VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Voice of Indonesia presents Let’s Speak Indonesian, a program that introduces the Indonesian vocabulary and guides you to speak in the language. Mari Berbahasa Indonesia or Let’s Speak Indonesian is a joint initiative of Voice of Indonesia and the Language Development Agency of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.  Today’s topic is about Kesehatan which means Health.

Here is the conversation entitled “Aku Siap Divaksin” which means “I’m Ready to Ge Vaccinated”. This dialog is between Kevin and Mela. Kevin tells her if he is ready to get Covid-19 vaccination.

Now I am going to introduce some vocabulary and expressions related to the topic of the day.

In the dialog, you hear Kevin say Aku siap divaksin (2X) which means I am ready to be vaccinated. In the expression, there is the word siap (2X) which means ready. In the dialog, the word siap (2X) means sudah bersedia (2X) which means already willing. For example, Aku siap divaksin (2X) which means I am ready to be vaccinated. It explains thatKevin is willing to get Covid-19 vaccine.

Other examples:

Let’s read to the other examples of using the word siap (2X) that shows willingness.  

Apakah kamu siap melaksanakan tugas? (2X) which means Are you ready to do the job?

You can answer Ya, aku siap (2X) which means Yes, I’m ready

Apakah kamu siap menjadi ketua tim? (2X) which means Are you ready to be the team leader?

Ya, aku siap (2X) which means Yes, I’m ready

That was “Let’s Speak Indonesian” for today. Hopefully, this edition can be useful for those of you who want to know more about Indonesian language. 

Kabasaran dance is a traditional dance of the Minahasa community. The word "Kabasaran" comes from the word "Wasal", meaning a rooster. The dancers are called "Kawasalan", which means dancing by imitating the movements of two fighting roosters. The word "Kawasalan" was later changed to "Kabasaran" which is a combination of the two words "Kawasal ni Sarian". "Kawasal" means accompanying and following the dance movements, while "Sarian" is a war leader who leads the traditional Minahasa warrior dance. The development of the Manado-Malay language then changed the letter "W" to "B" so that the word changed to "Kabasaran".

The Kabasaran dance movement is quite energetic and it symbolizes the spirit of a war soldier. The dance movement is led by a performance leader called ‘Tombolu’. In general, the basic structure of the Kabasaran dance consists of nine sword moves (santi) or nine spear moves (wengkouw). The dancers dance while carrying swords inherited from generation to generation. This dance generally consists of three acts. The first movement is "Cakalele", which comes from the word "Saka" meaning to fight, and "Lele" which means to chase and jump. This second round is called "Kumoyak", coming from the word "Koyak" which means, swinging a sharp sword to calm oneself from anger when fighting. The last movement is "Lalaya'an". In this part, the dancers dance freely and happily. Now, this dance is not only danced by adult men, but also performed by women and children.

Kabasaran dance is accompanied by the sound of drums or small gongs and other percussion instruments, such as gongs. The costumes used are in red shirts and pants; the dancers also use Minahasa woven cloth called, Kokerah, Pasolongan, Tinonton, and Patola. In addition to using cloth, dancers also wear a Kabasaran hat. The original Kabasaran hat is made of a headband cloth decorated with the feathers of rooster, Taong bird and Cendrawasih bird.  There are also canoes or Tiwoho flower stalk decorations. Other ornaments include “Lei-lei” or necklaces, “Wongkur”, calf covers, “Rerenge'en” or bells, which are made of brass and tied to a part of the body that is easy and active to move, usually below the knee or on the ankles.

The Indonesian Embassy in Colombo handed over certificates to eight Ruhuna State University students who had passed the basic Indonesian language class organized by the Indonesian Embassy in Colombo. The certificates were handed over by Indonesian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, I Gusti Ngurah Ardiyasa to Vice Chancellor of Ruhuna State University, Prof. Sujeewa Amarasena when he met at Ruhuna State University last July 14. These students have attended basic Indonesian classes for 3 months. They are considered to have met the requirements to graduate from the basic Indonesian language class. At the same time, Ambassador Ardiyasa also explored cooperation in the field of education between Ruhuna State University in Sri Lanka and State universities in Indonesia.

In dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic situation, which has not yet subsided, the Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad is aggressively conducting a virtual business matching to facilitate meetings between Indonesian and Pakistani SMEs’ entrepreneurs. From 12 to 14 July 2021, the Indonesian Embassy in Islamabad in collaboration with Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan held the "Indonesia-Pakistan B-to-B Hybrid Meeting" in Lahore City. A total of 10 SME companies participated in the hybrid B-to-B meeting. The hybrid B-to-B meeting is that where Pakistani buyers are present in a special room provided by the Indonesian Embassy, and Indonesian exporters are connected online. This activity has attracted a potential transaction worth around Rp 70 billion.

The celebration of Eid al-Adha 1442 Hijriah in Indonesia where the majority of the population is Muslim, falls on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Unfortunately, this year's Eid al-Adha still has to be passed in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Related to that, Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas issued a circular that forbids the mass Eid al-Adha prayers which are usually held in congregation in the mosques or on the field. In addition, the slaughter of sacrificial animals which is part of the ritual of Eid al-Adha must be also carried out with strict health protocols. The government has also instructed that the 2021 Eid al-Adha prayers be carried out at home during the Enforcement of Community Activity Restrictions.

Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in his circular said that the rules were issued to prevent the spread of Covid-19 from spreading again after the Eid al-Adha holiday this year.

The statement was reinforced by the appeal of Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin who is also a renowned  Ulama or Islamic scholar, asked all Indonesian Muslims to do the same. According to the Vice President, "Mass prayer is sunnah or  highly recommended, but protecting oneself from the Covid-19 pandemic is obligatory so that it is mandatory  and it takes precedence over the sunnah."

Quoting from Antara News Agency, VP Ma’ruf Amin emphasized that the policy is not to prevent Muslims from worshiping but to protect the public from the dangers of Covid-19.

Previously, in a meeting with the Indonesian  Ulemas Council –MUI and scholars throughout Indonesia on July 12, 2021, VP Ma’ruf Amin, who is also a cleric, reminded that tackling Covid-19 is a national, state and religious responsibility. Ulamas along with the government should enhance their role in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hopefully, the Circular of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs will be obeyed by the community in carrying out various rituals and traditions during Eid al-Adha 2021 in a bid to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Happy Eid Al-Adha 1442 Hijriah!