RIDWAN KAMIL DREAMS OF TRANSFORMING BANDUNG INTO TECHNOPOLIS by Fardah

Jakarta, June 29 , 2015(Antara)- Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil, better known as Emil, harbors an ambitious dream to transform his city into a technopolis, as well as liveable and loveable city.

         Technopolis is a society with a concentration of technology-based businesses, or an emphasis on technology.
    In the initial stage, he plans to develop a technopolis area near Jatinangor, an educational hub located between the border of Bandung and Sumedang District, both in West Java Province.
    Thanks to his educational background and experience as an architect, 43-year-old Emil is confident that he can restore the city's beauty and simultaneously transform it into a smart or digitalized city.

         For that purpose, he paid a working visit to England on June 22-28, 2015, to gather information on new innovations and ideas concerning city management in the European country.

PALEMBANG DEVELOPS MUSI RIVER TOURISM TO ATTRACT FOREIGN TOURISTS by Fardah

Jakarta, June 29, 2015 (Antara)- The Ampera Bridge has become the most famous icon of Palembang, which is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia and in the past was the capital of the powerful Sriwijaya Kingdom between 670 and 1375.

         Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra Province, however, is currently mulling over a greater icon than just the Ampera Bridge, which was constructed in April 1962 and stretches 1,177 meters in length and 22 meters in width.

         The administration of Palembang is set to develop the Musi River tourism on the similar lines as Thailand's Chao Phraya River, or even transforming it into "the Venice of Indonesia."

INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT CAUTIONS HAJJ PILGRIMS ABOUT MERS by Fardah

   Jakarta, June 28, 2015 (Antara) - No MERS cases have been recorded in Indonesia so far, but the government have taken precautions against the disease ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage season to prevent any of its citizens from catching the infection.   
    A pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, known as the Hajj, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Every Muslim must make at least once in their lifetime if they are able and can afford it.
    Precautions are crucial because Indonesia always sends the largest number of Hajj pilgrims, reaching up to more than 200 thousand annually, to Saudi Arabia, where the vast majority of MERS cases have so far occurred.

INDONESIA REHABILITATES DRUG ADDICTS, SEVERELY PUNISHES TRAFFICKERS by Fardah

   Jakarta, June 27, 2015 (Antara)- Indonesian firing squads have executed 14 death row convicts, including 12 foreigners, involved in drug-related crimes this year.

       Despite the severe punishments, illicit drug trafficking activities have continued to affect Indonesia.

        On June 23, 2015, Jakarta Metro Jaya Police announced the arrest of six suspected members of a China-Indonesia international drug ring, and seized 72.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, worth Rp106 billion, or around US$ 8 million.

       "The suspects committed the crime by hiding the meth inside reflexology machines," Chief of Jakarta Metro Police (Polda Metro Jaya) Inspector General Tito Karnavian revealed.

GOVT ENFORCES MEASURES TO ENSURE YEAR-LONG STABILITY IN FOOD PRICES By Fardah

Jakarta, June 26, 2015 (Antara) -- Significant price hikes ahead of major religious holidays such as Idul Fitri and Christmas have frequently bothered the Indonesian public and the government alike.

         It is the lower-class society that usually bears the brunt of the price surges, and as a consequence, it affects the government's programs to eradicate poverty.

         To curb increases in prices ahead of Ramadan and Idul Fitri this year, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo issued Presidential Regulation Number 71 of 2015 on pricing and storage of basic needs and essential goods.

         Signed on June 15, the presidential regulation intends to guarantee availability of adequate stocks and stability in prices of commodities traded in markets, a member of the President's Communications Team Teten Masduki said in a statement.

INDONESIA LAUNCHES MARITIME OUTLETS TO REDUCE PRICE DISPARITY by Fardah

Jakarta, June 26, 2015 (Antara) - Price disparity has always been a serious problem in Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation, with more than 17 thousand islands and a population of over 250 million.

        Indonesian people living in the country's eastern and outermost regions have to spend more on food and goods, which are sold at steep prices due to poor infrastructure that hinders the smooth supply of logistics.

        Indonesians living in cities and better-developed western regions are more prosperous than the people living in the east and have so far enjoyed basic necessities at affordable prices.

      In an attempt to reduce the price disparity, the Indonesian government recently launched a maritime outlet pilot project that will be implemented to sell food items in several eastern Indonesian regions' small seaports at prices similar to those in the western part of the country.

PRIVATE DEVELOPERS SUPPORT ONE MILLION HOUSES PROGRAM by Fardah

Jakarta, June 25, 2015(Antara) - The government's plan to build some one million houses for people belonging to the low-income group has received significant support from the private sector and ministries.

       Three ministries - the Home Affairs Ministry, the Public Works and Housing Ministry, and the Agrarian and Layout Ministry - signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the pro-people program on June 9, 2015.

       The MoU was inked to support the government's program that was officially launched by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in April, 2015, in Ungaran, Central Java, Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo stated while addressing the signing ceremony.    

ROHINGYA ASYLUM SEEKERS TREATED WITH COMPASSION IN ACEH By Fardah Assegaf

 Jakarta, June 24,2015 (Antara) -- Since the issue emerged, the people and government of Aceh Darussalam have sympathized with and shown their solidarity towards Rohingyas by rescuing them from the rough seas and accommodating them in the province.

       Currently, more than a thousand Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar have been provided accommodation in several camps in Aceh, including some 374 children without parents.

        The majority of these children are victims of kidnapping by a group of traffickers, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).   
   The Rohingya minority in Rakine province in Myanmar is described by the United Nations as among the world's most persecuted community.  

