Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 4 March 1999

58 articles found

Singapore's Ong to U.S. for checkup

Singapore's Ong to U.S. for checkup SINGAPORE (AP): Singapore President Ong Teng Cheong left for the United States for "a routine medical checkup", and is expected to return on March 7, the government said on Wednesday.

U.S. lawmakers urge dialog to settle Irian issue

U.S. lawmakers urge dialog to settle Irian issue WASHINGTON (AFP): U.S. legislators are urging dialog between Jakarta and the separatist eastern province of Irian Jaya, ahead of a visit to Indonesia by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.Five House members urged President B.J.

Indonesia not safe: Poll respondents

Indonesia not safe: Poll respondents JAKARTA (JP): Most people in Indonesia say they do not feel safe because of the recent bloody riots rocking various parts of the archipelago, according to a new survey.

PT Freeport in fresh environmental dispute

PT Freeport in fresh environmental dispute JAKARTA (JP): The Irian Jaya legislative body has established a team to investigate environmental damage blamed on the mining operations of PT Freeport Indonesia in Mimika.The speaker of the legislative body, T.N.

Plane passenger caught with ecstasy

Plane passenger caught with ecstasy TANGERANG (JP): A male passenger of a Garuda Indonesia flight heading for the East Java capital of Surabaya was arrested for possession of 400 ecstasy pills in the departure hall of Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Wednesday.Tangerang Police chief detective Capt.

Universal's credit to farmers

Universal's credit to farmers JAKARTA (JP): Bank Universal has provided a total of Rp 274.5 billion (US$32 million) in credit to smallholding oil palm farmers in Indragiri Hulu, Riau as a plank of the bank's participation in national rural development.

Bayu-Undan LPG project postponed

Bayu-Undan LPG project postponed MELBOURNE (Dow Jones): The Bayu-Undan liquefied petroleum gas and condensate project in the Timor Sea is to be postponed in the wake of political and commodity price uncertainty, Australian oil and gas company Petroz NL said Wednesday.

E. Timorese groups trade blame for exodus

E. Timorese groups trade blame for exodus JAKARTA (JP): The pro-integration East Timorese calling themselves Besi Merah Putih (Red and White Iron) denied on Wednesday intimidating hundreds of Maubara residents in Liquica regency into fleeing their town.

Asia lacks corporate governance

Asia lacks corporate governance SEOUL (Reuters): Good corporate governance does not conflict with Asian values or the values of any other region of the world, a senior official of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said on Wednesday.

Law of the jungle

Law of the jungleFrom MerdekaIt seems that the law of the jungle has moved to town. Could it be caused by the fact that most of our forests have been destroyed or burned by greedy forest concessionaires?To recall the tragedies occurring in many parts of the country recently like Malang, Banyuwangi,...

Suspicious cable installation

Suspicious cable installation I'm very disappointed with one of Indovision's agents. It happened one month ago when someone from "Spectrum" (their office is at Jl. Fatmawati) called at my house to install the mini- parabola from Indovision.

Insurance employees seeking justice over unpaid salaries

Insurance employees seeking justice over unpaid salaries JAKARTA (JP): All 60 employees at the head office of privately owned PT Buana Putra life insurance company, lodged complaints at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute on Wednesday, saying that their salary had not been paid since last August.

Principals 'responsible' for student brawls

Principals 'responsible' for student brawls JAKARTA (JP): A city councilor has underlined the importance of sacking a school principal if any student of the school he supervises dies in a street brawl. This is in a bid to reduce the number of such fatalities.

Cultural freedom for ethnic Chinese

Cultural freedom for ethnic Chinese I fully support the idea of Indonesia ratifying an international convention on the legal protection of and equal rights for ethnic minorities. In fact, without waiting for Indonesia's ratification of this convention, Habibie's administration should issue a...

Doomsday ruled out but Y2K may hit Asia hard

Doomsday ruled out but Y2K may hit Asia hard MANILA (AFP): A worldwide recession will not occur, Russian nuclear missiles will not accidentally launch themselves and phone lines will not go dead on the stroke of New Year's Day next year.

