Archive: 28 December 1998
42 articles found
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Kaleidoscope of Information Technology trends of 1998
Kaleidoscope of Information Technology trends of 1998 JAKARTA (JP): How many differences can a human year bring? Well, these days we should probably be talking about the Internet year rather than the ordinary calendar year, because computer and communication technologies move so fast that a dog year is definitely too slow moving. What was hot in 1998? First of all, LCD flat panel monitors became much more popular than in 1997.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Muslim scholars warn of chaos, bloodshed
Muslim scholars warn of chaos, bloodshed JAKARTA (JP): Muslim scholars Abdurrahman Wahid and Emha Ainun Nadjib have issued dire warnings of chaos and even bloodshed in the run-up to the general election in June 1999 unless a national dialog for reconciliation was held to head off the danger. Speaking separately on Sunday, the two men were discussing Abdurrahman's campaign for a dialog among people that he believed represented the major political forces in the country.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Dutch tourism to Bogor falls
Dutch tourism to Bogor falls BOGOR (JP): The number of Dutch tourists visiting Bogor has shown a drastic drop lately due to the continual unrest in the nearby capital of Jakarta, an executive of a major local travel agency said. Azis Windia, director of PT Seranusa Tour & Travel said on Wednesday the plunge in the number of Dutch tourists to Bogor, south of Jakarta, was more visible in November. "We, for example, used to receive five groups each consisting of 32 Dutch tourists weekly.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Indonesia's computer and IT Technology 1998 landscape
Indonesia's computer and IT Technology 1998 landscape By Zatni Arbi JAKARTA (JP): Hopes were already very low when we entered 1998, the Year of the Tiger. In January, computer store owners at Glodok Plaza's Computer City were already unable to print their price lists, as prices changed several times a day due to the rupiah's wildly fluctuating exchange rate against the U.S. dollar. Some of the stores were already out of business by Christmas of the preceding year.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Log supply falls 50% due to reduced logging activities
Log supply falls 50% due to reduced logging activities JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's log supply has dropped 50 percent to around 11 to 13 million tons this year because of reduced logging activities by timber companies, according to the Indonesian Forestry Society (MPI). MPI's chairman Sudradjat DP said on Saturday the scarcity of logs would likely continue until the middle of 1999.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Ramadhan time for Jakarta
Ramadhan time for Jakarta Monday Maghrib 6:10 p.m. Tuesday Imsak 4:07 a.m. Subuh 4.17 a.m.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Hope for Habibie-Belo meeting wanes rapidly
Hope for Habibie-Belo meeting wanes rapidly DILI (JP): Hopes of another meeting between President B.J. Habibie and East Timor bishops appear to be dimming after Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo hinted there were no signs the government had met any of the preliminary steps to ensure peace in the troubled province.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
No ban on Prabowo?
No ban on Prabowo? From Merdeka I do not know the truth yet about the report that Lt. Gen. (ret.) Prabowo Subianto has obtained Jordanian citizenship. If it is true, then it is strongly deplored. Why? Because we know that Prabowo, who has admitted to having kidnapped prodemocracy activists, is now under investigation. I have no idea what the students would feel if the report proves true. We all know that human rights violations against students cause very deep concern to us.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Malaysia's surplus higher
Malaysia's surplus higher KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's current account posted a surplus of 29 billion ringgit (US$7.6 billion) in the nine months to September, from a deficit of 12.2 billion ringgit a year earlier, a report said Saturday. The surplus far exceeded estimates of 20 billion ringgit for the first three quarters of the calendar year.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Plans to import discarded Singaporean clay questioned
Plans to import discarded Singaporean clay questioned JAKARTA (JP): It's a mangrove growing medium, officials have claimed, and it will earn the country Rp 100.8 billion in foreign exchange. But the government's decision to import 15 million cubic meter of "waste" was tantamount to selling the nation's dignity, Emmy Hafild of the Indonesian Forum of Environment (Walhi) said here on Sunday. The leading environmentalist was responding to an Antara report about the planned import.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Local stock trading seen to remain quiet
Local stock trading seen to remain quiet JAKARTA (JP): Trading activities in the local stock market are again expected to remain quiet during this four-day trading week as most investors are taking their year-end holidays. Securities analysts said that share prices in the battered local market, which had been declining in the lead-up to Christmas last week, would possibly slide further.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Heavy rain soaks Semarang
