Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 19 July 1999

42 articles found

Check documents of cheap cars: Police

Check documents of cheap cars: Police JAKARTA (JP): City police have urged Jakartans who have just bought secondhand cars at attractive prices to examine the authenticity of the vehicle documents immediately.City police detectives' chief Col.

Activists warn of the plight of child refugees in Aceh

Activists warn of the plight of child refugees in Aceh JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Children's Welfare Foundation (YKAI) urged people on Saturday not to forget the suffering of thousands of child refugees in Aceh, who accompanied their parents and adult relatives fleeing tension and violence in...

East Timor observes truce for immunization

East Timor observes truce for immunization JAKARTA (JP): Despite continuing violence in East Timor, warring factions have been quietly observing a little-known "truce" over the past week to allow thousands of children to be immunized against deadly diseases.

PDI-P to reconfirm Megawati nomination

PDI-P to reconfirm Megawati nomination JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri opened a closed- door leadership meeting on Sunday, which is expected to reconfirm the party's nomination of her as its presidential candidate.

Brunei ready to hold 20th SEA Games

Brunei ready to hold 20th SEA GamesBy P. Parameswaran BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (AFP): Oil-rich Brunei is preparing to roll out the red carpet for participants at next month's Southeast Asian Games, which the tiny state hopes will help fuel its economic recovery.

Customers attack firm in Medan

Customers attack firm in Medan MEDAN, North Sumatra: A building of another firm claiming to be a multilevel-marketing business, PT Media Laksana Mandiri, was destroyed by hundreds of people in Medan. They said they were customers of the firm, Antara reported on Saturday.

Clean hands need to audit officials

Clean hands need to audit officialsFrom Media IndonesiaAccording to news reports, the government will shortly set up a commission to audit officials' assets in the implementation of Law No. 28/1999 on clean governance free of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN).

Back on the reform path

Back on the reform path The triumph of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) in the general election is a victory for the reform movement. It is one which should be cherished not only by PDI Perjuangan supporters, but also by those who have fought for the cause of reform from...

Probe into the murder of Sumarsana nears completion

Probe into the murder of Sumarsana nears completion JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives said on Sunday they were close to revealing the suspects and motives behind the murder of Sumarsana, a private employee whose dismembered body was discovered a week ago.Police detective chief Col.

Public vehicle drivers want illegal levies erased

Public vehicle drivers want illegal levies erased JAKARTA (JP): Bus drivers demanded on Sunday the city administration eradicate illegal levies imposed on buses in order to help lower fares.In response, city administration officials said the drivers' demand was impossible to satisfy because illegal...

GGS says no dividend

GGS says no dividend JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed textile company PT Great Golden Star (GGS) announced on Saturday it would not pay any dividend this year following losses amounting to Rp 3.76 billion ($570,000) in 1998.This is the second year running that the company failed to pay any dividend.

Indofood sells shares

Indofood sells shares JAKARTA (JP): Widely diversified Salim Group sold 230 million shares, or 12.56 percent, in publicly listed food producer PT Indofood Sukses Makmur to international investors for Rp 1.9 trillion (US$283.5 million), the group said.

Time to praise God

Time to praise GodFrom NeracaWe were bewildered when the exchange rate of the rupiah teetered above 10,000 to the U.S. dollar. Practically everybody -- from businesspeople to government officials -- tried to find a way to pay their debts.

Where to go in Jakarta:

Where to go in Jakarta:Exhibitions * Photo Exhibition: Manusia di Zamrud Tenggara Khatulistiwa, by S.S Listyowati, at Galeri Nomad, Jl. Mesjid I/19, Pejompongan, West Jakarta (Phone: 5733912), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Aug. 6. * Photo Exhibition: Pasar Gambir, at Gedung Arsip Nasional RI, Jl.

Business uncertainty deters foreign textile buyers

Business uncertainty deters foreign textile buyers JAKARTA (JP): Many buyers of Indonesian textiles and textile products have placed their orders with other Asian countries due to growing business uncertainty amid the country's political instability, a senior official at the Ministry of Industry...

Situation in Aceh tense following arson attack

Situation in Aceh tense following arson attack JAKARTA (JP): The military checked all motorists using the Banda Aceh-Medan highway on Sunday following the burning of a number of vehicles in the area on Saturday.

Writing and self-confidence

Writing and self-confidence I read with great interest Alwasilah's article Writing needs more recognition published in The Jakarta Post on July 10, 1999. I could not agree more with your emphasis on the importance of feedback in improving the quality of students' writing, which is certainly one way...

Speculation continues over TNI deputy commander post

Speculation continues over TNI deputy commander post JAKARTA (JP): Speculation continued over the weekend regarding a revived post of deputy commander in the Indonesian Military (TNI), following Saturday's installment of Adm. Widodo A.S, who was the Navy's chief.

Hutama Karya refuses to pay promissory note

Hutama Karya refuses to pay promissory note JAKARTA (JP): State-owned construction firm PT Hutama Karya said last week it was not liable to pay a promissory note issued by its former management."The promissory note was issued by the former directors of Hutama Karya without consent from the...

IBRA pushes indebted bankers

IBRA pushes indebted bankers JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) is pushing the former owners of seven private banks nationalized in March to repay some Rp 9.4 trillion (US$1.4 billion) in debts to the government.

Basketball players need to break psychological barrier

Basketball players need to break psychological barrierBy Ivy Susanti JAKARTA (JP): Although basketball is one of the most popular sport in Indonesia, many people still doubt it can win the country medals in the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam next month.