Nokia eyes affluent segment

Nokia eyes affluent segment JAKARTA (JP): Finnish cellular phone manufacturer Nokia Mobile Phones Indonesia launched a new product on Wednesday to tap into the upmarket business segment.Nokia sales and marketing manager Hasan Aula said the relatively expensive cellular device would be marketed to...

Quadruplets die in Bali

Quadruplets die in Bali DENPASAR, Bali: The last of Indonesia's first set of quadruplets conceived by artificial insemination died in Bali on Tuesday, less than a week after they were born on Thursday, Feb. 25.

Paintings show life for street kids

Paintings show life for street kidsBy Chandra Johan SANUR, Bali (JP): Two boys are sexually abused in the middle of the road. A policeman is seen brandishing his cudgel at nothing in particular. Across the road a scavenging child witnesses the incident, but can do nothing.

Search for soldiers bodies ended

Search for soldiers bodies ended SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: Rescue workers ended on Wednesday their search for the bodies of three soldiers who are believed to have died after their boat capsized in Mahakam River more than two weeks ago.The military commander of Samarinda, Lt. Col.

S'pore told to disregard RI snipes

S'pore told to disregard RI snipes SINGAPORE (Reuters): Singapore must not be intimidated by disparaging remarks made about it by Indonesian leaders, the Straits Times newspaper said on Wednesday."In responding to unreasonable remarks that border on the presumptuous, it is necessary for...

Stray bullet strikes woman in S. Jakarta

Stray bullet strikes woman in S. Jakarta JAKARTA (JP): A housewife was hit by a bullet thought to be fired by a motorcyclist in Rawajati Barat, Pancoran district, South Jakarta on Wednesday.The victim was identified as Kasni, 37, a mother of four, who runs a food stall in Rawajati Barat with her...

BI's net claim on govt rises to Rp 120.9t

BI's net claim on govt rises to Rp 120.9t JAKARTA (JP): The government has issued bonds worth Rp 144.5 trillion (US$16.3 billion) to Bank Indonesia to cover liquidity support to troubled commercial banks.It helped multiply the central bank's net claim on the government by Rp 147.

Manila Y2K summit asks for WB, ADB aid

Manila Y2K summit asks for WB, ADB aid MANILA (Reuters): Eighteen Asia-Pacific nations and economies on Wednesday appealed for funding from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other international financial institutions to rid the region of the millennium bug.

Ministers wary over telephone bugging

Ministers wary over telephone buggingBy Kornelius Purba JAKARTA (JP): The uproar over the recently leaked telephone conversation between President B.J. Habibie and Attorney General Lt. Gen. A.M. Ghalib has forced some ministers to reduce usage of their telephones, especially the cellular variety.

NTT builds more vocational schools

NTT builds more vocational schools KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province is building three vocational schools, two of which will be funded by the Japanese government.The head of the province's education and culture office, Abraham Gampar, told Antara on Wednesday that...

Government divided over plans to expose bad bankers

Government divided over plans to expose bad bankers JAKARTA (JP): The government is still undecided whether to go ahead with plans to expose the central bank's list of bad bankers on March 13, according to Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Sjahril Sabirin.

Anak Krakatau increasingly active

Anak Krakatau increasingly active SERANG, West Java: Mount Anak Krakatau, a volcano standing in the Sunda Strait, has been showing increasing activity -- marked by occasional explosions -- since mid-February, local sources said here Tuesday.

Telkom's partners seek revision of KSO scheme

Telkom's partners seek revision of KSO scheme JAKARTA (JP): The five private partners of state-owned PT Telkom urged the telecommunications operator on Wednesday to revise their current joint operations scheme, which they claimed was "flawed".Gatot S.

