Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 26 February 1996

42 articles found

Shareholders in JSX subordinate to government

Shareholders in JSX subordinate to government JAKARTA (JP): Those holding shares in PT Bursa Efek Jakarta, also known as the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX), must understand that the JSX is an unusual limited liability company, over which the government has the highest authority and not the shareholders, said House member SGB Tampubolon.

Suspect in Beng Seng murder freed

Suspect in Beng Seng murder freed JAKARTA (JP): The City Police have released another man who had earlier been suspected of having a significant role in the 1994 killing of an entertainment businessman, Darmansyah Sujadi alias Nyo Beng Seng. A senior police officer, who requested anonymity, confirmed the release of Eng San, who had been in police custody for more than 50 days. "He was released on Friday, as we could not find any evidence for his role in the murder," the officer said yesterday.

Most Asian stock markets to see post-holiday rise

Most Asian stock markets to see post-holiday rise HONG KONG (Reuter): Most Asian stock markets should see a flurry of activity next week as investors and fund managers return from the Chinese New Year and Moslem Idul Fitri holidays, brokers said. In Tokyo, despite the seventh consecutive decline in the 225- share Nikkei average on Friday, rises in high-technology shares and some individual issues showed market strength, analysts said.

Relief operation moving smoothly after storms

Relief operation moving smoothly after storms JAKARTA (JP): Humanitarian aid has been streaming to the quake-stricken areas in Irian Jaya as storms abated yesterday, relief authorities say. As practically all affected areas have now become accessible, search and rescue workers have counted 101 dead, 56 critically injured and 51 people still unaccounted for.

Manila airport inspected

Manila airport inspected MANILA (AFP): A U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mission will arrive in the Philippines to assess if safety standards at the country's main international airport meets its standards, aviation officials said here Saturday. The team, which will arrive on Sunday, will examine radar and navigational systems as well as other safety systems at the airport in a review which could determine whether it will be taken off the FAA list of unsafe airports.

City vows to return land to nature

City vows to return land to nature JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta mayoralty will demolish a house in the Cempaka Timur subdistrict for being built in a prohibited green area. The head of Cempaka Putih district, Isa Hamdani, said over the weekend that the mayoralty issued a demolition letter dated Jan. 25. The house, on Jl. Cempaka Putih 33, will be pulled down by the end of this month, he said.

Two die in landslide, floods

Two die in landslide, floods CILACAP, Central Java: Two people died and another went missing in the floods and the accompanying landslide that hit the regency on Friday and Saturday. Thousands of houses were submerged in the floods, while a total of 55 houses were seriously damaged by the landslide. Around 290 people left homeless by the disasters had to be evacuated.

Questioning the need for rules and regulations

Questioning the need for rules and regulations By Ignas Kleden JAKARTA (JP): Regulation and deregulation have become key words in public discussions of the political and economic conditions of Indonesia. The debates generally focus on whether we should tolerate more regulations or deregulate existing ones. Regulation is the other side of rule. Regulation and rule are usually taken together because both make up the two inseparable aspects of a social norm.

Economists hail campaign against levies

Economists hail campaign against levies JAKARTA (JP): Economists hailed the government's plan to further cut legal levies but also suggested that it fight against illegal "levies" to help boost Indonesia's economic competitiveness. I Nyoman Moena, chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Local Private Banks Association, said on Saturday that the government was heading in the right direction by taking steps to eliminate levies which have no direct consequence on output.

TV today

TV today TVRI 2:30 p.m. Travel: My Country 2:35 TV Series: Saber Rider and The Star Sheriff 3:00 News: Lintasan Berita 3:05 Quiz: Cepat Tepat 3:30 TV Series: Crystal Maze 4:30 Quiz: Cepat Tepat 4:00 News: Lintasan Berita 5:00 Evening News 5:25 Travel: My Country 5:30 Family Program 6:00 News: Lintasan Berita 6:05 Nusantara, the Beloved Country: Irian Jaya 6:15 Village Program 6:30 Report: HANKAMNAS 7:00 Evening News 7:25 Garuda Pancasila/Filler/Trailer 7:30 TV Drama: Sahabat Dalam Kesepian 8:00...

