Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 27 October 1996

34 articles found

Rhinos a rare sight in Ujung Kulon

Rhinos a rare sight in Ujung Kulon UJUNG KULON (JP): Unless you can spare at least three weeks, do not expect to see any of the famed one-horned Javan rhinos when you visit the Ujung Kulon National Park in West Java. The Rhinoceros Sandaicus is the mascot of the Ujung Kulon National Park -- a mascot considered misleading by its chief, Agoes Sriyatna.

Audi A4 to tackle BMW head on in RI's market

Audi A4 to tackle BMW head on in RI's market By Russell Williamson IN a bold move, German carmaker Audi will launch its new A4 midsized prestige sedan early next year at similar pricing to BMW's 323i. The A4, which will be distributed by Indomobil subsidiary, PT Garuda Mataram Motor Company, is expected to be priced between Rp 140 million and Rp 150 million.

On mixed marriage

On mixed marriage The Jakarta Post's coverage on Legal consequences of mixed marriage (Oct. 20) was an eye-opener and certainly serves as a lighthouse. However, the hard-to-cope with legal pitfalls connected with mixed marriages deserve to be addressed. The most painful problem in the event that a mixed marriage breaks up is child custody and support, complicated by the nationality of the child or children. Law cannot resolve all problems arising out of failed marriages.

What cellular phones mean to their owners

What cellular phones mean to their owners JAKARTA (JP): Cellular phones. Some people can't leave home without this handy equipment, which they see as vital. Not only does the handphone, as it is best known locally, facilitate communication, it can also boost a person's image. The Jakarta Post talked to several handphone owners to find out what this equipment means to them.

Chrysler to push focus on Indonesia operations

Chrysler to push focus on Indonesia operations By Russell Williamson CHRYSLER plans to further its penetration into the Indonesian market, despite putting the introduction of its small car Neon on hold. The Neon was originally expected to appear in the sub 2000cc market this year, however, the launch of the Timor car and the tax concessions given to PT Timor Putra Nasional to help develop that car called for a change of plans.

Four killed in two train accidents in Bintaro

Four killed in two train accidents in Bintaro JAKARTA (JP): Four people were killed in two subsequent train accidents Friday night and yesterday morning in Bintaro, South Jakarta. Sgt. Bambang of the Kebayoran Lama Police subprecinct said the first accident took place Friday at 9:10 p.m. at a railway crossing in Pesanggrahan subdistrict, South Jakarta, claiming three lives.

Chancellor Kohl arrives here to enhance economic ties

Chancellor Kohl arrives here to enhance economic ties JAKARTA (JP): German Chancellor Helmut Kohl arrived here yesterday for a four-day visit focusing on enhancing economic and trade ties. His German air force jet touched down at Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma military-civilian airport at 4:35 p.m. Kohl, casually dressed, was met by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie as he descended from the plane.

Opel to expand its range with Frontera and Sintra

Opel to expand its range with Frontera and Sintra By Russell Williamson GENERAL Motors Buana Indonesia (GMBI) is to add two of its stars from the Jakarta Auto Expo to its model lineup, the small four-wheel drive Frontera and the minivan Sintra. The president director of GMBI, William Botwick, said the two Opel vehicles were "very definitely" on the agenda for Indonesia, although timing for the introduction of the vehicles has yet to be decided.

Bonny Setiawan paints a changing Yogyakarta

Bonny Setiawan paints a changing Yogyakarta By Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): Painting scenes of daily life in the rapidly changing city of Yogyakarta, Bonny Setiawan emphasized certain elements which he considers culturally significant or of personal concern. One of his strongest paintings depicts a wayang kulit performance. It is set in a strong composition which includes the stage, the backstage and the audience in one simple spatial arrangement.

Indonesia losing ground in badminton competition

Indonesia losing ground in badminton competition JAKARTA (JP): A new poll has revealed that Indonesians believe the nation's badminton charm is on the decline following major flops in this year's Olympic Games in Atlanta. Nearly 60 percent of 201 respondents randomly surveyed by the Jakarta monthly sports magazine Raket last week believed that Indonesia's disappointing performance in Atlanta augurs a further setback, although optimism of a revival remains.

Fish exhibition attracts few visitors

Fish exhibition attracts few visitors By Prapti Widinugraheni JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago and home to more than 35 percent of the world's tropical fish species, has a long way to go before it can name itself the hub of the tropical aquarium-fish trade.

Young rider shines in motocross

Young rider shines in motocross JP/oby SERPONG, West Java (JP): Australian teenager Luke Urek (photo above) raced his Yamaha YZ to the first win of the Gudang Garam Asia Pacific Motocross Championship yesterday. The Melbourne native outsprinted fellow Australian Sinclair Cameron after a 80cc battle on a track drenched by rain. A number of riders failed to finish the grueling race.