GOVERNMENT URGES FARMERS TO PREPARE TO FACE EL NIÑO By Fardah

    Jakarta, June 23,2015  (Antara) -- The Indonesian government is gearing up to face the effects of the predicted weak to moderate El Niño, which could reduce precipitation by 40 to 80 percent.

         This natural phenomenon will affect the provinces of Sumatra, East Java, Bali, West and East Nusa Tenggara, and Papua in particular.

         The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) have forecast that drought due to El Niño might occur from June to November this year and affect 18 provinces across the country.       
  "It means that drought caused by El Niño will coincide with the planting season in the dry season, which is from April to September. We need to implement particular measures to prevent the impacts of the El Niño heat wave on crops," Head of Research and Development of the Agriculture Ministry Moch Syakir said recently.

         The prediction about the occurrence of El Niño was also confirmed in June's El Niño Advisory issued by the U. S. Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service.

GOVERNMENT TO GET TOUGH ON FOOD PRICE SPECULATORS by Fardah

   Jakarta, June 21, 2015 (Antara)- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and some of his ministers have been busy making sure that stocks of basic needs, particularly food items, are adequate and their prices stable during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan and later Idul Fitri.

         They personally have checked food prices and supplies in traditional markets, launched market operations, and coordinated a better supply mechanism.

         During Ramadan, the prices of food and beverages usually soar considerably not only due to the increase in demand but also as a result of profit-making by irresponsible speculators.

ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY NEEDS TO REMAIN STRONG TO FIGHT RAMPANT CORRUPTION by Fardah

Jakarta, June 20, 2015 (Antara) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been entrusted by the Indonesian public to fight rampant corruption throughout the country.

       Since the beginning of its establishment, however, the agency has been facing mounting challenges due to attempts to hamper corruption eradication efforts and to systematically weaken KPK, which is also seen as a "super body".

       In 2009, the then-KPK leader Antasari Azhar was convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years behind bars. Many people believed that the murder case was fabricated, and yet he remains in jail.

       Earlier this year, the then KPK chief Abraham,  one of the deputies to Bambang Widjojanto, and KPK's senior investigator Novel Baswedan, were named as suspects by the National Police's Crime Investigation Department (Bareskrim) in separate cases, as they were charged with possible crimes occurring before they held important KPK posts.

FOREIGN WARSHIPS CONFIRM PARTICIPATION IN SAIL TOMINI by Fardah

    Jakarta, June 19, 2015 (Antara)- Central Sulawesi, as the host of Sail Tomini, the seventh edition of the annual international maritime event Sail Indonesia, is gearing up to welcome domestic and foreign warships that will participate in a sailing pass.

       Some 20 foreign warships have been invited to join the sailing pass, or a parade of warships, organized to highlight Sail Tomini 2015 at Pangi Beach, Parigi Moutong District, Central Sulawesi, on September 19, 2015.

      President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is expected to attend the peak maritime event.    
  Prior to the Sail Tomini peak event, the government will organize Boalemo Festival in Tilamuta city, Gorontalo Province, which is expected to be attended by Vice President Jusuf M. Kalla, on September 10, 2015.

         The agenda of Sail Tomini encompasses 24 activities such as a yacht rally, a maritime research expedition, a sailing pass, exhibitions, and scientific seminars. The event is expected to be attended by 10 thousand guests.
   Some 100 foreign yachters from various countries are expected to participate in Sail Tomini 2015.

ANTICIPATING FOOD PRICE HIKES DURING RAMADAN IS CRUCIAL by Fardah

Jakarta, June 17, 2015 (Antara) - Indonesian Muslims always eagerly welcome the holy fasting month of Ramadan that begins on June 18, 2015, as Allah the Almighty showers His blessings and pardons on the devout who observe Ramadan, Islam's fifth pillar.

        Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sex from the break of dawn to sunset for a period of one month during Ramadan.

         Families tend to serve more varied meals to break their fasts at sunset. They, however, usually have to face the reality of seasonal food price hikes during Ramadan.

         The prices of food and beverages soar considerably not only due to the increase in demand but also as a result of profit-making by irresponsible speculators.

BANDUNG TO BE DEVELOPED INTO A GREEN SMART CITY by Fardah

   Jakarta, June 16, 2015 (Antara)- Mayor of Bandung Ridwan Kamil has envisioned to make the city greener while keeping pace with the latest information technology.

         Located some 175 kilometers from Jakarta, Bandung city offers a pleasant climate and beautiful natural panorama, as it is surrounded by mountains. 
    In the past, the Dutch colonizers had given it a nick name "Paris of Java." Bandung is called the "City of flowers" by the Indonesian people.

         As Indonesia's third-largest city, Bandung has been facing typical urban problems such as traffic jams, slums, damaged roads, and piles of garbage.

JAKARTA FAIR EXPECTED TO LURE 5 MILLION VISITORS By Fardah

   Jakarta, June 3, 2015 (Antara) -- Longing for traditional cuisines and the culture of Jakarta, particularly the famous "kerak telor" (pancake) and "soto Betawi" (soup), or Ondel-ondel giant puppets? Then the Jakarta Fair is the right place for you.

         Once again, the Jakarta Fair is being held in the heart of the city at the Jakarta International Exhibition Center (JIExpo) in Kemayoran to celebrate the capital city's 488th anniversary that falls on June 22.

         For 38 days, from May 29 to July 5, the fair is offering various activities, such as exhibitions, trade promotions, concerts, dining, and amusement rides from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, from 3.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

         Visitors can use free shuttle buses at bus stops in Kemayoran Station, Kemayoran low-cost rental apartments, the National Monument (Monas) and Mangga Dua WTC Mall.