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta: Music * Hotel Dai-ichi, Jl. Senen Raya 135, Central Jakarta. - Mezzanine Lounge: Solo Pianist, daily from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., opening hours Monday to Sunday 11 a.m to 1 a.m. * Hotel Aryaduta, Jl. Prapatan 44-48, Central Jakarta: - Ambiente Italian Restaurant: Bonauli vocal group, Monday and Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 1 p.m.; Los Morenos, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. - The Tavern Pub: Yeah Yeah Boys, Sunday and Thursday, 9:30 p.m.

Playboy arrested for statutory rape

Playboy arrested for statutory rape PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Abdul Rachman, a 45-year-old resident of Teluk subdistrict, was arrested on Friday after he was caught having sex with a 15-year-old Ria. The girl threw herself at the police in protest of the arrest. "He is a good and tender man, why do you have to arrest him? I'm going to marry him next month," Ria shouted.

Financing jet development

Financing jet development The 10-day-old PT Dua Satu Tiga Puluh (DSTP) may have the most political clout of all private companies in Indonesia. President Soeharto and two former vice presidents sit on its board of commissioners and three other high officials, including Minister/Cabinet Secretary Saadilah Mursjid, in its management. While each official is serving in a personal capacity, their representation will still have political and business ramifications.

Theft in night bus

Theft in night bus From Pikiran Rakyat On Feb. 6, 1996, I left Bandung, West Java, for Semarang, Central Java, by night bus. The bus left Bandung at 7:00 p.m. with only 13 passengers. Confident that the bus crew would take care of the passengers and their safety, I fell asleep as we neared Cirebon. By 4:00 a.m. the bus was near Kendal and it was time for the Moslems sahur meal.

Trade eases India-Pakistan tension

Trade eases India-Pakistan tension Tired of waiting for their politicians to get along, South Asian countries are forging ahead with trade links. Kunda Dixit of Inter Press Service reports. NEW DELHI (IPS): Among the cricket balls being used by players from 12 participating teams during the World Cup Cricket Tournament in South Asia will be ones made in Pakistan by Grays of Cambridge. The balls are regarded as the best in the world, but are not officially exported to India.

Drivers protest colleague's killing

Drivers protest colleague's killing JAKARTA (JP): Most Metromini bus drivers on the Kampung Melayu-Stasiun Cakung route went on strike on Saturday in protest at the killing of their fellow driver by six of his passengers two days earlier. Only three of the 36 bus drivers were willing to return to work after a long debate with executives of PT Metro Mini, a cooperatives for owners of the minibuses, and local authorities at the cooperatives' office in East Jakarta on Saturday.

Soputan volcano active again

Soputan volcano active again MANADO, North Sulawesi: The chiefs of districts around the 1,820-meter Mt. Soputan have been asked to stay on alert and monitor the volcano which has been showing increased activity recently, Antara reported. Spokesman of a local relief aid unit Boby Roring said on Saturday that the chiefs were also asked to keep notes on the plants destroyed by the layers of ash and sand spewed out by the volcano.

Malaysia hits back on Canada

Malaysia hits back on Canada KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Canada's allegation of match fixing by Malaysia and India during a hockey qualifying match for the Olympic Games was an insult to both countries, yesterday newspapers quoted Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as saying.

Footwear producers lament higher raw material prices

Footwear producers lament higher raw material prices JAKARTA (JP): Manufacturers of plastic sandals in East Java have been complaining about the rising price of polypropylene, which has increased by up to 10 percent over the last few months. The manufacturers contend that higher prices for polypropylene, a raw material used to make plastic footwear, are bound to lead to declining sales.

KL wants limited EU-Asia meeting

KL wants limited EU-Asia meeting KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad wants an Asia-Europe leaders summit (ASEM) limited to Southeast and East Asia and European Union (EU) countries for the moment, the Sunday Star newspaper reported. The Prime Minister was quoted as saying that expansion at this stage would prevent a "constructive dialog" between the leaders of the two continents.

