Belasan mantan anggota Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) telah mengikuti peringatan Hari Ulang Tahun (HUT) Ke-79 Republik Indonesia (RI) dan menyatakan setia kepada Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia (NKRI) di Kodim 0724 Boyolali, Jawa Tengah, Sabtu.
Komandan Kodim(Dandim) 0724 Boyolali Letkol Inf. Wiweko Wulang Widodo mengatakan Kodim 0724 Boyolali dalam momentum yang bertepatan dengan HUT Ke-79 RI mengadakan setia kepada NKRI oleh belasan mantan anggota JI.
“Bertepatan dengan HUT Ke-79 RI hari ini, kegiatan di Kodim 0724 Boyolali yaitu ikrar pelepasan 13 orang mantan anggota JI untuk kembali ke NKRI. Ada sebanyak 13 orang mantan anggota JI khususnya di wilayah Kabupaten Boyolali yang mengikuti ikrar setia NKRI,” kata Dandim Wiweko, di Boyolali, Sabtu.
Pihaknya berharap dari kegiatan yang baik dan mulia ini, kata dia, yaitu memberikan kepercayaan diri kepada saudara-saudara untuk kembali kepada Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia, cinta tanah air mempunyai rasa kebhinnekaan yang tinggi dan bisa diterima kembali di masyarakat sesuai dengan kemampuan dan kegiatan masing-masing.
Sebanyak 13 mantan anggota JI di Boyolali tersebut dalam momen peringatan HUT Ke-79 RI 2024 ini, melakukan cium bendera merah putih dan ikrar setia kepada NKRI di Kodim 0724 Boyolali.
Bahkan, 13 orang mantan anggota JI itu, mengenakan pakaian kaos putih yang bertuliskan setia NKRI melakukan ikrar bersama sama. Mereka juga melakukan hormat dan cium bendera Merah Putih sebagai tanda telah kembali ke NKRI.
Pada acara ikrar setia kepada NKRI ini, dibacakan salah satu mantan anggota JI, Eko Yulianto, dengan diikuti belasan teman-teman lainnya. Bahkan, Pada acara pembacaan ikrar tersebut juga disaksikan langsung oleh Tim Kewaspadaan Dini Boyolali yang terdiri dari Badan Kesatuan Bangsa dan Politik (Kesbangpol), Kodim, Badan Intelejen Negara (BIN), dan Polres.
Eko Yulianto, salah satu mantan anggota JI Boyolali menjelaskan dirinya mengaku senang dan lega bisa kembali ke NKRI serta akan berkontribusi semaksimal mungkin setelah sejak 2012 menjadi anggota JI.
Dia mengatakan dirinya merasakan lega setelah mendapatkan kepastian keluar dari anggota JI dan akan ikut berkontribusi untuk kemajuan Negara Republik Indonesia.
Rusia pada Jumat mengumumkan bahwa pertempuran dengan pasukan Ukraina di wilayah Kursk Rusia masih berlangsung tetapi tidak mengomentari klaim Kiev bahwa mereka telah menguasai Kota Sudzha.
Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia mengatakan dalam sebuah pernyataan bahwa unit kelompok pasukan Sever (Utara) terus mendorong formasi bersenjata Ukraina keluar dari wilayah Rusia.
“Serangan udara, pesawat tanpa awak, dan tembakan artileri militer menargetkan konsentrasi personel dan peralatan Ukraina, khususnya dua unit mekanis, brigade penyerang angkatan bersenjata Ukraina, dan satu brigade Garda Nasional. Upaya untuk mendatangkan bala bantuan juga digagalkan,” bunyi pernyataan itu.
Pasukan Ukraina mencoba menerobos pertahanan Rusia ke arah Russkoye Porechnoye, mencegah penyeberangan perbatasan oleh kelompok penyerang di dekat permukiman Gordeyevka, menghentikan kelompok yang berusaha maju jauh ke wilayah Rusia di dekat permukiman Anastasyevka dan Kauchuk, menurut catatan kementerian tersebut.
