VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Jakarta: The Indonesian government through the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns Israel's extreme actions in vandalizing and blockading aid for the people of Gaza.

"Indonesia strongly condemns the blockade and destruction carried out by Israeli civilians against humanitarian assistance from the international community for the people of Gaza," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on its social media account on Thursday (16/5).

The ministry said the Israeli government's omission showed Israel's attempt to block the entry of humanitarian aid.

"The omission by the Israeli security forces proves Israel's position that continues to try to obstruct in various ways the distribution of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. This action should be dealt with firmly and ensured that it does not happen again," said the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Therefore, Indonesia asks the UN Security Council to ensure the smooth delivery of humanitarian assistance.

"The guarantee of smooth humanitarian assistance is very important. The Security Council must ensure guarantees from Israel for the smooth delivery of humanitarian assistance, in order to prevent the worsening of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza," the Foreign Ministry said.

VOInews, Jakarta: Deputy II Chief of Presidential Staff Abetnego Tarigan hopes that the commemoration of the 65th National Education Day (Hardiknas), which falls on May 2 2024, will provide momentum in accelerating teacher certification.

According to Abetnego, teacher certification is an effort to meet the guaranteed needs for teachers who play a strategic role in creating an inclusive and safe learning ecosystem.   

"Accelerating teacher certification is a necessity so that teachers earn income above minimum living requirements and social welfare guarantees," said Abetnego in a statement received in Jakarta, Thursday.

Abetnego explained that currently, of the 3 million teachers in Indonesia, only 1.34 million teachers have been certified or around 44.9 percent.

If teachers' income is obtained from salaries and professional allowances based on certification, this means that there are still more than one million teachers who are not prosperous.

Apart from that, many teachers still have to find additional income to meet their living needs, and quite a few are even caught in illegal online loans (pinjol).  

"There should be no more stories of teachers having to work as farm laborers or goods couriers after school hours are over, or even stories of teachers being caught in debt," he said.

Abetnego said that the Presidential Staff Office supports the efforts of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemdikbudristek) which is preparing a new scheme to accelerate teacher certification.

With this new scheme, there are several adjustments for teachers and prospective teachers who take Teacher Professional Education (PPG), especially in the recruitment, learning and selection processes.

In the recruitment process, continued Abetnego, the government updated in-service teacher data (daljab) which contained teachers' education and teaching experience more accurately.

Meanwhile, in learning, there will be adjustments related to "hybrid" or mixed implementation, travel time and credit units for teachers with certain conditions.

"In the admission selection there are also adjustments that make it easier for daljab (in-service) teachers to take competency tests conducted by the Ministry of Education and Culture," added Abetnego.

He believes that the changes to the PPG scheme, which are currently being discussed in the Minister of Education and Culture's Draft Regulation, will be a leap in breaking down the deadlock in the implementation of certification as mandated by Law (UU) No. 14 of 2005 concerning Teachers and Lecturers.

With this new scheme, KSP hopes that the target of at least 800,000 certified teachers can be achieved this year as an effort to improve quality education.

Source: Antaranews

VOInews, Jakarta: Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia Mohammad Boroujerdi appreciated the Indonesian government's firm and principled stance in supporting Palestine and condemning the crimes of the Israeli Zionist regime, especially during the last six months.

"For me as a foreign ambassador, the honorable Mr. Joko Widodo and Mrs. Retno Marsudi are two heroes who stand on the right side in the current conditions (the Israeli-Palestinian conflict)," said Ambassador Boroujerdi during a media briefing on the theme of International Al-Quds Day. at his residence in Jakarta, Wednesday (3/4) evening.

Quoted from Antaranews on Thursday (4/4), The Ambassador said that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Indonesia, as two important Islamic countries both bilaterally and through international forums, have always supported the Palestinian struggle.

"Both countries have the same principles regarding Palestine and base their position on the full independence and liberation of Palestine," he said.

Ambassador Boroujerdi added that the brave speech of the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs in international forums and organizations such as the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, UN Human Rights Council and International Court, shows the continuation of Indonesia's continuous support for the realization of Palestinian independence.

Since the Israeli Zionist regime launched its deadly and genocidal attack on Gaza in October 2023, more than 30,000 Gazans have lost their lives, 70 percent of whom are women and children.

"Every day the international community witnesses the murder of innocent Palestinian women and children without taking effective action to stop these heinous crimes," he said.

According to the ambassador, the lack of serious action by the international human rights community against the forced displacement, ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians by the Zionist regime occurs when the Israeli regime always tries to purify its inhuman face by referring to the Holocaust.

Furthermore, Ambassador Boroujerdi said that although it took the world community seven decades to realize the true nature of the Zionist regime, it was still not too late to take global and international steps to stop the Israeli regime's crimes.

"Effective and timely action by the global and international community to stop the crimes of the Zionist regime can prevent the situation from getting worse and the coordinated action of the Islamic community in support of Palestine can have the greatest impact on the process of Palestinian independence," he said.