VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia once supplied 85 percent of the needs of world kapok around the years 1928--1937. Based on data, India, Malaysia, China and South Korea are Indonesian kapok importers with positive growth in 2014-2018. Kapok can also be used as textile fibers. (kemendag)

The Ministry of Tourism is ready to support the plan to organize International Angklung Festival and Darma Reservoir tour as part of  efforts to promote  world-class tourist destinations in Kuningan District, West Java.

"We are committed to helping realize a plan to make tourism destinations including Darma Reservoir a world-class tourist destination," said the Tourism Ministry's Expert Staff for Economics and Regional Tourism, Dr Anang Sutono MM CHE in Kuningan, Sunday.

He said, the angklung festival and the Darma Reservoir Tourism Notes are a commitment of the Ministry of Tourism to provide support because tourism is part of the nation's economy and is fundamental to prosper the community.

"This is the right moment for Kuningan to rise and advance in the tourism sector," he said.

He said, the strategy of developing the tourism industry is  a very important factor, especially to direct the development of human resources  towards turning  tourist destinations in Kuningan District into world class tourism.

Efforts to support the development of world-class tourism, he said, need quality human resources, for which the development of vocational and high school education institutions in the tourism sector is needed.

"Kuningan will become a 'world class tourism', so that it needs human resources of international standard, and one of the embryos is the presence of tourism vocational schools and high schools," he said.

Head of the Java Area Tourism Promotion at the Ministry of Tourism Wawan Gunawan added, the activity was the right momentum related to preparations for Ramadan as an attraction to lure tourists.

"This is one of the efforts to integrate art and tourism so that it becomes a unity of harmony," said Wawan.

Wawan said, the Tourism Ministry is building a mutually supportive program that could be realized jointly by the government, the media, business people and academics, so that art attractions could become an attraction for the community.

"If you want to make world-class tourism, the global standard must be adapted to world-class packaging, both musical arrangements, costumes, and so on," he said.

He added, tourism attractions are not only artistic performances, but also the regional culinary sector and community involvement to help increase the level of their welfare.

"If the Minister says, the more culture or art is preserved, the more prosperous the people will be," he said.

A total of 165 children of Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) participated in the selection of the Kuark Science Olympiad (OSK) in Malaysia's Sabah, Saturday (27/4). The Principal of the Indonesian Kota Kinabalu  School of Sabah (SIKK), Istiqlal, on Sunday said that  children of Indonesian migrant workers from various Community Learning Centers (CLC) and SIKK participated in OSK, the selection material specifically for science studies using questions in the XV edition of the kuark comic.

The number of Indonesian migrant workers'  children who passed the semifinal round of 165 participants were selected again to show themselves in the final round.

"The results of the initial selection were 165 participants who are  qualified for the semifinals with material in the field of science," Istiqlal said.

The Principal as well as the manager of the 17th Sandakan CLC Nusantara Batu, Halisa bint Dullah expressed that as many as four of his assisted students are qualified for the semifinals at OSK held at Sabah SIKK.  The four students were Kristina Baranda (Class VI), Maria Cinta Wolor (Class IV), Jelita (Class III) and Beckam (Class II).

He felt proud of the achievements of his assisted students who were able to qualify for the semifinals, even though he first included his students in this OSK.

"I am proud because it is the first time CLC Nusantara has participated in this OSK and managed to qualify for the semifinals," said Mantius, one of his teachers through his written message.

He also thanked SIKK for giving confidence in including his students in the competition. Mantius admitted, the matter of the science study field in the competition was very difficult because it requires high analysis. However, it does not make the Indonesian migrant workers' children who are educated at CLC Nusantara Sandakan.

"Indonesian children are very happy and enthusiastic about participating in this race in OSK even though the problem is difficult," said Mantius. (ant)

Minister of Religion Lukman Hakim Saifuddin has signed a Decree of the Minister of Religion (KMA) Number 176 Year concerning the Distribution of Additional Allocation of Hajj Quota for Each Province. This follows the addition of a quota of 10 thousand pilgrims during the 1440 H / 2019 Hajj season given by the Saudi Government to Indonesia, during President Jokowi's visit in early April 2019.

"The KMA regarding the distribution of the quota was signed by the Minister of Religion this afternoon. The distribution of quotas is carried out proportionally in each province, "explained the Director of Haji Maman Saepulloh Fund Management, in Jakarta, Friday (4/26) night.

In the KMA, it was explained that 10,000 additional quotas were divided into 5000 pilgrims based on the portion number, as well as the elderly pilgrims and their companions as many as 5000 worshipers.

"According to KMA, the age limit of the elderly congregation, the lowest is 75 years old as of July 7, 2019. Elderly and companion congregations already have a portion number, and are registered as pilgrims before January 1, 2017," Maman explained. (setkab-kemenag)