Heavy rain soaks Semarang SEMARANG: An hour-long downpour here on Sunday rendered many streets inundated to a depth of half a meter, causing heavy congestion, Antara reported. Among the flooded areas were the Simpang Lima city center, Jl. Majapahit, Jl. Agus Salim, the Bubakan traffic circle and areas around Tawang train station. The worst traffic jam was reported to have happened near the Bubakan traffic circle. The water only reached up to 10 centimeters in the surrounding areas, however.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
City Hall urged to stop netting homeless and street beggars
City Hall urged to stop netting homeless and street beggars JAKARTA (JP): A councilor has urged the city administration to stop netting homeless people and street beggars because, he said, they are just victims created by the past regime.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Adi confirms setting up people's economy agency
Adi confirms setting up people's economy agency JAKARTA (JP): Controversial Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi Sasono confirmed on Sunday that the government was establishing an Agency for the Development of the People's Economy (LPER). However, he denied that the agency's establishment was carried out discreetly. "We have not disclosed the establishment of such an agency because it is still being studied.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Minang people keep hunting boar far from their homeland
Minang people keep hunting boar far from their homeland By Indra D. Himrat JAKARTA (JP): Minang people go boar hunting not only in their homeland of West Sumatra, but also outside the island. While boars are hunted in their homeland to protect crops, now migrant Minang people go boar hunting for sport. To them hunting boars is not only recreational, but also an occasion when they can strengthen the social ties with fellow countrymen who live far away from their hometown.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Excellent sports coverage
Excellent sports coverage First of all, congratulations to The Jakarta Post on its fine coverage of the recently concluded 13th Asian Games in Bangkok. The events were, thankfully, almost wholly drug-free, and the Thais did a great job as hosts, despite the current Asian recession. Second, I believe it's about time the Post's hard working journalists received credit for their efforts. Special thanks to your reporter Ms.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Five entertainment spots, hotel closed for violations
Five entertainment spots, hotel closed for violations JAKARTA (JP): Ignoring a governor's circular on the business hours for all entertainment spots here during the festive seasons, has led to four games halls, a discotheque and a hotel being temporarily sealed off by the city public order office, an official said. Tongam Tambunan, a senior official of the office, said on Sunday that the six places were closed last week, most of them on Christmas Day.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Singer Farid Hardja dies at 50 of heart attack
Singer Farid Hardja dies at 50 of heart attack Farid Hardja, a local pop singer, died of a heart attack at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta on Sunday. He was 50 years old. He is survived by his third wife, Lela Farid, who is seven months pregnant, Antara said. Farid, who was known for his large size and preference for robe-like costumes, died at about 4 a.m. after being treated in the hospital's intensive care unit for two days, morgue official Syafei said.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Where to go in Jakarta:
Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Photo Exhibition: Dari Lengser Sampai Semanggi, at Galeri Foto Jurnalistik Antara, Jl. Antara No. 59 Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta (Phone: 3458771), 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., until Jan. 14. * Fine Arts Exhibition: by Gotot Prakosa, at Galeri Cipta II, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta (Phone: 3140554), 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., until Dec. 28. * Batik Exhibition: The Awakening of Batik at the end of the Millennium, at Galeri TC, Jl.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Shoe factory workers demand ouster of divisional heads
Shoe factory workers demand ouster of divisional heads TANGERANG (JP): Hundreds of the 5,700 work force of PT Doson Indonesia that produces Nike shoes staged a noisy but peaceful rally in their factory at Legok here on Saturday, demanding the management immediately fire five divisional heads at the firm. The workers' spokesman, Yasir, told reporters that the five executives had brought nothing but losses to the company and caused unrest among the workers.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Exports will keep Asian currencies low in 1999
Exports will keep Asian currencies low in 1999 By P. Parameswaran SINGAPORE (AFP): Asian currencies have risen strongly from record lows posted early this year but cannot make much headway in 1999 because the region's recession-hit economies want to keep exports cheap to fuel recovery, analysts say.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Flawed system in English teaching
Flawed system in English teaching By Setiono JAKARTA (JP): The pendulum of the English language teaching curriculum in Indonesia has swung from one extreme of opinion to the other. Once it much favored the "audio-lingual" approach when it was recommended by the government for the 1975 curriculum and implemented in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL).