RI keeps bridge Olympiad hopes alive

RI keeps bridge Olympiad hopes alive JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia rested its trump cards, Henky Lasut and Eddy Manoppo, but remained too strong for lowly Bangladesh in the 23rd round of the Olympics of Bridge on Rodos Island, Greece on Friday. Second-choice pairings of Giovanni Watulingas/Sance Penelewen and Denny Sacul/Franky Karwur routed the Bangladeshis 25-5 to put Indonesia back on track with 442.5 victory points.

Ringing in the era of cellular phones

Ringing in the era of cellular phones The business of cellular telephones in Indonesia has grown impressively over the past several years. There are now hundreds of thousands of handphone subscribers in the country, mainly in big cities, and they are expected to grow to millions in a few years. Considered a luxury in the past, cellular phones have now grown to become part of an everyday life for urbanites. The Jakarta Post 's team of reporters, I.

Handphone users should obey unwritten rules

Handphone users should obey unwritten rules JAKARTA (JP): With only about 450,000 handphones, Indonesia has one of the lowest cellular subscription rates in Asia Pacific region. But, as far as use is concerned, Indonesians are among the world's most active users, averaging between 300 and 340 minutes of calls per month. "Many Indonesians still consider a handphone to be a status symbol.

One-horned Javan rhino faces extinction

One-horned Javan rhino faces extinction UJUNG KULON (JP): Illegal drug trafficking involves not only modern drugs like ecstasy, but also traditional medicine. The precarious state of the one-horned Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus), can largely be attributed to the age-old myth that rhino horn is an aphrodisiac. The already decimated rhino population of between 40 and 70 head, in Ujung Kulon National Park, West Java, faces extinction by hunters.

Mickey Mouse has his nose tweaked in Indonesia

Mickey Mouse has his nose tweaked in Indonesia By Hyginus Hardoyo JAKARTA (JP): Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney's most famous creation, looks pale and exhausted. Mickey is dressed in very bad taste, not at all his dapper self in his usual snappy outfit. In fact, he looks so rough he's no longer very likable. Is Mickey just frustrated by his squeaky-clean image? No, not at all... He has fallen among thieves who are using his likeness to hawk their shoddy wares.

RI strengthens intellectual property laws

RI strengthens intellectual property laws By Deborah Cameron JAKARTA: When is a Chanel bag, a Beatles CD or an Indonesia- English dictionary, not what it seems? The answer: When it is a copy. And in Jakarta, fakes are for sale at traffic lights and market stalls, or are being passed off as originals in mall boutiques.

Inhalant abusers in trouble

Inhalant abusers in trouble SINGAPORE (AFP): Hardware and bicycle shops in Singapore will be given a list of names of known inhalant abusers in a bid to restrict supply to them and nip the growing problem of glue sniffing at its source, a report said yesterday. The list, believed to carry more than 1,000 names, would be provided by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) to make it near impossible for abusers to get their "fix" by sniffing glue, thinners or aerosol sprays.

Discipline and compromise

Discipline and compromise From Merdeka Apparently, the national discipline movement heralded on May 20, 1995 has fallen on deaf ears. Community life is as it was before. Discipline does not need propagating. This is especially true if the target of the campaign is civil servants and Armed Forces members. Both have been sworn in to carry out their duties, though many of them do not do their jobs with discipline. Their indiscipline tends to harm both the state and the people.

Tjetje's relatives seeking assistance to get justice

Tjetje's relatives seeking assistance to get justice BOGOR, West Java (JP): The relatives of Tjetje Tadjudin, the robbery suspect who died while in Bogor police custody, will visit the National Commission on Human Rights and the Bogor military police headquarters tomorrow to seek help and clarification on the victim's death and the robbery case. "We will follow all procedures in seeking justice.

Is ecotourism the right approach for Ujung Kulon?

Is ecotourism the right approach for Ujung Kulon? Earth Wire, the environmental division of Antara, and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German foundation, orgazied a workshop on the environment for journalists and activists. The Jakarta Post reporter, Gedsiri Suhartono, took part in the workshop, held on Oct. 9-12, in Jakarta and Ujung Kulon National Park, West Java, and wrote the following stories.

Koes joins the archipelago via cellular links

Koes joins the archipelago via cellular links By Johannes Simbolon and I. Christianto JAKARTA (JP): A group of 50 high school graduates sailed to Australia some decades ago to pursue on their study on the Colombo Plan scholarship. Among them were two girls from Madiun and Kediri, small towns in East Java's hinterland, who wished to be engineers. The girls finished their studies. There is nothing special in the story if it ends that way.

