VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Pantun is a Malay cultural heritage that is familiar to the people of Indonesia and Malaysia. Pantun or Malay poetic form is one proof that these two allied countries have a very close history and culture. Therefore, Deputy Ambassador of Malaysia to Indonesia, Zamshari Shaharan, in his remarks at the Commemoration of Malaysia's National Day in Jakarta, Wednesday (September 19) invited the Indonesian Government to jointly register the pantun as intangible world heritage in United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization-UNESCO.

“One of these points is the social and cultural factors that bring our citizens closer together as a allied nation. 2018 is also unique, if Malaysia and Indonesia jointly register the pantun as a non-tangible world heritage at UNESCO. We both should increase and expand businesses like this in other fields,” Zamshari Shaharan said.

Furthermore Zamshari Shaharan said, the cultural and historical similarity between Indonesia and Malaysia must be the basis and the main foundation of the intimacy of the two countries to create a world-renowned and respected allied nation. Previously Zamshari also invited Indonesia to join hands and combine energy so that Malaysia and Indonesia could become developed, peaceful and respected countries throughout the world. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)

As a large country, Indonesia is actually blessed with vast land wealth, but its distribution is uneven. This phenomenon has become a special concern for President Joko Widodo.

"We have land in 17 thousand islands. But indeed the distribution process is often complained by the community," he said when opening the National Consultation on the Implementation of Agrarian Reform and Social Forestry for Social Justice and the 2018 Global Land Forum at the State Palace on Thursday , September 20, 2018.

Inequitable land management and distribution was asked and addressed to President Joko Widodo. However, once again he confirmed that the distribution was not carried out by him.

"Many protested to me, 'How come you can get the big ones?' "I answer, for whom? I am not the one who distributed' he said. 

However, the government is committed to structuring the distribution of land in the country through its policies. The policies include agaria reform, acceleration of the issuance of community land title certificates, and social forestry.

"This is what we want to conclude so that the name agrarian reform, certificate sharing, and social forestry can really work well so that the land tenure structure in the country is truly fair," said the President.

Especially for the issuance of certificates for the people, in the last two years the government has tried to accelerate the issuance of certificates for millions of of land whose ownership has not been recognized. For this year, 7 million land field certificates are targeted to be issued from the usual one which is only around 500 thousand certificates per year. (biro pers)

Deputy Ambassador of Malaysia in Indonesia, Zamshari Shaharan, congratulated Indonesia after Indonesia hosted the 2018 Asian Games in August to September 2018. In his remarks at the Commemoration of Malaysian National Day in Jakarta, Wednesday (September 19), Zamshari said, Indonesia had shown its seriousness as a a friendly host. Therefore, he believes Indonesia will also be a great host at the 2018 Asian Para Games next October.

“While we are in the mood in this festive and joyous mood, allow me to take this opportunity to congratulate the Government of Indonesia and its people for the successful hosting of the Asian Games 2018.  Not just a gracious host, Indonesia also showed its grits by becoming the sole representative from Southeast Asia in the top five highest gold medal earner with 31 gold.  Congratulations and well done Indonesia! We hope to see similar success in the hosting of the Asian Para Games in October 2018,” Zamshari said.

Zamshari further said that Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports Syed Saddiq would probably visit Indonesia again to directly give his support to the 2018 Asian Para Games. Regarding the number of athletes to be sent, Zamshari claimed he did not have any information on the number of athletes to be sent to compete in this Asian Para Games. The Asian Para Games 2018 is a follow-up of the 2018 Asian Games which just ended last Sunday 2 September. The 2018 Asian Para Games will take place in Jakarta from 6 to 13 October. The event will be attended by around 3,000 disabled athletes from 43 countries in Asia and there will be 18 sports contested at the game. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)

Illegal immigrants from the southern Philippines who live in Sabah, Malaysia, are alleged to have been accomplices in the abduction of two Indonesian fishing crew members in the waters of Sabah, Malaysia, on 11 September. This information is based on reports from security forces and former militants from the Philippines. When confirmed on this matter in Jakarta on Wednesday (19/9), the Director General of the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and the Indonesian Legal Entity of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, said that his party could not confirm the involvement of illegal immigrants in the kidnapping of the two Indonesian citizens. His side needs to communicate with the Malaysian Government, because the area where the kidnapping took place is Malaysia's territory.

"It is possible if it is about the involvement of illegal immigrants in the South Philippines. We don't know. what is clear is when they are in Malaysian territory, that is the responsibility of the Malaysian Government for its security. That there may be many illegal immigrants there. But precisely because we assume that the sea triangle or waters are potential but prone triangles. Potential because of this logistics line. But the fact is that the conditions are vulnerable," Muhammad Iqbal said.

Meanwhile, a former member of Jamaah Islamiyyah linked to Al-Qaeda, Abdullah Sandakan, based in Sabah, said the Abu Sayyaf group, a terrorist and pirate group based in the southern Philippines, and other kidnappers from the southern Philippines had many family members living in the Philippines. Illegal immigrants acted as informants and were very loyal to the kidnappers, because of their family ties. They helped the kidnappers choose a good place to kidnap. The informants live in the sea. Some of them are fishermen, laborers and traders. Some of them even work in government departments and hotels in Sabah. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)