Tutut 'opposes' her father's reelection SEMARANG (JP): President Soeharto's eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, said yesterday she would prefer if her father were not reelected so he could spend more time with his family. "I am speaking honestly here, and only Allah knows," Mbak Tutut, as she is popularly known, said addressing thousands of students at Semarang's Diponegoro University. "If you ask me...

Bent Larsen makes a comeback By Kristianus Liem JAKARTA (JP): For the first time in many years, Denmark's legendary GM Bent Larsen, now resident in Buenos Aires, Argentina, took part in the Danish Championships held in Esbjerg, last March. Larsen was not really expected to be in the running for the title, but he stole the show with a fresh blend of bold attacks mixed with a controlled technical performance.

Women workers struggle to support families By Emmy Fitri JAKARTA (JP): The majority of workers in labor intensive industries are women, such as in exported textiles, footwear and factories manufacturing processed wood products. From what the following workers say, a small increase in the regional minimum wage, if not a delay, would leave the women and their families scrambling even harder to survive.

TV today TVRI 6:00 a.m. TVRI News 6:25 Morning News 6:45 Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 7:15 Healthy and Fit 7:30 Children's Program: Arena Kami 8:00 Brudy and Family 8:30 Cartoon Film 9:00 People and Event 9:30 Cooking Program: Indonesian Food 10:00 TVRI News 10:30 Music: Album Minggu 11:30 Teenager's Program: Temu Remaja 12:15 p.m.

Penyengat remains cradle of Malay civilization Text and photos by Graham Simmons TANJUNG PINANG (JP): If you want to see something of real Malay-Indonesian history, there's no need to traipse through jungles or brave tiger-infested swamps. A day trip out of Singapore takes the traveler back through time to the days of an ancient culture, the remnants of which can still be seen on Penyengat Island.

Culture and war entwined in Vietnam tourism By Ian C. Glover Developments in the region, especially Cambodia, affect Vietnam's tourism industry. SINGAPORE: In the 1990s, tourism has become increasingly specialized and, together with eco- or green tourism, cultural tourism is a distinct leisure activity, identifiable by its focus on museums, historical monuments, exhibitions, music and dance performances.

Speaking out about uncertainty over bonuses JAKARTA (JP): "It's the thought that counts" is a welcome cliche nowadays. As the economic crunch bites deep into firms' coffers, a simple card may have to suffice instead of pricey Christmas and New Year's gifts for the long list of business contacts. Many employers say this is better than having to tell grim- faced workers of delayed or canceled bonuses, wage cuts or no wage increase despite the mandatory minimum regional wage hike.

Firms face dilemmas over survival In these hard economic times, employers are wracking their brains and dipping into their accounts to meet obligations to their workers. Right now, these include year-end bonuses, but looming ahead is next year's April deadline for implementation of the minimum regional wage.

No survivors found in SilkAir crash JAKARTA (JP): Rescue workers, including divers, struggled through the murky and muddy waters of Musi River yesterday searching for survivors of the SilkAir Boeing 737-300 which went down at the estuary of the South Sumatran river on Friday. By late afternoon, they found none, Antara reported.

Show debuts new era in local fashion JAKARTA (JP): The excitement was palpable as the packed room buzzed with the anticipation usually reserved for rock concerts. In the front row sat some of the industry's biggest names, among them designer Biyan, photographer Jay Subiyakto.

Website helps expats get the inside track By David White JAKARTA (JP): Information is one of the most valuable aids when you move to a new place, especially a foreign country. But finding the needed information is not always easy, and one can get frustrated trying to no avail to get it. That information is now at your fingertips, thanks to three volunteer-oriented women who recently set up the website Living in Indonesia: A Site for Expats (www.expat.id.co).

SilkAir passengers and crew roster JAKARTA (JP): Name of passengers and crew on SilkAir Flight MI-185, which crashed in Sumsang, South Sumatra on Friday, as released by the airline yesterday: 1. Anggoro, Herman Indonesia 2. Godfrey, Jakin Indonesia 3. Godiva Indonesia 4. Godwill, Jakin Indonesia 5. Gozali, Fieti Indonesia 6. Karyono, Lestiadi Indonesia 7. Keng, Ko Nio Indonesia 8. Lauw, Bon Ho Indonesia 9. Lay, Helena Huaretta Indonesia 10. Lay, Verina Huaretta Indonesia 11.

