VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Jakarta: the arrival of Indonesian hajj pilgrims in wave I entered the last day. The Integrated Hajj Information and Computerisation System (Siskohat) of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) recorded that 89,114 Indonesian pilgrims landed at Amir Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz Airport (AMAA) in Madinah.

They are members of 229 flight groups (kloter). The arrival phase of the first batch of hajj pilgrims took place on 12 May 2024. This phase will end on 24 May 2024. On the same day, the second batch of Indonesian pilgrims will land at King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAAIA) Jeddah. "Some of the Daker Bandara officers today (Thursday) departed for Jeddah. They will prepare to welcome hajj pilgrims in the arrival phase of the second wave which will take place from 24 May to 10 June 2024," said Daker Airport Head Abdillah in Madinah, through a written statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs received by Indonesia Window here on Thursday (23/5/2024).

Meanwhile, some officers are still in Madinah to welcome the arrival of the last batch in the first phase. One of the Wukala leaders in the Madinah Airport Fasttrack lane, Abdullah Ishaq Al Hosah as Wukala Supervisor, felt greatly helped by the presence of Indonesian Hajj officers. "The presence of Indonesian Hajj officers at the airport is very much needed because it really helps us in our work. We can work faster because the officers help direct the pilgrims from the exit to the bus," said Abdullah.

Abdullah said he was impressed with the tenacity of the hajj officers in carrying out their duties. "Indonesian hajj officers are very compact in their work. They are also friendly and polite," Abdullah praised the Indonesian Hajj officers.

Abdullah also gave special praise to the Indonesian pilgrims. According to him, Indonesian pilgrims are easy to manage. "If all pilgrims were like the Indonesian pilgrims, we would be very comfortable at work," said Abdullah.

At the end of the chat, Abdullah invited Indonesian Hajj officers to work together to serve the guests of Allah. "We really appreciate the Indonesian Hajj officers. May we remain united in working together to serve the guests of Allah as well as possible. May Allah bless the Indonesian pilgrims and hajj officers," he concluded.

Before leaving for Jeddah, the Indonesian Hajj officers captured the moment with a photo with the Wukala officers and airport workers (umal). This reflects the good relationship between the two in welcoming the arrival of the congregation as well as supporting the smooth running of the task in the return phase later.

VOInews, Jakarta: The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) anticipates an increase in community mobility during the 2024 Vesak Day holiday. This anticipation is done by improving services and supervision, both in land, sea, air and rail transport.

"Ahead of the Vesak long holiday, from 23 to 26 May 2024, the Ministry of Transportation has prepared various efforts to ensure that public mobility can run smoothly, safely, comfortably and safely," said Ministry of Transportation Spokesperson Adita Irawati in Jakarta, Wednesday (22/5/2024).

As quoted from a written statement received on Wednesday (22/5/2024), the Ministry of Transport ensures the operation of transport by conducting vehicle safety checks or inspections (ramp checks). "In air transport, the Directorate of Air Transport directly conducts ramp checks at Soekarno Hatta Airport and Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport. In addition, ramp checks are also carried out by the Airport Authority in each region," wrote the Ministry of Transportation.

Furthermore, on land transport, checks are carried out on public buses and tourism buses. "The Ministry of Transport in coordination with the Korlantas Polri and the Regency / City Transportation Office has made efforts to curb the operation of public buses and tourism buses by prioritising road safety aspects. Meanwhile, users of land public transport services are encouraged to check the licence and roadworthiness of the fleet through the Mitra Darat application and spionam.dephub.go.id," he continued.

Safety and operational feasibility checks are also carried out on train and ship transportation. The Directorate General of Sea Transportation also increased supervision at ports throughout Indonesia through the Harbour Master and Port Authority (KSOP) Office, especially at tourist ports.

