Tag: Indonesia

First & Largest ASEAN Festival in Malaysia

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First & Largest ASEAN Festival in Malaysia

The ASEAN Festival 2023, hosted at the prestigious LaLaport BBCC in Kuala Lumpur from 30th November  to 3rd December 2023, has concluded with tremendous success. Organized by GenYouth, the event was a harmonious convergence of ASEAN’s rich and diverse heritage, immersing visitors in vibrant cultures, delectable cuisines, captivating music, awe-inspiring performances, and more – all under one dynamic roof. It was truly a celebration of the unity and diversity inherent in the ASEAN region.

This significant event, generously supported by Tourism Malaysia through the provision of Cuti-Cuti Malaysia and Malaysia Truly Asia, saw active participation from Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia MADANI by JPM, featuring booths during the festival. A highlight was the remarkable ASEAN Mini Museum, showcasing the cultural wealth of ASEAN embassies.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FESTIVAL:

ASEAN Market: With about 100 booths, offering diverse products and crafts from member countries. Vendors from ASEAN nations flew in, contributing to this cultural extravaganza with unique goods, street food, and F&B delights.

ASEAN Travel Fair: Golden Destinations and Suka Travel presented the Muslim and Non-Muslim ASEAN Travel Fair, featuring representatives from various travel agencies. Visitors explored the rich tapestry of experiences available in the region.

ASEAN Music Festival: The festival hosted cultural shows by Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia embassies, featuring traditional dances, Muay Thai, Indonesian Traditional Dance, Fashion Show, Vietnamese Cultural Show, and live bands throughout the four days.

The festival kicked off with a Grand Opening Ceremony featuring the esteemed presence of H.E. Walid Abu Ali, Embassy of the State of Palestine, and H.E. Betty Oyella Bigombe, High Commission of The Republic of Uganda, H.E Ouk Chandara, Ambassador, Royal Embassy of Cambodia, H.E. Viengsavanh Sipraseuth Ambassador, The Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, H.E. Aung Soe Win Ambassador-Designate, Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and distinguished embassy representatives from various countries. Mr. Mohd Yusri Bin Mhod Yusoff, Deputy Secretary-General (Culture) Ministry of Tourism, Art, and Culture Malaysia and Mohd Shahrir Mohd Ali, Director International Promotion (ASEAN), witnessed the 1st ASEAN Festival in Malaysia. The launch marked a historic moment as ASEAN embassies and dignitaries jointly inaugurated the ASEAN Festival, setting a record for the first and largest ASEAN Festival in Malaysia.

The second day witnessed the launch of ASEAN Cashless Day, with MDEC as the Guest of Honor. More than 20 business associations and their presidents joined the momentous occasion, emphasizing the festival’s commitment to innovation.

The 3rd day of ASEAN Festival dedicated to recognizing achievements, as the Youth Achievement Records Presentation Ceremony taken the center stage. The day also featured various kids show including “Ao Dai Show” by 20 Vietnam Kids”, Indonesian Raipai Aceh From Aceh” by Indoneisan School of Kuala Lumpur, Malayisa Kids Fashion Show, Muay Thai Show. The Youth Achievement Records Ceremony recognized outstanding individuals in various fields. 13 records were acknowledged, with 12 individuals receiving certificates by Director of International Youth Center representing the Guest of Honor, YB Hannah, Minister of Youth and Sports. For more information on Youth Achievement Records.

The festival concludes on the 3rd of December with a mix of cultural performances including Lion Dance, fashion shows, and Muay Thai demonstrations.

Besides, attendees were treated to an array of exciting Lucky Draw Prizes worth RM20,000, which included domestic and overseas travel packages to Bangkok, Langkawi, Penang, promising unforgettable getaways. Other coveted prizes encompassed Vivo phones, Honor watches, cutting-edge RAZER gadgets, VANZO Perfume sets, Vanilla Mille Crepe, FIPPER and MILLIOT & CO. cash vouchers, mouth-watering US Pizza slices and vouchers, EUREKA popcorn, irresistible The Famous Amos Cookies and vouchers, among many more enticing offerings.

