Archive: 18 August 1999
39 articles found
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Daewoo agrees to pare down to focus on autos
Daewoo agrees to pare down to focus on autos SEOUL (AFP): South Korea's second biggest conglomerate Daewoo Group agreed Monday to shed three quarters of its debt-ridden empire to focus on its auto business in a last-ditch bid to survive. The conglomerate, or chaebol, bowed to pressure and signed a long-awaited pact with creditors to sell off all but six of its 25 units by the end of the year in a bid to raise desperately needed cash to offset its massive debts.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
G15 hears plea for unity
G15 hears plea for unity BANGALORE, India (AFP): Ministers of the G15 group of developing nations began a two-day meeting here Tuesday, amid impassioned pleas for unity before a new round of global trade talks in November. "Coordinating our positions is of utmost importance at the various stages of negotiations, from setting the negotiation agenda until its final conclusion," said Egyptian Minister for Trade and Supply and G15 chairman Ahmed Goweily.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Military battles to win over Acehnese
Military battles to win over Acehnese By Ati Nurbaiti LHOKSEUMAWE, North Aceh (JP): Police and the military, who the Acehnese consider the source of their troubles, are on a campaign to regain the trust of local residents by changing their name. And through smiles. Military roadblocks are commonplace on the highway to North Aceh following renewed signs of activity of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Women call for end to violence
Women call for end to violence JAKARTA (JP): Two women groups greeted the Aug. 17 Independence Day by speaking out against violence and for international intervention in some troubled parts of the country. Some 200 Muslim women, grouped under Gema Khadijah, on Monday staged a demonstration in front of the United Nations (UN) building in Central Jakarta.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
East Timor: Waiting for Pandora's Box?
East Timor: Waiting for Pandora's Box? By Aboeprijadi Santoso YOGYAKARTA (JP): UN envoy Jamsheed Marker's recent visit indicates the seriousness of international concerns on post- ballot security in East Timor. However, the East Timorese are no more prone to internal conflict than any other people. The society should rather be viewed as a Pandora's box, which time and again tends to open whenever an outside force meddles without regards to the inhabiting people.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Marines injured in Aceh attack
Marines injured in Aceh attack By Ati Nurbaiti LHOKSEUMAWE, North Aceh (JP): The commemoration of Independence Day here was marred by violence with at least seven marines injured on Tuesday in an early morning attack by unidentified people. Four of the injured marines were in critical condition due to wounds caused by "shrapnel from a grenade launcher", according to the military.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Bank Bali case
Bank Bali case Correction: The fourth-last paragraph of the article Bank Bali figure suspects UK bank, which appeared on the front page of Monday's edition, should read: Both IBRA and Bank Indonesia have insisted that Bank Bali should not have used third-party services to collect its interbank claims... We apologize for the error. -- Editor
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
JP/9/Conversion
JP/9/Conversion Conversion Rates Bank Bali's conversion rates on Aug. 16, 1999: TT rates Bank notes rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Telkom denies strong-arming cellular operators
Telkom denies strong-arming cellular operators JAKARTA (JP): State telecommunications company PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) has denied an allegation that it has forced cellular operators to use its transmission facilities for their domestic long distance calls. Telkom's director of operations and marketing John Welly said cellular telephone operators were free to use their own terminals.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Where to go in Bandung:
Where to go in Bandung: Peformances * Sundanese Traditional Drama: Bulan dan Kerupuk, at Gedung Kesenian Rumentang Siang, Jl. Baranang Siang 1, Kosambi (Phone: 022 433562), 8 p.m., Aug. 18. * Puppet Show, at Gedung Kesenian Rumentang Siang, 9:30 p.m., Aug. 21. * Poetry, Short Story Reading organized by Yayasan Jendela Seni Bandung, at Gedung Kesenian Rumentang Siang, 8 p.m., Aug. 22. Film * French Film, at CCF - French Cultural Center, Jl. Purnawarman 32 (Phone: 022 4212417): Underground, 2 p.m.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indonesia's 54th anniversary in uncertainty