Di area permukiman Yunakovka dan Miropole, serangan rudal presisi tinggi menghancurkan tiga peluncur sistem roket peluncuran ganda HIMARS buatan AS, dua kendaraan pengangkut muatan dan dua kendaraan pengawal, katanya.
Menurut kementerian tersebut, pasukan Ukraina menderita kerugian besar dalam hal sumber daya manusia dan peralatan militer.
Kementerian tersebut juga mengklaim bahwa pasukan Rusia mengambil kendali permukiman Ukraina lainnya — Serhiivka, di wilayah Donetsk — menyusul operasi yang dilakukan oleh kelompok pasukan Tsentr (Tengah).
Selain itu, kementerian tersebut juga melaporkan bahwa Ukraina telah mencoba melakukan serangan skala besar ke Jembatan Kerch, yang menghubungkan Semenanjung Krimea ke daratan Rusia, menggunakan 12 rudal ATACMS buatan AS.
Selama sepekan terakhir, pasukan penerbangan dan rudal Rusia melakukan 17 serangan terkoordinasi dengan senjata presisi tinggi dan pesawat tanpa awak terhadap fasilitas industri militer Ukraina, infrastruktur lapangan terbang, dan lokasi perakitan serta penyimpanan drone serang, tambah pernyataan itu.
The Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (GAIKINDO) has accepted the government’s decision to withhold incentives for hybrid vehicles.
“We understand and respect the government’s decision,” GAIKINDO’s first chairperson, Jongkie Sugiarto, said while commenting on the government’s position.
He emphasized the environmental benefits of hybrid cars and encouraged automakers to find ways to boost sales despite the absence of incentives.
“Automakers must explore alternative strategies to boost hybrid car sales,” he added.
Hybrid vehicles offer advantages such as fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and reduced infrastructure needs compared to fully electric vehicles, he highlighted.
They are also generally more affordable. Given these benefits, GAIKINDO previously advocated for incentives for hybrid cars, although not necessarily at the same level as those offered for electric vehicles (EVs).
The government, through Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, confirmed that there will be no new automotive policies this year, including additional incentives for hybrid vehicles.
Despite the lack of incentives, hybrid car sales have doubled compared to the previous year, indicating strong market demand.
Currently, hybrid cars are subject to a sales tax on luxury goods (PPnBM) of 6–12 percent. This contrasts with fully electric cars (battery electric vehicles/BEVs), which benefit from various incentives, including zero PPnBM.
The government is offering a government-borne 10-percent value-added tax (VAT) for electric cars that meet a minimum domestic component level (TKDN) of 40 percent.
The Pagaralam Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in South Sumatra issued a warning to climbers and tourists to stay at least a kilometer away from the Dempo crater due to increased volcanic activity.
The mountain is currently at Alert Level II, the agency stated.
“We urge climbers and tourists to avoid the Dempo crater area entirely,” Anjas Hariansyah, Head of the Emergency and Logistics Division, stated at the Pagaralam BPBD on Thursday.
While climbing is permitted in the lead-up to Indonesia’s Independence Day on August 17, all climbers must register at the Dempo Registration Center (Brigid) and adhere to safety guidelines to protect themselves from toxic gases emanating from the crater.
Muhammad Wafid, Head of the Geological Agency, echoed the warning, advising the public to avoid camping within a one-kilometer radius of the crater’s center and to stay clear of the north side, which is the primary direction of a potential eruption.
The agency has recorded increased volcanic activity at Mount Dempo, including eruptions, earthquakes, and changes in the crater’s lake color.
While there have been no significant events since August 8, authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
The public is advised to rely solely on official information from the Geological Agency and to disregard any unverified reports.
Olympian men’s weightlifter Eko Yuli Irawan is still an Indonesian hero despite not winning any medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Eko is our hero because he really inspires and fills the weightlifting world with so much color,” Chairman of the Indonesian National Olympic Committee (NOC) Raja Sapta Oktohari stated here on Thursday.
Eko did not win a medal while competing in the men’s 61 kg class at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday (August 7) evening.
