Celebrations and hopes for 2000<\/p>\n
The hype and the mood is all there for welcoming the new
\nmillennium, although there have been misgivings over whether we
\nare celebrating this a year too early. The Jakarta Post asked
\nvarious people whether welcoming in the New Year of 2000 involved
\nany special plans and hopes.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Which party to attend or which dress to wear are
\ntwo hot topics being talked about in greeting the new millennium,
\nespecially among youngsters. Controversy? Nope, it does not ring
\na bell at all.<\/p>\n
But for some people, each new year brings about a whole lot of
\ndifferent meanings, a new turn. Amid different opinions regarding
\nthe start of the new millennium, most people agree that in a way,
\nthis new year, 2000, is special. And as always, a special thing
\ngets a special plan and, certainly, special hopes.<\/p>\n
Below, some people, famous and ordinary, talk of their plans
\nand hopes for the new year.<\/p>\n
Rudini, chairman of the General Elections Commission: I will
\nspend New Year's Eve watching television with my family until
\nmorning. There will be good programs on television. I'm not going
\nanywhere especially because it is fasting month of Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
Next year, I hope this nation, which is still developing
\ndemocracy, can be more mature and that its people can conduct
\nintrospection. Hopefully, there will be no more useless protests
\nand clashes and group or religious interests should be avoided.<\/p>\n
Next year, we should be committed to upholding law and
\njustice. I see many good young cadres who can take the nation
\ninto a brighter future. Just trust them.<\/p>\n
M. Triwardhany, Citibank's vice president for business card
\nproducts: I will be in my office from 6 p.m. on Friday Dec. 31 to
\n6 a.m. Jan. 1 with another 100 colleagues to make sure that the
\ncompany's computer system will work as we expect.<\/p>\n
However, the office has prepared a small party to celebrate
\nthe turn of the new century ... The third millennium is a new
\nbeginning in which I will start to live a more balanced and
\nhealthy life and in which I will spend more time with my family.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar, Minister of Communications, chairman of
\nthe All Indonesian Soccer Federation: I will be very busy touring
\nY2K alert posts on Dec. 31 and at the beginning of 2000 because I
\nam appointed to lead the Y2K taskforce. I must be on alert to
\ncheck if anything goes wrong with public services in six critical
\nareas. I think it would be more comfortable if I were still
\ngovernor of the National Resilience Institute.<\/p>\n
My personal wish is I want Indonesia to be freed from the
\nprolonged monetary and political crisis so we can start
\ndevelopment. I also wish that people would stop disgracing the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI). But the TNI should also contemplate on
\nwhy the people turn their back on it, so it can stop its
\nunfavorable acts and make changes....<\/p>\n
It's also wise for the other elements of the nation, such as
\nstudents, Cabinet ministers, businesspeople and reporters, to
\nlook at themselves in the mirror to find their flaws. My appeal
\nis that no one feels he or she is more righteous and takes
\npersonal action in the name of reform, like the recent occupation
\nof Jakarta's governor office, and the arson attack on the
\n(Christian) Doulos foundation.<\/p>\n
Anwar Jusuf, a pulmonalogist in Persahabatan Hospital, East
\nJakarta: I see the new millennium just like any other new year,
\nit will bring new hope for a better future, better in family
\nmatters, income and career.<\/p>\n
The only thing that makes this new year special maybe because
\nof the year 2000. Just like last year, I'm planning to spend New
\nYear's Eve with my family at home, gathered with the people that
\nwe love the most.<\/p>\n
Fictor G. Roring, a basketball player for Mahaka Satria Muda
\nclub: I will spend the last day of 1999 with my wife, planning
\nsomething special because we are experiencing the turn of a
\ncentury.... For the future, I hope that the league can be a
\nprofessional one. I hope there will be a transparency in salary
\nclasses for players.<\/p>\n
Brig. Gen. Tono Suratman, deputy spokesman of the Indonesian
\nMilitary, former East Timor Resort Military commander: I have no
\nspecific plan to celebrate the turn of this century, but the day
\nis worth celebrating because it only happens once in our life. In
\nfacing the future, I will stick to my own creed that I should be
\nbetter today than yesterday. I want to do my best for the TNI and
\nthe nation.<\/p>\n
