Jaya Suprana: Obsession with humor By Johannes Simbolon JAKARTA (JP): What can Indonesian children do that Albert Einstein couldn't do? "Speak Indonesian," answers Jaya Suprana. This joke perplexed, and then made an audience at a seminar laugh. Jaya had broken down common sense, surprising the people around him with an inane alternative. Ever since the small, fat man from Central Java's capital of Semarang became known about a decade ago, his jokes have appeared in local print media.

Indonesia seeks higher haj quota JAKARTA (JP): The government plans to seek a higher haj quota from Saudi Arabia with the number of Indonesian Moslems applying for this year's holy pilgrimage soaring unexpectedly to nearly 240,000. Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher told reporters yesterday after meeting with President Soeharto at his Jl. Cendana residence that he plans to visit Saudi Arabia on Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 to convey the request.

New Bali golfcourse offers Challenge, recreation By Arif Suryobuwono TABANAN, BALI (JP): The Tanah Lot temple will eventually have a state-of-the-art neighbor, whose presence kindled a great deal of controversy last year due to its close proximity to the Hindu sanctuary, considered as one of the six most holy temples in Bali.

Of signs, ads and dirty flags JAKARTA (JP): What do you do while sitting in one of those undoable traffic knots that are the rule rather than the exception on Jakarta's roads? Getting irritable won't make your vehicle go faster, and may well lead to a premature heart attack or stroke. Especially if you, unlike me, have to do the driving yourself. Why don't I drive? Mainly because I can't be bothered with getting stressed out by driving.

Expensive 'high-tech' shoes not practical nor correct By Hario Tilarso JAKARTA (JP): Most Indonesians believe that the very expensive, "high-tech" shoes often seen in TV and magazine advertisements are the best. They also believe that one brand of shoe is perfect for every type of foot. In reality, there is no best brand of shoe. And a good shoe is not always an expensive shoe.

Guess What? Heinrich Seemann, German Ambassador to Indonesia, looked very serious early last week when listening to the explanation of Toto Raharjo, a photographer form Yogyakarta who won first prize in a photo competition organized by the German embassy. "I am very fond of photography, I have even published two books on Nepal and Japan with pictures I took myself," Seemann explained about why he appeared so serious.

Press license policy doesn't deter investors JAKARTA (JP): Indonesians do not like the word "retreat". A popular proverb, mati satu, tumbuh seribu, which means "one dies, another appears", is reflected strongly in the nation's publishing industry. Two magazines and one tabloid, Tempo, Editor and DeTik, were banned last June. In a period of a little over six months, two new magazines, Gatra and Tiras, took their place.

Batam slum dwellers expelled from homes, seek shelter By Ridwan Sidjabat BATAM, Riau (JP): After following a small gravel path I arrived at a slum near the Batamindo Industrial Estate on Batam Island. I saw several naked, dirty children playing chase among the trees. Their parents were busy demolishing their ramshackle huts because they had received a demolition order from the local council. "Hello sir, can I help you?" asked a five-year-old boy, who then asked me to take his photo.

Indonesia knocked out of Davis Cup SEOUL (Agencies): A solid partnership of Kim Chi-wan and Chang Eui-jong gave South Korea an unassailable 3-0 lead over visiting Indonesia in their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group One matches yesterday. The South Korean number one doubles fought off a persistent challenge by Indonesia's Asian Games bronze medalists Donny Susetyo and Teddy Tanjung 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 in a match which lasted almost three hours.

Human's fortune partly determined by 'Feng shui' By Mauro P. Rahardjo BANDUNG (JP): It is generally assumed that Feng shui is only related to the right arrangement of buildings and their elements to create balance and harmony between the buildings and the natural environment. Actually Feng shui in humans is no less important, because it also determines one's luck. This partly explains why a person living in a good Feng shui house is not always endowed with luck.

Tasmanian ceramics display, from Padang to Surabaya By R. Fadjri YOGYAKARTA (JP): Australia is a unique continent. Its isolation symbolizes its uncertain relations between East and West. When throngs of immigrants arrived from Europe, it took them a long time to mold an identity, at least compared to their counterparts in America. The proximity of America to Europe may have helped form a rather homogeneous culture, while immigrants to Australia may have missed their faraway lands much more.

'Feng shui' trend catching on in Indonesian society JAKARTA (JP): Many Indonesians nowadays practice Feng shui, which was imported from China a long time ago, not only because this Chinese teaching of the secrets of wind and water is considered apt, but also because Indonesians, like many other Asians, believe in supernatural phenomena that rule human affairs.

Guess What? When did tourism start? Director General of Tourism Andi Mappi Sammeng observed that tourism commenced when ancient peoples started to look around their world. Tourism, therefore, will continue as long as humankind exists. "If there are no people, who will travel?" he said with a grin, unmistakably endeavoring to tell a joke. Andi explained he was convinced that tourism has a bright future in Indonesia because the country has so many tourism destinations.

Keeping up with the Jonses: HI undergoes renovation By Jim Plouffe JAKARTA (JP): The long neglected grandmother of Jakartan hotels has undergone some much needed surgery. One wing of rooms, a restaurant and a business section have been totally redone at Hotel Indonesia in the center of the city. More renovations will follow in order to allow the 33-year-old hotel to compete with her siblings in Jakarta's crowded hotel market.