Looking ahead, the organizers are already planning for ASEAN Festival 2024, aiming to build on the success of this year and create an even more unforgettable experience for attendees. The ASEAN Festival 2023 has truly been a celebration of unity, diversity, and the spirit of ASEAN. For more information and updates, follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/ASEANfestival, https://www.instagram.com/ASEANfestival/

Artroniq Announces EV Bike Launch with United Motors in Malaysia in Q4 of 2023

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Artroniq Announces EV Bike Launch with United Motors in Malaysia in Q4 of 2023

Artroniq, a Malaysian investment holding company, and United E-Motor, an Indonesian electric motorcycle manufacturer, have jointly announced the imminent introduction of the United E-Motor electric two-wheeler brand in Malaysia. This launch event is scheduled to take place on October 21, 2023, at Pavilion Bukit Jalil.

During this event, the company intends to unveil two electric scooter models and reveal its expansion plans for the local network. One notable model in the United E-Motor lineup is the TX3000 electric scooter, positioned as a versatile “all-terrain electric vehicle.”

The announcement event at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia was attended by notable figures, including Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Datuk Indera Harmono, Chairman of the Asian Trade, Tourism, and Economic Council Budihardjo Iduansjah, Malaysian Member of Parliament Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian, PT Terang Dunia Internusa Director Andrew Mulyadi, and Artroniq’s Chief Financial Officer, Marcus Chin.

According to information on the United E-Motor Indonesian website, the TX3000 electric scooter boasts dimensions of 1,890 mm in length, 765 mm in width, and 1,195 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 1,380 mm. This model is equipped with two 60-volt, 28 Ah lithium batteries, providing a maximum range of 120 km. Charging from 0 to 80% can be achieved in four hours. It has a weight of 118 kg and a maximum load capacity of 167 kg, with a top speed of 90 km/h, including a reverse function up to 5 km/h.

The electric scooters will be locally assembled at the Batu Kawan facility in Penang, with a production target of 2,000 units across two models in 2024, as disclosed by Artroniq’s CFO, Marcus Chin. The assembly process is set to commence in November this year, following the launch event next month. Initially, the electric two-wheelers will be manufactured exclusively for the Malaysian market, with no current plans for export, according to Chin.

The United E-Motor electric scooter brand intends to establish a distribution and service network in Peninsular Malaysia’s northern, central, and southern regions, specifically in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor. Service centers will operate under the Artroniq brand, as confirmed by Artroniq’s CFO, Chin.

Myanmar will not be allowed ASEAN leadership in 2026

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Myanmar will not be allowed ASEAN leadership in 2026

Southeast Asian leaders have decided that Myanmar will not take over the rotating leadership of their regional bloc as scheduled in 2026, according to Asian diplomats and the leader of the Philippines.

The decision, revealed on Tuesday at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit taking place in Indonesia, is the latest blow to efforts by Myanmar’s ruling generals to gain international recognition after violently seizing power in 2021.

Western governments have condemned the Myanmar military’s removal of Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government and have demanded her release from detention, along with other officials.

The Philippines agreed to take over the regional bloc’s chairmanship in 2026 at the ASEAN summit, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said in a statement, citing what he told fellow leaders in the closed-door meetings.

“It is my pleasure to announce that the Philippines is ready to take the helm and chair ASEAN in 2026,” Marcos told his ASEAN counterparts in Jakarta, the statement from the presidential palace said.

“We will fortify the foundations of our community-building and navigate ASEAN as it embarks on a new chapter.”

Marcos did not say why the Philippines was taking over the chair from Myanmar.

ASEAN’s leadership rotates annually based on the alphabetical order of the English names of the member states.

A member state at the helm chairs the ASEAN summit and related summits and the group’s various bodies in line with the ASEAN charter.

Source: Aljazeera

Singapore now has the most powerful passport in the world

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Singapore now has the most powerful passport in the world

Singapore has the world’s most powerful passport in 2023. The recently released third quarter Henley Passport Index revealed a major shake-up, with Germany, Italy and Spain coming in second and Japan sharing the third rank with six other countries.

After evaluating all countries of the world, Henley creates a ranking of all the passports on the basis of the number of destinations their holders can visit visa-free with inputs from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), updating the report every quarter.