I also hope that the inquiry into the violence in East Timor
\nwill end quickly because the current opinion has cornered TNI as
\nthe soldier of the state. A great nation should be able to honor
\nits heroes, and in this context, TNI is also a hero.<\/p>\n
Marlev Mainaky, 1999 Grand Prix Finals Badminton Championships
\nrunner up: I had planned to spend New Year's Eve in Ancol (North
\nJakarta beach resort) with the whole family but I canceled it to
\nstay home with my wife, who is two months pregnant.<\/p>\n
I hope next year I can improve my performance, especially now
\nthat I am ranked number three in the world. I aim to claim the
\nworld top spot since I've already had experiences in some
\ntournament finals.<\/p>\n
Sigit Budiarto, Indonesia's badminton men's doubles
\nspecialist: I still have no idea how I will spend New Year's
\nEve ... I was suspended from competition for a year after the
\nInternational Badminton Federation said I was guilty of using an
\nanabolic steroid. This year has become a miserable year for me,
\nbut for next year, I have new hope to reach my target of
\nqualifying for the Olympic Games in Sydney in September.<\/p>\n
Arianto Pribadi, 45, a Surabaya-based businessman in export-
\nimport trading with PT Jaya Global Utama: My family and I will be
\nin Surabaya to celebrate the turn of new millennium instead of
\nabroad as we used to. This year, business is still gloomy, so I'm
\nnot going anywhere.<\/p>\n
Hermawan Cahyono, 34, a dismissed employee of PT Meka Leather
\nRungkut: I will take my family out on motorcycle around the city
\nto celebrate the New Year. I'll let my two children (10 and 5)
\nblow trumpets ...<\/p>\n
Agus Indra Udayana, 27, coordinator of Gandhi Vidyapith Ashram
\n(Hindu religious boarding school) in Bali: I, together other
\nfellows from various spiritual groups in Bali, will hold a 72-
\nhour prayer session, starting Dec. 31. Reading holy verses and
\ngiving talks on peace will be done during the session. At dawn on
\nJan. 1 we will be leaving for Sanur beach to hold Agni Hotra
\n(fire ritual), which involves local people, to greet the sunrise.<\/p>\n
For me the new millennium means a time to improve my mind from
\nwhat I did in the past. As a Gandhi follower I see the new
\nmillennium as an opportunity to enforce nonviolence awareness.
\nEven though the world has been torn by various acts of violence,
\nI am sure that there is still hope for peace ...<\/p>\n
H.M. Aksa Mahmud, PT Bosowa Group's president in Makassar:
\nI'll be in Baitullah Mecca. Every Ramadhan I go to the holy land.
\nIt just so happens that this new year is celebrated during the
\nfasting month this time. The new millennium has special meaning
\nfor me because I (hopefully) still have the chance to enjoy life.
\nNot all people have such an opportunity.<\/p>\n
Soni Kasiran, 40,: circulation manager of a Bandung-based
\nnewspaper: I'm sorry to say that I'll have to work on New Year's
\nEve. I may arrange a small event during my work hours at the
\noffice. The most important thing to welcome the new year is
\nintrospection and preparing our selves to face new challenges.<\/p>\n
Ella Yunisperdani, 34, an employee of a private company and a
\nmother of two: I have never celebrated New Year's Eve in any
\nspecial way. Staying at home with family, watching TV is enough.
\nI'm reluctant to go out as all the roads are congested. In short,
\nI prefer staying at home to going out. My husband, too, is
\nwilling to stay home.<\/p>\n
Ichlasul Amal, 57, rector of Gadjah Mada University,
\nYogyakarta: I'm not going anywhere on New Year's Eve. I'll stay
\nat home with my wife.<\/p>\n
Personally, I see nothing special in the change of the
\nmillennium. It's just a change from 1999 to 2000. Coincidentally
\nI am one of the people living through the change to the third
\nmillennium.<\/p>\n
As a rector I hope that the problems blanketing the nation's
\neducation system can be resolved. I've had thousands of students
\nat my university who could not afford to pay their tuition. This
\nis just an economic point, we have not yet touched on the
\nquality, especially that of higher institutions.<\/p>\n
Khatam Rosyadi, 26, unemployed graduate of Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity: I will, at most, stay up the night with friends, or
\nwe will be driving around the town.<\/p>\n
Thank God I'll be one of the witnesses of the change of the
\nmillennium. As a nation, we should review what we have achieved.
\nIronically, we are now on the brink of disintegration. Terrible.<\/p>\n
And I will always hope to get job...<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/celebrations-and-hopes-for-2000-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }