Archive: 24 March 1999
51 articles found
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Honest reports could avoid riots: Goenawan
Honest reports could avoid riots: Goenawan JAKARTA (JP): Senior journalist Goenawan Mohamad told President B.J. Habibie on Tuesday that violence and riots throughout the country could have been avoided through openness and reliable sources of information. "If there is a place for an honest dialog, a source of reliable information, a source to encounter the poisonous rumors, then, there, the free media can play its social role and obligations," said the chief editor of Tempo newsweekly.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Boat capsizes: Four missing
Boat capsizes: Four missing MAUMERE, East Nusa Tenggara: Four people were missing after a tourist boat was overturned near Rinca Island on its way from Bima in West Nusa Tenggara to Komodo Island on Sunday. As of Monday evening the search for the missing passengers continued, local daily Pos Kupang reported on Tuesday. The boat, Komodo Plus, was carrying 11 people, including two Americans, when strong winds overturned it. Police and rescue workers were hampered by the absence of speed boats.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Criminalization of politics is a lethal cocktail
Criminalization of politics is a lethal cocktail By Sidhesh Kaul JAKARTA (JP): As Indonesia prepares for the upcoming June general election, there is the growing danger of criminal elements creeping into the political arena. The combination of corruption and criminalization in politics is a deadly cocktail which, over a period of time, could pose a serious threat to Indonesian democracy.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Government reduces export taxes on wood products
Government reduces export taxes on wood products JAKARTA (JP): The government has reduced the export taxes imposed on logs, sawn timber and raw rattan to 20 percent from 30 percent, despite mounting complaints from local wood processing industries over the scarcity of logs in the local market.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Businessman turned hermit
Businessman turned hermit On March 2, 1999, I received a visit from a distant relative who spent almost one year in a remote village near Pelabuhan Ratu, West Java, a renowned seaside resort where local and foreign tourists come to admire the beautiful scenery and the nearby pristine forests. However, some swimmers are said to have lost their lives in the treacherous undercurrents and whirlpools in the coastal waters.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Voting booths and ballot boxes to cost Rp 1.7b
Voting booths and ballot boxes to cost Rp 1.7b JAKARTA (JP): The price for voting booths and ballot boxes for the June 7 general election in the capital is estimated at more than Rp 1.7 billion, a city official said on Tuesday. The official at the city's social political affairs directorate, who asked for anonymity, said the amount did not include money needed to make and place political banners along the city's main thoroughfares as promised by Governor Sutiyoso.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
City to launch clean air project
City to launch clean air project JAKARTA (JP): The city administration and the Swisscontact foundation of Switzerland have joined forces to implement a clean air project worth Rp 7.5 billion, with the aim of lowering fuel consumption and vehicle emissions in the capital. A cooperation agreement for the project was signed on Monday by Prawoto S.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Tanri Abeng dismisses head of state general insurance firm
Tanri Abeng dismisses head of state general insurance firm JAKARTA (JP): The government has dismissed Amir Imam Poero as president of state-owned general insurance firm PT Asuransi Jasa Indonesia (Jasindo), a government source said on Tuesday. "The letter of dismissal was signed by State Minister of the Empowerment of State Enterprises Tanri Abeng on Monday," the source told The Jakarta Post.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Scenarios for democratization
Scenarios for democratization This is the first of two articles based on a paper presented by Mohammad A.S. Hikam, a senior research associate of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, at a European Union-Indonesia Dialog. The forum was organized by the International Dialogs Foundation and the European Institute for Asian Studies in Brussels on Feb. 23 to Feb. 24.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
New gallery for young artists
New gallery for young artists JAKARTA (JP): A new gallery intended to promote the works of young artists, Galeri Inggil, is to open on Wednesday. Galeri Inggil, from the Javanese word meaning "high" or "excellent", occupies the first floor of the Wisma Paramita building on Jl. Denpasar in Kuningan, South Jakarta. The space was formerly the office of a bank closed down by the government. Gallery owner Lilin Rizwan Halim said the opening would feature an exhibition of paintings by I.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Tuberculousis remains a deadly disease
