Archive: 8 June 1999
51 articles found
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Party leaders join voting queues
Party leaders join voting queues JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie reprimanded his bodyguards for trying to scare off journalists who bombarded him with questions after voting, while his predecessor Soeharto thanked those wishing him a happy birthday, which falls on Tuesday. Presidential hopeful Megawati Soekarnoputri, meanwhile, told the media to leave her alone.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Prices rise as voters flock polls
Prices rise as voters flock polls BOGOR, West Java: The price of vegetables here were among items affected by the poll as traders gathered at polling stations with other residents. A vendor at the Anyar market who said she usually bought vegetables to sell to neighbors said chili went up from Rp 12,000 per kilogram to 18,000 per kilogram. Sumarni, a housewife, said it was difficult to find fresh vegetables at the stall near home.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
IBRA to get tough on defiant debtors
IBRA to get tough on defiant debtors JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) says it will not hesitate to take litigation measures against uncooperative bank debtors in order to recover massive non-performing loans at local banks. IBRA public relations officer Franklin Richard said the agency was empowered to take legal measures against bad debtors. The measures could include taking them to court to liquidate their assets through bankruptcy proceedings.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Observers say elections free, fair and safe
Observers say elections free, fair and safe JAKARTA (JP): Observers, contestants and officials were impressed by Monday's elections which proceeded without significant hurdles except in troubled Aceh. Much feared chaos and disruptions did not occur except for Aceh where turnout was reported low because of impending rumors of attacks on polling places by the Free Aceh separatist rebels.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Threats don't help, Estrada tells China
Threats don't help, Estrada tells China MANILA (AFP): Philippine President Joseph Estrada pledged on Monday to settle a raging territorial dispute with China diplomatically, saying there was "no use of threatening each other". Estrada was interviewed by Filipino reporters traveling with him during a visit to South Korea. Transcripts of the interview were released by the presidential palace here.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Todung's office burglarized, documents missing
Todung's office burglarized, documents missing JAKARTA (JP): Prominent lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis's office in Wisma Bank Dharmala on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta, was burgled before dawn on Monday. Todung, who is defending Time weekly in a libel dispute with the Soehartos and, among others, is an executive of a general election monitoring body and the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), said that several documents and US$2,000 and Rp 2 million ($225) were missing from his desk.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Athletes perform poorly in registration and voting
Athletes perform poorly in registration and voting JAKARTA (JP): National athletes may triumph on the domestic and international stages, but in the June 7 general election they came out losers. A number of national athletes failed to register to vote because they were concentrating on their training for the 20th Southeast Asian Games in Brunei this August. Some of the athletes told The Jakarta Post and Kompas they were not even aware of the April 5 to May 15 voter registration period.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Presidential contenders keep Habibie on his toe
Presidential contenders keep Habibie on his toe By Kornelius Purba JAKARTA (JP): What is President B.J. Habibie's chance of winning the presidential election? The result of Monday's general election will help determine that, but some people around him play a significant role in ensuring a smooth trip to the presidential seat. Among those is Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung who, after his resignation as minister/state secretary on May 13 gained a significant political leverage.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Coal investment declines
Coal investment declines JAKARTA (JP): The country's coal investors have pledged a total investment of US$199.5 million for this calendar year, a sharp fall from the realized investment of $287.9 million last year, according to a government official. The director general of mining at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Rozik B.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Anwar trial starts shakily
Anwar trial starts shakily KUALA LUMPUR (AP): The sodomy trial of ousted deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim got off to a rocky start on Monday when the prosecution changed, for a second time, the year of the alleged sexual offenses. The prosecution originally said Anwar committed "carnal intercourse" against his former family driver, Azizan Abu Bakar, in May 1994. The state then amended the time frame to May 1992.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Many Acehnese voters stay away from voting process
