Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 30 October 1997

65 articles found

Executive trains

Executive trainsFrom JayakartaLong years of waiting for improved service from the state railways (Perumka) were finally ended by the launch of executive trains the like of Argo Bromo, Argo Gede and Fajar Utama.

Howard urges progress on E. Timor, promises aid

Howard urges progress on E. Timor, promises aid JAKARTA (JP): Australian Prime Minister John Howard touched on the East Timor issue during his talks with President Soeharto yesterday, urging progress from dialog and greater control for the East Timorese over their own affairs.

EU pledges $303,000 for forest fire problems

EU pledges $303,000 for forest fire problems JAKARTA (JP): The European Union (EU) has pledged ECU 326,000, equivalent to Rp 1.09 billion (US$303,000), to the Indonesian government to help overcome problems caused by the current forest fires.

Public warned of dead fish risk

Public warned of dead fish risk PALANGKARAYA, Central Kalimantan: People in the province are being warned not to buy dead fish to avoid food poisoning."This is the only way to avoid poisoning from contaminated fish," said Tukik B Toemon head of the province's health office.

Armed Forces' dual role depends on public acceptance

Armed Forces' dual role depends on public acceptance JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces' dual function, which allows it to play both a security and sociopolitical role, would lose its validity if people no longer accepted it, Deputy House Speaker Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid, said yesterday.

Uncertainties cloud RI political sky up to March 1998

Uncertainties cloud RI political sky up to March 1998 The following article is based on a recent interview with a prominent visiting Indonesianist, Dr. Harold Crouch. Now a senior fellow at the Australian National University, Dr.

Pregnant woman arrested for assaulting five maids

Pregnant woman arrested for assaulting five maids JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested a West Jakarta woman for allegedly assaulting her five maids, and have released the suspect's husband, who was being held in connection with the assaults.The head of the region's detectives, Capt.

Indonesians defend PABA boxing title

Indonesians defend PABA boxing title JAKARTA (JP): Two Indonesian boxers retained their Pan Asia Boxing Association (PABA) titles Tuesday night after defeating opponents from Australia.Ceppy Holman defended the 61.

Offbeat Murni tramples taboos in unorthodox view of Bali

Offbeat Murni tramples taboos in unorthodox view of BaliBy Astri Wright DENPASAR (JP): Something is afoot in Bali. Shoes with just the barest hint of legs disappear up into the sky. Tall boots with a life of their own cross streets in the rain. High heels smile from one end of a naked body.

Drinking binge kills six men

Drinking binge kills six men SEMARANG, Central Java: Six men died yesterday of drinking too much alcohol, police said.Central Java police spokesman Lt. Col. Bardja said they died after drinking vast quantities of a homemade concoction: a mixture of alcohol, wine and herbal jamu.

Runner draws energy from sucking blood

Runner draws energy from sucking blood SALATIGA, Central Java (Antara): An Indonesian female marathon gold medalist sucks blood from her coach every time she reaches the finishing line.Ruwiyati, a gold medalist in the recent 19th Southeast Asian Games held in Jakarta and who works at the state-run...

PT Sahid International to manage Sanghyang Hotel

PT Sahid International to manage Sanghyang Hotel JAKARTA (JP): PT Sahid International Hotel Management and Consultants of the Sahid Group has increased its hotel portfolio to 21 by signing a management contract with PT Bina Wahana Pusaka, which owns Sanghyang Hotel and Resort in Anyer, West Java.

Consortium to build water plant

Consortium to build water plant PASURUAN, East Java (JP): PT Mandala Citra Umbulan, a consortium comprising the Humpuss and Ciputra business groups, has started construction of a drinking water plant, the first private drinking water plant in East Java.

Olympus camera

Olympus camera I was impressed by an advertisement for the Olympus Camera in the National Geographic magazine. On Aug. 16, 1997, I therefore decided to buy a new camera (Trip XB3) at a nearby store, Amalia Photo, on Jl. Raya Pekayon No. 49, Bekasi, West Java.

Kemang may be developed into commercial site

Kemang may be developed into commercial site JAKARTA (JP): Businesspeople in Kemang, South Jakarta, have no need to worry -- at least for the meantime -- about being evicted from their commercial sites.

Elevator accident kills one worker

Elevator accident kills one worker JAKARTA (JP): An elevator at a food canning factory in Kapuk Kamal, North Jakarta, malfunctioned yesterday, killing one factory worker and severely injuring another.It plummeted to the ground after the two workers forced a trolley, loaded with unprocessed food,...