Women's role in politics Profil dan Visi Perempuan Anggota DPR RI 1992-1997 (Profiles and Visions of Women Members of Indonesia's House of Representatives, 1992/1997) By Ibrahim Taju and Nugroho Dewanto, Introduction by Marwah Daud Ibrahim, Cidesindo, 509 pages, Rp 27,500 JAKARTA (JP): The lead-up to Indonesia's sixth General Election, in 1997, was striking for a number of reasons.

Plane crash an international tragedy JAKARTA (JP): A former Singaporean model and her American boyfriend, an Indonesian journalist, a businesswoman returning to her family, an athlete, and a family traveling home after visiting a convalescing relative, were among those on the fateful SilkAir flight. The stories of those on board is not just an Indonesian tragedy, but an international one because people from 13 nationalities were on board.

Turning the lens on people at a cultural crossroads By Dini S. Djalal JAKARTA (JP): It's lunch hour at the Regent Hotel, and assorted professionals are milling about looking important, or at least trying to. Among them is a young man in a particularly bright shade of orange pants. Passing a portrait of a Dani woman, her bare torso rubbed with earth and a bag woven out of bark hanging from her head, he hisses to his friends, "Can you believe people in Irian still run around like that!

Evangelism in Bali borrows local traditions in its programs By Putu Wirata DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Christians all over the world will soon celebrate Christmas. In Bali there will be a Christmas celebration with a distinctive local touch. There will be hymns sung in Balinese, people wearing traditional costumes, penjor (decorative bamboo poles in front of houses) and pajegan (a special Balinese flower arrangement). Balinese gamelan will also be played.

Ravaged rupiah shadows holiday travelers' plans By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): The holiday season is almost upon us, and it is high time to look for places to unwind from our daily routines. Unfortunately, there is the long shadow of the monetary crisis. The value of the dollar against the rupiah has doubled to more than Rp 5,000 in several months. Those with long-held plans or merely considering getting away are now being forced to think again.

American vows to do more after plane crash SINGAPORE (Reuters): An American architect who canceled his booking on a SilkAir flight which crashed in Indonesia on Friday with no signs of survivors among the 104 people on board, vowed to live life even more fully. "I'm quite shaken," 52-year-old Enrique Morales told Reuters after arriving in Singapore on a later flight because he had to cancel his seat on the SilkAir flight when his business meetings in Jakarta ran longer than expected.

Guess What? Although he has spent the past eight months in Australia, Indonesian sociologist Arief Budiman has not lost his concern for his hometown of Salatiga, Central Java. "A town should have an identity," Arief said last week in Jakarta at the beginning of a vacation. "I discussed this matter with the town mayor. What identity does he want it to have, a student town, or what?" Anything changed in his life now that he lives down under?

Lights out in 'Home Alone 3' without Macaulay Culkin By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): John Hughes' Home Alone 3, set for local theaters this Christmas, is yet more confirmation that sequels are not necessarily equals of their successful predecessors. This is not only due to the absence of Macaulay Culkin, star of both previous efforts which had combined grosses of US$833 million worldwide and are the only comedies among the 10 highest box office grossers of all time.

Touch of class and a tipple for local wine lovers JAKARTA: The inevitable onslaught of globalization has brought wine to Indonesia's upper middle class, although it is but a trickle at the moment. Indonesians are rubbing shoulders with the affluent from newly industrialized Asian economies of Singapore, Japan, Hongkong and Taiwan, where the red and white has been embraced in their lifestyles. Wine lovers say Indonesia still has a ways to go.

Marwah says women finding their political feet By Indrawati JAKARTA (JP): Marwah Daud Ibrahim is one of the few women who holds a prominent position in the country's political arena, one among 58 women legislators in the House of Representatives (DPR). In 1992, at the age of 36, she was elected for the first time to the House, representing the ruling Golkar for her home province of South Sulawesi. Last October, Marwah began her second legislative term after an active electoral campaign.

ASEAN urges action plan on transnational crime MANILA (AFP): Interior ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) yesterday called for the convening of a high-level group of experts to forge an action plan on transnational crime. This is among the provisions in a declaration at the end of a three-day ASEAN ministerial conference on international crime.