VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Minister of Marine and Fisheries Affairs, Susi Pudjiastuti stated that her ministry will continuously apply sinking policy of foreign illegal fishing ships which conduct illegal fishing in Indonesian waters, although her policy brings about pros and cons both in Indonesia and in foreign countries. In a press release in Jakarta on Friday, 21 September 2018, Minister Susi stated that she is not stupid person that lets 7 thousand illegal fishing ships  be freed in Indonesian sovereignty for years.

“The new government has started since October 2014 and we started  sinking illegal fishing ships in December. If there are people who say that sinking illegal ships is foolish. Which one is more foolish? A country has sovereignty and let thousands illegal ships  and  not a thousand or 2 thousands, but it is more than 7 thousand illegal ships conduct illegal fishing,” said Susi Pujistuti.

Minister  Susi further explained that she is wondering why there are still people who ask her about sanction of sinking illegal ships. In fact, the regulation is stated in the law No. 45/2009 concerning on fishery as the sanction of the illegal fishing ships. She also emphasized that as long as the legal standing still exists and it is valid, the Ministry of Marine and fisheries will keep sinking illegal fishing ships. (Rezha/Trans by AF/RHM)

Indonesian fisheries entrepreneurs are expected to take advantage of the momentum of China's trade war against the United States of America -USA to increase fishery product exports. The opportunity that can be taken from the momentum is to fill the fisheries export market to the USA because Chinese entrepreneurs have difficulty exporting after being given high import tariffs by the USA. This was stated by Minister of Marine and Fisheries Affairs, Susi Pudjiastuti in a press statement in Jakarta on Friday, (September 21, 2018).

“The reality of the trade war between China and the USA is that should the Indonesian businesspeople should gain advantage and can make breakthroughs in a bid to be able to take incentives in the beneficial situations of this trade war. Thus, many companies from China that export to the USA will be difficult and surely, that will be our opportunity to produce more,” Susi Pujiastuti said.

Furthermore, Minister Susi also reminded that Indonesian fisheries businesses should not use shortcuts to gain profits from China's and US trade war that could potentially harm Indonesia. One of the shortcuts is by doing a "transit document" or borrowing names so that goods from China can enter the USA on behalf of Indonesia. She views that the same thing happened in 2004 which ultimately made Indonesia unprofitable from the increase in import tariffs imposed by the United States to 5 countries. In fact, due to borrowing the name, Indonesia almost received the threat of an embargo on fishery products from the USA. Therefore, Minister Susi wants to make sure this occurrence will not happen again. This can be done by implementing a Legal Reported Regulated Fishing policy -LRRF or integrated reporting to eradicate Illegal Unreported Unregulated Fishing -IUUF. (VOI/Rezha/Trans by Rhm)

Incumbent President Joko Widodo and his running mate, Ma’ruf Amin, drew number one, while their rival, the pair of Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno, got number two on ballots for next year’`s presidential election. The numbers were drawn by the two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates at the General Election Commission (KPU) office in Jakarta on Friday evening. The incumbent president, commonly known as Jokowi, claimed that the number that him and his running mate got was the one they expected.

After attending the KPU Open Plenary Session, Joko Widodo and Ma'ruf Amin stated that the number 1 would make it easier for them to communicate with the people. When asked about the campaign preparation ahead of the 2019 Presidential Election, Joko Widodo said that he and the campaign team would announce the campaign tagline on time.

"Alhamdulillah (Thank God), the number we got is the one that we expected. We got number 01. With the number one on ballots, it would be easier for me and my people to communicate with the community members because what Indonesia wants is unity.Later, the tagline will come out; the hash-tag will come out; everything will come out,” Joko Widodo said.

In the KPU Open Plenary Session, the two presidential candidates and the vice presidential candidates agreed to add zeros in front of each candidate pair number. This is intended not to cause confusion in the people related to the similarity in the mention of political party serial numbers. The agreement was taken just before the KPU began the procession of the Open Plenary Session to draw and determine the serial number of the candidates. (VOI/Ndy-Trans by Rhm)

The Open Plenary Session of General Election Commission -KPU on Friday night decided presidential candidate Joko Widodo and vice-presidential candidate Ma'ruf Amin as presidential and vice presidential candidates with the serial number 01. While presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and vice presidential candidate Sandiaga Sholahudin Uno as presidential and vice presidential candidates with serial number 02.

In his welcoming speech, Presidential candidate number 01, Joko Widodo called for all Indonesian people to make the momentum of the 2019 Presidential and Vice Presidential Election as a political learning and education. He hopes that the momentum of the 2019 Presidential Election can enhance the maturity of the people in politics and democracy. In addition, he also asked for the whole community to free the politics from defamation and contempt of each other which is contrary to the values of Indonesia.

“On this good occasion, I want to call for all of us to be in the framework of the presidential election. The presidential election is a democratic party. Therefore, on this happy night, I call for all of us to fill this Presidential Election for good political education to the people, for the maturity of the people's democracy and for the maturity of the people in democracy. Therefore, let our political contestation compete with the programs, ideas and track record. In the political contestation, I call for all of us: let’s keep away from mutual slander, insult each other, mock each other, disparage each other because it is not the ethics and values that we embrace, namely Indonesian values. Do not let because of this political contestation in the framework of the Presidential Election; the friendship between us is inhospitable,” asid Joko Widodo.

Meanwhile, presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto in his remarks also called for the implementation of the 2019 Presidential Election to be carried out safely and peacefully. This means that the democratic activity for presidential elections can produce the best leaders for the Indonesian people. He views that the Indonesian nation is a huge family. So, it takes mutual cooperation among the nation's children in addressing the existing problems.

“As the same as what Mr. Pak Joko Widodo said, I hope; I wish and I urge all Indonesian people, let us carry out elections with coolness in peace with a spirit of kinship to find the best for the nation, instead of looking for mistakes or shortcomings of one another. We must feel that we are all one in the big family of the Republic of Indonesia. Thus, we must address all the problems of the nation as a matter of our extended family. I hope all parties are always calm, unemotional, and self-refrained. Let’s welcome this process of democracy calmly. We hope all parties to be able to carry out their duties as well as possible for the benefit of the people, the future of our children and grandchildren,” said Prabowo.

The draw and determination of the serial number of the pairs of Presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2019 General Election were witnessed by all candidate pairs and support teams. In addition, the KPU also invited the Election Administrators Honorary Council -DKPP, the Election Supervisory Body -Bawaslu, the Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs and a number of related parties at KPU Building in Jakarta. (VOI/Ndy/Trans by Rhm)