VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

General Elections Commission  (KPU) has stipulated  foreign permanent voters list (DPT) in  2019 presidential election that reach more than 2 million people. Of the total numbers, there are about 2,000 voters in conflict areas, such as   in Yemen. Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens and Indonesian Legal Entities, Indonesian Foreign Affairs  Ministry, Lalu Muhammaq Iqbal, said that even though the Indonesian embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, had been closed since 2015 and moved to Salalah, Oman and was closed again as of December 31, 2018, the existence of Yemeni's Foreign Election Committee (PPLN) is confirmed to  exist. Iqbal also said that the committee’s work area is under the committe in Muscat, Oman. Meanwhile, the voting for the 2019 presidential election for overseas voters will be held on April 8 to 14.

"There are still Indonesian Communities in Yemen. There are also  PPLN members and some students in Hadramaud. Although the Indonesian Embassy is closed, the PPLN still work," Lalu Muhamad Iqbal said.

Meanwhile, General Elections Commission  (KPU) commissioner, Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi, said that to guarantee the secrecy of voters in Yemen, the delivery of ballot boxes will not be conducted by post, but carried out directly by the Foreign Election Committee (PPLN), considering the tense situation in Yemen and the ballot boxes have to pass through 17 security posts. (KBRN/RETNO/AHM)

 State-owned tourism management enterprise Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has received funding from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to develop infrastructure in the Special Economic Zone (KEK) in Mandalika, West Nusa Tenggara.

"After it was approved by the AIIB board of directors on December 7, 2018, we signed an agreement on funding facility for the Mandalika Urban & Tourism Infrastructure Project (MUTIP) worth US$248.4 million, or equal to Rp3.6 trillion on Dec 31. This shows the trust in the prospects of the tourism industry in Indonesia," ITDC President Director Abdulbar M. Mansoer stated in Jakarta on Tuesday.

It is the first standalone financing, with the largest value made by AIIB in Indonesia, and the first AIIB financing for tourism infrastructure development in the world.  AIIB is a multilateral development bank, with member countries from around the world, including Indonesia. AIIB is aimed at supporting the building of infrastructure in member countries in Asia and the Pacific region.

Meanwhile, ITDC Director of Finance Nusantara Suyono said, the MUTIP funding has a tenor period of 35 years and grace period of 10 years. The interest rate is set in accordance with the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, of six percent and 1.4 percent additional rate per year. MUTIP funding will be focused on the development of infrastructure and basic facilities in Mandalika, including road, clean water, sanitary and drainage, waste treatment, power distribution, disaster risk management, and several other public facilities.

The company has targeted to build star-rated hotels, with more than 10 thousand rooms, convention center, 27-hole golf course, retail mall, theme park, hospital, and street race circuit for world-class races, such as MotoGP.

"The MUTIP funding will also cover the surrounding area to ensure that the project would benefit the local people and to mitigate the negative impact with regard to increased tourist visits," Mansoer noted.

ITDC has successfully managed the tourism destination area in Nusa Dua, Bali, since some 45 years, with the World Bank funding in its early years. ITDC has developed Nusa Dua into a world-class integrated resort. According to Mansoer, development of tourism in Mandalika will have a multiplier effect on the local, social, and economic areas, as it will create jobs for more than 50 thousand workers within the next 25 years.

Data of the Central Bureau of Statistic (BPS) showed that the number of foreign tourists to Indonesia had increased to 14 million in 2017, from 11.5 million in 2016. In 2018, the number of foreign tourists has reached more than 13 million as of November. The world tourism industry has grown significantly and contributed more than 10 percent to the global gross domestic product. (ant)

Three state-owned companies -- PT Inka Multi Solusi Trading (IMST), PT Wika Beton, and PT Pindad -- have synergized efforts to export rail pads to the Philippines. President Director of PT IMST I Gede Agus Prayatna stated in Majalengka, West Java, on Tuesday ( 22 January ) that it is the initial export of rail pads manufactured in synergy with state-owned concrete maker PT Wika Beton and state-owned manufacturer of military and commercial products PT Pindad.

"We deliver the rail pads to Manila, the Philippines, to supply material for infrastructure development in the country," Prayatna remarked.

The rail pads will be used to build a 300-meter railway track, he noted.

"For now, it is only for 300 meters of railway track, but this is the start. If we can succeed in the project, I am certain that we can supply for a longer track," he remarked, adding that it will necessitate synergy among the state-run companies.

Meanwhile, Marketing Director of PT Wika Beton Kuntjara said the company will improve the quality of its concrete products to compete in the international market.

"We will work jointly and support each other by improving our products," he affirmed.

Director of Industrial Product of PT Pindad Heru Puryanto stated that it is the first export of rail pads to the Philippines.

"This is for the first time we export (rail pads). This is a collaboration among state enterprises. KA Clip is one hundred percent our works," Puryanto added. (ant)

The Indonesia Masters 2019 badminton tournament starts today.  The third tournament in the 2019 BWF World Tour calendar will be held from January 22 to 27 2019 at Istora Senayan, Jakarta. Based on the drawings released by Bwfbadminton.com, 37 Indonesian representatives will compete in this tournament.

Of these, six of them are included in the flagship list. 
The six Indonesian representatives who were superior in the BWF World Tour 2019 tournament in the Super 500 category were in four sectors, except the women's singles.
They are Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, the 7th seed in the men's singles sector.  Furthermore, Greysia Polii / Apriyani Rahayu and Tontowi Ahmad / Liliyana Natsir, respectively as the 4th seed in the women's doubles and mixed doubles sectors. The other three were representatives in the men's doubles sector, one of them being the 2019 Malaysia Masters champion, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon / Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo. They still occupy the first seed in the 2019 Indonesia Masters. Next, Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Rian Ardianto, 6th seed, and Mohammad Ahsan / Hendra Setiawan as seed 8.

The results of the 2019 Indonesia Masters draw are arguably less profitable for the host. Because, many representatives of Indonesia will compete in the early rounds.

In the men's singles sector, for example, Anthony Ginting will face Tommy Sugiarto.
Practically, one of them will only compete once and immediately 'go home' after the first round match is finished.
Conditions not much different occur in the men's doubles sector. Four Indonesian representatives (two of them featured) are in the top group or seeds 1 to 8.
They have the chance to elbow each other in the second round to the quarter-finals.
Four Indonesian men's doubles representatives who had the chance to elbow each other up to the quarter-finals were Marcus / Kevin, Wahyu / Ade, Fajar / Rian and Berry / Hardianto.Not only in the men's singles and men's doubles sectors, the chances of the matches of fellow Indonesian representatives in the initial round were also seen from the results of the women's doubles and mixed doubles drawings. (trib)