Preparation needed for 2nd round exams

Preparation needed for 2nd round exams JAKARTA (JP): The government's plan to hold a second round of final exams for primary and high school students who fail the first time may be hampered by poor preparation because it came at such short notice, an education expert said. H.A.R. Tilaar, a professor at the Teachers Training Institute in Jakarta, said on Saturday the government's move, announced last week, was confusing and could affect the performance of pupils in their final exams.

Lessons from U.S. presidential primary

Lessons from U.S. presidential primary The Republican presidential primary in New Hampshire, the United States, was won by Pat Buchanan who may go on to challenge Bill Clinton for the White House. Mochtar Buchori looks at this presidential race and reflects on the upcoming general elections in Indonesia in 1997. JAKARTA (JP): The difference between political campaigning in the United States and in Indonesia is quite obvious.

Most Idul Fitri travelers back in town

Most Idul Fitri travelers back in town JAKARTA (JP): About one million people, who had spent Idul Fitri holidays with families in the provinces, were back in town yesterday. Officials said they expected more than one million to arrive by midnight. Most were residents of Jakarta and its surrounding areas, who had left various bus terminals and railway stations by 1 a.m.

Democratization developing fast enough: Expert

Democratization developing fast enough: Expert JAKARTA (JP): Political scientist Amir Santoso maintains that the democratization process in Indonesia is moving at a healthy pace, despite the country's relatively small middle class. He argued that compared to the 1970s, the pace of democratization is far swifter in the 1990s, thanks in no small part to the active participation of the middle class and pro- democracy movements.

CSIS holds writing contest

CSIS holds writing contest JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian intellectuals have been invited to take part in a scholarly writing contest on either international relations or the exploration of local thinking and philosophy. "The contest is being held to create a climate conducive to scholarly writing," Hadi Soesastro, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies executive director told The Jakarta Post.

PRC and ROC coexist

PRC and ROC coexist The main points in my letter to your newspaper (Feb. 12, 1996) were: To ask the Chinese Communist regime to back off from threatening Taiwan, and to stop blockading Taiwan from reentering international organizations with its official name, the Republic of China, so the world can know Taiwan as a part of "China". In his response to The Jakarta Post (Feb. 23, 1996), Mr. Xu Chuhui of the Chinese Embassy accused me of overtly preaching two Chinas or "one China, one Taiwan".

Don't blame the people

Don't blame the people From Republika According to a newspaper report, the minister of public works said that the recent floods in Jakarta were attributable to a lack of discipline. Why should the people be blamed? The minister should instead look into who gave permission to developers to build high-rise buildings in lowland and park areas, and why sea coast areas have been dredged only to benefit a handful of people.

Scholar urges PDI to field new condidate in East Java

Scholar urges PDI to field new condidate in East Java YOGYAKARTA (JP): Political scientist Riswandha Imawan underlined the need for a "third party" to resolve the crisis at the East Java chapter of the Indonesia Democratic Party (PDI) and avoid government intervention. "It would be good if a caretaker leadership was formed to resolve the impasse," said the staff lecturer at Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University.

Nature triumphs over society at the Institute of Sciences

Nature triumphs over society at the Institute of Sciences By Mochtar Buchori JAKARTA (JP): Are social sciences being devalued at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)? And are basic and exact sciences being subjected to reappraisal at the same institution? These questions were asked by Prof. Sediono Tjondronegoro in his recent article in Kompason Feb. 14, 1996. He felt compelled to ask these two questions after a ceremony installing institute leaders on Feb.

The rich who have to live with the floods

The rich who have to live with the floods By Maria Andi JAKARTA (JP): In Jakarta, home to at least nine million people, floods have become as familiar as old friends to families who live in areas which are submerged once or twice a year. Contrary to popular belief, families living in such areas are not only those on low incomes, living in makeshift shanties along riverbanks, but also those who have large houses and middle-class cars.

On nuclear plant

On nuclear plant On the day of the terrible floods that submerged almost all of Jakarta, my husband and I decided not to contribute to the already chaotic traffic and stayed at home. I therefore had time to read The Jakarta Post from A to Z. On the "Opinion" page I read the fascinating article written by Mr. Zatni Arbi, entitled Why shouldn't we operate a nuclear plant in Indonesia?