Tuberculousis remains a deadly disease By Chris W. Green JAKARTA (JP): When Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of TB bacillus on March 24, 1882 in Berlin, tuberculosis (TB) was raging through Europe and the Americas, killing one in seven people. Koch's discovery brought with it the hope for controlling this fearful disease. But progress has been very slow. Effective anti-TB drugs did not appear until the 1950s. Many parts of the world are still without effective treatment.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Bandungan Charter
Bandungan Charter Based on the ideal of all Indonesians, as declared by the Youth Pledge of 1928, One motherland One nation One language, are absolute conditions needed to achieve a unified nation with a just and prosperous society and strong and dynamic economy, so that it can control its involvement in international affairs as part of the era's call. Along with this, we state our commitment that the only way to manifest the ideal is through a process of assimilation.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Koppasus verdict slated for April 6
Koppasus verdict slated for April 6 JAKARTA (JP): A judge at the Jakarta Military Court said on Tuesday the court will hand down on April 6 the verdict against 11 Army Special Forces (Kopassus) soldiers charged with abducting political activists. Presiding Judge Col. Susanto set the date after chief military prosecutor Col. Harom Wijaya rebutted the defense argument that the court should drop all charges against the defendants.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
S. Korean business visit
S. Korean business visit JAKARTA (JP): A South Korean business delegation from Kangwon province, led by it's governor Kim Jin-sun, is due to arrive over the weekend on a visit to expand economic ties with Indonesia. The Korea Trade Center said on Tuesday the 11-member delegation would represent the machinery, chemicals, cosmetics and animal feed manufacturers. The mission will also promote the Kangwon Tourism International Expo which will be held between Sept. 11 and Oct.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
40 Acehnese political prisoners released
40 Acehnese political prisoners released JAKARTA (JP): Only three days before President B.J. Habibie's visit to Aceh, the government announced on Tuesday the release of 40 Acehnese political prisoners on the condition they pledge allegiance to the state ideology Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. Minister of Justice Muladi said their release was effected by Habibie in decree No. 13 dated March 17.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory From Sinar Pagi The Ambon case is a tragedy for the whole country because it has marred the nation's prestige in the international community. In my opinion supporters of the Republic of South Maluku (RMS), both at home and abroad, are behind the Ambon unrest. They are making use of the political chaos in Indonesia for their own purposes. This was proven by the many RMS flags flown when the riots in Ambon began in mid-January.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Gateway enters RI market
Gateway enters RI market JAKARTA (JP): The U.S.-based personal computer maker Gateway Inc. announced on Tuesday its entry into the Indonesian PC market regardless of the country's economic crisis.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Students protest Nurdin acquittal
Students protest Nurdin acquittal UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: Violence marred more student demonstrations over the acquittal of Golkar legislator and businessman Nurdin Halid of corruption charges here on Tuesday. Thousands of students, grouped in the Makasar Student Solidarity Movement, blockaded the major thoroughfare Jl. Urip Sumoharjo and set a taxi on fire on their way to the district court. The taxi belonged to the Hasanuddin cooperatives center run by one of Nurdin's brothers.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
ADB approves $400m in loans to Indonesia
ADB approves $400m in loans to Indonesia MANILA (AFP): The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said here on Tuesday that it has approved two loans totaling US$400 million for a power sector restructuring program in Indonesia. A $380 million loan will go to support a government reform program for the sector while a $20 million loan will help set up a competitive electricity market, the ADB said in a statement from its Manila headquarters.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Sjahril targets lower rates, stronger rupiah
Sjahril targets lower rates, stronger rupiah PARIS (Dow Jones): Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin said Tuesday he sees room for further interest-rate declines in Indonesia, and hopes for a concurrent rise in the rupiah's rate against the dollar.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
PSIS and Persija improve their chances