Japan's foreign minister to visit Indonesia

Japan's foreign minister to visit Indonesia TOKYO (AFP): Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura plans to visit Indonesia in late July to hold talks with President B.J. Habibie, a news report said Saturday.

Gay not synonymous with gigolo: Activist

Gay not synonymous with gigolo: Activist JAKARTA (JP): A gay rights activist took exception to Jakarta Police for equating gigolos with gays."Being gay, transsexual or straight has nothing to do with good or bad morals," Marcel Latuihamallo, head of the Fraternal Association for People of the Same...

Analysts bullish on RI's consumer stocks

Analysts bullish on RI's consumer stocks SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): In a good quarter for funds investing in Indonesia, a big bet on consumer stocks saw Indocam Asset Management's Malacca Fund go one better: Indocam's fund gained nearly 196 percent in U.S.

Antigraft drive could 'degenerate into witch-hunt'

Antigraft drive could 'degenerate into witch-hunt' JAKARTA (JP): A noted American business consultant and analyst warned Indonesia's anticorruption drive could deteriorate into a witch-hunt at the expense of new investment if the drive was pursued without the guidance of clearly established rules.

Five motorists die in train collision

Five motorists die in train collision CIMAHI, West Java (JP): Five motorists died when their vehicles were struck on Jl. Sriwijaya in Cimahi regency by a Parahyangan train plying the Jakarta-Bandung route on Sunday morning.

Net download speed: Set the pace

Net download speed: Set the paceBy Lim Tri Santosa BANDUNG (JP): One day my boss kept asking me if he could have a look on "my Internet". I said he could, and he logged in and directed the browser to a search engine so he could find the information he wanted.

Malaysian mower to be whipped

Malaysian mower to be whipped KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A Malaysian judge described a grass cutter who pushed a stick into a boy's anus as a "devil with a human mask" and added whipping to his 20-year jail sentence, a report said on Sunday.

Dozens of members defend multilevel marketing firm

Dozens of members defend multilevel marketing firm JAKARTA (JP): At least 200 members of PT Banyumas Mulia Abadi (BMA), a multilevel marketing company under police investigation for possible fraud, called a news conference on Saturday to defend the legitimacy of the company's operations.

General election results reveal the real Indonesia

General election results reveal the real IndonesiaBy Prapti Widinugraheni Indonesia's next government will most likely rid itself of the corruption of the Soeharto administration because of the people's desire for reform, as expressed through the ballot box. H.S.

Indonesians not ready for stress of free trade: Experts

Indonesians not ready for stress of free trade: Experts JAKARTA (JP): Psychology experts are concerned Indonesians may not be equipped to handle pressures accompanying the free trade era due to relatively poor competence, low competitiveness, and an absence of business ethics.

Literary magazine making a comeback

Literary magazine making a comeback JAKARTA (JP): Media Kerja Budaya a quarterly magazine that first appeared in 1994 was relaunched last week as a bimonthly, reaffirming its commitment to popularizing literature among the public.

Motorcycle sales may drop below 1998 figure

Motorcycle sales may drop below 1998 figure JAKARTA (JP): Motorcycle sales may drop below the 1998 figure of 430,948 units, as demand remains low amid the economic crisis, the Association of Indonesian Motorcycle Sole Agents and Manufacturers (PASMI) has said.

Indonesia needs $6b in loans to plug budget deficit

Indonesia needs $6b in loans to plug budget deficit JAKARTA (JP): National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) chairman Boediono said on Saturday that Indonesia needed between US$5.5 billion and $6 billion in new foreign loans to plug the 1999/2000 state budget deficit.

Megawati's doublespeak

Megawati's doublespeak In an interview in the June 21 edition of Newsweek, Megawati Soekarnoputri made a statement which set me thinking. Question: "Why are you so vague when you talk of your policies?". Megawati's answer: "I'm not. It depends on the audience.

Religious leaders protest NU support of woman president

Religious leaders protest NU support of woman president PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): Several religious leaders who are members of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and the National Awakening Party (PKB), protested on late Friday and on Saturday a statement by their...

Are bloody thumbprints effective?

Are bloody thumbprints effective?By Aleksius Jemadu BANDUNG, West Java (JP): A leftist political leader from El Salvador once said: "When history can no longer be written by ink, it must be written by blood".

Protectionist tendencies 'still rife in Asia'

Protectionist tendencies 'still rife in Asia' SINGAPORE (AFP): Most Asian economies are reluctant to ease existing protectionist barriers to trade, even as the regional financial crisis shook Asian governments out of their resistance to change, an independent think-tank said.

Suicide attempt of poor, old man foiled

Suicide attempt of poor, old man foiled JAKARTA (JP): He was old and poor and apparently desperate about his sick wife.But his attempt to take his own life on Saturday was foiled by his daughter-in-law and he, or at least his family, ended up Rp 162,000 poorer.Djam'an, 72, of Jl.

Bappenas clarifies

Bappenas clarifies Referring to your article on July 14, 1999, page 8, under the title ADB to help govt in Aceh railway plan, we found inaccurate information concerning the one million-hectare peatland conversion scheme in Central Kalimantan. Allow me to make the necessary corrections as follows:1.

Joko plans to enter modeling despite his basketball career

Joko plans to enter modeling despite his basketball career JAKARTA (JP): Young and good looking, Antonius Joko Endratmo is looking to strike out in a profession a world away from his current job in Indonesia' professional basketball league (Kobatama).

IBRA holds furniture auction

IBRA holds furniture auction JAKARTA (JP): Some 16,000 pieces of office furniture worth Rp 800 million (US$119,400) will be auctioned at the Jakarta Fair grounds in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, beginning on Monday, the organizers said on Sunday.