VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Head of the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology Amin Soebandrio said that developing the Merah Putih vaccine for COVID-19 is 50 percent complete.

"It's now at 50 percent, we just have to wait for the recombinant protein from the expression system that uses mammalian cells," Amin said in Jakarta, on Friday.

Amin expects in the next two to three months Eijkman can carry out a preclinical test of the Merah Putih vaccine, which was developed with a recombinant protein subunit platform in animals.

"We hope it will finish early next year," Amin said.

Amin said that the Eijkman Institute could amplify the target genes from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. The gene has been cloned and inserted into mammalian cells and yeast cells, which are the expression system.

"We developed two systems (expression), one using mammalian cells and the second with yeast cells," Amin said.

The next process is to wait for the cells to express the recombinant protein that has been designed. If they have obtained the recombinant protein, they will inject it into the animal in the preclinical test stage.

The preclinical testing is expected to be completed in early 2021 and they can submit the vaccine seeds to PT BioFarma, which will plan vaccine seeds for clinical trials in humans.

"From a laboratory scale to an industrial scale, we must reformulate it to be injected into humans," Amin said.

Amin said that phase one clinical trials in humans will be carried out in the second trimester of 2021.

Phase one clinical trials can start after they formulate a vaccine candidate to be injected into humans and the Health Ministry allows it.

"We expect the permit process to be shorter, maybe in two weeks we will complete it," Amin said.

According to Amin, it is possible that the Merah Putih vaccine could be mass-produced to meet the needs of the Indonesian people by the end of 2021.

He also explained that the Eijkman Institute was developing a vaccine using other platforms.

"It's just a backup. We also study what they have done in China with the whole virus. But it's not the main thing, which is the recombinant protein," he said. (Antaranews)

The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the Covid-19 pandemic had pushed reforms in several fields in Indonesia, although there are downsides.

"Despite that Covid-19 has been very painful for everyone, this is also a blessing for us because we can carry out many reforms in Indonesia," he said in front of investors and representatives of the Australian government, in Jakarta, on Friday.

Several reforms, including in the fields of health to energy. Luhut also often says that reforms are because of pandemic conditions, for example, Indonesia, which was previously heavily dependent on imports, has now encouraged independence to supply its own domestic pharmaceutical needs.

"So after Covid-19, we can start vaccinating the public at the end of this year, so Indonesia will be better next year," he said.

Luhut also encouraged Australian investors to immediately realize their investment. This Friday morning, he signed an agreement with the Australian iron ore industry company Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) to develop renewable energy to support the green industry.

FMG will invest in the construction of 60 GW of hydroelectric power and 25 GW of renewable energy from geothermal power in the country.

"We want to see the execution as soon as possible," he added.

According to Luhut, Indonesia and Australia have the potential for minerals and renewable energy so they can collaborate and become key players in the global green and renewable energy industry.

The former Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security also said that collaboration is an important thing to do in tough times such as the current Covid-19 pandemic.

He believes the agreement promotes sustainable development that combines economic development, social progress, and environmental protection.

"This agreement also strengthens President Joko Widodo's policy of bringing together economic recovery measures as the key ingredient of our fight against the pandemic," he said.

Besides the signing of the agreement deed, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was also signed between the two parties to reduce plastic waste leakage into Indonesian waters.

The signing of the LoI was carried out by the Deputy for Coordination of Environment and Forestry Management at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment Nani Hendiarti and Andrew Forrest. (Antaranews)

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi responded to a report by the United States Department of Defense (Pentagon) which stated that Indonesia was a country considered by China as a location for military logistics facilities.

"I want to emphasize that under the lines and principles of Indonesian foreign policy, Indonesian territory cannot and will not a base or military base or facility for any country," Retno said at a virtual press statement on Friday.

The Pentagon's annual report entitled "Military and Security Development Involving the People's Republic of China 2020" reveals China's plan to build a military logistics network in the Asia Pacific.

The Nikkei Asian Review reported, Wednesday (2/9), in the 200-page report, China considers Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other countries in Africa and Central Asia as the right locations to realize the agenda.

The Chinese government has criticized the Pentagon report, which also stated that China wants to double the number of nuclear warheads in the next decade.

The report reveals that China has matched or surpassed the US military might in several areas of defense. The Chinese Ministry of Defense insisted that the Chinese military completely misinterpreted and defamed the report.

The Chinese government says the report is the latest example of the US fear of justifying its own military budget as the highest in the world. (Antaranews)

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto met Vice President Ma'ruf Amin at the Vice President's Official Residence, Jl. Diponegoro No. 2, Menteng, Central Jakarta, Thursday afternoon. Prabowo's visit to the vice president's residence was the first time since the cabinet's inauguration.

From 15.00 to 15.45 WIB, the Minister of Defense and the Vice President discussed the food estate program to maintain food security. According to Prabowo, every country is trying to find knowledge on how to deal with the food crisis, including Indonesia.

"Indonesian people are very dependent on rice, so we need a solution on how to stop and diversify this crisis," said Prabowo to the media crew.

Prabowo reported to the Vice President that 1.4 million hectares of land in various regions in Indonesia was ready for food estate. Some land is for rice and some for non-rice such as cassava, sago, sorghum, maize, and others. Prabowo said this food investment will depart from state funds and will be followed by investment funds.

"There are several countries interested in this concept, such as South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and China. They are interested in investing in this food sector because it is predicted that countries will fight for food, so it is possible for Indonesia to collaborate. Some of these areas include Central Kalimantan, Merauke, Bangka Belitung, and Jambi," said Prabowo.

In the meeting, Prabowo also reported on the problem of redistribution of idle land, which has not been used for too long, so it should be necessary to redistribute it.

Meanwhile, regarding the plan to repair defense equipment, Prabowo revealed plans to repair combat aircraft, ships, tanks for the army, sea, and air.

"Buying a new one is too expensive and longer to process. Therefore, it would be great if we improve the existing ones. For example, Hercules, Sukhoi planes, including tanks and ships can be repaired," he said.

Prabowo said what is more urgent is to buy bullets. Indonesia is short of bullets. Many Indonesians are good at shooting, but don't have bullets, he said.

In the special meeting, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin encouraged the management of 1.4 million hectares of land in various regions in Indonesia that were ready to become food estate, to involve elements of the local community.

"So that this program also involves the local community, including various elements of regional stakeholders, Islamic boarding schools, and others depending on the region," he concluded. (RRI)