He had three attempts in the snatch lift. During the snatch, he failed his first attempt at 135 kg but succeeded in the second. His third attempt at 139 kg was unsuccessful.
The lifter from Lampung Province was in good form during the snatch lift, though he experienced pain in the thigh during the clean and jerk warm-up.
He also failed all three attempts in the clean and jerk, with a maximum weight of 165 kg.
In the third attempt, he injured his feet and walked limping while leaving the arena.
There are 220 investors committed to investing in Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital in East Kalimantan, two of whom are foreign investors, according to Basuki Hadimuljono, Acting Head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN).
“Of the 220 investors, 45 have already broken ground,” he revealed in Jakarta on Thursday.
He added that the Nusantara Investment Acceleration Task Force was evaluating the feasibility of 60 other investors.
The two foreign investors hail from China and Japan. They will invest in the capital’s property sector.
“They will focus on the property sector, encompassing not just housing but also hotels and office buildings,” he remarked.
The task force was established by President Joko Widodo to expedite investments in the new capital.
Meanwhile, Alimudin, OIKN Deputy for Social and Cultural Empowerment, stated that private investments totaling Rp60 trillion (around US$3.6 billion) had been spent on Nusantara’s development, primarily focused on basic infrastructure.
“Private investments include the construction of hotels, housing, malls, and other facilities, including schools,” he said.
The Indonesian government is seeking to bolster bilateral cooperation with its trading partners, including Russia and the United States, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi.
She made these remarks after President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) received letters of credence from the ambassadors of ten friendly countries—Brunei Darussalam, Papua New Guinea, Tunisia, Russia, the United States (US), Cuba, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Lithuania, and North Macedonia—on Thursday.
Marsudi mentioned that she will meet with the ambassadors to detail the priorities of ongoing bilateral cooperation.
“Indonesia has good relations with these ten countries,” she noted. “Some of them are Indonesia’s main trading or economic cooperation partners.”
Marsudi highlighted that Indonesia is currently pushing negotiations with the US regarding the nickel mineral arrangement and the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
She also noted that Indonesia is negotiating a preferential trade agreement with Tunisia.
“If the preferential trade agreement can be completed, our exports could increase by 32.82 percent,” she stated.
With Russia, Indonesia is pursuing the completion of the Indonesia-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement (Indonesia-EAEU FTA), which is expected to boost trade between Indonesia and Russia, as well as with Eurasian Economic Union countries.
Marsudi further mentioned that Indonesia is also pushing for the conclusion of the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) negotiations.
Additionally, Indonesia is continuing to encourage stronger cooperation with Latin American and European countries.
She noted that Indonesia has several initiatives, such as the Indonesia-Latin America and the Caribbean (INA-LAC) Business Forum, scheduled for September 11–13 in Peru.
There is also the Indonesia-Europe Business Forum (IEBF), which will take place in Jakarta on October 7–8.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, said that investment in human resource quality must continue to be bolstered so that Indonesia can become a developed country by 2045.
He explained here on Thursday that to achieve Golden Indonesia, transforming low-added value to higher-added value activities is a must.
To support this, the government is promoting various programs, including the Pre-Employment Card (PraKerja) Program, to increase the country’s human resource quality.
The program aims to optimize the demographic bonus potential by providing training to the community with a digital end-to-end approach and pushing for public-private partnerships (PPP).
PraKerja was initiated in 2020, and the total number of registrants in its fifth year reached more than 56 million. Eighteen million participants from 38 provinces have benefitted from the program.
To become an advanced country, Indonesia needs to increase its income per capita to US$29 thousand, Minister Hartarto added.
Jakarta’s per capita income is currently US$21 thousand, while in East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan, it has topped US$17 thousand, he noted.
“We also mapped out (the situation in) other regions, and we carried out this during the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation handling. What distinguishes Indonesia from other countries: we have practical solutions that other countries do not have,” he said.
He explained that to control inflation in food prices, the government is distributing food from producer areas to demand areas, managing freight and warehousing.
He also called for increasing college students’ skills and providing access to people who have limited funding for education.