Pefindo cuts credit ratings of 16 listed firms

Pefindo cuts credit ratings of 16 listed firms JAKARTA (JP): The country's only rating agency, PT Pemeringkat Efek Indonesia (Pefindo), announced yesterday that it had cut the credit ratings of 16 publicly listed companies due to a decline in their business performance.

Winds fell tress in Bogor

Winds fell tress in Bogor BOGOR (JP): Strong winds have been blamed for the destruction of 12 trees in the Bogor Botanical Garden during the last two months, Didik Widyatmoko, the head of the garden's registration section, said yesterday.

Singapore's $10 billion aid to Jakarta may have strings

Singapore's $10 billion aid to Jakarta may have stringsBy Doreen Siow SINGAPORE (Reuters): Singapore should benefit from helping Indonesia to beat its financial crisis, but it is unlikely to give money without conditions, economists and analysts in Singapore said yesterday.

Asian turmoil not a risk for financial services agreement

Asian turmoil not a risk for financial services agreement GENEVA (AFP): Southeast Asia's stockmarket turmoil will not derail moves to sew up an agreement liberalizing global financial services by the mid-December deadline, World Trade Organization director general Renato Ruggiero said here Tuesday.

Where to go in Bandung:

Where to go in Bandung:Music and Entertainment * Holiday Inn, Jl. Ir. H. Juanda 33, Bandung: - Kebun Bambu Restaurant: Guitar performance, Saturday, 7:45 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. - Braga Bar and Lounge: Prospect Band, Thursday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. * Preanger Aerowisata Bandung Hotel, Jl.

On leaded and unleaded gas

On leaded and unleaded gas In a letter to The Jakarta Post of Oct. 24, 1997, we were invited to enlighten the public with unbiased scientific information on unleaded gasoline. For good reasons, practically all countries in the world are eliminating or have already eliminated lead in gasoline.

Much ado about 3-in-1

Much ado about 3-in-1From Pos KotaI am astonished at the brouhaha accompanying the so-called three-in-one policy which restricts the use of certain streets in Jakarta from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays.

New military district chief

New military district chief TANGERANG (JP): Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Syamsoedin installed Lt. Col. Herman Rozanie yesterday as the new chief of the Tangerang military district, replacing Lt. Col. Karseno.

Gloomy days to continue

Gloomy days to continue JAKARTA (JP): The bearish trading at the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) would continue until next year, JSX president Cyrill Noerhadi said yesterday.Cyrill said the daily transaction value, which dropped by about 40 percent to about Rp 300 billion (US$84.

Maan retains Matoa Open lead despite bad round

Maan retains Matoa Open lead despite bad round JAKARTA (JP): Despite playing a poor round yesterday, Maan Naasim from the Sawangan golf club retained his four-stroke lead after a two-under-par 70 with a 137 (67 70) at the Matoa Nasional Open championships yesterday.

Drivers told to turn down music

Drivers told to turn down music PEKANBARU, Riau: Police have stepped up a campaign to discipline public transportation drivers, not only for bad driving but also for playing their stereos too loudly.As reported by Antara, passengers have often complained of deafening music in the minivans which...

HK firms enter Cambodia

HK firms enter Cambodia PHNOM PENH (AFP): Two Hong Kong companies have signed a 35- million-dollar joint venture deal to construct Cambodia's largest cement factory, reports said yesterday.Land Regent Ltd. and Wing Group Co. Ltd.

Nothing wrong with child labor, says official

Nothing wrong with child labor, says officialBy T. Sima Gunawan OSLO (JP): An Indonesian delegate to the International Conference on Child Labor said there was nothing wrong with child labor as long it did not interfere with a child's education, social and moral development.

IMF, Indonesia near settlement

IMF, Indonesia near settlement WASHINGTON (Reuters): IMF First Deputy Managing Director Stanley Fischer said the IMF was close to sealing a loan arrangement with Indonesia, the latest of the one-time Asian "Tiger economies" to turn to the fund for help.

Nasiroh escapes death after victim's family forgives her

Nasiroh escapes death after victim's family forgives her JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian worker Nasiroh Karmudin escaped death yesterday after a Saudi Arabian court decided to free her from execution because the family of the victim she admitted to have killed forgave her, an official says.

