VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Two additional water-bombing helicopters have been sent to Palembang, South Sumatra Province, for anticipating wildfires during the 18th Asian Games that will be held from Aug 18 to Sep 2, an official said Palembang on Saturday.

Iriansyah, head of the South Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), said that the two units of water-bombing helicopters are now being assembled in Palembang City.

Having capacity of 600 liters and 500 liters respectively, the helicopters will be operated to extinguish the wildfires and to conduct patrols at the fire-prone areas in South Sumatra.

These two units of water-bombing helicopters are part of 10 additional units that will be used during the Asian Games, he said.

Besides the two units, four other helicopters have completely been assembled so that they are ready for operation, he said adding that those choppers will play a critical role in extinguishing fires in isolated areas, mainly at peatland and forests.

According to Iriansyah, his office is committed to preventing the wildfires and hazes from occurring in accordance to the instruction ordered by South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin.

Besides South Sumatra, the authorities in Riau Province have also been committed to anticipating the wildfires by extending the emergency status last month.

Meanwhile, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has pledged to maintain coordination with all stakeholders to anticipate land and forest fires, the first secretary, Widada Sulistya said recently.

The agency has announced nine fire-prone provinces, namely

Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan.

The 18th Asian Games will take place in Jakarta and Palembang. However, the venues will not only be located in Jakarta, but also in its surrounding areas, including Tangerang (Banten Province) and Bogor (West Java). (ANTARA)

Information technology becomes the main tool used by terrorists in disseminating the ideas of ​​radicalism in the international world. To anticipate this, Indonesia must improve the supervision through cyber security. So, the radical understanding that can damage the generation of the nation can be prevented. This was affirmed by Head of National Encipher and Cyber Agency (BSSN), Joko Setiadi in a Dialogue on Terrorism at Habibie Center in Jakarta Thursday (31/5).

“The spread of radicalism is inseparable from the current use of information and communication technology. Sympathizers of radicalism are aware of the security of their communications by utilizing cryptography of the threat of radicalism. Some countries have imposed a policy of restricting access to information to their citizens. Indonesia as a country experiencing this threat must prevent the spread of radical understanding in this cyber space,” Joko Setiadi said.

Joko Setiadi further said that in the spread of radicalism, the sympathizers also take advantage of social media and online media such as groups on Facebook, Telegram, Whatsapp and others through photos or video action of radicalism. He added that his side keeps monitoring the movement of radicalism in Indonesia so that their existence can be known. (AF-VOI/Trans by Rhm)

President Joko Widodo calls for all components of the nation to practice Indonesian state philosophy-Pancasila in their daily life. He affirmed that Pancasila reinforces joint commitment to understand, deepen, and practice the noble values ​​of Pancasila as the basic principles of Indonesian society, nation and state. The statement was affirmed by President Joko Widodo in his speech as the inspector of the flag raising ceremony to commemorate the birth of Pancasila at Pancasila Building, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jakarta, Friday (1/6/2018).

"On this noble occasion, I would like to call for scholars and religious leaders, teachers and cleric, politicians, government apparatus, members of Indonesian Military -TNI and the National Police -Polri, workers and economic actors, and all components of the nation to jointly practice Pancasila in our daily life," the President said.

President Joko Widodo perceived that the united spirit of sharing and achievement will reinforce the steps taken in bringing Indonesia to a developed and prosperous country. He also remarked that every country in the world will always proceed into a plural and diverse society. He added that it is time to share experience in unity in diversity, in tolerance and in building unity and togetherness. President Joko Widodo reminded that the commemoration of the birth of Pancasila every June 1st should be used as moments to remind, accelerate and implement Pancasila values. (KBRN/Mar/Trans by Rhm)

Dr. Laksana Tri Handoko has been chosen and inaugurated as Chairman of the Indonesian Institute of Science –LIPI replacing Acting Chairman of LIPI, Bambang Subiyanto. He was inaugurated by Minister of Research, Technology and High Education, Mohamad Nasir at LIPI Auditorium, Jakarta on Thursday afternoon (31/05). After the inauguration, Tri Handoko to media said that LIPI targets to increase three thousand professional researchers in the next few years.

“There are 5 thousand people, but there must be 3 thousand researchers. Maybe, this can be achieved in the next 4 or 5 years.  We do not care wherever they are, but they must be qualified, at least holding S2 (master) degree. But we prefer that they are holding S3 (Doctorate) degree, including Diasporas,” Tri Handoko said.

Tri Handoko also explained that there are several priorities done by LIPI, such as continuing LIPI’s research management by following the LIPI’s norms and global standardization, speeding up the increasing capacity and competency of research through human resource improvement and boosting the role of LIPI as provider of supra-structure as well as soft and hard ware of national research. (VOI/AF/RHM)