Don't send the old to nursing homes, Inten says

Don't send the old to nursing homes, Inten says JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Social Services Inten Suweno visited a site of a new old folks home in Semarang, Central Java, with a plea to people in the country not to send their aging parents to such homes unless they really have to. "We embrace a familial system in which a family should care for their older relatives," Inten was reported as saying by Antara.

RP officials sacked over sea disaster

RP officials sacked over sea disaster MANILA (Reuter): Philippine President Fidel Ramos on Saturday sacked maritime officials after a ferry sank killing more than 50 passengers. Ramos ordered the immediate relief of regional directors, port managers and station commanders of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Coast Guard, and Philippine Ports Authority, the presidential palace said in a statement.

ICRC meets with Irian rebel leaders

ICRC meets with Irian rebel leaders JAKARTA (JP): Hopes were dashed again yesterday after a mediator of the military-led rescue operation met with leaders of the separatist rebels in Irian Jaya but failed to secure the release of any of the 13 people they have been holding captive for seven weeks. Henri Fournier of the Jakarta mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met with Daniel Yudas Kogoya and another person believed to be Kelly Kwalik.

Is it safe to eat Acehnese fish?

Is it safe to eat Acehnese fish? By Dewi Anggraeni MELBOURNE (JP): Most people are devastated when a terrible, life-extinguishing accident affects their family. Then, once the loved ones are buried, life goes on, despite memories, grief, regrets and anger, possibly lingering on. Rarely do we have to confront the remains of our loved ones after the event. The trauma experienced by residents of Aceh after fishermen discovered human remains in the sharks they had caught is therefore understandable.

Javanese princess to wed

Javanese princess to wed YOGYAKARTA: Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, sultan of Yogyakarta, one of the remaining Javanese kingdoms, on Saturday led a traditional engagement ceremony for his eldest daughter, Gusti Raden Ajeng Nurmalitasari. Herbudi Desaryanto asked for the hand of the princess after going out with her for five years, Antara reported.

On public debate

On public debate Barring unforeseeable circumstances, a public hearing on forestry will be held on March 2. The meeting will take place at the Sahid Jaya hotel in Jakarta and many members of the community -- either people with a direct interest in the subject to be discussed or those without such an interest but with a deep concern regarding forest conservation matters -- are expected to be present.

Teak forest

Teak forest From Media Indonesia A few weeks ago almost all media in Jakarta reported the that the Wangon community in Central Java attacked the Forest Supervision Office (Perhutani) located in the village. This attack was prompted by an earlier incident in which a special security guard was said to have mistakenly shot a villager suspected of poaching teakwood from the forest. It was not the first incident in the region, and similar cases have happened in other regions.

Subway concept best suited to Jakarta: Rais

Subway concept best suited to Jakarta: Rais JAKARTA (JP): TB. M. Rais, deputy governor on economic and development affairs, said on Saturday that an underground system would be the most appropriate transport concept for the capital city. "The underground system may be more expensive than other systems, but it has more advantages in the long run," he told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview.

Davomas' dividend Rp 500

Davomas' dividend Rp 500 JAKARTA (JP): PT Davomas Abadi, a publicly-listed cocoa butter and powder producer, plans to pay Rp 500 (21.5 U.S. cents) per share dividend, the company said last week. Davomas reported a 79.6 percent increase in its net profit to Rp 24.1 billion, surpassing the projection of Rp 22.83 billion for its 1995 operations.

Mt. Agung closed to climbers

Mt. Agung closed to climbers DENPASAR, Bali: The famous Mt. Agung has been closed to climbers for Feb. 14 - April 26 in connection with a series of sacred traditional rites called Karya Agung Eka Bhuana which are being held in the Pura (temple) Besakih. Chairman of the committee for the rites Ida Bagus Gede Agastia told Antara yesterday the temporary closure was to protect the sanctity of the surrounding areas of the temple in the Karangasem regency, some 85 km east of Denpasar.

Fifty lecturers resign from Salatiga university

Fifty lecturers resign from Salatiga university SALATIGA, Central Java (JP): At least 50 staff lecturers of the Satya Wacana Christian University have tendered their resignation in the latest fall out of a three-year old bickering with the college administrators. They said they were resigning because they could not accept the terms offered by the administrators to return to work.