VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta. Information transparency is an important factor in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, according to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"With open, transparent, and accountable information as well as cooperation among all parties, we can create a conducive situation. The government can adopt a proper policy fast, while the public can understand it and cope with the pandemic with accurate information," Jokowi remarked here at the commemoration of National Broadcasting Day shared through the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube account on Thursday.

National Broadcasting Day is observed on April 1, the day when Indonesia's first radio broadcasting Solosche Radio Vereeniging (SRV) was established in Surakarta, Central Java, in 1933.

The government declared April 1 as National Broadcasting Day under Presidential Decree No. 9 of 2019.

Jokowi has recalled the demand for Indonesia's broadcasting industry to provide transparent and fast information to the public.

"Currently, we are in the era of overwhelming information. Everyone can obtain information fast. Everyone can easily produce information. Everyone can immediately disseminate information. As a consequence, abundant and transparent information is a necessity," Jokowi remarked at the initial observance of National Broadcasting Day.

The need to obtain fast and transparent information was apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic when the public attempted to obtain information on ways to prevent virus transmission and the government's move to handle the pandemic, he remarked.

Jokowi has applauded the Indonesia Broadcasting Commission (KPI), broadcasting institutions, and all stakeholders that have provided accurate information since the start of the pandemic, including public education on health protocols and dissemination of the government's policy on economic recovery.

However, the head of state believes it would be a challenge for the industry to provide balanced information, with the development of digital information that has opened wider access to information for the public.

"We need to work jointly, so that people could get accurate, qualified, and educative information to improve information literacy and have developed new creative and interesting channels for the public to obtain healthy and accurate information," Jokowi stated. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. The Teluk Wondama district administration in West Papua Province has secured 700 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for elementary and junior and senior high school teachers.

The teachers are part of the frontline workers that the government has prioritized for inoculation, the district's health office head, Habel Pandelaki, stated here on Thursday.

The teaching staff have received their first shot since March 29 to prevent them from contracting the coronavirus disease or transmitting the respiratory infections.

Military and police personnel, civil servants, merchants, and public transport drivers, among others, are also categorized as frontline public service workers.

However, due to limited stocks of vaccine doses, traditional market traders, public transport drivers, and also journalists had yet to be inoculated, Pandelaki revealed.

Those administered the COVID-19 vaccine are health workers, he stated.

Some 621 paramedics in the district had got vaccinated in the early phase of the government's vaccination program, he noted.

Indonesia has been striving to win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic since the government officially announced the country's first cases on March 2, 2020.

The government has rolled out a nationwide vaccination program since January 13 this year to stem the spread of the disease.

The Health Ministry estimates a time period of 15 months to vaccinate some 181.5 million people under the national program.

"We need 15 months to accomplish it. The time frame for conducting the vaccination is counted from January 2021 to March 2022," the Health Ministry's spokesperson for the vaccination program, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, stated recently.

During the period, the government is targeting to inoculate some 181.5 million people, including 1.3 million paramedics and 17.4 million public sector workers in 34 provinces, she informed.

Tarmizi noted that the first phase of the government's immunization program is divided into two periods: January-April, 2021 and April 2021-March 2022.

Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto has affirmed that all TNI personnel will participate in this vaccination program.

Indonesia's COVID-19 infection rate crossed one million cases on January 26, 2021.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease has dragged Indonesia into serious public health and economic crises. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. The Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs will organize the online and offline isbat session to determine the start of Ramadan 1442 Hijriyah on Thursday, April 12, 2021.

"God willing, the isbat session to determine the start of Ramadan will be held on April 12, 2021. Since currently, the pandemic still rages on, the session will be held online and offline again while still applying health protocols," Director General of Islamic Community Guidance (Bimas) Kamaruddin Amin noted in a written statement received here on Thursday.

Amin revealed that a cap will be placed on the number of participants attending the session in line with the set health protocols to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Some of the participants are only permitted to participate through teleconference via the internet network.

The isbat session will commence with a seminar on the position of the new moon for the start of Ramadan and the rukyatul hilal, an observation of the visibility of the crescent moon.

According to calculations, the hilal position at the start of Ramadan 1442 H is above the horizon between two degrees and 37 minutes to three degrees and 36 minutes. Results of the calculation would then be confirmed through the rukyatul hilal to be held in 86 areas across Indonesia.

"In Jakarta, the rukyatul hilal will be held at the Regional Office of the Religious Affairs Ministry of DKI Jakarta, Kepulauan Seribu, KH Hasyim Asy'ari Mosque, and Al Musyari'in Basmol Mosque," he remarked.

Amin noted that the isbat session to be conducted by the Religious Affairs Ministry was in accordance with the Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Number 2 of 2004 on the Preliminary Determination of Ramadan, Syawal, and Zulhijjah.

The isbat session is always held on the 29th, a month before the Hijri calendar. For instance, the isbat session to determine the start of Ramadan is held on the 29th of Shaban, while the isbat session to determine the start of Shawwal is held on the 29th of Ramadan.

The isbat session will involve the Religious Ministry's Hijriyah Calendar Unification Team, ambassadors of friendly countries, representatives of community organizations, the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN), the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), and other invited guests.

"The isbat session will be chaired by Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. We also invite the leaders of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and Commission VIII to attend the session," he stated.

In the meantime, Director of Islamic Affairs Agus Salim remarked that the isbat session would be divided into three stages, with the first being the explanation of the position of the new moon at the start of Ramadan 1442 H by members of the Hijriyah Calendar Unification Team of the Religious Affairs Ministry. This stage will start at 16:45 p.m. local time and will be broadcast live.

The second stage is the isbat session, held behind closed doors, to determine the start of Ramadan that will be held after the Maghrib prayer.

"The third stage is a press conference regarding the results of the isbat session that will be delivered by the religious affairs minister and will be broadcast by TVRI and the social media platform of the Religious Affairs Ministry," Amin stated. (Antaranews)

Jakarta. The Muhammadiyah Central Leadership views the terror attack at the Indonesian National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) on Wednesday as a severe blow, particularly for the police.

"The terror attack at the National Police Headquarters is a harsh blow to the security apparatus, especially the police, as it was conducted at the national security command center," PP Muhammadiyah Secretary General Abdul Mu'ti noted in his statement on Thursday.

Mu'ti emphasized that the incident should not be taken lightly as being a simple attack since it puts out the message that terrorism is a persistent omnipresent threat to the country.

Hence, he encouraged the police institution to further bolster security and supervision in eradicating terrorism in Indonesia. The police is required to not only protect the community but also prevent threats to itself.

"Since they are at the forefront of countering terrorism, they must not only protect and provide security guarantees for the community but also protect themselves," Mu'ti remarked.

In the meantime, Mu'ti is also optimistic of all polemics that have arisen being resolved immediately. The attack at the Police Headquarters should drive all parties to unify efforts in eradicating all terror threats.

"This is a matter of concern for all of us. There is no longer any reason for us to blame each other. Now is the time for us to work together, so that the threat of terrorism can be immediately overcome, and Indonesia becomes safer," he remarked.

Earlier, on Wednesday, at around 16:30 p.m. local time, a suspected terrorist dressed in black clothing and a blue head covering entered the Police Headquarters area.

The terror suspect pointed a firearm at the on-duty officers around the gate of the Police Headquarters.

However, officers were quick to neutralize the female terror suspect for threatening safety. (Antaranews)