Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 14 December 1998

51 articles found

TV today

TV todayTVRI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings: Hikmah Pagi 6:00 Morning News 6:30 News: Nuansa Reformasi 7:00 Children's Program: Lagu Anak Nusantara 7:30 Cartoon 8:00 Music 8:30 Talk Show: Kesejahteraan Keluarga 9:00 Music 9:30 Interval 2:00 p.m.

Probe takes time into Anwar injury

Probe takes time into Anwar injury KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The Malaysian Attorney General's Office needs more time to study a report on injuries sustained by ousted deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim while in police custody, a report said on Sunday.

People run amok in Surakarta over a drag race stoppage

People run amok in Surakarta over a drag race stoppage JAKARTA (JP): Only a day after a bloody clash between villagers in Bali that killed at least three people, a mob of about 1,000 people rioted in the Central Java town of Surakarta in the early hours of Sunday.

Strong rupiah fails to boost car sales

Strong rupiah fails to boost car sales JAKARTA (JP): Sales of four-wheeled vehicles fell in November to 2,470 units from 3,634 the month before, despite the strengthening of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar, according to the latest report issued by the Association of Indonesian Automotive...

Oka gives RI second gold at Asiad

Oka gives RI second gold at Asiad BANGKOK (JP): Indonesia entered the second half of the 13th Asian Games with some pride after collecting its second gold medal through windsurfer Oka Sulaksana.Competing in the men's IMCO heavy division, Oka grabbed the coveted laurel after a panel of judges...

ASEAN will study impact of hot money

ASEAN will study impact of hot money HANOI (Reuters): Southeast Asian nations will study the possibility of setting up a mechanism to protect the region from the shocks associated with hot money flows, Indonesia's top economics minister said on Sunday.

Democratization process must never stop: Gus Dur

Democratization process must never stop: Gus Dur JAKARTA (JP): Moslem leader Abdurrahman Wahid has reminded the nation that democratization is an ongoing process which must never stop. Once it falters, he said, democratization becomes "totalitarian".

EU backs calls for referendum on E. Timor

EU backs calls for referendum on E. Timor VIENNA, Austria (AP): In a decision welcomed as a landmark by Portugal, European Union (EU) leaders backed calls on Saturday for a referendum to decide the fate of East Timor, the former Portuguese colony which was integrated into Indonesia in 1976.

Malaysia to keep the ringgit pegged at 3.8 to U.S. dollar

Malaysia to keep the ringgit pegged at 3.8 to U.S. dollar KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday laid to rest all speculation that the ringgit currency's peg might be revised, saying it will remain at 3.8 to the dollar for a "long, long time".

50 students receive scholarships

50 students receive scholarships JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Children's Welfare Foundation handed over scholarships to 50 elementary school students from poor families in Cilincing slum area, North Jakarta, on Saturday.The foundation's vice executive director, Arum R.

S'pore Moslems urged to give alms

S'pore Moslems urged to give alms SINGAPORE (AP): Because only 9 percent of Singapore's 120,000 working Moslems pay alms, the Islamic Religious Council will launch an advertising campaign and more active collection methods, according to a report published on Sunday.

Cambodia's ASEAN entry still hang in the balance

Cambodia's ASEAN entry still hang in the balanceBy Meidyatama Suryadiningrat HANOI (JP): The question of Cambodia's admission into ASEAN hung like a dark cloud as ministers concluded their meetings on Sunday, with concerns growing that setting too many criteria for entry could undermine the...

Supreme Court to set up unit to review presidential decrees

Supreme Court to set up unit to review presidential decrees JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Court is planning to set up a special unit to review laws and presidential decrees in a move seen as an improvement on its earlier stance, under which it insisted it would only review legislation if requested to...

18 youth detained over street brawl in Tangerang

18 youth detained over street brawl in Tangerang TANGERANG (JP): Military personnel here have netted 18 youths for allegedly possessing, among other things, a Molotov cocktail, a crowbar, pocket knives and swords and sickles during a noisy street brawl on Saturday.Tangerang Military chief Lt. Col.

Tangerang population to triple

Tangerang population to triple TANGERANG (JP): The population of Tangerang mayoralty, currently home to 1.3 million people, will triple to between three and four million residents in the year 2010, Mayor Mochammad Thamrin said, quoting the World Bank's estimates on Thursday.

Ballpoint gun shooting an accident: Friends

Ballpoint gun shooting an accident: Friends JAKARTA (JP): After three days of intensive questioning, North Jakarta Police arrested on Saturday three friends of a woman who suffered a serious gun shot wound on Thursday, an officer said.