AIDS in SE Asia linked to vice

AIDS in SE Asia linked to vice MANILA (Agencies): The prevalence of AIDS in Southeast Asia was linked to the number of men visiting prostitutes and the number of clients a prostitute sees, researchers said here yesterday.

W. Jakarta's crime rate drops by 32%

W. Jakarta's crime rate drops by 32% JAKARTA (JP): City Police Chief, Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata, said yesterday the crime total in West Jakarta had dropped by 32 percent over the last eight months.Hamami made the remark at the installation of Lt. Col.

Golkar will not force its motions through MPR

Golkar will not force its motions through MPR JAKARTA (JP): The dominant Golkar faction dismissed yesterday fears that it would pressure minority factions into accepting its motions in People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) sessions.

Shameful display of self-interest

Shameful display of self-interest The outrage expressed by dissident members of the New Aspiration Party following the latest cabinet reshuffle was not unexpected. On the contrary, what would have been surprising was if these honorable representatives of the people had behaved correctly and...

Pedersen's play on light shines on Java images

Pedersen's play on light shines on Java imagesBy Amir Sidharta JAKARTA (JP): Hugo von Pedersen's sensitive use of light illuminates his impressions of Indonesia, particularly in paintings of the courts of Java at the tail end of the 19th century.

Government should limit gifts to officials: Scholar

Government should limit gifts to officials: Scholar JAKARTA (JP): A scholar suggested yesterday that the government renew its anticorruption campaign by regulating the maximum worth of "gifts" that a government official can accept from businesspeople.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta:Exhibitions * Ceramics Exhibition, Golekan at Bentara Budaya, Jl. Palmerah Selatan No. 17, Jakarta, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., until Oct. 31. * Painting Exhibition, by Laila Dempster, at Shangri-La, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 1, Central Jakarta, until Nov. 2.

Fiserv sets up subsidiary

Fiserv sets up subsidiary JAKARTA (JP): Fiserv (Aspac) Pte. Ltd., one of the leading providers of data processing and information management products and services, has established a local subsidiary called PT Fiserv Indonesia to boost its business here.

Japanese caught in Malacca raid

Japanese caught in Malacca raid KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Thirty-eight Japanese were among 109 foreigners detained in a raid on illegal workers in Malacca, it was reported yesterday."This is the first time such a large number of Japanese were hauled up in a single operation," Malacca state Immigration...

Three-in-one scheme still being evaluated

Three-in-one scheme still being evaluated JAKARTA (JP): The three-in-one traffic zone will not be phased out until the People's Consultative Assembly general meeting next March, the head of the City Land Transportation Agency, J.P. Sepang, said yesterday.

Hanoi grapples with peasant unrest

Hanoi grapples with peasant unrestBy Ian Stewart DONG HUNG, Vietnam (AP): Like the colonial French in Vietnam earlier this century and the feudal mandarins before them, the Communist Party is struggling to hold back a tide of peasant discontent.

Islam a peace-loving religion: Soeharto

Islam a peace-loving religion: Soeharto JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday reminded Moslems across the world that Islam forbade its followers from insulting others, let alone resorting to violence.

Clinton, Jiang aim at summit agreements

Clinton, Jiang aim at summit agreements WASHINGTON (Reuters): Amid the fanfare of the first U.S.-China summit since the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, President Bill Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin sought agreement on economic and security issues yesterday.

Sino-American summit

Sino-American summit One of the goals which China's President Jiang Zemin wants to achieve during his visit to the United States is the restoration of the warm relations the two countries enjoyed in the early 1980s.

Sincerity needed for true repentance

Sincerity needed for true repentanceBy Mochtar Buchori JAKARTA (JP): "What do you think of Amien Rais' call to the nation that we repent?" a journalist asked me over the phone referring to the chairman of Muhammadiyah which has 28 million members."It is a good idea. It is excellent," I answered.

PLN to follow rules in renegotiation with private firm

PLN to follow rules in renegotiation with private firm JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana promised yesterday that state-owned electricity company PLN would follow rules in its bid to renegotiate with private power companies over prices.

Ministers to meet on crisis

Ministers to meet on crisis TOKYO (AFP): Finance ministers from Japan, the United States and Southeast Asian nations plan to meet in the coming weeks to discuss ways of coping with the currency and stockmarket turmoil in Asia, reports said yesterday.