PSIS and Persija improve their chances JAKARTA (JP): PSIS Semarang and Persija Jakarta upped their chances of winning semifinal berths by moving to the top of their groups on the seventh day of the Indonesian Soccer League (Ligina) playoffs at Senayan soccer stadium in Central Jakarta on Tuesday. PSIS Semarang, which appeared lax in its defense, tied 2-2 with Semen Padang in its Group I match.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
PLN guarantees Bali power supply
PLN guarantees Bali power supply JAKARTA (JP): State electricity company PT PLN assured on Tuesday that Bali would not suffer power outages despite the breakdown of one of the two power plants on the resort island. "People in Bali need not be afraid about blackouts. The power plant will resume operation on Thursday at the latest to secure power supply on the island," secretary of PT Pembangkitan Listrik Jawa Bali I (PJB I) Waluyo Nugroho Harjowinoto told The Jakarta Post and Kompas daily.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
No extra protection for small firms: Adi
No extra protection for small firms: Adi JAKARTA (JP): The government will not provide excessive protection for small and medium-scale enterprises because it would discourage competition, Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi Sasono said on Tuesday. Adi said any efforts to build strong business competition through protection would be doomed to fail, as was demonstrated by past measures by the government. "In past years, the government gave excessive protection to conglomerates.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
April 6 verdict set for Anwar
April 6 verdict set for Anwar KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): The judge in the corruption trial of fired Malaysian finance minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday he would give his verdict on April 6, ignoring a move by the defense to throw him off the case. In the latest twist in the 73-day trial, High Court judge Augustine Paul warned Anwar's lawyers they could be held in contempt of court for refusing to sum up the case.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Students urge government to put a stop bloodshed
Students urge government to put a stop bloodshed JAKARTA (JP): About 200 students protested in front of the Ministry of Defense and Security, demanding the government and the military take firm action to resolve recent incidents of unrest because of the threat to national unity. "If President B.J. Habibie and Armed Forces Commander Gen.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Looking back at the attempts to promote Chinese assimilation
Looking back at the attempts to promote Chinese assimilation By Emmy Fitri Hastuti BANDUNGAN, Central Java (JP): Ill feeling toward ethnic Chinese is nothing new. In fact, the tension was obvious decades ago. And if you think the government has never done anything to overcome the problem, you would be wrong.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Water supply disruption
Water supply disruption JAKARTA (JP): Tap water firm PT Thames Pam Jaya announced on Tuesday temporary disruption of the water supply on Wednesday morning in several eastern areas of the city due to an electricity blackout at the Buaran Water Treatment Plant. Sales and marketing manager of the firm Nani Sariati said state-owned electricity company PT PLN announced power would be down between 10 a.m. and noon because of repairs to the power station at the plant.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Police shoot dead two men for resisting arrest
Police shoot dead two men for resisting arrest JAKARTA (JP): City Police shot dead two street criminals in two separate incidents for resisting arrest, raising the death toll of criminals shot by law enforcers to 26 this year. City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Monday the two victims were identified as Syahrul, alias Aung, 28, and Hermansyah, alias Yayah, 26.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Police arrest 13 for involvement in shoplifting
Police arrest 13 for involvement in shoplifting JAKARTA (JP): City police arrested 13 people, including seven women, late Monday for alleged involvement in a shoplifting ring which concentrated on major supermarkets in the capital, a senior police officer said. The officer, who asked not to be identified, said on Tuesday the arrests were made at two separate locations.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Bintuni Minaraya expands
Bintuni Minaraya expands JAKARTA (JP): PT Bintuni Minaraya, the largest integrated fisheries company in Eastern Indonesia, will become the first company to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the domestic stock exchanges since last June.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Stock Exchange
Stock Exchange Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Mar. 23 , 1999: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ---------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 225 -125 500 AHAP Insurance 400 0 0 Alakasa Industrindo 125 0 0 Alter Abadi 200 0 0 Alumindo Light Metal Indu 350 0 64,500 Aneka Kimia Raya 150 0 50,000 Aneka Tambang (Persero) 1,475 0 709,500 Anwar Sierad 50 0 0 APAC Centertex Corp 225 0 25,000 Aqua Golden Mississippi 2,700 0 0 Argha Karya Prima...
