Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 7 June 1999

44 articles found

Minibus burns on toll road

Minibus burns on toll road JAKARTA (JP): An illegal intercity minibus carrying 11 passengers from Cilacap, Central Java, to Lampung, Sumatra, caught fire while traveling on the Cawang-Semanggi toll road here on Saturday morning.

Singaporean banks sue Aster Dharma

Singaporean banks sue Aster Dharma JAKARTA (JP): Two Singapore banks have jointly filed a bankruptcy claim against PT Aster Dharma Industri for failing to exercise its guarantee in taking over the matured debt of its subsidiary operating in Singapore.Rahmat Bastian of Dermawan & Co.

Indonesia 'able to enter' Swiss, Austrian bank secrecy

Indonesia 'able to enter' Swiss, Austrian bank secrecy JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government has claimed to be able to penetrate bank secrecy in Switzerland and Austria on cases related to money laundering, including the allegedly ill-gotten wealth owned by former president Soeharto and his...

Women show awareness of need of vote

Women show awareness of need of vote JAKARTA (JP): A barrage of advertisements have emphasized the right of women to make their own decision in Monday's elections. Some ads have attempted to raise women's awareness of the need to vote for parties which focus on improving conditions for women.

Govt must act to lure 'foreign cruise ships'

Govt must act to lure 'foreign cruise ships' JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Inbound Tour Operators Club Arievaldy Kumarga said on Saturday the government should be more active in encouraging foreign cruise ship operators to enter Indonesian waters.

Presidential debates

Presidential debatesFrom KompasMany people have recently voiced their opinions on the ongoing debates among presidential hopefuls. Some see the necessity of the debates, while others do not agree with them.

What kind of Indonesian leader do you want?

What kind of Indonesian leader do you want?By Yani Prasatya JAKARTA (JP): Many polls have been conducted to predict who the upcoming leader of this nation will be through the elections. But seldom is the question asked: what makes a good leader?We have heard the presidential candidates sharing...

Utilization of export credit guarantee facilities low: BI

Utilization of export credit guarantee facilities low: BI JAKARTA (JP): The utilization of financing facilities provided by foreign governments and financial institutions for local exporters to import raw materials has been very low due to the volatility of the rupiah and problems in the domestic...

Malaysian students abroad cautioned

Malaysian students abroad cautioned KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi warned Malaysian students abroad on Sunday to beware of foreigners, the official Bernama news agency reported.

Java not fully open to 'foreign miners': Government

Java not fully open to 'foreign miners': Government JAKARTA (JP): The government will not fully open the island of Java to foreign mining investors, in order to give local mining investors the opportunity to grow, a top official at the Ministry of Mines and Energy said on Friday.

Irianese hostage still treated

Irianese hostage still treated JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: Yolanda, one of 11 Irianese hostages kidnapped by an Irianese rebel group on May 5 and freed on May 31, was still being treated at the Marthen Indey military hospital here as of Saturday due to malaria.

Akbar, Mega to vote in Jakarta, Amien in Yogyakarta

Akbar, Mega to vote in Jakarta, Amien in Yogyakarta JAKARTA (JP): Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung will cast his vote on Monday at polling station (TPS) No. 2 in Senayan, South Jakarta, while Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) will vote...

Fugitive gunned down in Banyumas

Fugitive gunned down in Banyumas PURWOKERTO, Central Java: A fugitive from the Nusakambangan penitentiary was gunned down by Banyumas Police on Friday.The fugitive, identified as Muyi, 31, was shot in both legs and in the chest.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta:Exhibitions * Painting Exhibition: Misteri Wanita Dalam Ukiyo-e, at Pusat Kebudayaan Jepang - The Japan Foundation, Summitmas I, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61-62 South Jakarta (Phone: 5201266), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., until Jun. 30.

Euro hurts China's export

Euro hurts China's export BEIJING (Dow Jones): The faltering debut of the euro has dragged down China's exports to the European Union this year, the official China Daily Business Weekly reported on Sunday.China's sales to E.U. countries fell 2.

Which political parties really fight for women?

Which political parties really fight for women?By Ida Indawati Khouw JAKARTA (JP): Every day electronic and print media have been running commercials urging women to choose parties "which pay attention to women".

Background of the social safety net program

Background of the social safety net programBy Sri Pamoedjo Rahardjo This is the first of two articles on the social safety net. JAKARTA (JP): The social safety net strategy (known by its local acronym as JPS) was first introduced in Indonesia as a response to safeguard the most affected segment of...

An imposed peace

An imposed peace One year after president Soeharto left office, Indonesia still offers a salutary case study of what a strongman's rule, and its sudden termination, can do to a country.The trials and tribulations which its people have to endure are a painful reminder of what a sudden transition...

Teenagers nabbed for taxi robbery

Teenagers nabbed for taxi robbery JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Pasar Emas in the village of Muara Bhakti in Babelan, Bekasi, detained a female teenager and her accomplice for allegedly attempting to rob a taxi driver on Saturday night.

SilkAir gets insurance claim

SilkAir gets insurance claim SINGAPORE (Reuters): Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIA) insurers have paid out a US$35.5 million claim for the SilkAir aircraft that crashed into the Musi river in South Sumatra last year, Singapore's Business Times reported on Saturday.

Developing political literacy

Developing political literacyBy A. Chaedar Alwasilah BANDUNG (JP): Literacy is commonly defined as the quality or state of being literate, that is, educated and cultured, or having the ability to read and write.

Four men arrested for burglary

Four men arrested for burglary PALU, Central Sulawesi: Donggala police officers arrested four men on Friday for allegedly stealing various electronics goods belonging to a local resident, an official said on Saturday.Donggala Police chief Lt. Col. Adrizal Adnan said the arrests were made at 2:30 a.

