VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Performing the Hajj in Mecca is an obligation for Muslims who are able to carry out financially at least once in a lifetime. In Indonesia where the majority of the population is Muslim, the implementation is even regulated by the state, the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The 2021 Hajj season is expected to fall in July. However, amid the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit the world, the Indonesian government is still waiting for confirmation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia whether it can send a group of prospective Hajj pilgrims this time. The reality that must be faced in various countries is that the number of Covid-19 cases is still high.

In early May this year, news circulated that Saudi Arabia had issued regulations related to the implementation of the Hajj in 2021. However, it has not officially announced which countries have received permits for pilgrims to depart for the pilgrimage. Reportedly, Saudi Arabia plans to set the 2021 haj quota of 45 thousand for pilgrims from outside and 15,000 from within the country. However, Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Agus Maftuh Abegebriel said that until Sunday, 23rd May 2021, there had not been an official statement from the Government of Saudi Arabia regarding this matter.

Seeing these developments, the Government of Indonesia needs to anticipate the disappointment of the prospective pilgrims who have expected to depart this year so as not to cause confusion and disappointment, especially after the cancellation of last year's departure due to the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic.

President Joko Widodo emphasized that the role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is important for Indonesia's economic growth. Therefore, he appealed to all parties to continue to  support them. He made his remarks at the Proud of “Made in Indonesia” National Movement Festival in Yogyakarta-Solo-Semarang, held virtually  on Thursday (20/5).

President Joko Widodo also stated that the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises businesses are spread throughout Indonesia. The types of businesses and their products are very diverse, involving many local communities, as well as creating new jobs and they are able to absorb a lot of employees. The government also wants to fill the momentum of National Awakening Day on  May 20  by accelerating the revival of Indonesian-made products. The resurgence of Indonesian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises products, he said, is marked by the ability to produce high-quality products, dominating the domestic market, and more competitive in the global market.

To support the MSMEs’  progress, President Joko Widodo hopes that all parties will be involved and they take part in action  by providing the best places for them  to introduce and market their products. He also hopes that the products of the MSMEs can be placed in the storefronts of shopping centers, filling many airports, rest areas, tourism attractions, and other strategic places.

President Joko Widodo instructed the related stakeholders to prepare more space and interesting virtual events so that Indonesian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises products are increasingly recognized and desirable so that people will love and be proud of Indonesian products.

On the same occasion, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsa Pandjaitan said that as many as 5.7 million units of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises have entered the digital ecosystem. This number has been achieved since the commencement of the Proud of “Made in Indonesia” National Movement in May 2020 up to April 2021. According to Minister Luhut, the government will continue to encourage local artisans to graduate, enter e-commerce and increase their sales. He is also optimistic that the target of 30 million onboarding Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises by 2023 can be achieved with the cooperation of all parties.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded 1,252 disaster events in the first quarter of 2021. Concerned about the safety of disaster victims, a group of students from Pertamina University's Logistics Engineering study program initiated an online innovation in disaster logistics management. Through a website entitled ‘Pusat Bantuan Bencana’–PBB. It provides real time information on field conditions that is integrated with geographic information systems. Take for example, the routes can be traveled more effectively, and accompanied with information on the modes of transportation that can be used, and their availability.

Hanif Asyhuri, team leader, explained that the PBB website is also integrated with the population database. Thus, it can minimize inequality and inaccuracy in the distribution of aid. Each disaster survivor who gets assistance will have their fingerprints recorded using biometric technology which is also available on the website. The website also creates a solution to optimize the supply chain network for assistance to disaster survivors. The supply chain digital platform is called 'INACUATE' which combines two distribution network models. First, Distributor Storage with Customer Pickup, which is a condition when disaster survivors take assistance directly at the disaster post. Second, the Distributor Storage with Last-Mile Delivery model, which is a condition when aid is sent directly to the location of the survivor.

This website also offers alternative solutions for implementing logistics warehouse layouts so that the process of picking and sending assistance can be more coordinated. One of them is through updating the BNPB website so that the aid distribution process will be well documented.

New Zealand is one of the countries that has successfully coped with the Covid-19 pandemic. Various events with a large number of participants have been carried out as usual there. On the other hand, other countries such as Singapore, for example, stated that they would close all school activities from Wednesday 19 May to 28 May 2021. In general, Singapore has decided to lock down from 14 May to 13 June 2021. This decision was taken as a result of the worsening spread of Covid-19, especially the number of communal cases since April 27. The  spike marks the start of the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Singapore. This is related to the spread of the corona virus variant B1617 India which is endemic in the Asian region.

Malaysia is still implementing a national lockdown until June. Meanwhile, Indonesia still hopes that there will not be an explosion in the number of Covid-19 cases post-Idul Fitri festivity.

The description mentioned is the condition experienced by countries that have been quite successful in dealing with Covid-19 (in this case New Zealand) and the countries that are still in the process of handling Covid-19 (Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia). Of course, it is unfair to compare the efforts of one country to another in overcoming the Covid-19. Because, the size of the area that must be faced, the number of people with different cultures and compliance and the response of one country are different from each other.

A book edited by Professor Elizabeth King, a global health researcher at the University of Michigan in the USA, as quoted by BBC Indonesia earlier this year, reveals findings about a comparison of the efforts of several countries to tackle the first wave of the coronavirus in early 2020. It states that the demographic composition in each country will affect its handling. For example, Italy, more than a fifth of the country's population is over 65 years old, making it more vulnerable to Covid-19. It’s in contrast to Africa's younger population. Public health policy is also influenced by other factors, such as the system of government (democracy or autocracy), formal political institutions (federalism or presidentialism), and state capacity (control over the health care system and public administration). All of them contribute to each government's response to the Covid-19.

It takes solid cooperation and synergy within each country to overcome this pandemic. In addition, there is a need for togetherness in steps in various regions. Without common awareness, it seems that it will be difficult for Covid19 to completely disappear from the face of the earth.