Earlier, Minister of Law and Human Rights, Yasonna Laoly, said that creating quality human resources requires providing quality education that not only teaches theory, but also technical and practical skills.
Quality education can produce graduates who are creative, innovative, and able to adapt to changes in technology and the environment, he added.
Optimism is currently rife among farmers in Krendowahono village in Gondangrejo sub-district, Karanganyar district, Central Java. This is because the water pumping program, which is currently being intensified by the government, has sparked hopes of an increase in the planting index (IP) — from carrying out planting once a year to twice or more.
“The hope is that we can carry out harvest two to three times a year. Currently, we can only harvest once,” said Setu Wibowo, one of the farmers of Krendowahono village.
Isal, a farmer from Bone district, South Sulawesi, said that the need for water is very urgent because rain has not come to his area to irrigate his rice field in the highland.
Therefore, he is grateful that the government has intervened at the right time with its water pumping program to meet water needs in the area.
Pumping is a rice field irrigation program that involves installing a piping system to channel water from certain sources to agricultural lands to ensure water availability during the dry season.
With water pumping, farmers can depend on additional irrigation, when the need arises, to prevent plants from experiencing water shortage, increase soil fertility, and maintain the quality of yields. These are important to maintain food availability, which affects price stability in markets.
Climate change is a big challenge for the national agriculture sector. As an agricultural country, Indonesia has great potential in the agricultural sector but often faces challenges such as climate change, drought, and uneven water distribution because the existing traditional irrigation systems are often inadequate and depend on weather conditions.
With the water pumping initiative, water is pumped from the nearest water sources, such as rivers, lakes, or boreholes, to agricultural lands, thereby reducing dependence on rainfall.
The government is currently intensively distributing pumps to regions across the country with the goal of supporting farmers so that they can carry out production activities throughout the seasons and the target of boosting national production can be achieved.
The government has distributed at least 25 thousand pumps to a number of agricultural lands out of the planned 75 thousand.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture’s calculations, the pumps that have been distributed can irrigate around 500 hectares of land at least. As per calculations, 500 thousand hectares of land can be used to produce 2.5–5.0 million tons of rice, with average yield of 5–10 tons per hectare.
This could certainly help cut imports. As per records, the realization of rice imports from January to May 2024 reached 2.2 million tons.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has expressed optimism that the pumping program will bring significant benefits, especially in terms of national food production, considering that currently, many countries are experiencing a decline in rice production due to drought.
According to him, many countries that previously exported rice are currently using their rice to meet domestic demand.
Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said that the pumping program is the only quick solution to tackle the impacts of the dry season this year.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) earlier predicted heatwaves and drought in July, August, September, and October this year.
Therefore, Sulaiman expressed the hope that the pumping initiative would not only tackle the issue of lack of water supply during the dry season, but also boost productivity and the planting index in upcoming seasons so that the welfare of farmers can improve.
This is expected to have a multiplier effect on the rural economy. When farmers have more stable or higher incomes, they are likely to access more advanced agricultural technology, which, in turn, can increase the efficiency and continuity of agricultural production.
To optimize the pumping program, the Ministry of Agriculture is moving swiftly to step up collaboration with governors and district heads so that dry rice fields can be cultivated without delay.
Cooperation with regional governments is important to ensure that water pumps are distributed accurately and in keeping with the needs of regions.
Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has asked regional governments to directly check pumps that have been distributed by the Agriculture Ministry. He stressed that the pumps should provide big benefits in terms of national food production.
The Ministry of Agriculture is also coordinating with other ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, to strengthen the program.
The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing also has a key role in providing the infrastructure needed for the pumping program.
Minister Sulaiman affirmed that he has coordinated with Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono to help optimize agricultural water by improving irrigation in several areas.
In addition to distributing pumps, the Ministry of Agriculture is also providing training and technical guidance to farmers on how to operate the pumps effectively and efficiently, including good water management.
The ministry is conducting regular monitoring and evaluation of the use of water pumps to ensure the program runs according to plan and provides maximum benefits.