Soeharto inaugurates Goro outlet

Soeharto inaugurates Goro outlet JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto inaugurated yesterday a wholesale outlet billed as Southeast Asia's largest in the elite Kelapa Gading residential district in East Jakarta. The latest Goro outlet in town, which offers more than 30,000 kinds of products at heavily discounted prices, comes with a huge entertainment center and a massive area allocated for food stalls.

How to get to Ujung Kulon park

How to get to Ujung Kulon park JAKARTA (JP): Ujung Kulon National Park can be reached by land or sea. The three entrance points for visitors are Tamanjaya, Peucang Island and Handeuleum Island. Two less visited regions, Panaitan Island and the Gunung Honje Range, can be reached from these entrance points or directly from Labuan -- but all visitors must be accompanied by a guide.

Former South Korean minister imprisoned

Former South Korean minister imprisoned SEOUL (AGENCIES): South Korean prosecutors yesterday jailed sacked defense minister Lee Yang-ho and the head of a subsidiary of the giant Daewoo business group in Poland embroiled in a bribery scandal, witnesses said. Lee was sent down to the Seoul Detention House, where he will await trial for allegedly accepting 150 million won (US$180,000) last year through an arms dealer from Daewoo Heavy Industries Ltd, AFP reported.

Bishops blacklisted

Bishops blacklisted MANILA (AFP): Immigration officials will block former French first lady Danielle Mitterrand, Bishop Desmond Tutu and nearly 100 others if they try to enter the Philippines when it hosts an Asia-Pacific summit next month, press reports said yesterday. Manila earlier announced a ban on 1996 Nobel Peace Prize co- winner and East Timor pro-independence activist Jose Ramos Horta.

Back on track

Back on track KUALA LUMPUR: The Bufori, that antique looking roadster with a modern power plant, is set for its repackaged international release later this year. Kuala Lumpur-based STI Corp, which assembles the car, believes the Bufori can compete against Bentleys and BMWs. The Bufori, unveiled in Malaysia last year, has failed to make much headway in the local car scene, partly because of government red tape.

Hanoi production

Hanoi production HANOI: Toyota has started local production and sales in Hanoi, Vietnam. Toyota Motor Vietnam Co Ltd held a ceremony on October 10 to mark the event. The festivities began with a tour of TMC's new Me Linh plant in Vinh Phu Province, where complete knockdown production of the HiAce and Corolla has started. Toyota's president, Hiroshi Okuda, said the company regarded Vietnam as "an important base in the ASEAN region".

SE Asian writers say they censor themselves

SE Asian writers say they censor themselves SINGAPORE (UPI): A panel of acclaimed Southeast Asian writers meeting in Singapore Friday said they struggle more with self- censorship than with direct government stifling of their work. "We do it to ourselves before it can be done to us," Malaysian novelist Shirley Lim said, referring to Southeast Asian writers who use excessive caution for fear of government persecution.

The telecommunications revolution never ends

The telecommunications revolution never ends JAKARTA (JP): The revolution in telecommunications and information technology, including cellular telephone, is unfolding rapidly. You may discard tomorrow any mobile cellular telecommunications systems or terminals you use today. But if you are careful in choosing a cellular system, you may be able to keep your handphone for some time to come.

TV today

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 6:25 Morning news 6:45 Healthy and Fit 7:00 News 7:30 TV Series: Grandizer 8:00 Fashion 9:00 English News Service 9:30 People and Events 10:00 Music: Album Minggu Ini 11:00 Children's Stories 11:30 Comedy: Ria Jenaka 11:45 Sports: Dari Gelanggang Ke Gelanggang 12:45 p.m.

Exclusive sports club now available for children

Exclusive sports club now available for children By Primastuti Handayani JAKARTA (JP): Healthy children are what everyone expects. But being healthy, physically and mentally, is not enough. Children must be both healthy and happy. Fun is a crucial element in the development of a child. Unfortunately this is sometimes overlooked by parents. Many children are fed with an educative diet both at school and at home.

Garin's film on Yogyakarta street kids causes stir

Garin's film on Yogyakarta street kids causes stir By Jane Freebury JAKARTA (JP): Street kids are a touchy subject. There was a series on them on Australian television broadcast into the region a little while ago. A new Garin Nugroho film for Japanese television station NHK is a documentary set among the 3,000 street children of Yogyakarta, and has been screened in Jakarta for restricted private audiences, with reports indicating it has caused some embarrassment.