VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Religion Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi said that the passing of his predecessor Prof. A. Malik Fadjar, on Monday is a big loss for the Ministry of Religion.

"Innalillahi wa innailaihi raji'un. I express my deep condolences for the passing of Prof. A. Malik Fadjar on Monday night," Fachrul said in Jakarta, on Tuesday.

"This is a big loss for us, the Ministry of Religion's family. Not only has served as Minister of Religion, but he is also a figure in the development of Islamic education," he said.

Fachrul said that Malik Fadjar had a big role in Islamic education since his youth. Born into a Muhammadiyah family on Feb. 22, 1939, Malik, as he is casually called, was educated by the Religious Affairs Ministry.

Young Malik completed his Doctoral Degree from the Tarbiyah Faculty, Sunan Ampel Surabaya in 1972 (currently UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang).

"What is interesting is that he has built a career starting as a teacher at the State People's School (SRN) until he became Director-General of Islamic Development at the Religious Affairs Ministry in the 1995s," Fachrul said.

"When he became the Minister, he made many improvements and innovations, including the development of Islamic elementary school, junior high school, and senior high school management. He contributed to the development of Islamic education," he said.

For his extraordinary service for Indonesia, the professor received the Mahaputera Adipradana Star of Honor from former President B.J. Habibie on Aug. 13, 1999. (RRI)

A consortium of international investment companies, the Deep Knowledge Group, updated the list of 100 countries deemed safe during the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak on Aug. 23, 2020.

In the previous report in June, Indonesia's rank was at 97, above the Bahamas, Laos, and Cambodia.

The recent report, which was updated on Aug. 23, Indonesia moved up to 79th rank above India, Paraguay, and Peru, scoring 478.46.

"The Deep Knowledge Group's latest study is designed to classify, analyze, and rank the economic, social, and health stability factors in 250 countries worldwide. This includes strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and risks they have in the global health war and the economic crisis that has been triggered by Covid-19," the group stated on the website.

The following is the ranking of the safest countries from the Covid-19:

1. Germany 762.64
2. New Zealand 757.7
3. South Korea 750.79
4. Switzerland 750.02
5. Japan 749.03
6. Australia 744.83
7. China 744.78
8. Austria 725.81
9. United Arab Emirates 723.36
10. Singapore 722.72

Though improved, Indonesia's position is lower than the neighboring countries Singapore and Australia.

The Philippines is less safe compared to Indonesia, ranking at 101, Laos at 143, Myanmar at 146, and Cambodia at 165. (RRI)

President Joko Widodo’s administration is working to ensure that the distribution of social assistance, as part of national economic recovery (PEN) in the wake of COVID-19, continues next year.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto said the government has agreed to continue giving priority to several social assistance programs next year.

"There are four priority continuation programs for social assistance," he said after a plenary cabinet meeting on Health Management and Economic Recovery for Strengthening Reforms in 2021 at the State Palace, in Jakarta, on Monday.

The four programs are presidential cash assistance for micro, small, and medium enterprises; salary subsidies, which continues to the first quarter next year; pre-employment cards; and, cash assistance in the Family Hope Program (PKH).

He said the programs aims to maintain people's purchasing power during the pandemic.

"The programs running are the PKH program, basic needs aid for families in the Greater Jakarta area, and cash aid for families in other areas, pre-employment cards, electricity discounts, logistics aid, village cash aid, cooperative investment aid, and assistance for micro-entrepreneurs," Airlangga said.

The cabinet meeting concluded to continue the priority programs next year, including the Covid-19 vaccine, he added.

According to the Coordinating Minister, several companies have prepared their vaccine to a certain stage.
“The Merah Putih vaccine, [which is being] developed by the Ministry of Research and Technology with the Eijkman Institute and Bio Farma is in collaboration with Sinovac will prepare 290 million doses," he said.

"The United Arab Emirates' G-42 vaccine will prepare 30 million doses this year," Airlangga added.

The Health Ministry will also prepare the mobilization of vaccines, expectedly to start early next year, and prepare about 30 million vaccines at the end of this year, he said.

"The government has set aside Rp3.8 trillion for next year, and multi-year allocation is [will be attuned] Rp37 trillion," he said. (Antaranews)

Almost 300 Rohingya refugees are stranded in Aceh coast, specifically in Ujong Blang beach, Lhokseumawe, on Monday morning. Fourteen of them are children.

Local fishermen saved and pulled them to the mainland. Lhokseumawe Navy Commander Lt. Col. M. Dimmi Oumry told RRI that all refugees are sheltered and in healthy condition.

“Lhokseumawe Regional Leaders Communication Forum (Forkopimda) and Task Force have held a meeting [on the matter]. They will be moved to a shelter in Lhokseumawe to be dealt with by the task force and the UNHCR [United Nations Refugees Agency]," Dimmi said on Monday.

Junaidi Yahya, the head of Lhokseumawe Red Cross said currently the refugees are evacuated to a temporary shelter at the Lhokseumawe Work Training Hall.

Oktina, a high commissionaire for refugees affairs in UNHCR Lhokseumawe told AFP that the refugees said they were drifting on the ocean for at least 6 months. About 30 people died on the ship and they were thrown out to the sea. At least 800 Rohingya refugees have sailed from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh since early this year to seek shelter in other Southeast Asia countries. (RRI)