PLN fling I would like to comment on Mrs. Linda Hollands' story on the front page of The Jakarta Post, Sunday edition of April 23, 1995. Usually PLN messengers come to the house at 8 a.m. at the earliest. It amazes me that there were no servants around to take care of people who come to the house. The point is, she had trouble with the PLN people from the beginning. Of course they talk about her to each other, which explains their attitude.

Latter day gold rush brings prosperity to Irianese town By John Owen-Davies TIMIKA, Irian Jaya (Reuter): Indonesians are flocking to this mosquito-blown coastal town in remote Irian Jaya to seek jobs and fortunes in what resembles a latter day Gold Rush. Five years ago, Timika was an insignificant dot adjoining swamps on maps of the remote province, which forms with Papua New Guinea the world's largest island after Greenland.

Peace treaty boosts Jordan's tourism sector By Rana Sabbagh MADABA, Jordan (Reuter): Jordan's small tourism industry is creaking under a boom fueled by the kingdom's October peace treaty with Israel. Jordan's 150 tourist buses, owned by the country's sole agency, are overwhelmed by foreign and Israeli tourists drawn by the end of 46 years of conflict between the countries.

Dede's paintings social commentaries By Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): Works of painter Dede Erie Supria have an amazing super-realistic quality that everybody -- well, perhaps it would be safer to say almost everybody -- likes them. In fact I have never heard a negative comment about the painter's works.

TV today TVRI 7:00 a.m. Morning News 7:30 Healthy and Fresh with Berty Tilarso 7:40 Cartoon: Vicky The Viking 8:05 Around Us 8:35 Children's Stories 9:00 People and Events 9:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 9:45 Music 10:45 Youth Program 11:15 Indonesian Cooking 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 12:45 p.m. Music 1:15 p.m.

Indonesia-Netherlands ties enter a new era Indonesia and the Netherlands, whose relations hit rock bottom in 1992 when Indonesia barred Dutch development aid, are entering a new era of cooperation which will most probably be strengthened with Queen Beatrix's planned visit to Indonesia in August this year. Indonesia was tied to the Netherlands for more than 3 centuries. The Netherlands did not recognize Indonesia's declaration of independence on Aug.

Back to nature in wrong way! JAKARTA (JP): Everybody nowadays is getting back to something. Religious organizations are returning to their old philosophies. The military is getting back to basics. Music lovers are tuning in to the 1960s, bringing a fortune to recording companies reproducing oldies in the millions. Engelbert Humperdink and Julio Iglesias are back on track as their songs are on the Indonesian market again.

ABN AMRO Bank creates strong presence in Indonesia The presence of ABN AMRO Bank in Indonesia dates back to 1826, when the bank's predecessor, Nederlandsche Handel Maatschappij, a trading company founded by King Willem I, first opened its offices in Indonesia. In 1969, ABN AMRO Bank was granted an operational license and became one of the 10 entirely foreign owned banks in Indonesia. It has grown into a network of six offices, all strategically located in Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya.

The rise of regionalism in the Asia-Pacific region What are the factors spurring the phenomenon of regionalism? Vijayakumari Kanapathy provides an analysis. Economic regionalism has become an important item in most countries' national, regional and international agenda. And Malaysia is no exception.

Reinforcements rush to troubled Maumere JAKARTA (JP): Police have sent reinforcements to Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara to restore peace and order in the city which was rocked on Friday by unrest that left one person dead and seven others injured. "Reinforcements are on their way there," National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman Astrosemitro told Antara news agency in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara, yesterday.

Oasis restaurant mixes western, Indonesian cooking JAKARTA (JP): Have you ever witnessed someone incessantly snacking on crispy ikan teri? Probably not, unless you have visited Oasis restaurant on Jl. Raden Saleh in Central Jakarta. "Our ikan teri is for guests to snack on while waiting for a table.

Guess What? Martina Sudwikatmono Alcohol is an enemy of Martina Sudwikatmono, owner of Planet Hollywood. "I can't drink alcohol. It makes me dizzy," Martina said at the official launching of Star TV, which took place at her restaurant Thursday evening. Fruit juices were served for those who preferred non-alcoholic drinks, but her choice was a bottle of mineral water. "I don't smoke either," she said. But this is not just because she wants to stay healthy and live longer like.

Playboy is widely available here By T. Sima Gunawan There are some things we can do without. Perfume is one. However, many Indonesians readily part with a few hundred thousand rupiah for a small bottle of scent. The profits generated by the perfume industry have also resulted in counterfeiting and trademark violations. The following article and two others discuss the problem of copyright protection in Indonesia, the history of perfume and the development of perfume as an industry.

Malia still works at the age of 83 By Lenah Susianty JAKARTA (JP): Being old can be a big problem for many people, but not for Malia Soenario. At 83, she is still cooking at the Oasis restaurant in Central Jakarta. It's hard to imagine that a woman who first learned to clean her house at the age of 50 is now preparing food for countless people. But the benefits are large. She remains healthy and far from senile.

Guess What? Ardy B. Wiranata Badminton is not the only sport Ardy B. Wiranata loves. "I like watching soccer on TV," Ardy, the world-class shuttler, said. Accompanied by fiance Lisa Tansil, Ardy was in Jakarta's Planet Hollywood Thursday evening to attend the official launching of Star TV in Indonesia. "I also like movies, especially action," he said, adding that Robert de Niro was his favorite actor.

Asian souvenirs translate into French perfume PARIS (JP): Although the French perfume industry is by nature dominated by French-born creators, in professional jargon known as "noses", The Jakarta Post interviewed an Asian fashion designer and perfumer who has been a French citizen all his life. When he was 20-year old, Tan Giudicelli was apprenticed to Christian Dior.

Guess What? Ali Alatas As the final day of the Non-Aligned Movement's ministerial meetings in Bandung, West Java, came to a close on Thursday, delegates found themselves three hours behind schedule. Organizers had scheduled the closing at 3 p.m. so delegates could be taken back to Jakarta on the 6 p.m. train to attend another event early the next morning with President Soeharto. Long debates prolonged the meeting and it was almost 6 p.m.

Australian foreign policy focuses on Asia Australia's Foreign Relations In the World of the 1990s. Gareth Evans and Bruce Grant. Melbourne University Press. Second edition 1995. 417 pages, A$34.95.

Valuable gift The Netherlands' golden jubilee gift to the Indonesian people is to restore the Arsip Nasional Republik Indonesia (The National Archives) on Jl. Gajah Mada, Central Jakarta. It will be made into an archives museum. The plan is to restore the front part of the building so that it resemble a residence of the 128th century. The spacious back part of the building will be adapted to accommodate the installation of a modern, well equipped archives museum.

ASEAN vows to speed up cooperation PHUKET, Thailand (Reuter): Economic ministers from the six- member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) promised yesterday to speed up industrial cooperation and eliminate barriers to trade in the region.