In addition, the Ministry has coordinated with stakeholders and transport operators to improve supervision and services at passenger density points, both at terminals, stations, airports and ports. "We continue to coordinate with operators of transportation facilities and infrastructure to maximise services to passengers. Officers at terminals, airports, stations and harbours will be increased, especially in areas that are congested and have the potential for long queues," Adita added.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Transport urges the public to always comply with applicable regulations, report if they find a problematic fleet, and anticipate the potential for bad weather during the trip.

VOInew,Jakarta: PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) recorded that it had transported 21,144 passengers on D-1 of the 2024 Vesak Day long holiday and collective leave.

"Entering the Vesak Day long weekend , Whoosh Fast Train passengers on Wednesday (22/5) reached 21,144 passengers, an increase of around 30 percent compared to normal days," said KCIC General Manager Corporate Secretary Eva Chairunisa in a statement in Jakarta, Thursday.

He said that the public's favorite departure schedule on Wednesday is from 11.30 WIB until the last schedule at 20.30 WIB where the occupancy reaches 80 to 100 percent.

Eva said that KCIC has anticipated the high public interest in going on holiday by operating a total of 48 Whoosh trip schedules.

"KCIC provides 28 thousand seats per day to serve people who want to vacation during this long weekend . "This number has increased by 20 percent when compared to the seating capacity that KCIC provided last April," said Eva. "

For departures on May 23, tickets departing from Halim Station to Padalarang and Tegalluar stations from departures at 06.00 WIB to 16.10 WIB, the occupancy is already above 95 percent. .

Based on the data collected, Eva continued, tickets sold on May 23-26 had reached 36 thousand tickets. This number will continue to increase due to ongoing sales in various channels .

Eva reminded prospective KCIC passengers to time their journey to the station so they don't experience delays.

"Passengers are expected to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. This is because the boarding gate will be closed 5 minutes before departure for passenger safety reasons." closed Eva.

Eva added that for people who want to get further information about facilities, KCIC can contact the information center at the station or the KCIC Contact Center via 150909, WhatsApp chat to 0815-1032-0909, email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , as well as ⁠ Instagram reply and DM to @keretacepat_id.

VOInews, Jakarta: The White House on Wednesday (22/5) reiterated its rejection of unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state after three European countries, namely Ireland, Norway and Spain, recognized the Palestinian state.

Responding to the actions of the three European countries, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that any Palestinian state must be formed through direct negotiations with Israel.

"What I can tell you is we believe the only way you're going to achieve a two-state solution that benefits both Israel and the Palestinians is through direct negotiations between the two sides," he told reporters at the White House.

The three European countries said Wednesday that they would officially recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, a move that was a major blow to Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long opposed a Palestinian state, and most recently rejected it on Wednesday when he said recognition by Ireland, Norway and Spain "is a gift to terrorism and will not bring peace."

He charged that a Palestinian state would become a "terrorist state," and insisted that his government "will not agree to this" and "will not stop him from defeating Hamas."

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's finance minister, separately threatened to take "harsh punitive measures" against the Palestinian Authority (PA) in retaliation for recognizing a Palestinian state, including cutting the government's tax revenues.

"At the last cabinet meeting, many ministers, including me, firmly put forward demands for harsh punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority for its unilateral actions against Israel, including its efforts to obtain unilateral recognition and its support for the legal case against Israel in The Hague," Smotrich said .

Tax revenues - known in Palestine and Israel as "maqasa" - are collected by the Israeli government on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on Palestinian imports and exports, and Israel in return gets a 3 percent commission.

His income is estimated at around 188 million US dollars (around Rp. 3 trillion) every month and is the main source of income for the Palestinian Authority.

"What the United States can do through tough diplomacy and 'informal' diplomacy, led by the president's secretary of state, myself and others is realizing the vision of an integrated region, a secure Israel, and a two-state solution," Sullivan said.

He said this when asked about Israel's longstanding refusal to get involved in any process that would lead to the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

“Israel is a sovereign country, ultimately they have to decide what they are going to do. "What we can do as friends is try to make efforts to make this happen," he added.