Many Acehnese voters stay away from voting process LHOKSEUMAWE, Aceh (JP): Calls for an election boycott in the troubled province of Aceh were realized on Monday, as the gas- rich city turned into a ghost town. Streets were completely deserted amid widespread rumors of fresh violence in the North Aceh capital. A convoy of troops comprising 20 motorcycles and an armored vehicle with two loudspeakers mounted on it were seen patrolling the city urging residents to vote.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ideal president needed
Ideal president needed Leaders of a nation have the responsibility to protect and provide for the people. A good president must be an exemplary citizen who upholds the law for the benefit of all, not bending it for personal gain. When the president of a nation is also its uncontested dictator, the temptations toward self-serving policies are great. In the case of former president Soeharto, clearly they were too great.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
PDI Perjuangan out to win
PDI Perjuangan out to win MEDAN, North Sumatra: The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) vowed on Friday not to let the chance of winning next week's polls slip from its grasp. Speaking before thousands of party supporters in the packed IKIP Pancing square, PDI Perjuangan campaigner Guruh Soekarnoputra said the party wanted the victory to topple the status quo forces. "PDI Perjuangan belongs to the people and will advocate only their interests.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
ASEAN auto sales up
ASEAN auto sales up SINGAPORE (AFP): Combined new vehicle sales in the top four markets of Southeast Asia rose 22 percent from a year ago to 182,349 units in the first four months of 1999, according to a top US auto component supplier. Visteon Automotive Systems hailed the sales growth in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand as proof that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was rebounding from recession.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Student suspect in housemaid's murder
Student suspect in housemaid's murder BOGOR (JP): Bogor Police have arrested a man who allegedly murdered a housemaid during a robbery at Cimanggu housing complex here on Friday. The man was identified as Rino Siswanto, 21, a student of an academy in Bogor, Antara reported on Sunday. He was arrested at a shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) party at a friend's house on Jl. Merdeka, Bogor, at 9:30 p.m. on Friday.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ghalib to resign from wrestling body
Ghalib to resign from wrestling body JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Lt. Gen. Andi M. Ghalib said on Monday he would resign as chairman of the Indonesian Wrestling Association (PGSI), following allegations he had abused his position to collect donations from the public, including two tycoons.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Golkar prods civil servants
Golkar prods civil servants SEMARANG: The head of the Central Java election committee Gunanto Suryono charged the Tegal branch of the Golkar Party of urging civil servants to vote for Golkar. Gunanto said Golkar's Tegal branch had issued an instruction to that effect and distributed it to civil servants. "The instruction was dated May 22," Gunanto said.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Jepara calm after fatal clash
Jepara calm after fatal clash JEPARA, Central Java: The tension had eased by Monday in the neighboring villages of Bandungharjo and Tulakan in Keling district of Jepara regency, after a vicious clash between residents of the two villagers on Friday. Five victims were buried at their respective villages. Police detectives have so far arrested nobody in the clash, which also injured dozens of people. The officers have questioned some of the villagers and were collecting weapons used in the fight.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Reconciling critics of the social safety net
Reconciling critics of the social safety net By Sri Pamoedjo Rahardjo This is the second of two articles on social safe net. JAKARTA (JP): Reports on fund leakages, missed targets and fictitious targets -- usual practices in the past -- have tarnished and attracted controversy to the social safety net scheme. Critics of the scheme put the government on the defensive.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Floods ruin poll, 1,000 votes lost
Floods ruin poll, 1,000 votes lost JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: Two polling stations in the Hedam subdistrict in Abepura district, Jayapura, failed to function because of flooding. "All evidence of voter registration also went under water," a committee official, Yance Lali, told The Jakarta Post. Some residents were too overwhelmed with sorrow over the loss to vote while others managed to cast votes at other polling stations unaffected by the flooding.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indonesia to hire foreign investigator
Indonesia to hire foreign investigator JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie has agreed to hire a foreign private investigator to trace any money obtained through graft and deposited abroad by Indonesians, including assets allegedly owned by former president Soeharto and his children, Minister of Justice disclosed on Monday. "There is a need for an international private investigator to track money obtained through laundering and corruption...
