PALANGKA RAYA – EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION BUREAU. Assistant for Government and Public Welfare Katma F. Dirun was present on behalf of the Governor of Central Kalimantan at the Iftar event with the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) of Central Kalimantan which was held at Hotel Neo, Saturday (9/4/2022).

The Central Kalimantan Governor, through the Assistant for Government and Public Welfare Katma F. Dirun, welcomed the joint iftar event initiated by PWI in order to strengthen the relationship between the management, members, and media leaders with their partners, especially the Central Kalimantan Provincial Government.

As a government partner in developing the region, the existence of PWI with its work program is expected to be able to integrate and synergize with the Central Kalimantan Provincial Government through the regional government institutions. This partnership is also expected to be able to support development in all sectors in Central Kalimantan region. “As a place for journalists, PWI of course prepares human resources, journalists who are professional, reliable, credible, and competent, so that they will be able to work together with stakeholders to build Central Kalimantan, have competitive capabilities and can compete with other regions and at the national level.” hoped the Governor.

Furthermore, the Governor invited the PWI of Central Kalimantan to jointly fight against hoax news that has grown very massively. “With this hoax, the Provincial Government hopes that many of the PWI colleagues from Central Kalimantan Province will jointly fight hoax content on social media, especially content that has the potential to cause disintegration in the social environment of the people in Central Kalimantan,” he added.

The governor in his remarks also invited all parties not to ignore the spread of false news which is very dangerous, especially those that contain hatred, slander, and racial-ethnic-religious (SARA) issues.

“PWI as a journalist organization has an important role in providing guidance to journalists, with the hope that journalists from PWI will not be contaminated with false news, hoaxes circulating on various social media. PWI, which is the government’s strategic partner, is highly expected to cooperate with the government, elements of the National Armed Forced/ National Police, and other stakeholders, together to maintain security for the people of the Land of Tambun Bungai, the Land of Pancasila, the land of blessings,” concluded the Governor.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of PWI of Central Kalimantan Haris Sadikin, expressed his gratitude after two years being absent breaking the fast together due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Alhamdulillah, iftar is a routine event of the PWI of Central Kalimantan from its predecessors that it has become a tradition of gathering event,” he said.

Haris emphasized that PWI’s programs cover more about the competence of journalists, preparing a cadre of journalists to be ready to compete. “Of course PWI cannot move alone, the support from the Central Kalimantan Provincial Government is very needed in the implementation of the PWI’s program of activities. Thank you to our partners who have participated in providing support to PWI. Hopefully this will be the beginning for us to establish friendships with fellow journalists and work partners and the parties concerned with the duties of the journalistic function,” added Haris.

The series of events continued with listening to tausiyah, congregational Maghrib prayers, and closed with a warm gathering. Being present at the event were the Head of Regional Office of Financial Services Authority (OJK) in Central Kalimantan, the representative of Bank Indonesia in Central Kalimantan, the heads of provincial government institutions, the head of KPID, the chairman of IJTI, the members of Provincial Leadership Coordination Forum, the public broadcasting institutions, as well as the print and electronic media. (dew/ben/transl.feb)