Indonesia Highlights: Indonesia’s VP Urges Seniors to Take Covid-19 Vaccine | Indonesia to Buy Fighter Jets from Boeing, Dassault Rafale | Indonesia to Activate 'Virtual Police' Unit to Educate Public

KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s Vice President Ma’ruf Amin on Wednesday received his first Covid-19 vaccine dose, calling senior citizens in the country to participate in the Covid-19 jab drive.

Ma'ruf called on elderly people not to be afraid of participating in the country’s biggest vaccination program.

Elsewhere, Indonesia will buy some Main Equipment and Weapon Systems (alutsista) soon in a bid to strengthen the military defense system.

Below are the editors’ picks stories published on Kompas.com:

Indonesia’s VP Urges Seniors to Take Covid-19 Vaccine

Indonesia’s Vice President Ma’ruf Amin on Wednesday received his first Covid-19 vaccine dose, marking the start of a vaccination program for senior citizens in the non-frontline worker's category.

The vaccination program for the seniors only began this month after the Food and Drug Agency or BPOM issued the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to use Sinovac’s Coronavac vaccine for people above 59 years on February 5, following the promising results of the tests in China and Brazil.

"Alhamdulillah [praise be to God], I just got vaccinated. Alhamdulillah, I have no problem, no pain, no dizziness, it’s all good," said the 77-year-old after receiving the Covid-19 shot at his official residence in Jakarta on February 17.

Accompanying him was Doni Monardo, the chief of the national Covid-19 task force and National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, and his deputy Dante Saksono Harbuwono.

Previously, Indonesian health care workers above the age of 60 years received their Covid-19 jab on February 11 as the government prioritizes the frontline workers to get the vaccine.

Ma'ruf called on elderly people not to be afraid of participating in the Covid-19 vaccination program.

“I call on the people of advanced age. I’m over 70 years old [during this vaccination program]. The vaccine, Insya Allah [God willing] will have no side effects,” he said.

“Let us take part in the vaccination program so that the Indonesian citizens are immune to the coronavirus as we are not sure when the Covid-19 will last,” the vice president said.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/02/18/195854174/indonesias-vp-urges-seniors-to-take-covid-19-vaccine

Indonesia to Buy Fighter Jets from Boeing, Dassault Rafale

Dokumen Dispen Mabes TNI AU Air Force chief of staff (KSAU) Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo.

Air Force chief of staff (KSAU) Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo said on Thursday that Indonesia will buy some Main Equipment and Weapon Systems (alutsista) soon.

“Starting from 2021 to 2024, we will soon realize the acquisition of various modern defense equipment which will be done in stages,” said Fadjar in his remarks during the Air Force Commanders Meeting at the Indonesian Air Force Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, February 18.

The defense equipment includes the F-15 EX fighter aircraft and Dassault Rafale produced by Boeing and Dassault Aviation France, respectively.

Then the multi-role tanker transport, C-130J transport aircraft, unmanned combat AERIAL vehicle (UCAV) with medium altitude long endurance (MALE) capability.

Fadjar said that Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto had carried out defense diplomacy with his counterparts.

The diplomacy aims to accelerate the process of developing the Indonesian armed forces, such as providing the latest defense equipment.

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/02/18/15272501/ksau-sebut-ri-bakal-beli-pesawat-tempur-f-15-ex-hingga-dassault-rafale.

Indonesia to Activate 'Virtual Police' Unit To Educate Public on Cybercrime

Kompas.com/Wahyunanda Kusuma Illustration of the ITE Law.

The Indonesian National Police ( Polri) will immediately set up a ' virtual police' unit to reprimand social media users for posting potential content that could be charged under the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.

"The virtual police officers will reprimand and explain a potential violation of an article [of ITE Law], including its punishment, then will explain what needs to be done next," said the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo in a response to the revision of ITE Law during commanders meeting on Tuesday, February 16.

"Please work closely with the Communications and Information Ministry so that if such content were found, the virtual police unit will first tackle the matter before the police's cybercrime unit take legal action," Sigit added.

The newly-appointed police chief had previously conveyed the plan to establish a virtual police unit when he went through a fit and proper test at the House of Representatives Commission III last January.

During the meeting, he said that he would optimize cyber campaigns aimed at increasing public awareness of the importance of personal data security and social media ethics without closing the space for creativity.

In this case, Sigit said, Polri might collaborate with social media users or influencers to reach out to the public so that they will get a proper understanding.

"I think this can involve top influencers so that we get across the message clearly without making others frightened, but how to make people interested in, aware of, and understand the ITE law," he said.

He also instructed his officers to make clear guidelines to resolve a dispute under the ITE Law. The settlement of cases using the ITE Law must prioritize mediation between the complainant and the defendant, he said.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/02/18/153132374/indonesia-to-activate-virtual-police-unit-to-educate-public-on-cybercrime