Astra Buana expects 25% rise in premium income

Astra Buana expects 25% rise in premium income JAKARTA (JP): PT Asuransi Astra Buana's premium income is expected to increase by 25 percent to Rp 170 billion (US$47 million) this year despite the impact of the current monetary crisis.

Salak power plant starts operation

Salak power plant starts operation JAKARTA (JP): The third unit at the geothermal plant in Salak mountain in West Java owned by PT Pembangkitan Tenaga Listrik Jawa-Bali I (PJB I) has started commercial operation.

Women not ready to assume military command posts

Women not ready to assume military command posts JAKARTA (JP): Navy chief Adm. Arief Kushariadi said female naval officers were not quite ready yet to assume the highest ranking position in the navy."Ha..ha... They're not quite there yet.

SEA Games organizers still need Rp 15 billion

SEA Games organizers still need Rp 15 billion JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games organizing committee has received Rp 90 billion (US$25 million) of its Rp 105 billion budget from the Games consortium.The organizers' information and communications deputy, Ishadi SK, told a press conference after the...

Verdict on Oki's sentence upheld

Verdict on Oki's sentence upheld JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta High Court upheld the Central Jakarta District Court's death sentence verdict for Harnoko Dewantono, alias Oki, who murdered three people in the United States.

100 people fall ill daily due to haze

100 people fall ill daily due to haze JAKARTA (JP): An estimated 100 residents of Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan, which is one of the worst affected areas by the forest fires and haze, fall ill with respiratory infections every day, according to an official.

Rupiah stable as regional currencies gain footing

Rupiah stable as regional currencies gain footing JAKARTA (JP): The rupiah stabilized yesterday against the U.S. dollar as regional currencies gained footing on the back of a recovery in the world's major stock markets.

Cycling body awaits doping decision from int'l body

Cycling body awaits doping decision from int'l body JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Sports Cycle Federation is still waiting for the International Cycling Union to punish national cyclist Tonton Susanto, who was found to have used banned substances in the 19th SEA Games.

Rain predicted to start early next month

Rain predicted to start early next month JAKARTA (JP): The National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency forecast yesterday that the rain will start falling in Jakarta between the second week of next month and the beginning of December, an official said.

Mercure hotel to open soon

Mercure hotel to open soon JAKARTA (JP): Accor Asia Pacific will see next month the opening of its newest hotel in Indonesia, the Mercure Rekso Hayam Wuruk on Jl. Hayam Wuruk, West Jakarta.The hotel spokeswoman, Mirna A.

Game food fair on at the Regent

Game food fair on at the Regent JAKARTA (JP): The Regent Jakarta will offer special meals featuring game, such as deer, hare, wild boar, grouse, guinea fowl and quail for two weeks starting Saturday.The Regent's Swiss born executive chef Franz Faeh said yesterday that the animals had been imported,...

Fakfak police seize porno films

Fakfak police seize porno films FAKFAK, Irian Jaya: Police have confiscated 341 pornographic laser discs and compact discs in a sweep which began Saturday they said here yesterday.Police are also detaining five men suspected of distributing the pornographic material.

Forwarders deal signed

Forwarders deal signed JAKARTA (JP): State-owned PT Asuransi Jasa Indonesia agreed yesterday to provide insurance coverage to forwarding companies under the Indonesian Forwarders Association.The insurance company signed an agreement yesterday to provide insurance coverage for a year for documents...

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Oct. 29, 1997: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ---------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 850 0 25,000 AHAP Insurance 2,500 0 0 Alter Abadi 600 0 6,000 Alumindo Light Metal 575 75 496,000...

Asian coffee trade shifts focus to Vietnam

Asian coffee trade shifts focus to Vietnam SINGAPORE (Reuters): The Asian coffee trade has shifted its focus to what is expected to be a record coffee crop in Vietnam as supplies from drought-stricken Indonesia tails off, dealers said yesterday.

Japan, Australia offer help to RI

Japan, Australia offer help to RI JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono confirmed yesterday that Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto had offered Indonesia financial assistance within a bilateral framework to help restore confidence in the economy, especially the rupiah."Mr.

OPEC president sees oil quota unchanged

OPEC president sees oil quota unchanged TOKYO (Reuters): Oil traders can expect business as usual next month at the OPEC meeting in Jakarta, with a likely roll-over of its production quota, the group's president said yesterday."I don't expect there will be an increase in Jakarta.