Asian Olympic boss calls for World Cup boycott

Asian Olympic boss calls for World Cup boycott BANGKOK (AFP): The head of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has called for an Asian boycott of the football World Cup if the continent's representation at the 2002 finals is not increased.

What now? Why now?

What now? Why now? With blood from the Black Friday tragedy not yet even dry, the Armed Forces (ABRI) has announced that it plans to forge ahead and recruit tens of thousands of civilians to help maintain security in the country.

Why the ban on studying abroad?

Why the ban on studying abroad? Having enjoyed years of Western education, President B.J. Habibie would now like to deprive Indonesia's youngsters of the same experience. The line of reasoning, if there is any, seems to be that studying abroad corrupts the mind and diminishes the nationalistic...

RI hopeful of Japan's aid

RI hopeful of Japan's aid HANOI (Dow Jones): Indonesia hopes to learn this week how much aid it will receive as part of Japan's US$30 billion assistance package for Southeast Asia, and the conditions that will be attached to it, Senior Economics Minister Ginandjar Kartasasmita said Saturday.

Village head faces 8 months in jail

Village head faces 8 months in jail BOGOR (JP): Prosecutor Laode Halipo has asked Bogor District Court to sentence Baranangsiang village head E. Herdian to eight months in jail for falsifying ownership documents for a 1,182- square-meter plot of land.

Mahathir says no decision on new deputy post

Mahathir says no decision on new deputy post KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Sunday he had not made any decision on appointing a deputy, a position vacant since the September sacking of Anwar Ibrahim, now on trial for sodomy and corruption."It's not true.

School's out on Sonit

School's out on Sonit LUWUK, Central Sulawesi: As many as 114 elementary school pupils on Sonit island have not been able to resume classes since a powerful earthquake destroyed their school buildings last month, Antara reported on Saturday.

Taufik leads RI to second round

Taufik leads RI to second round BANGKOK (JP): Debutant Taufik Hidayat led the Indonesian wagon to the second round of badminton competition at the 13th Asian Games on Sunday.Playing in the men's singles, 17-year-old Taufik hardly broke into a sweat while disposing of Afshin Bozorgzadeh of Iran, a...

Protectionism on the increase

Protectionism on the increaseBy Guest van der Veen BANDUNG (JP): The same herd mentality that caused the rupiah to plummet last year makes main stream economists regularly speak half-truths. These half-truths are very dangerous because they distort reality.

RI's trouble threatens sea-lanes: Singapore

RI's trouble threatens sea-lanes: Singapore SINGAPORE (AP): If Indonesia's instability inspires a flood of refugees, the safety of vital shipping lanes could be threatened, Singapore's defense minister said in an interview published on Sunday.

Workers joint students' protest at University of Indonesia

Workers joint students' protest at University of Indonesia JAKARTA (JP): A group of workers joined a student demonstration on Sunday at the University of Indonesia campus in Depok, West Java, as a way of expressing their wish not to be left behind by the students.

Water supply disrupted

Water supply disrupted JAKARTA (JP): A dam rupture at Perum Otorita Jatiluhur's West Tarum canal in Curug, Tangerang, on Friday caused a sudden reduction in the water capacity supply to all water treatment plants at Buaran and Pulogadung, East Jakarta, and Pejompongan, Central Jakarta.

Earth's innermost core is solid: Scientists

Earth's innermost core is solid: Scientists SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters): Inside a liquid core, the center of the Earth is solid, scientists said at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union, providing the first direct evidence backing a long-held theory.

True democracy applicable?

True democracy applicable?From Pikiran RakyatThe term "democracy" is very familiar to our ears, and most of the Indonesian people are struggling for democratization in all fields, which is in line with the era of reform.

Habibie calls for religious harmony

Habibie calls for religious harmony JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie performed his dawn prayer at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque here on Sunday with 10,000 other Moslems, during which he urged the nation to maintain religious harmony and non-Moslems to respect Islamic places of worship.

National car Soeharto's mistake

National car Soeharto's mistake On Dec. 9, 1998 Soeharto, former president of the Republic of Indonesia, was questioned by the investigators from the Attorney General's Office regarding, among other things, the national car program. To make the matter clear, allow me to reveal the following:a.

