The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism has encouraged all tour and travel agencies incorporated in the Association of the Indonesian Tours and Travel Agencies (ASITA) to move forward and start using digital platforms for their business.

The use of digital platforms is the best business-doing transformation to be carried out by the country's tour and travel industry since almost 70 percent of tourists visiting Indonesia have taken advantages of online services for all of their traveling needs, said Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The Tourism Minister delivered his statement during the ASITA's National Work Meeting held at the Sapta Pesona Building.

"Nowadays, the customers prefer to use online services. Therefore, we can no longer rely on walk-in service and ask customers to come to the travel agent offices to book tickets and choose their tour packages," Minister Arief Yahya remarked.

He hopes that the cooperation between tour operators and travel agencies incorporated in ASITA can help improve the competitiveness of the national tourism sector.

"We need to move forward, and the main requirement is go digital. Without using digital technology, we won't be able to progress, and it will be difficult for us to compete in the increasingly strict world market," Yahya said.

On the same occasion, Chairperson of ASITA Nunung Rusmiati on behalf of tour and travel industry expressed appreciation for all the supports given by the government to the industry, particularly in an effort to reduce flight fares.

"Thanks to the government for listening to our complaints regarding flight fares, and now the airplane ticket prices are back to normal," she stated. (ANTARA)

Elections using the Mobile Ballot Method has been held since April 8, 2019. Members of the organizer of Foreign election (KPPSLN) have been deployed to 29 Mobile Ballot Box voting points. In Malaysia, the highest location for Indonesian Migrant Workers is in Sime Darby. The total permanent voter list (DPT) in Sime Darby is 5 thousand. The Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Rusdi Kirana hoped the Indonesian migrant workers will no longer face difficulty in getting permits from their working unions when they want to cast their vote in the 2019 Election.

"Ask them to help. It's not saying illegal, but convenience in our citizens to be able to use their rights," said

Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Rusdi Kirana.

The democracy fiesta is really enthusiastically welcomed by all Indonesian migrant workers at Sime Darby. The arrival of roving ballot boxes is scheduled according to the shift of each worker. (KBRN/GEA/AHM)

The Hong Kong Foreign Election Committee (PPLN) on Monday began to send C6 Form or invitation to vote for voters who are listed in the Hong Kong Permanent Voters List (DPT). Chairman of the committee Christopher Suganda Supranto told RRI correspondent in Hong Kong on Monday that the committee prioritized sending C6 Forms to voters who had given clear addresses and the latest data. This is to avoid the voters not getting C6 Forms, as found in a number of ballots sent by post.

"We have sent the forms for voters in Hong Kong, but not all of them. We send to those who are listed in the Permanent Voters’ List (DPT), if the are confirmation on the address. When we conducted socialization, we did data collection, matched biodata in our list. There are also many Indonesian Migrant Workers who provide information to us that they have moved. The addresses where they live are matched with our data. So we send to them first," said

Christopher Suganda Supranto.

. 

Of the total Permanent Voters List in Hong Kong which reached 180,232 people, those choose to come to the polling station (TPS) and already registered are 23,326 people. These C6 forms will be sent to them. While for Indonesian citizens who have not registered, they can immediately come to the polling station on the polling day on April 14, 2019 and immediately get C6 Form at the registration desk before they submit their voting rights. The C6 Form in Hong Kong is sent by post. This delivery process can take up to three days. (KBRN/LUNA/VOI)

Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto has reasserted that the nation's military will remain neutral during the forthcoming 2019 simultaneous legislative and presidential elections.

"The TNI will continue to adopt a neutral stance in the implementation of the 2019 legislative and presidential elections," Tjahjanto noted in his remarks during the launch of a counter-terrorism exercise in Ancol, North Jakarta, on Tuesday.

The TNI politics is state politics, so its personnel will steer clear from supporting any party in the elections, he remarked.

The TNI is prepared to ensure security during the implementation of the 2019 elections and will undoubtedly take on any party harboring malicious intentions to hinder political stability and implementation of the election process in the country, he stated.

"The TNI will confront all those parties attempting to threaten political stability and democracy, de-stabilize the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), weaken Pancasila (state ideology), contradict the spirit of the 1945 Constitution, and undermine 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika' ('Unity in Diversity' national slogan). I reaffirm, the TNI will go loggerheads against such parties," Tjahjanto emphasized.

The TNI commander has sought the public's participation and cooperation to assist in maintaining peace during the implementation of elections.

Indonesia will hold nationwide simultaneous legislative and presidential elections on April 17, 2019.  (ANTARA)