TV today

TV todayTVRI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 Morning News 7:00 Children's Songs 7:30 TV Series 8:00 Music 8:30 Tour and Travel 9:00 Music 10:00 Interval 2:00 p.m. News 2:35 Cartoon: Thunder Cats 3:05 Environment Program 3:30 Science Film 4:00 Regional News 4:30 Creative Program 5:00 Arabic...

Regends, mayors forewarned of possible riots

Regends, mayors forewarned of possible riots JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid urged regional leaders on Wednesday to be more vigilant in the wake of riots and probable political tensions leading to the general election.

Empowering people through free-range chicken breeding

Empowering people through free-range chicken breedingBy Joko Sarwono BOGOR (JP): The Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) is currently running a chicken breeding project in Pamijahan village here in a bid to empower local people to overcome the effects of the current economic crisis.

Toll road tariff hike rejected by govt

Toll road tariff hike rejected by govt JAKARTA (JP): The government rejected on Wednesday a proposal from toll road operators to increase toll tariffs.Minister of Public Works Rachmadi Bambang Sumadhijo said the tariff would not be raised for the duration of the current cabinet.

Students protest gambling dens

Students protest gambling dens PALANGKA RAYA, Central Kalimantan: Dozens of students from various universities on Monday demonstrated on the grounds of the provincial police station, demanding that police close down all gambling sites.

Armed Forces to segregate clashing parties in Ambon

Armed Forces to segregate clashing parties in Ambon JAKARTA (JP): A senior military officer called on Wednesday for the establishment of a demarcation line to separate conflicting parties in Ambon as fresh protests mounted over Monday's shooting incident in Ahuru village in the Maluku capital.

Davis team member Edy faces penalty for skupping practice

Davis team member Edy faces penalty for skupping practice JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Davis Cup team member Edy Kusdaryanto has skipped practice for two days due to illness.Coach Dedy Prasetyo said on Wednesday that Edy only informed the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) office staff about his...

Siemens awards RI students

Siemens awards RI students JAKARTA (JP): The leading technology company, Siemens of Germany has granted the Siemens Excellence Award to three outstanding graduates of this country's universities, the company said on Wednesday.

Philippines warns against rebel aid

Philippines warns against rebel aid MANILA (AFP): A Philippines official warned foreign governments on Wednesday against helping separatists on Mindanao Island."Let me stress that the government's peace talks with the MILF is purely an internal affair of the Philippines," President Joseph Estrada's...

Sutiyoso proposes 56% increase in new budget

Sutiyoso proposes 56% increase in new budget JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso submitted to the City Council on Wednesday a draft city budget for the upcoming 1999/2000 fiscal year worth Rp 2.74 trillion, a 56 percent increase from the current budget of Rp 1.75 trillion.

Wiranto removes Maluku police chief

Wiranto removes Maluku police chief JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto on Wednesday removed Col. Karyono from his position as police chief of riot-torn Maluku, citing "operational reasons".

Hero supermarket suffer Rp 69b in net loss

Hero supermarket suffer Rp 69b in net loss JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed grocery chain Hero Supermarket announced on Wednesday it suffered a net loss of Rp 69 billion (about US$8 million) in 1998 mainly due to the company's large foreign exchange loss.

Questioning of Saefuddin delayed due to Cabinet meeting

Questioning of Saefuddin delayed due to Cabinet meeting JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin said on Wednesday said he was ready to be questioned by the police on charges of inciting public hatred if President B.J. Habibie had given his approval as required by law.

S'pore tourist arrivals rise

S'pore tourist arrivals rise SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore's tourist arrivals rose 11.9 percent from a year earlier to 570,287 in January on the back of a significant increase in visitors from Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Wednesday.

BATAN cooperatives to sue developer

BATAN cooperatives to sue developer JAKARTA (JP): Workers cooperatives of the National Atomic Energy Agency (BATAN) will sue private developer, PT Roma Permai Abdina, for an alleged swindle involving more than Rp 1 billion, a lawyer said on Wednesday.