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Megawati's vision
Megawati's vision From Media Indonesia The 1999 general election has offered an interesting program, the debate among presidential hopefuls. It is an entirely new idea here and tends to imitate the American style of liberal democracy. I think the program is good and relevant. Furthermore, it has a wide audience thanks to television coverage and various fora organized by non-governmental organizations and student groups. There is at least one positive side to the debate, i.e.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ananda's sensational Formula 3000 debut
Ananda's sensational Formula 3000 debut JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's best racing hope Ananda Mikola finished fifth in a sensational debut in the Formula 3000 initial round at Vallelunga Circuit in Italy on Sunday. He also collected two championship points. Ananda's manager Piers Hunnisett said the 18-year-old Indonesian, who started in fifth position on the grid, executed a clever maneuver on the first lap to move to third.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Where to go in Bandung:
Where to go in Bandung: Exhibitions * Fine Arts Exhibition: by Arahmaiani, at CCF, Jl. Purnawarman 32, Jun. 10 and Jun. 17. * Fine Arts Exhibition: Batu Melangkah Waktu, by Sunaryo, at Selasar Seni Sunaryo, Jl. Bukit Pakar Timur no. 100 (Phone: 022 2507939), until Jun. 30. Fashion * Fashion And Charity Concert with artists Shakila and Warna, at Sasana Ganesa ITB, Jl. Ganesha 10, 7 p.m., Jun. 26. Music and Entertainment * Sheraton Hotel, Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Shrimp ponds sweep away SE Sulawesi mangrove forests
Shrimp ponds sweep away SE Sulawesi mangrove forests By Musadianto Madusila KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi (ANTARA): The mangrove forests along Southeast Sulawesi's coast have been a continuous target of illegal farmers wishing to convert the forests to shrimp ponds. Shrimp ponds are a desired commodity because of the rising price of shrimp on the international market. As the mangrove forests are cleared, the hard mangrove wood is used to make household utensils, as building material and firewood.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
East Timorese ignore vote boycott call
East Timorese ignore vote boycott call JAKARTA (JP): Morning drizzle and the absence of prominent Catholic leader Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo did not stop people in Dili, East Timor, from going to the polls on Monday. Antara reported that East Timorese queued at polling places in Motael, Pantai Kelapa and Pantai Farol, Taman Balai Prajurit auditorium, Mascarenhas, Matadouro and the University of East Timor campus to cast their votes.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Pickpocket fatally mobbed at terminal
Pickpocket fatally mobbed at terminal JAKARTA (JP): A mob at Kampung Rambutan intercity bus terminal in East Jakarta mobbed to death an alleged thief on Sunday morning. The incident occurred at around 9 a.m. when bystanders at the terminal were alerted by the screams of a middle-aged woman, later identified as Suswati. The resident of nearby Cipayung subdistrict told the crowd that her handbag had been stolen by a man, who was seen running through the lines of minibuses parked at the terminal.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ballot errors, fire disrupt Jakarta polls
Ballot errors, fire disrupt Jakarta polls JAKARTA (JP): A burning of a polling place, mockery and other complaints marked a cloudy election day on Monday in greater Jakarta while streets were deserted as residents lined up to vote. Almost all streets in Jakarta, including the main thoroughfares of Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Rasuna Said, and surrounding areas, in Tangerang, Bekasi and Bogor, were quiet until late afternoon. Shops were closed, including those along Jl. Hayam Wuruk and Jl.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Police rearrest 11 escaped convicts
Police rearrest 11 escaped convicts JAKARTA: Eleven of the 49 prisoners who escaped from Mataram Penitentiary in West Nusa Tenggara on Sunday have been rearrested as of Monday, an official said. Three of the 11 were arrested on Sunday as they attempted to board a public transportation vehicle in Ampenan district, while two of the prisoners were caught before they were able to escape the prison complex, the head of Mataram Penitentiary, Langgeng Triatmoko, said.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indonesia's election optimism boosts rupiah, other units rise
Indonesia's election optimism boosts rupiah, other units rise HONG KONG (Dow Jones): Growing optimism over the progress of Indonesia's parliamentary elections, and a robust rally in the yen helped lift Asian currencies against the U.S. dollar Monday. Local currencies across the continent ended the day higher, bought up in response to improving economic fundamentals and a robust rebound in the yen.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Polls shut out late voters