According to the release, Singapore passport holders get visa-free access to 192 countries out of 227 in the world. The nation has climbed over five ranks in the last ten years.

Just missing the top 10 mark, Malaysia made it to the 11th spot allowing passport holders to travel visa-free to 180 countries. Hong Kong shared the 17th spot with Andorra with visa-free access to 170 countries. Thailand ranked at 64th place with visa-free travel option for 79 countries. India took the 80th spot on the list with visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel option for 57 countries.

The weakest passport in the world is Afghanistan, with visa-free access to only 27 destinations.

The most powerful passports in the world, according to Henley Passport Index 2023.

RankVisa-free access toCountries
1192Singapore
2190Germany, Italy, Spain
3189Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Sweden
4188Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, UK
5187Belgium, Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland
6186Australia, Hungary, Poland
7185Canada, Greece
8184Lithuania, US
9183Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia
10182Estonia, Iceland
11180Liechtenstein, Malaysia
20166Brunei
6479Thailand, Belarus, Lesotho
6973Indonesia, Tanzania
7466Philippines, Armenia, Cape Verde Islands
82 55Cambodia, Vietnam, Guinea-Bissau, Mali
8750Laos, Turkmenistan
8947Myanmar, Ethiopia
Source: Henley Passport Index

World’s Largest Permanent Menorah

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World’s Largest Permanent Menorah

When you envision the world’s largest, permanent free-standing Menorah, your thoughts might not immediately turn to Indonesia. However, that’s precisely where this remarkable sight can be found! Surprisingly, the biggest permanent Menorah in existence is not situated in Israel, America, or Europe; it proudly stands in the world’s most populous Muslim country.

Nestled in the city of Manado, on the picturesque Indonesian island of Sulawesi, this extraordinary Menorah serves as a beacon of hope and resilience for a community of less than 25 Jews (yes, you read that right – barely 0.000001% of Indonesia’s massive population of 238 million). Despite their small numbers, this tight-knit community has left an indelible mark that defies all expectations. Let us celebrate their spirit and unity, shining brightly like the Menorah during Hanukkah and beyond!

Jewish settlers arrived in the East Indies along with other Dutch settlers in the 17th century. Largely associated with the Dutch exploratory and mercantile efforts, the Jewish community was never large. It peaked at perhaps 2,000 during the early 20th century. After Indonesia became independent and the country Muslim-majority, most of the Jews converted or fled. Between 1945 and the 1960s, their numbers dropped to less than 100. A herculean effort of the Jews in the city of Manado, along with help from Christian neighbors, keeps the community alive.

In 2009, in a powerful if strange show of survival and community solidarity, the Jews of Manado erected a 62-foot Menorah on a mountainside overlooking the city. Featuring an interesting blend of Jewish and oriental artistic stytles, it is now a dominant fixture on the skyline. Although it is only a seven-branch candelabra, it is a popular rallying place for Jews gathering for the Hanukkah celebration.

The Manado Menorah is located on the outskirts of Manado, which is located on the northeastern most tip of Sulawesi, approximately 750 miles (mostly over open ocean) northeast of Jakarta. It is an open site. Web: www.north-sulawesi.org (official tourism website of North Sulawesi)

Leading Indosat’s growth to empower Indonesia, Vikram Sinha named 2023 CEO of the Year

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Leading Indosat’s growth to empower Indonesia, Vikram Sinha named 2023 CEO of the Year

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat) continues to record splendid operational and financial performances following its recent merger. Embracing the spirit of Gotong Royong, Indosat has a greater goal of empowering Indonesia. Recognizing the company’s various initiatives in achieving its goals, Vikram Sinha, President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, was named CEO of the Year at the Selular Award 2023. In addition, Indosat also won awards in the categories of Operator of the Year, Best Fiber to the Home Performance and Best Gaming Operator.

“I am delighted to receive this award. This moment is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved, including Indosat employees, partners and the support of our loyal customers. Indosat will continue to deliver marvelous experiences to all stakeholders and become the main collaborator in pursuing our goal of empowering Indonesia by accelerating the nation’s digital transformation,” Sinha said at the ceremony.

