Latest news with #Kompas
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Video shows capsized ferry in Indonesia's West Kalimantan province, not Sulawesi
"A ferry capsized at the Parepare Port, I hope there are no fatalities," reads an Indonesian-language Facebook post on April 25, 2025. The post includes a video showing people witnessing a ship slowly capsizing. Some voices yelling "God is Great" in Arabic are heard in the background. The same video was shared elsewhere on Facebook after a boat carrying eight passengers capsized due to extreme weather in the waters of Selayar Islands Regency, South Sulawesi. Indonesian media organisation Detik reported there were no fatalities during the accident (archived link). However, there are no official reports of a ferry capsizing at Parepare Port as of May 22. A combination of Google reverse image and keyword searches found the same clip used in a news report by Indonesian broadcaster iNews on February 21, 2021 about a ferry sinking in West Kalimantan's Perigi Piai Port (archived link). The circulating video can be seen at the 14-second mark of the video report, which says the the ship lost balance as passengers disembarked from one side and the docking rope broke. The video matches Google Maps imagery of Perigi Piai port, 1,300 kilometres (807 miles) away from Parepare port in Sulawesi (archived link). A video of the accident has also been geotagged at Perigi Piai port (archived link). Indonesian newspaper Kompas published a similar photo of the accident on February 20, 2021 (archived link).
Korea Herald
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Viral lizard statue in Indonesia's Central Java sparks conversation about ‘overpriced', ‘ugly' monuments
JAKARTA, Indonesia (Jakarta Post/ANN) — Amonitor lizard statue built by the Wonosobo administration in Central Java recently went viral for its striking realism and surprisingly low construction budget, sparking widespread online debate over other city monuments many netizens consider "ugly" and overpriced. The 7-meter-tall monument depicts a large black monitor lizard with yellow spots, poised atop a large rock. Located in Krasak Village, Selomerto District, the statue has quickly become a popular photo spot for local residents since its completion last month. The monument was created by local artist Rejo Arianto, a graduate of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Surakarta, who is renowned for his public artwork throughout Wonosobo, including several showcased in local government buildings. Rejo is primarily known for his paintings, and the lizard monument marks only the third sculpture he has ever created and the first to be commissioned by the government. He made the monument in just 1.5 months with the help of members from the local youth organization Karang Taruna. The project was completed on a modest budget of $3,100, funded through the corporate social responsibility funds of Wonosobo-owned enterprises. Rejo explained that although the budget was tight, he managed to make it work because of his desire to contribute to his hometown. "I didn't create [the lizard monument] for profit. However, if it had been commissioned by another city, I would have needed a larger budget," he said in a recent interview, as quoted by Kompas. Rejo said the monitor lizard, locally known as menyawak, was chosen because it is a native species that is becoming increasingly rare in the region. "Art is the expression of the soul. I hope this work serves as a reminder to protect our environment and encourages people to care more about this animal and its habitat," Rejo said recently, as reported by Kompas. Rejo's lizard monument quickly went viral on social media, with many netizens praising his craftsmanship and saying the statue looks remarkably lifelike. The monument's surprisingly small budget also sparked widespread discussion online, with many netizens comparing it to statues in other cities—often deemed far less appealing despite being built with significantly larger budgets and sometimes funded by taxpayers. Many have argued that Rejo's artwork highlights the seemingly inflated budgets of various city monuments, raising suspicions that the surplus funds may have been misappropriated for personal gain. One monument that has drawn significant criticism from netizens is the Irrawaddy dolphin statue in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, which was erected earlier this year by local authorities. The Irawaddy dolphin is a critically endangered species of freshwater dolphin that lives in the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan. Its population has been steadily declining because of habitat destruction, overfishing and river pollution. At 8 meters tall, the monument is made of steel covered in recycled plastic cables and cost the city $67,500 to build. Designed in a contemporary, abstract style, it takes the form of a broken, looping ribbon, meant to symbolize the silhouette of a dolphin's fin mid-leap. However, many netizens have expressed skepticism, claiming they fail to see any resemblance to a dolphin. Some have humorously compared the statue to a broken rubber band, while others joked that it resembles a "dolphin from another dimension." Another monument that has attracted significant criticism from netizens is the elephant monument built by authorities in Gresik, East Java. Completed in 2020, the monument cost nearly Rp 1 billion, funded through the Corporate Social Responsibility program of PT Petrokimia Gresik. The design of the monument is abstract, with the elephant lacks eyes, ears and tusks. Officials stated that this abstraction was intentional, meant to comply with Islamic principles that discourage the creation of statues resembling living beings. Officials emphasized that adhering to Islamic principles in the statue's design was essential to honoring Gresik's identity as a city with a deep Islamic heritage, often referred to as Kota Wali (City of the Saints) or Kota Santri (City of Islamic students). However, netizens have humorously dubbed the statue a "premature elephant", with some joking that the budget for its creation was "eaten by elephants."
