumi Selatan.

A total of 13,516 flood evacuees in East Jakarta were sheltered at 99 locations. The floods affected Kebon Manggis, Kampung Melayu, Bidara Cina, Cipinang Besar Selatan, Klender, Pondok Bambu, Pondok Kelapa, Cawang, Balekembang, Dukuh, and Cipinang Melayu.

In South Jakarta, 5,305 people fled their flooded homes and were housed at 48 different locations. The flooding in South Jakarta affected Gunung, Petongan, Pengadengan, Cilandak Timur, Pejaten Timur, and Manggarai Selatan. (ANTARA)

The Head of National Disaster Management Agency (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana/BNPB), Doni Monardo, after the coordination meeting to overcome flooding, which was held in Jakarta, Thursday, Desember 2, 2020. (ANTARA)

Weather modification technology will be applied to overcome the massive flooding that struck the capital, Jakarta, and its surround areas, Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo confirmed in Jakarta on Thursday.

"We had discussed weather modification, which has been prepared today and will be applied this evening," Monardo said, adding that BNPB will perform this along with the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) and Indonesian Military (TNI).

This technology is meant to decrease the volume of clouds in order to manage rainfall, as BPPT planned on translocating the rain to the west areas of Sunda Strait or Lampung, while if the wind blows in the direction of the east, the rain will hit the water reservoirs of Jatiluhur or Jatigede.

The TNI Headquarters has been provided two units of aircraft, CN295 and Cassa, since this morning, which are expected to perform the operational process of modification.

The high rain intensity had caused flooding in the New Year in Jakarta and the satellite cities, as well as in Banten and several regions of West Java on the very first day of 2020.

Solely counted over the Jakarta area, the flooding led to as many as 31.232 residents fleeing, according to the flood command post.

The death toll rose to 21 people as they suffered from hypothermia, buried by landslides and drowned by the floods. (ANTARA)