The CEO of The Year award was bestowed on Sinha in recognition of Indosat’s outstanding performance under his leadership. Sinha has significantly contributed to the company’s growth following the merger. As of March 31, 2023, Indosat recorded revenues of Rp 11.94 trillion, representing 10 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth, while the EBITDA for the first quarter of 2023 amounted to Rp 5.33 trillion, a 22 percent YoY increase. Furthermore, the successful integration of the MOCN network in over 46,000 sites across Indonesia reflects the company’s accelerated transformation amid the increasingly competitive telecommunications industry.

Selular Award 2023, its 20th edition, had the theme “Moving to the Next Level.” The awards, organized by Selular Media Network, are an appreciation of the ICT industry, particularly telecommunications companies, network vendors, handset vendors and other technology companies, for their contributions to society through their excellent services in Indonesia. The evaluation for the awards was based on their strategic achievements according to assessments conducted by Selular Award. In addition to the Selular Award ceremony, the sixth Selular Congress 2023 was also held, featuring prominent figures in the industry. This year’s theme was “Cross-Industry Synergy Driving Digitalization and Economic Growth.” Among the panelists in the discussion panel was Muhammad Buldansyah, Director and Chief Business Officer of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Malaysia and Indonesia are strengthening their trade, investment, and halal ties

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Malaysia and Indonesia are strengthening their trade, investment, and halal ties

Malaysia and Indonesia today further heightened their collaboration on trade, investment and halal sector following the signing of agreements in conjunction with the visit by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his delegation to Malaysia.

Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz and his Indonesian counterpart Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan, representing Malaysia and Indonesia, sealed the border trade agreement and memorandum of understanding on investment promotion cooperation during the bilateral instrument signing ceremony at Seri Perdana Complex here, today.

The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) director-general Hakimah Mohd Yusoff and head of the Halal Product Assurance Agency Indonesia Muhammad Aqil Irham signed the mutual cooperation on recognition of halal certification for halal products.

Malaysia also sealed the agreement on border crossing signed by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Indonesia’s Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian.

Joko Widodo is on a two-day working visit to Malaysia at the invitation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, starting Wednesday, to further strengthen the longstanding and close relations between the two economies.

Indonesia was Malaysia’s sixth largest trading partner and second largest among Asean member states in 2022 with total trade of RM130.14 billion (US$29.55 billion).

Source: Bernama

The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to providing support for Indonesia

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The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to providing support for Indonesia

The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its strong commitment to supporting Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship through the visit of the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and ASEAN Richard Graham MP.

Graham is visiting Indonesia from June 5–7, 2023, highlighting the UK’s strong support for Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship, the British Embassy in Jakarta said in a press statement on Monday.

During his visit, Graham will meet Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, to discuss the UK’s support for a number of economic deliverables of Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship.

He will also meet ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn to enquire how the UK can further support ASEAN in its economic integration journey post 2025.

His eleventh visit as the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and ASEAN underlines the UK’s commitment to both bilateral and multinational partnership in the region, focused on economic growth and development, Graham said.

Graham is also scheduled to meet Minister of Trade Zulkifli Hasan; National Development Planning Minister/head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa; and head of the New Capital City Authority (OIKN) to discuss potential commercial collaboration in Nusantara.

The visit follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral investment promotion with the Indonesian Investment Minister last year, which encourages two-way investment between the two countries.

Furthermore, Graham will also visit Surabaya and meet several interlocutors, including the Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, and the Mayor of Surabaya, Eri Cahyadi, to discuss trade and investment opportunities in sustainable transport, defense, green energy, and education.

The UK is of the view that Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship year holds tremendous significance for the Southeast Asian region and beyond, and it is keen on playing an active role in supporting Indonesia’s efforts to promote regional prosperity and resilience.

As a key partner of ASEAN, the UK is committed to fostering even closer ties with Indonesia, recognizing its pivotal role in shaping the region’s economic landscape, the British Embassy said in its statement.

As ASEAN chair this year, Indonesia plays a critical role in driving the bloc’s many ambitions. He looks forward to seeing key Indonesian interlocutors and the ASEAN secretary general to discuss ways to deepen our relationship, Graham said.