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Local car industry's recovery not in sight
Local car industry's recovery not in sight By Devi M. Asmarani JAKARTA (JP): The road towards recovery will remain long and rough for the battered automotive industry, as the depressed economy will likely maintain car sales next year at the current shrunken level. Estimates from industry sources and analysts on the domestic sales of cars range from the pessimistic 40,000 to a high of 60,000 units in the last year of the millennium, not much of an improvement from this year's expectation.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Residents want elephants curbed
Residents want elephants curbed BANDAR LAMPUNG, Lampung: Residents living near the Way Kambas National Park have threatened to protest outside the management office if it fails to respond to their complaints of elephants damaging their property. Residents of Rumbia district said wild elephants living in the park damaged their homes and crops, Antara reported on Saturday. Residents gave the management until next week to ensure the animals did not wander out of the park's confines.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Local education no guarantee of nationalism
Local education no guarantee of nationalism President B.J. Habibies's recent proposal that young Indonesians should be barred from studying abroad has invited pros and cons. Mochtar Buchori, an observer of social and cultural affairs, discusses the relevance of such a proposal. JAKARTA (JP): Is it true that sending children abroad to study at an early age will make them less nationalistic or even anationalistic? That is what the government fears. But is this fear realistic?
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Vehicle thief shot to death
Vehicle thief shot to death TANGERANG (JP): Tangerang Police detectives shot to death a member of a notorious vehicle theft ring and arrested two of his accomplices on Saturday in the Cikande area, Serang, an officer said. According to Tangerang Police detectives chief Capt. Krisnadi, suspected criminal Hudari was fatally shot when attempting to resist arrest by shooting at officers.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Salim Group makes efforts to escape from onslaught
Salim Group makes efforts to escape from onslaught By Riyadi and Dandy Koswaraputra JAKARTA (JP): The giant Salim Group is realigning businesses to ensure its survival following the downfall of its chief patron former president Soeharto. The first significant move is the sale of the Salim Group's controlling 60 percent stake in food giant PT Indofood Sukses Makmur to its Hong Kong-based affiliate First Pacific Co Ltd and to Nissin Food Products Co Ltd of Japan.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Experts discount social revolution but urge caution
Experts discount social revolution but urge caution By Ridwan Max Sijabat & M.M.I. Ahyani JAKARTA (JP): Political experts played down on Saturday widespread fears of a social revolution, but warned against complacency because violence and political chaos could persist until the general election in June. Arbi Sanit of the University of Indonesia, Indria Samego of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and Andi A.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
People run amok in S. Sulawesi and N. Sumatra
People run amok in S. Sulawesi and N. Sumatra UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): Calm returned on Sunday to Jeneponto, a small town 60 kilometers south of here, after it was rocked by rioting on Friday over the swearing in of a disliked regent. Hundreds of angry residents attacked the local legislative building on Friday to protest the election of Baharuddin Baso Tika. They demanded that Abdul Rachim, the head of the local legislature, nullify the September election of Baharuddin.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
TV today
TV today TVRI 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.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
More Soeharto property found
More Soeharto property found MEDAN: The North Sumatra prosecutors office has found another property belonging to the family of former president Soeharto, an estimated Rp 15 billion (US$2 million) chemical industry, Antara reported on Thursday. The company, PT Aribhawana Utama, which produces fatty alcohol and glycerine, is located on Jl. Pelabuhan IV, Belawan, some 45 kilometers south of here.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Asia investors flock RP
Asia investors flock RP MANILA (AFP): Asian economies remained the Philippines' top investors in 1998 despite the lingering effects of the financial crisis, official data showed Sunday. Data from Manila's Board of Investments (BOI) showed total investment from Asia in the eleven months to November jumped 98.9 percent to 14.53 billion pesos (US$372.5 million). The agency noted a steady investment flow from Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, although investment from Malaysia fell slightly.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Unrest 'engineered' to sow conflicts