With continuous support from the government and the active participation of farmers, the water pumping program can be an important pillar in ensuring sufficient and sustainable food availability for Indonesia.
Given the nation’s thriving gaming industry and the emergence of several local game developers offering game enthusiasts compelling gameplay experience, August 8 has been designated as National Game Day in Indonesia. There are a significant number of game players in Indonesia. In fact, according to government data, the number of game players in the country reached 174.1 million in 2022. Meanwhile, the total economic value of Indonesia’s gaming market was pegged at about US$1.1 billion in 2023.
Indonesia also accounts for 43 percent of game players in Southeast Asia, based on the Communication and Informatics Ministry’s data.
Seeing this huge potential, President Joko Widodo on February 12, 2024, signed Presidential Regulation Number 19/2024, which aims to accelerate national game industry development.
The regulation is expected to drive the growth of the game developer sub-sector through research and education, funding facilities, infrastructure provision, marketing system development, incentives, protection of intellectual property, and protection of creativity.
During the launch of the National Game Day in Jakarta on August 8, chairperson of the Indonesian Game Association (AGI), Cipto Adiguno, said that some Indonesian games have attained success internationally, especially in Western markets such as the United States and Europe.
In addition, Adiguno hinted at potential markets for Indonesian games in eastern Asia, such as China.
“Many countries admire our games and even enthusiastically look for new games made in Indonesia,” he said.
As per information on its developer’s website, Coral Island is “a re-imagined farm simulation game set on a tropical island that is inspired by the classics.” Throughout the game, the player meets many inclusive characters, including characters with Indonesian names like Joko, Dinda, and Surya.
It also features Indonesian culture-inspired locations in the town that the player can explore, such as the “Lake Temple,” which looks similar to temples in Bali; the “Alun-Alun” Square — “Alun-Alun” means outdoor square in Indonesian; and the underwater “Naga Palace” where characters like Krakatoa, Miranjani, and Nagalita live.
The features of the game align with the views of the chairperson of Masyarakat Indonesia Emas Foundation (YMIE), Marsudi Wahyu Kusworo, who said that local cultures can be promoted to global audiences through games.
“It is important to create educational games that can build patriotism and nationalism or even those instrumental for introducing national cultures to foreign audiences,” Kusworo said at a seminar on August 7, 2024.
He also suggested that game development be integrated into the education curriculum.
To promote Indonesian culture through games and develop the national gaming industry, AGI has received support from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) for the establishment of a game assets store.
The assets will be in the form of two- or three-dimensional characters, environments, objects, and audio that have the characteristics of Indonesian culture.
Some battle games that contain violence can have a negative impact on children playing them, according to an NGO that focuses on child protection.
The NGO, led by Seto Mulyadi, argued that blocking violent games is part of an effort to fulfill children’s rights.
“It is a child’s right to grow and develop (without the influence of violence),” he said.
He expressed concern over the increasingly large number of online games containing violence, especially reports of cases of child violence influenced by the content of such online games.
In April this year, the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) urged the government to take firm action against online games containing violence and sexual content given their adverse impact on children.
“The Communication and Informatics Ministry (Kominfo) must act immediately, issue a regulation to limit children from using online games, especially online games that contain violence and sexual (content),” KPAI member Kawiyan said.
In response, Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi urged parents to supervise the mobile games their children play by paying attention to the games’ classification, rating, and age recommendations.
Meanwhile, AGI chairperson Adiguno expressed optimism that Indonesia’s game industry will continue to grow positively in the next few years.
“This is because of the increasing quality of Indonesia’s products, access to international cooperation and investment, as well as government support in the form of funding, education, and clearer regulations,” he said.
The increasing number of games developed by small, micro, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) shows the progress of the game industry in terms of human resources.
“In addition, more and more games are developed by MSMEs, which show human resources with increased technical and entrepreneurial skills,” he observed.
Opening wider access to funding resources is essential for taking advantage of the huge potential of the game industry, he said.
He further said he believes that the government’s support through promotion and publication could attract investors and partners to collaborate with local game developers.