Row over disputed plot at BSD goes on

Row over disputed plot at BSD goes on TANGERANG (JP): A dispute over a 2.5-hectare plot of land at Bumi Serpong Damai housing complex continued after the claimant insisted on measuring the land according to his estimates rather than relying on measurements done by the National Land Agency (BPN).

ABRI to forge ahead with planned militia

ABRI to forge ahead with planned militia JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) is forging ahead with a plan to set up a civilian militia to help the police maintain law and order, ABRI Commander Gen. Wiranto said on Sunday.

President Habibie warns national press against tyranny

President Habibie warns national press against tyranny JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie warned the national press on Saturday to remain committed to balanced and objective news reporting to avoid a tyrannical press or the risk of being misused for vested interests.

National consensus needed to avoid more serious chaos

National consensus needed to avoid more serious chaosBy Laksamana Sukardi This is the first of two articles analyzing the current crisis in Indonesia and predicting the outcome in the near future. JAKARTA (JP): After Soeharto's fall from the presidency in May 1998, Indonesia was thrown from the...

Observers skeptical over micro credit schemes

Observers skeptical over micro credit schemes JAKARTA (JP): The government's effort to invigorate the lower end of the private sector by providing heavily subsidized loans to small scale business has been given a cool response by experts.

New LNG center looking for market

New LNG center looking for marketBy Johannes Simbolon JAKARTA (JP): State oil and gas company Pertamina and its oil and gas contractor from the United States, Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), are struggling to find markets for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) they will produce at Tangguh LNG...

Bank Mashill says it's ready to merge to increase capital

Bank Mashill says it's ready to merge to increase capital JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed Bank Mashill said on Saturday it was ready to merge with other banks as part of the government- sponsored banking restructuring program.

ASEAN wants peace in Spratlys

ASEAN wants peace in Spratlys HANOI (AFP): Southeast Asian ministers treaded cautiously on Sunday on the Spratly islands dispute with China ahead of a summit next week that follows renewed irritants in the archipelago.

Yayul waltzes into tennis quarterfinals

Yayul waltzes into tennis quarterfinalsBy Primastuti Handayani BANGKOK (JP): Indonesia's tennis queen Yayuk Basuki opened her campaign in devastating fashion for the women's singles gold medal at the 13th Asian Games on Sunday.

Election of new president

Election of new presidentFrom MerdekaA general election will soon be held and Indonesia will soon have its new president, who will be fully entrusted to lead the state. The presidential cabinet system prevailing until today has furnished a great opportunity to the mandate holder of the People's...

AFTA to be set one year sooner

AFTA to be set one year soonerBy Meidyatama Suryadiningrat HANOI (JP): Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gave their stamp of approval on Sunday to accelerating the deadline for the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) from 2003 to 2002.

Ramayana best managed

Ramayana best managed JAKARTA (JP): PT Ramayana Lestari Sentosa, one of Indonesia's largest retail chains, has been voted the best managed publicly- listed company in Indonesia for this year by the Hong Kong-based Asiamoney business magazine.

Year-end window dressing may prop up share prices

Year-end window dressing may prop up share prices JAKARTA (JP): Year-end window dressing by fund managers will probably have a positive impact on share trading on the local market this week, analysts said.

Crony investigation

Crony investigation If things were not as they unfortunately are -- a president who was Soeharto's protege presiding over a cabinet largely made up of Soeharto cronies -- the main headline in The Jakarta Post Dec.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta:Exhibitions * Photo Exhibition: Face to Face: Indonesia and Britain, at World Trade Center, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 29-31, South Jakarta (Phone: 5211320), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., until Dec. 18.

Reelected head of chamber

Reelected head of chamber Aburizal "Ical" Bakrie was reelected chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for the 1999/2004 term at the end of the chamber's national congress on Friday.Anyone has the right to be elected to the post of the chamber's chairman.

East Java killings 'acts of political terror', says NU

East Java killings 'acts of political terror', says NU JAKARTA (JP): In the face of repeated denials by the local government and military, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) announced on Saturday its conviction that political maneuvering was behind a recent killing spree in Banyuwangi, East Java, and surrounding...

Solution for poor Irianese

Solution for poor Irianese JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: The provincial administration is calling on poor people in Irian Jaya to resettle as a way of improving their economic condition.Budi Sinulingga, the head of the Irian Jaya Transmigration Office told Antara that the administration was allocating more...

Attorney chief replaced

Attorney chief replaced UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: The chief of the South Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office, Gagoek Soebagyanto, has been replaced in the middle of a politically charged corruption investigation of a senior Golkar politician.