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Phone lines at Senen apartment disrupted
Phone lines at Senen apartment disrupted JAKARTA (JP): Telephone services to the Menara apartment complex on Jl. Senen Raya, Central Jakarta, were disrupted from Friday to Sunday because a 15-meter primary cable to the building was stolen. "The cable has a capacity of 1,000 telephone lines," I. Nyoman G. Wiryanata, head of the Central Jakarta office of state telecommunications operator PT Telkom, said on Monday.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Refugees flood Pontianak
Refugees flood Pontianak PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): Over 10,000 Madurese from Sambas regency have poured into this city and surrounding areas to escape the violence with local Malays and Dayaks. The exodus continued on Tuesday, while over 13,000 people in the Pemangkat coastal sub-district of Sambas were waiting to be evacuated.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Diarrhea hits Ambon refugees
Diarrhea hits Ambon refugees KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi (Antara): Six refugees from the riot-torn eastern Indonesian city of Ambon died of diarrhea while 395 others have been hospitalized in the past 20 days, a health official said here Tuesday. The victims are three infants and three young people, the head of the district health office, Sahyuddin said. He said diarrhea attacked the subdistricts of Gu and Lakudo.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Local men swell with joy over govt's approval of Viagra
Local men swell with joy over govt's approval of Viagra By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): What does a man do upon receiving Viagra from a friend returning from a trip abroad? Forty-eight-year-old Suryana, not his real name, sent his three children to his parents' house on a Sunday so that he and his wife could try the blue pills without any disturbances. "I still remember how it felt although I tried it about two months ago. Never in my life had I made love to my wife four times in one day.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Rioting, an expectation
Rioting, an expectation From Republika Indonesia has been jolted frequently by rioting since 1996. In 1997, riots occurred with intensified frequency and peaked in 1998. While in 1996 riots were still local in nature, in 1998 they reached a national scale. These riots have been attributable to the fight for power among Indonesia's political elite, which has even affected people in the lower rungs of the social ladder.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Govt forms new unit to speed up debt restructuring
Govt forms new unit to speed up debt restructuring JAKARTA (JP): The government announced on Tuesday the establishment of a new unit called the one-stop facilitation group designed to help accelerate the process of restructuring private sector debt.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Singapore banker buys more UIC stake, Salim says sale still on
Singapore banker buys more UIC stake, Salim says sale still on SINGAPORE (Reuters): Singapore banker Wee Cho Yaw continued to mop up more United Industrial Corp. shares even as Indonesia's Salim group said on Tuesday it was on course to sell its stake to Hong Kong's HKR International. In shareholding declarations filed with the Stock Exchange of Singapore, United Overseas Bank, headed by Wee, said it bought 446,000 UIC shares at S$0.8989 apiece on March 22.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
KPU to indirectly bar ministers from campaigning
KPU to indirectly bar ministers from campaigning JAKARTA (JP): Political parties will be barred from recruiting government officials, including ministers, to campaign in the polls, a General Elections Commission (KPU) member said on Tuesday. "The KPU has no authority to directly prohibit ministers from campaigning... because they are presidential aides," A.A. Oka Mahendra said after the commission's plenary session.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Water company needs subsidies, says executive
Water company needs subsidies, says executive JAKARTA (JP): City-owned tap water company PDAM Jaya desperately needs subsidies amounting to Rp 234 billion from the city administration to cover deficits incurred from supplying water at a static rate, a senior executive said on Tuesday.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Abducted servicemen found dead in Aceh
Abducted servicemen found dead in Aceh JAKARTA (JP): Marine Maj. Edianto Abbas and Chief Sgt. Syarifuddin, who were abducted last December, were found dead near Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, on Monday. Kompas daily reported on Tuesday that their bodies, bearing severe wounds, were discovered buried on farmland in Cot Trieng village. The military has said the Free Aceh movement was responsible for the abduction on Dec. 29.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Malnutrition in RI may devastate a generation