Polls shut out late voters MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Thousands of citizens here lost voting rights as many did not vote by the time polling stations closed at 2 p.m. Committees were apparently unaware that although stations were to close ideally at 2 p.m., they still had to stay open if registered voters had not yet cast ballots. Ink was among the items lacking in many polling stations.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
KL rules out CLOB investment
KL rules out CLOB investment KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad ruled out Monday government intervention to unlock billions of dollars worth of frozen shares held by Singaporean investors in Malaysian firms. "CLOB was not started by this government. We have never participated in it and neither have we been responsible for it," Mahathir was cited as saying by the official Bernama news agency. "We do not see why we should be responsible for it now," he said.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Maluku refugees keen to vote, tempers soar as hopes dashed
Maluku refugees keen to vote, tempers soar as hopes dashed By Jupriadi BUTON, Southeast Sulawesi (JP): Thousands of Maluku refugees at various shelters here put on their best clothes and, with their children in tow, arrived at least an hour early in excitement for Monday's polls.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
More buildings burned in N. Aceh
More buildings burned in N. Aceh BANDA ACEH, Aceh: The administration offices of Samalanga and Peudada districts in North Aceh regency were set on fire by unidentified people on Sunday night and Monday morning respectively. Samalangan district chief Azhari said he thought the fires were lit by a group of armed people intending to disrupt Monday's elections in the troubled province.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Minor parties sign agreement
Minor parties sign agreement MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: In response to a deal on vote sharing struck by Muslim-based parties, four minor parties contesting next week's polls here signed the same agreement recently. Chief of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) provincial chapter, M. Amien, said his party, the Justice Party, the MKGR Party and the Independence Vanguards Party (IPKI) approved the vote-sharing scheme, popularly called stembus akoord, on Tuesday.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Mahathir fears election violence, 'Bernama' says
Mahathir fears election violence, 'Bernama' says KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad warned on Monday of opposition violence in coming elections and accused foreign media of working against him, the official Bernama news agency reported. "Supporters of the opposition comprise those who have taken part in demonstrations last year," he said, referring to protests by supporters of his ousted deputy Anwar Ibrahim, jailed for six years for abuse of power.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Garuda postpones low-load flights
Garuda postpones low-load flights TANGERANG (JP): National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia postponed nine flights from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Monday due to low passenger loads, an executive said. Wendy Hadi, general manager of the airline's office at the airport, said eight of the flights were domestic and one was bound for Kuala Lumpur. Hundreds of passengers were disappointed. The flights will resume on Tuesday, Wendy was quoted by Antara as saying.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
One missing in Jayapura flood
One missing in Jayapura flood JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: A university student is missing after flood waters inundated parts of this provincial capital and nearby Abepura district from Saturday to Sunday morning. Urbanus Piran, a resident of Abepura, told Antara on Monday that Zakarias Sudir, a student of the Fajar Timur Catholic Theology and Philosophy College, is believed to have been trapped at Padang Bulan housing complex at Abepura, where the muddy water level reached the roofs of the houses.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Empowering ethnic Chinese
Empowering ethnic Chinese By Ester I. Jusuf This is the first of two articles on challenges facing the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia. JAKARTA (JP): An interesting phenomenon to observe prior to the June 7, 1999, general election were the attempts made by various political parties to woo the ethnic Chinese vote. Suddenly, these parties developed a great interest in the "Chinese issue".
