Talk about 'national priority'! JAKARTA (JP): Since the beginning of the fasting month, my wife has been busy with her usual tidying up of the house to welcome Lebaran. I don't mind her cleaning and washing. But when it comes to repainting the house, I think she has gone too far, what with the economic crisis that is still lingering. "What is it with you?" she asked when I expressed my disapproval. "Lebaran comes only once a year.

Unity and integrity From Sinar Pagi The recent violence involving security personnel, student demonstrators and the general public, and the positive and negative aspects of the recent Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly could lead to the disintegration of the nation and have caused a great deal of concern to the people.

Poor Chinese, natives live in harmony in Jembatan Lima By Mehru Hasnain JAKARTA (JP): Hidden behind the glass and concrete skyscrapers of Jakarta's chic main streets, acres of slums sprawl. Here life is muddier, but a little less mean. Here the poor live, with ethnic Chinese living shoulder to shoulder with native Indonesians, their private lives separated by a thin wall often made only of cardboard. Local residents are unlikely to spend their days in cutthroat competition.

Floods hit Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): More than 1,500 people have fled their homes in Malaysia to escape flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains, news reports said on Saturday. A total of 1,515 people in six districts of Pahang state in the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia have been evacuated from their homes since heavy rains began on Sunday, the national Bernama news agency said.

Threats: 'Fear thou not for I am with Thee' By Rev. Hallie Jonathans JAKARTA (JP): In this city named Jakarta we see students, intellectuals and common people alike express their feelings, opinions and interests in their own fashions on a daily basis. In this capital where blood has been shed, violence always has the potential to develop into a real threat to anybody who may fall victim willy-nilly. Poverty, unemployment and hunger are really threatening our nation.

Javanese cosmology colors Heri Dono's works By Tedy Novan YOGYAKARTA (JP): When climbing Mount Merapi in March, creator of fine art Heri Dono thought that if Indonesian artists had duly respected their cultural traditions, the environmental destruction and moral degradation would not be as bad as it is. Then at Sultan Hamengkubuwono X's consent, he took home a truckload of earth from Kinahrejo village situated on the Merapi slope.

Sundanese games in several big cities are dying By Kafil Yamin BANDUNG (JP): Yuceu Dewi Sakinah, 10, is among the lucky little girls who can enjoy both old and new games. During her fasting, she plays sondah, a traditional Sundanese game similar to hopscotch, with her friends in front of her house here. Some other girls watch her game with curiosity. "What is she playing?," asks a small watcher.

Ramadhan time for Jakarta Sunday Maghrib 6:14 p.m. Monday Imsak 4:10 a.m. Subuh 4.20 a.m.

Holy month of Ramadhan and togetherness By A. Mustofa Bisri REMBANG, Central Java (JP): One day during this holy fasting month of Ramadhan, I went on a trip with a friend. During the journey he looked rather pale, so I said to him, "Why don't we break our fast? We are on a long journey, so it is permitted to break our fast before sunset." My friend refused the suggestion, saying that it would be burdensome for him to make up the lost fasting day after Ramadhan.

Boyke Aditya Krishna's art keeps viewers guessing By Lilia Syarif Naga JAKARTA (JP): People usually view paintings or artworks as a diversion or to appreciate their beauty and craftsmanship. They are probably not seeking to evoke emotional upheaval. But it is magical when artwork, like that of Yogyakarta contemporary painter Boyke Aditya Krishna, can do all three. Millennium Gallery in South Jakarta is exhibiting 30 of his paintings in conjunction with its soft opening. The exhibition, from Dec.

Guess What? Joseph Estrada Philippine President Joseph Estrada said Wednesday his new year's resolution would be to quit smoking. "Maybe this coming year I'll be less pressured ... because the first time when I assumed office I was so much pressured by the media," Estrada told reporters who asked him about his resolution for 1999. "Now it's becoming less so I might be able to stop smoking," he said.

Hopes for crisis to end this year JAKARTA (JP): A devastating economic crisis, which has been biting ever deeper since July 1997, is the most dreaded calamity that people from all walks of life hope will end this year. The following are the plans and expectations of some people's New Year's resolutions as told to The Jakarta Post. Jajang C. Noer, theater actress, director. I would like to spend more time with my children in these difficult times. They are aged 18 and 19.

Spotlight Photo A: Preanger Hotel Preanger Bandung MOVER AND SHAKER: Workers put finishing touches on a giant figure of Pak Haji Geol in the grounds of Hotel Preanger Aerowisata, Bandung. The figure, which mechanically strikes the traditional drum and shakes its hips, is part of the decorations for the Ramadhan fasting month.

How to pay special attention to family harmony SEMARANG (JP): In the year 2000 the number of Indonesian women aged 45 and above is estimated to reach 20 million out of the 104 million women in the population. These women will suffer from natural diseases, especially because at this age women usually go through the menopause. Thus it will be important to pay special attention to harmony within the family. What are these complaints?

Gus Dur's significant steps From Pikiran Rakyat Recently Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) took steps which were hard to understand by his colleagues of the Ciganjur Declaration. He initiated a dialog with Gen. Wiranto, President Habibie and even former president Soeharto. His actions seemed very significant and well-calculated, though open to various interpretations, and apparently not detrimental to himself or his organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Focusing on critical politics of environment The Politics of Environment in Southeast Asia; Philip Hirsch and Carol Warren, editors; Routeledge; xiii + 325pp JAKARTA (JP): When a few weeks ago Minister of Forestry and Plantations Muslimin Nasution declared that his ministry had uncovered Soeharto family and crony-connected forest holdings covering nine million hectares, "an area the size of Java", nobody was especially surprised. Shocked, yes. Angry, yes. But not surprised.

What really happened to poet Ronggowarsito? By Hartono Hadikusumo YOGYAKARTA (JP): The great 19th century Javanese mystic and poet Ronggowarsito died 125 years ago, on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 1873, in Surakarta. Eight days before he died, he wrote his last masterpiece titled Sabda Jati (The Sermon of Truth), consisting of 19 stanzas. In the last three stanzas, the poet foretold his own death. There has been considerable debate about this prophecy. For it was an uncanny prophecy.

New watch series launched despite crisis By I. Christianto JAKARTA (JP): Makers of luxury, high-quality watches continue to launch their new series in Indonesia in the belief that their target market is unaffected by the devastating economic crisis. TAG Heuer, through its local agent PT Time International, has just introduced the New 2000 Collection to Indonesia. Asti Sukirno of Time said that Indonesia was still considered a market with vast potential.

N. Sulawesi villagers attack store JAKARTA (JP): A mob of about 200 villagers ransacked a store in North Sulawesi's Gorontalo regency on Friday after its owner allegedly insulted Islam, a police official said on Saturday. But Gorontalo police chief Lt. Col. Priya Ismail denied an Antara report that Shangrilla minimarket, owned by a Chinese- Indonesian villager identified as Tommy, was set on fire in Buntulia Selatan in Marisa subdistrict. "No, it was not burned.

Strong bomb blast rocks Jl. Sabang JAKARTA (JP): A strong bomb blast extensively damaged the vacant three-story Ramayana department store and shattered windows and billboards of nearby shops on Jl. H. Agus Salim in Central Jakarta on Saturday morning. Besides leaving a big hole in the ground, the blast also damaged a Colt van parked in front of the store. The car belonged to a night security guard, Djoni, who was on duty in the area. No fatalities were reported.