What are the press rules? Of late there have been complaints about too much sex and violence in the media. There have also been complaints about vague reporting. One may argue that it's due to the omnipresent threat of a press ban that results in safe-style reporting. To mark National Press Day, which falls on Feb. 9, The Jakarta Post ponders the role of the press in Indonesia's New Order.

TV today TVRI 7:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Healthy and Fresh 7:40 TV Series: Vicky The Viking 8:10 Around Us 8:40 TV Series: Voltron 9:00 People and Events 9:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 9:45 Music 10:45 Youth Program 11:15 Search For The World 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 12:45 p.m.

Guess What? The philosophy of taxation in Eastern Asia is much better than in Western countries, said Mohammad Sadli, who has twice held ministerial posts under the New Order administration. "When you give half of what you earn to the government, that's a Western philosophy, and it is not upheld in East Asia," Sadli, who was the minister of mines and energy from 1973 to 1978, told a luncheon organized by the Indonesian-Netherlands Association recently.

RI press in the midst of on identity crisis JAKARTA (JP): After years of tight government control, the Indonesian press is unsure of its identity. The Jakarta Post asked three people to comment on the state of the press and the role of reporters. Ashadi Siregar, novelist and lecturer at Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University: "The press is the medium of the public.

'Feng shui': Living in Harmony with nature By Lenah Susianty JAKARTA (JP): Call it mysticism, superstition or whatever you like. Still, the fact that hundreds of people willfully paid Rp 300,000 (US$179.24) to attend a one-day seminar on Feng shui, or Chinese geomancy, confirms that this Chinese traditional teaching on the secrets of wind and water enjoys a wide following in Jakarta.

Extravagance among rich normal in garish Jakarta JAKARTA (JP): My friend Nora has a great affinity for hotels. Every time a new five star hotel is opened in Jakarta -- and there have been lots of them in the last decade -- she has to try it out. She may be the only person in the world who has stayed in all the hotels of Jakarta. She always finds hundreds of reasons to move into a hotel, besides it being new. She may check in because her house is being renovated or because she just feels like it.

Thailand's tourist jewel, Pattaya, fades By Ken Barrett PATTAYA, Thailand (UPI): With a beach-bound European tourist ranting in his face, the director of Thailand's Tourism Authority in Pattaya becomes a placater, a keeper of the peace, a listener. It is a role he has played before. "It's not safe," the tourist said of Pattaya's once pristine beaches. "All that construction work on the seafront -- the sea is full of rubbish. And the speedboats -- we counted 76 of them.

Moslem attire show not just about fashion By Dini S. Djalal Busana Moslem show JAKARTA (JP): In an age where the barely-there slip-dress is the trendiest garment to wear, the Indonesian Fashion Designers' Association staged a show to address the wardrobe needs of Moslem women. Entitled "Trends 95: Indonesian Muslim Wear", the show on Jan. 26 featured the collections of 16 designers, the majority of whom are female.

Diamond exhibition displays rare and antique pieces By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): "When subjected under intense female heat, a male will usually produce a diamond." This theory was one entry in a contest on theory making published in Reader's Digest. Despite its mocking tone, it reflects the special place diamonds hold in the hearts of many women. It is said that the stone is a woman's "best friend".

Malaysia hounded by social maladies Samsudin A Rahim looks at some disquieting social trends in Malaysia. Malaysia's economic growth is expected to exceed 8 per cent in 1995. The Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, should have been elated with this figure. Yet he did not appear so. Dr. Mahathir is unhappy with the quality of life in Malaysian society, even though its economic prospects are good.

Sjahrir: Great due to failure Sjahrir: Politics and Exile in Indonesia; Rudolf Mrazek; Published by Cornell Southeast Asia Program; Ithaca, New York; 525 pages. JAKARTA (JP): At last there is a complete biography of Sutan Sjahrir, a central figure of Indonesia's intellectual circle during the country's revolution and a manifestant of the Greek tragedy that is Indonesian politics.

Understanding handwriting for better relationships By Ati Nurbaiti JAKARTA (JP): Your handwriting, graphologist Ness Shirley asserts, illustrates your personality. A disconnected horizontal bar of a "t" reveals impatience, small characters show modesty and a downward line indicates discouragement. A small left margin reveals a clinging to the past, while a tendency to leave a large gap at the top of a page shows a great respect for authority.

Press bans under New Order era There is no comprehensive data on press bannings under the New Order government. The largest number of highly political bans issued was recorded at 46 in the aftermath of the 1965 abortive PKI communist coup. In 1974, following the anti-Japan protests, the government closed down 11 newspapers and one magazine.

Art tourism packages have no standard By Bagong Kussudiardja YOGYAKARTA (JP): The decline in the quality of performances, especially dancing, has become a hot issue. The problem is mainly seen at performances included in tourist packages. The low salaries of the artists is a main concern. This long standing problem can be found not only in Indonesia but also in other countries. It is a very complex problem and requires a multi-layered solution. First, standards are badly needed.

Ramadhan time for Jakarta Sunday Maghrib 06.20 p.m. Monday Imsak 04.26 a.m. Subuh 04.36 a.m.

Fasting not detrimental to health, experts say By Dian Utami Soekanto BOGOR (JP): "Not eating or drinking a whole day? Your children will dehydrate," an Australian school principal commented to an Indonesian mother who told him that her two children, both under the age of 10, would be fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan. "They will fast until maghrib (dusk), you don't have to treat them differently," Retno, the mother, said. "And they're not going to dehydrate or anything.