Parties asked to maintain security

Parties asked to maintain security JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso is planning to invite leaders of all political parties eligible for the June general election to discuss how to maintain security and create peaceful campaigns in the capital ahead of the poll.

Why is Australian meat cheaper?

Why is Australian meat cheaper?By Mangku Sitepoe JAKARTA (JP): Following the Indonesian government's plan to import meat from India, Australian businessmen, through Indonesia's state minister of food affairs and horticulture, offered on Feb.

Charoen Pokphand cuts feedmeal output

Charoen Pokphand cuts feedmeal output JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed poultry feed meal producer PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia said on Wednesday that the country's worst ever economic crisis has forced the company to reduce production by 50 percent.Company Director Djoko M.

Two parties urge Habibie to resign

Two parties urge Habibie to resign JAKARTA (JP): The National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) urged on Wednesday that President B.J. Habibie step down for his failure to curb violence, citing the continuing Maluku unrest, in which 159 people have been killed since...

Armed Forces to segregate clashing parties in Ambon

Armed Forces to segregate clashing parties in Ambon JAKARTA (JP): A senior military officer has dismissed the possibility of an independent Aceh, believing the idea is part of a wave of separatism representing a "serious threat" to national unity.Governor of the National Resilience Institute Lt.

'The Jakarta Post' distributes 'IHT'

'The Jakarta Post' distributes 'IHT' JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Post's affiliate PT Bina Media Sejahtera has agreed to distribute The International Herald Tribune (IHT) in Indonesia, IHT Asia/Pacific managing director Nigel Oakins said on Wednesday.

KL to get $890m from Japan

KL to get $890m from Japan TOKYO (Reuters): Japan said on Wednesday it had agreed to extend 107.69 billion yen ($890 million) in long-term loans at low interest rates to Malaysia as part of its financial aid program to help revitalize the country's economy.

Economic crisis affects students

Economic crisis affects students MALANG, East Java: With the economic crisis far from over, more than 35 percent of the students at state-run Brawijaya University here are relying on scholarships to continue their studies, the university rector, Eka Afnan Troena, said.

Where to go in Bali:

Where to go in Bali:Exhibition * Photo Exhibition: Lumiere, Amour, Creation, by Jacques Francois Xavier Guyot, at Ganesha Gallery, Four Seasons Resort, Jimbaran (Phone: 0361 701010), 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., until March 22.

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates Bank Bali's conversion rates on March 3, 1999: TT rates Bank notes rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 8,820.00 8,850.00 8,820.00 8,900.00 Australian dollar 1 5,469.05 5,562.25 5,470.00 5,670.00 Austrian schilling 1 695.81 706.14 - - Belgian franc 1 237.

Hendro favored to stay head of judo association

Hendro favored to stay head of judo association JAKARTA (JP): A.M. Hendro Priyono, incumbent chairman of the Indonesian Judo Association (PJSI), is a strong candidate to remain head of the association at its congress this weekend, an official said on Wednesday.

Vietnam submits 2003 Games bid

Vietnam submits 2003 Games bid HANOI (AP): A proposal for Vietnam to host the 2003 Southeast Asian Games was to be submitted Wednesday to the government for consideration, the Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

Stock Exchange

Stock ExchangeStock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on March 3, 1999: ---------------------------------------------------------- Shares Close Change Trading Volume ---------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 350 0 0 AHAP Insurance 400 0 0 Alter Abadi 275...

Witnesses hint Anwar beating was premeditated

Witnesses hint Anwar beating was premeditated KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Two police officers testified on Wednesday that Malaysia's former police chief ordered jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim handcuffed and blindfolded before beating him the night of his arrest -- evidence the controversial attack...

Where to go in Surabaya:

Where to go in Surabaya:Exhibition * The World Press Photo, at CCCL - French Cultural Center, Jl. Darmokali 10 (Phone: 031 5678639), 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., March 3-12.Film * French Film, at CCCL - French Cultural Center : Chacun cherce son chat, directed by Klapisch Cidric, on March 5.