Malnutrition in RI may devastate a generation JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) reiterated its warning on Tuesday of the danger of a mentally deficient generation caused by malnutrition currently affecting infants and pregnant women as a result of the unabated economic crisis. "For every child that dies due to severe malnutrition, there are nine who die due to the mild or moderate 'unseen' forms," Stephen J.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Bank Universal upgrades its computer system
Bank Universal upgrades its computer system JAKARTA (JP): Bank Universal purchased a US$2 million computer system from PT USI, the local partner of United States-based IBM, to improve its customer service, a senior executive at the bank said. Universal's vice president, Terry Ng, said on Tuesday Bank Universal's transactions had doubled in volume over the last two years to $1.8 million.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
New body set up to ensure peace ahead of Timor ballot
New body set up to ensure peace ahead of Timor ballot JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights declared on Tuesday establishment of a commission on East Timor to ensure peace for the planned direct ballot in July, Antara reported.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Golkar Party told to refuse financial aid from Japan's LDP
Golkar Party told to refuse financial aid from Japan's LDP JAKARTA (JP): The Golkar Party must return any financial aid given by foreign donors, including that from Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), as this violates the new law banning political parties from receiving foreign assistance, Minister of Justice Muladi said on Tuesday. "If it is true, the aid must be quickly returned," Muladi said after meeting with President B.J. Habibie at Merdeka Palace.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
ABRI failed the test
ABRI failed the test The political neutrality of the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) has been in question since the ABRI faction in the House of Representatives joined with the ruling Golkar party and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in rejecting a proposal to summon President B.J. Habibie in connection with his leaked telephone conversation with Attorney General Andi Ghalib.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
The pitfalls of guarantee
The pitfalls of guarantee The guarantee provided by the Indonesian government to all depositors and creditors at locally incorporated commercial banks since late January 1998 should be hailed as the government's most strategic move to restore public confidence in the banking system. Without the blanket guarantee for both rupiah and foreign currency claims, runs on banks set off by the closure of 16 banks in November 1997 would have destroyed the industry.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
IBRA balks at demand for higher severance payments
IBRA balks at demand for higher severance payments JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) again refused on Tuesday demands for higher severance payments for employees of the 38 closed banks, despite further protests. IBRA deputy chairman Eko S. Budianto said the government's decision to give the closed bank employees severance payments double the amount stipulated in the Minister of Manpower Decree No. 3/1996 was final. "We will not back off.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Minister chairs Singapore FA
Minister chairs Singapore FA SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore Communications Minister Mah Bow Tan has taken over the reins of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), vowing to clean up the sport and have Singapore pressing for a 2010 World Cup berth, a report said Tuesday. Mah said he hoped to bring a "sense of professionalism" to the association, adding he was "fed-up with the excuses and in- fighting that plagued past national teams' performances," the Straits Times said.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
Southeast Asian currencies slip lower in listless trading
Southeast Asian currencies slip lower in listless trading SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Southeast Asian currencies slipped a touch lower against the U.S. currency, sold down in listless trading in Asia on Tuesday in response to fall in the value of the Japanese yen. With market participants expecting Japanese monetary officials to continue to attempt to guide the U.S.
Wed, 24 Mar 1999, 00:00 WIB
AG's office to question Jeffrey Winters on Friday
AG's office to question Jeffrey Winters on Friday JAKARTA (JP): American scholar Jeffrey Winters will be questioned by the Attorney General's Office on Friday over his accusation of corrupt practices in mining giant, PT Freeport Indonesia, an official said on Tuesday. "Winters was scheduled to be questioned on Wednesday, but his lawyer (Todung Mulya Lubis) said he would only be able to attend on Friday," spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Soehandoyo told The Jakarta Post by phone.