The Star
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Indonesia mulls controversial vasectomy plan for those seeking govt assistance
West Java governor-elect Dedi Mulyadi (centre) believes that limiting the number of children among underprivileged individuals would help ensure that government assistance is distributed more equitably. - Antara JAKARTA: The Social Affairs Ministry is considering a controversial proposal by West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi to make vasectomy a requirement for individuals seeking government assistance and scholarships. A vasectomy is a procedure in which a man's tubes that carry sperm are cut or blocked to prevent pregnancy, effectively making a man sterile. It is considered a permanent form of birth control, although in some cases, it can be reversed through another surgical procedure, though success rates for reversal are not guaranteed. "Integrating family planning in the government assistance programme is a good idea, but we still need time to study the proposal in detail. There's a set process for distributing government aid, and we can't change it on a whim," Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said on Wednesday (April 30), as reported by Kompas. Dedi recently proposed the idea to Saifullah, highlighting that many underprivileged families have numerous children despite struggling to provide for their basic needs. "I met a child selling cakes at a town square in Majalengka Regency. When I spoke to his father, he was unemployed, had 10 children and his wife was pregnant with their eleventh," he said on Monday. "[...] If they can't provide a decent standard of living for their children, they should stop having more," he added. Dedi further stated that limiting the number of children among underprivileged individuals would help ensure that government assistance is distributed more equitably, rather than being concentrated on families with many children. 'We want all government assistance to be tied to family planning. If your children want to apply for a government-funded scholarship, you must be using contraception. To qualify for housing repair subsidies, you must also practise family planning if you are of reproductive age,' he said. He also argued that vasectomy would be an ideal form of contraception for underprivileged families, explaining that "men should also bear responsibility for reproduction," and that women sometimes forget to take their contraceptive pills. Dedi also announced that men who agree to undergo a vasectomy would receive an incentive of Rp 500,000 per person. However, Abdul Haris, the Deputy Head of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), criticised the proposal, calling it discriminatory and a potential violation of human rights. "Requiring a vasectomy to qualify for government assistance is overly burdensome for underprivileged families. If the government enforces this policy, it could infringe upon human rights. Vasectomy should be a voluntary decision," he said on Thursday as quoted by Tempo. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has issued a statement declaring vasectomy haram (forbidden) for Muslims if the intention is to permanently sterilise a man. "It is only allowed under very strict conditions, such as when an individual has a specific medical condition. Even then, there must be a guarantee that the man can regain his reproductive capacity," said Asrorin Niam Sholeh, Head of the MUI Fatwa Committee, on Thursday. "However, since at the moment vasectomy reversal surgery cannot fully guarantee the restoration of a man's reproductive function, it remains haram," he added. Success rates for vasectomy reversal can vary, with studies suggesting that sperm return to semen in 70 per cent to 90 per cent of cases. Factors such as the time since the procedure, scar tissue and the surgeon's skill can all affect the success rates. Asrorin said the government must be objective and transparent in educating the public about vasectomy, including the risks and expensive reversal procedure. He also remarked that contraception should not be used to permanently prevent individuals from having children. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Indonesian court bans govt, company from defamation complaints
An environment activist had petitioned the Constitutional Court to revoke an Article in the law regulating defamation. - Reuters JAKARTA: Indonesia's Constitutional Court has approved in part a petition brought by an environment campaigner, it said on Tuesday (April 29), opening the way for a legal change to bar the government or a company filing defamation complaints in the event of criticism. Human rights activists have said the Electronic Information and Transaction Law is a threat to freedom of speech in the world's third-largest democracy and that the government has used it to criminalise its critics. Environment activist Daniel Frits Maurits Tangkilisan had petitioned the Constitutional Court to revoke an article in the law regulating defamation. The court did not revoke the article but banned a "government, company, institution, or groups with specific identities" from filing defamation complaints against an individual, judge Arief Hidayat said. He said defamation complaints could only be filed by the person who had been defamed and the court's action aimed to ensure legal certainty and prevent "arbitrariness by the law enforcer". The President's spokesperson, Prasetyo Hadi said the government respected and would follow the ruling if it affected policy. He also reiterated the importance of "responsible freedom of speech" such as addressing critics based on data. Any ruling by the Constitutional Court is effective immediately and legally binding. Tangkilisan's lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis praised the decision, saying even a good government needed critics, local newspaper Kompas reported. Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International in Indonesia, also said the ruling was positive. "We can still put our hope to the court in preventing the setback of civil liberty in Indonesia," he told Reuters. Among the more prominent defamation cases in recent years, two rights activists were charged with defamation under the law in 2023 after being accused of defaming a senior cabinet minister. They were later acquitted. A singer and opposition figure Ahmad Dhani was sentenced to a year in prison in 2019 under the law after calling political rivals idiots in an online video. - Reuters
The Print
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Indonesian court bans government, company from defamation complaints
Environment activist Daniel Frits Maurits Tangkilisan had petitioned the Constitutional Court to revoke an article in the law regulating defamation. Human rights activists have said the Electronic Information and Transaction Law is a threat to freedom of speech in the world's third-largest democracy and that the government has used it to criminalise its critics. JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia's Constitutional Court has approved in part a petition brought by an environment campaigner, it said on Tuesday, opening the way for a legal change to bar the government or a company filing defamation complaints in the event of criticism. The court did not revoke the article but banned a 'government, company, institution, or groups with specific identities' from filing defamation complaints against an individual, judge Arief Hidayat said. He said defamation complaints could only be filed by the person who had been defamed and the court's action aimed to ensure legal certainty and prevent 'arbitrariness by the law enforcer'. The President's spokesperson, Prasetyo Hadi said the government respected and would follow the ruling if it affected policy. He also reiterated the importance of 'responsible freedom of speech' such as addressing critics based on data. Any ruling by the Constitutional Court is effective immediately and legally binding. Tangkilisan's lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis praised the decision, saying even a good government needed critics, local newspaper Kompas reported. Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International in Indonesia, also said the ruling was positive. 'We can still put our hope to the court in preventing the setback of civil liberty in Indonesia,' he told Reuters. Among the more prominent defamation cases in recent years, two rights activists were charged with defamation under the law in 2023 after being accused of defaming a senior cabinet minister. They were later acquitted. A singer and opposition figure Ahmad Dhani was sentenced to a year in prison in 2019 under the law after calling political rivals idiots in an online video. (Reporting by Ananda Teresia and Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by Barbara Lewis and Kate Mayberry) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