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Less materials delay polls
Less materials delay polls MEDAN, North Sumatra: The election was delayed at several polling stations here because of a lack of polling material such as ballot paper, stamps and indelible ink. At Mandala housing estate, hundreds of potential voters were stranded as the committee said they had to wait for more ballot papers and stamps. Stamps were also lacking in at least three other stations and delayed the poll by an hour.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
The task ahead
The task ahead By casting their votes on Monday, in what has widely been billed as the country's first democratic general election in more than 40 years, Indonesians have passed a major milestone in their 50-year history as a free nation.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Alcatel continues to support RI telecommunications
Alcatel continues to support RI telecommunications Convinced that Indonesia will soon be on its journey toward recovery, Alcatel has never changed its commitment to this country. And it should not be surprising at all. The country's huge population and the vast geographical area represent a significant market for this global telecommunications company, which has been a leading supplier of communications systems to local state-owned and private sector customers.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Lunch quells violent crowd
Lunch quells violent crowd JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman won over a mob by appealing to their stomachs over the weekend. When hundreds of people began to burn Golkar flags at Senen market in Central Jakarta over the weekend, Noegroho, clad in civilian clothes and accompanied by several plainclothes officers, approached the crowd. He asked the mob why they were burning the flags and what they wanted. "Meals, Sir. We are starving," came the reply.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Minor electoral laws violation, say observers
Minor electoral laws violation, say observers JAKARTA (JP): Preliminary findings of poll observers on Monday revealed that despite minor violations of the electoral laws, the general election proceeded mostly peaceful. Prominent international observers traveled around the five mayoralties of Jakarta. Former United States president Jimmy Carter visited a number of polling places, including Rempoa in Ciputat, South Jakarta.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Thousands of Indonesians unable to vote
Thousands of Indonesians unable to vote JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of Indonesians who live in Serawak, Malaysia, were upset about wasting their right to vote in Monday's polls because they could not leave school or work, a poll observer said. Rousdy Said, chief of the University Network for Free and Fair Election in West Kalimantan, reported from the Serawak capital of Kuching that the Indonesian Consulate in the Malaysian state could do nothing to help Indonesian citizens exercise their rights.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
A hair-raising polling booth
A hair-raising polling booth SEMARANG: Poll officials in a poor neighborhood here had to go to the local funeral parlor to borrow shrouds, usually used to wrap corpses, to build a pooling booth. Officials said on Monday the Rp 40,000 they received from the government was not enough to buy materials to build a polling station. "There is no law which bans the use of funeral shrouds, so while we can use them for free, why not," the neighbor chief of Cabean, West Semarang, said.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Sulawesi gamblers go political
Sulawesi gamblers go political KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: A supporter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and a Golkar Party supporter bet Rp 750,000 (US$94) on the elections on Monday. Kadir, 35, a PDI Perjuangan supporter, and La Ransia, 48, a Golkar supporter, were equally confident their party would emerge victorious in the elections.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Glitches abound in Surabaya polls
Glitches abound in Surabaya polls SURABAYA: The capital of East Java, like many other cities, became a ghost town when residents went to the polls but problems appeared in many of the 3,656 polling stations there. In Dukuh Kupang subdistrict, for instance, about 100 residents had voted when poll officials suddenly announced they had run out of indelible ink. One official left briefly and returned carrying a small glass of water, which he poured into the ink bottle.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Opposition parties take early lead
Opposition parties take early lead JAKARTA (JP): Approximately 100 million Indonesians went on Monday to the milestone polls which proceeded mainly peacefully, with Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) snatching an early lead. In many parts of the country balloting -- managed by inexperienced and sometimes impromptu poll officials -- and vote counting proceeded at a painfully slow pace.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Toward a better Indonesia
Toward a better Indonesia As Indonesians have executed their voting rights (June 7), the freest and fairest national elections in 34 year, I think that the country should be proud of having prominent reformist leaders like Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party, Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and Abdurrahman Wahid (also known as Gus Dur) of the National Awakening Party. They may have their differences and have their own style and characteristics.
Tue, 08 Jun 1999, 00:00 WIB
Cautious investors hold off on tourist projects
Cautious investors hold off on tourist projects JAKARTA (JP): None of this year's government-approved foreign and domestic investment plans in tourism have been realized, a senior official has confirmed. I Gede Ardika, the director general of tourism at the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture, said over the weekend that most of the investors chose to adopt a "wait-and-see" attitude because the situation remained too delicate for them to open up new business.