Firms to cooperate on petrochemical project

Firms to cooperate on petrochemical project TOKYO (Dow Jones): Nissho Iwai Corp, Itochu Corp, an Indonesian firm and a Thai firm will put up a combined US$1 million every four months to cover plant maintenance costs at an Indonesian petrochemical complex project in East Java, the Nihon Keizai...

ICW vs Ghalib

ICW vs Ghalib The Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) finding published in the press late last week has jolted many people. The ICW has found evidence of the transfer of Rp 1.8 billion (about US$225,000) by two prominent businessmen to Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib's bank account. Between Feb.

TV today

TV todayTVRI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 8:00 Children's Program 10:00 Music 11:30 Traditional Performance 1:00 p.m. Music 2:00 News 2:30 Student's Quiz 3:00 Music 4:00 Regional News 4:30 Religious Teachings 5:00 Technology Program 5:30 TV Drama 6:00 Sports 6:30 News (in English) 7:00...

East Timor mystery

East Timor mystery The United Nations Assessment Mission on East Timor has arrived in East Timor. It is organizing its facilities and staff in preparation of the ballot in East Timor to be held on Aug. 8, 1999.

Unused toilets mark ineptitude

Unused toilets mark ineptitude KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: Many public toilets at schools and government offices in villages across the provice have never been used due to poor planning and water shortages, an official said here on Friday.

Five die in revenge attack in Jepara

Five die in revenge attack in Jepara JAKARTA (JP): At least five men were killed in Bandungharjo village in a failed revenge attack by residents from a neighboring village in Keling district, Jepara regency, Central Java.Jepara Police chief Lt. Col.

Carter meets Habibie, opposition party leaders

Carter meets Habibie, opposition party leaders JAKARTA (JP): Former United States president Jimmy Carter on Sunday held a series of meetings with President B.J. Habibie and party leaders Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of...

Forty-nine inmates escape from Mataram penitentiary

Forty-nine inmates escape from Mataram penitentiary JAKARTA (JP): At least 49 prisoners escaped from the Mataram penitentiary in West Nusa Tenggara on Sunday morning after working together to force open the prison's iron gates.One guard was injured in the incident.

Vote for real change

Vote for real change Today is decision time for Indonesia, or more precisely for Indonesians. For once, people of voting age have a rare opportunity to determine their own fate, like all free people in a civilized society should.

Watchdogs gear up for polls as violation reports pile up

Watchdogs gear up for polls as violation reports pile up JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of poll monitors across the country are bracing for Monday's general election, billed as the most democratic in over 40 years despite mounting reports of elections violations.

Soldiers distribute ballot boxes in Aceh

Soldiers distribute ballot boxes in AcehBy Budiman Moerdijat and Noer Faisal LHOKSEUMAWE, North Aceh (JP): Heavily armed troops distributed ballot boxes on Sunday to villages here in the final preparations for the polls, amid rumors that fresh violence would break out in the troubled province.

Malaysia defends control

Malaysia defends control KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia's deputy trade minister said foreign investors remain confident about the country's outlook despite criticism of government policies by the International Monetary Fund and foreign media organizations, a report said Sunday.

Please teach me more about Islam

Please teach me more about Islam About nine years ago I (a westerner) became a new born Muslim in Indonesia and I was very proud.I married a woman from Purbalingga, West Java. What happened there before the start of the campaign was very painful for the Golkar Party.

UNAMET wants end to East Timor violence

UNAMET wants end to East Timor violence DILI, East Timor (JP): UN Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) representative Ian Martin appealed to the two conflicting factions and their supporters here on Sunday to stop attacking each other and help create a conducive climate for the Aug. 8 ballot.

Voters to decide nation's future

Voters to decide nation's future JAKARTA (JP): A perhaps long and twisting pursuit for a democratic society will commence when some 112 million people across the country go to the polls on Monday.On the eve of the historic elections, the eighth in Indonesia's 54 year-old history and the first since...

Government comes under fire on 'reward' for DPR members

Government comes under fire on 'reward' for DPR members JAKARTA (JP): A prominent member of the House of Representatives from the United Development Party (PPP) on Sunday expressed his opposition to President B.J.

'Office 2000': The Web will be your office

'Office 2000': The Web will be your officeBy Zatni Arbi JAKARTA (JP): In a few days, computer users in the U.S. will be able to buy Microsoft Office 2000 from their local stores. It may take a bit longer for the boxes to show up at any of the outlets of our favorite software store Precision, but...

Indonesia's election system, only one of its kind

Indonesia's election system, only one of its kind JAKARTA (JP): When Indonesians go to the polls Monday, they will be abiding by an electoral system that is apparently without exact precedent or parallel anywhere else in the world.

Habibie announces twin additions to family

Habibie announces twin additions to family JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie chose to sing first before making a surprise announcement to the south of the capital at the Bogor Presidential Office on Saturday.

Most city buses remain at pool

Most city buses remain at pool JAKARTA (JP): Seventy percent of 15,390 city buses normally serving the capital did not operate during the election campaign period from May 19 to June 4, as bus crew members feared clashes between party supporters.

New policy allows small car prices to drop

New policy allows small car prices to drop JAKARTA (JP): Buyers of sedans and commercial cars with small engine capacity will benefit from the government's planned new automotive policy, to be announced later this month.

Asian financial markets to take back seat

Asian financial markets to take back seat SINGAPORE (AFP): Investors in Asian currencies and stock markets are expected to stay largely on the sidelines this week due to Indonesia's historic polls, expectations of more fiscal stimulus measures by Japan and jitters over possible U.S.