Unrest 'engineered' to sow conflicts JAKARTA (JP): Recent conflicts with religious overtones in the country may have been engineered to drive a wedge between Muslims and minority groups, an observer said on Sunday. Alwi Shihab, a visiting professor at Harvard University's Divinity School, raised alarm at what he believed was the campaign of "certain parties" to develop conflicts between the Muslim majority and other groups in society.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Residents complain over high cost passport process
Residents complain over high cost passport process BOGOR (JP): Most Indonesians still prefer to use a shortcut to realize their purpose, no matter how costly it is. The scurrilous way, however, affects others who cannot afford to pay for such practices.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
'Antara' reporter robbed in minivan
'Antara' reporter robbed in minivan JAKARTA (JP): A reporter from the Antara news agency was robbed by three unidentified men on Friday night while aboard a public minivan in the Penas area of East Jakarta, his office announced on Saturday. According to the agency, Biqwanto Situmorang, 30, boarded the M-06A minivan at about 11 p.m. in front of the Indonesian Catholic University campus in Cawang, heading toward his home in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Reckless bus driver sought
Reckless bus driver sought TANGERANG (JP): Local police here are still trying to trace the whereabouts of the Primajasa bus driver who managed to escape after his packed bus overturned on the Kebon Jeruk-Tangerang toll road on Sunday in an accident which killed six passengers and injured many others. Tangerang Police Detectives Chief Capt.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Malaysia struggles for revival as social unrest grows
Malaysia struggles for revival as social unrest grows By Gwen Benjamin KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): For Malaysia, 1998 was an unsettling year. The country has been struggling to revive its slumping economy while trying to suppress growing political unrest arising from the sacking and arrest of deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. Since Anwar's Sept.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
A call of the conscience?
A call of the conscience? At last, the court martial has begun of 11 members of the Army Special Forces (Kopassus) involved in the kidnaping of pro- democracy activists. People had feared that this case would remain in the dark forever... Fortunately, the public now has a chance to see the faces of those robust, well-trained men who had the heart to torture and kidnap people because, as they said, they were called by their conscience.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
New govt spur cautious hope for Cambodia
New govt spur cautious hope for Cambodia By Stefan Smith PHNOM PENH (AFP): There is a cautious optimism in Cambodia for at least a peaceful new year with two of the last three leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge emerging from the jungle to join a new government forged after months of uncertainty. Behind the fresh hopes lies undisputed strongman Hun Sen, branded a dictator by his opponents, but hailed by supporters as the necessary force to lead the troubled kingdom.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Myanmar dismisses deportation rumors
Myanmar dismisses deportation rumors YANGON (Reuters): Myanmar's military government dismissed on Sunday rumors that it might deport opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, saying they represented attempts by her party to create news headlines. A Myanmar government statement said Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) should join the ruling military and other countries in finding ways of riding out the Asian economic crisis, rather than trying to seek publicity.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Marzuki lashes out at court martial
Marzuki lashes out at court martial JAKARTA (JP): Human rights campaigner Marzuki Darusman said on Sunday he doubted that the trial of 11 members of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) would unravel the kidnapping of political activists unless their superiors were also brought to trial.
Mon, 28 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB
Near-ideal democracy
Near-ideal democracy I am writing in response to Vertie Orisa's letter of Dec. 14, 1998. I agree with Vertie's statement that the Indonesian people have been struggling for democracy in every field in line with the reform movement. I also agree that democracy is an ideal, but not that it is a theory. The ancient Greeks had a democratic system of government, and a long time ago democracy happening in the little villages in Indonesia.