Meanwhile, the UK Ambassador to ASEAN, Sarah Tiffin, said that 2023 is the second year of the UK’s Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN, and marks one year of the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action and driving forward the delivery of the plans it contains.

The UK supports Indonesia’s ambitious agenda as ASEAN chair, including to progress the region’s economic integration efforts, Ambassador Tiffin said, adding that rhe UK is proud to support this, including through the delivery of the priority economic deliverables (PED) Indonesia has identified.

The Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys are a network of UK parliamentarians who are appointed to foster trade and investment opportunities in their respective markets.

Source: antaranews.com

China is gradually reducing its spending in Southeast Asia

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China is gradually reducing its spending in Southeast Asia

China has cut development assistance to Southeast Asia as Beijing directs money elsewhere, giving up its position as the region’s single largest source of funding, according to a report by an Australian think tank.

China was Southeast Asia’s biggest single source of development assistance between 2015 and 2019, but was overtaken by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lowy Institute said in the report released on Sunday.

China’s contribution to the region fell from $7.6bn in 2015 to $3.9bn in 2021, according to the Sydney-based Lowy Institute.

In total, China disbursed $37.9bn – nearly 20 percent of the region’s total financing – between 2015 and 2021, equal to $5.53bn on average annually.

Southeast Asia received about $200bn in total from partners overall during the period.

China’s funding, mostly consisting of loans, has been used to back major infrastructure projects across the region, including high-speed rail projects in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

“The most striking trend in China’s [official development finance, ODF] in Southeast Asia between 2015 and 2021 is the decline in China’s relative importance as a partner,” the Lowy Institute said in the report, predicting that the “lingering effects of the pandemic” would continue to disrupt Beijing’s development financing.

“In 2015, China provided some 24 percent of the region’s ODF. By 2021, this had fallen to 14 percent.”

In China’s place, other countries and partners, including the United States, Australia and Japan, are ramping up assistance as they compete for influence with Beijing, said Lowy Institute’s lead economist Roland Rajah.

“Intensifying geostrategic tensions between China and Western governments have also seen a growing focus on using development finance, particularly in infrastructure, as a means of competing for influence,” Rajah said.

“This makes an understanding of the scale and contours of [ODF] in Southeast Asia of critical interest to governments in the region and their development partners.”

New partners have also stepped up in the region, including the Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Development Bank – which provided about $225m a year in non-concessional loans, primarily to Indonesia – and India, which has focused about $70m a year in grants on neighbouring Myanmar.

Most of the region’s development funding – 80 percent – however, continues to come from traditional partners like development banks, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, the US and Australia, according to the report.

After China, Japan was the single largest non-institutional provider of development funds, spending $28.2bn.

South Korea contributed $20.4bn, followed by Germany, the United States, Australia and France with funding of between $5.34bn and $8.5bn.

There was a significant gap between pledged spending by partners and the amount of funding that was delivered.

Compared to the $298bn committed to the region for more than 100,00 projects between 2015 and 2021, only about $200bn was spent during the period.

Sources: aljazeera.com

Tallest statue of Jesus Christ in the world

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Tallest statue of Jesus Christ in the world

Jesus Buntu Burake is a Roman Catholic statue of Jesus Christ at Makale in Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is the tallest statue of Jesus Christ in the world, at 40 m. It stands on the top of Buntu Burake hill about 1.700 metres above sea level. Jesus Buntu Burake also has a glass bridge. It ranks in the top 10 tallest sculptures of Asia.

A competition was held in 2013 to work on this statue and is open to the public. After obtaining the winner, in 2014 the foundation of the statue began to be built and construction of the statue was started in 2013, as designed by Supriadi, an artist of Yogyakarta, with the support of Hardo Wardoyo Suwarto, and made on request of the governor of South Sulawesi, Syahrul Yasin Limpo to promote tourism in Tana Toraja. It was developed piece by piece in Yogyakarta. In 2015, the statue was completed. The official inauguration was held on 23 December 2018, by President Joko Widodo as declared on the inauguration inscription on the sidelines of the Tana Toraja Oikumene Christmas celebration.