Indonesia's 54th anniversary in uncertainty By Marianus Kleden KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): There are at least two peculiarities of our motherland's 54th anniversary of independence. First is the uncertainty about her future. Since this is the last commemoration of Indonesia's Independence Day in the 20th century and in the second millennium, there are questions about where she is headed in the new era.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Rudy sold US$130m in Bank Bali assets: IBRA
Rudy sold US$130m in Bank Bali assets: IBRA JAKARTA (JP): Former president of Bank Bali, Rudy Ramli, is "indicated" to have quietly sold some US$130 million of the bank's loan portfolio assets which may increase the bank's recapitalization cost, the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) has disclosed.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
The hunt for the Marcos' hidden wealth continues
The hunt for the Marcos' hidden wealth continues By Jamil Maidan Flores This is the second of a four-part series. The first part describes the pursuit of the Marcos wealth through open and legal means.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Tree trunk profits cut with sales downturn: Sellers
Tree trunk profits cut with sales downturn: Sellers JAKARTA (JP): Sales of the tree trunks usually used for traditional pole climbing competitions during the commemoration of Indonesian Independence Day were down this year, sellers said on Tuesday. Even in the Bukit Duri area of South Jakarta, which has sold the areca nut trees since the 1980s, sales were half of last year's.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Hutchison may raise stake
Hutchison may raise stake HONG KONG (Dow Jones): The container port arm of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. is considering increasing its stake in Jakarta International Container Terminal, a Hong Kong newspaper reported Tuesday. However, a spokeswoman from Hutchison Port Holdings Ltd. declined to comment on the newspaper report and said the stake wasn't changing.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Asian oil prices relax amid support by cuts
Asian oil prices relax amid support by cuts SINGAPORE (Reuters): Crude oil prices in Asia on Tuesday eased on speculative selling, but stayed within sight of 22-month highs as producer output cuts provided fundamental support. September U.S. light crude futures on the electronic New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) ACCESS system in Asia last traded at US$21.35 per barrel, lower by one cent from the close in New York.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Prisoners make fiery jailbreak
Prisoners make fiery jailbreak UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: About 100 convicts escaped after setting fire to Gunung Sari Penitentiary and Detention Center on Jl. Sultan Alauddin on Tuesday evening. At least one fleeing prisoner was wounded when security personnel fired shots. He is now being treated at Bhayangkari Police Hospital. About 500 other prisoners and detainees were then transferred to the nearby headquarters of the Police Mobile Brigade unit.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Mob sets fire to 53 homes
Mob sets fire to 53 homes MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: A mob burned 53 houses in Torok and Tenandon villages in Lombok Tengah district on Monday in the carryover from violence on Sunday in which three people died and a police officer was injured. "An angry crowd set fire to the houses around dusk on Monday. But no fatalities were reported," West Nusa Tenggara Police chief Col. Sukandri was quoted by Antara as saying, adding that residents were evacuated from the villages.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Protests mark celebration of Independence Day
Protests mark celebration of Independence Day JAKARTA (JP): Freedom of expression marked on Tuesday the commemoration of the 54th anniversary of Indonesia's Independence Day in Central Jakarta with three different groups of protesters demanding social and political changes. A group of about 200 becak (pedicab) drivers staged a demonstration at the Hotel Indonesian traffic circle, demanding the city administration revoke a 1998 regulation that prohibits the drivers from operating in the city.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Stock Exchange
Stock Exchange Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Aug. 16, 1999: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ------------------------------------------------------------ Ades Alfindo 475 0 0 AHAP Insurance 525 0 0 Alakasa Industrindo 300 0 0 Alter Abadi 275 0 79,500 Alumindo Light Metal 1,000 150 5,000 Aneka Kimia Raya 400 0 0 Aneka Tambang (Persero) 1,450 0 2,300,000 Anwar Sierad 275 25 46,500 APAC Centertex Corp.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Mother-in-law murder suspect arrested
Mother-in-law murder suspect arrested TANGERANG (JP): Police here have apprehended a 40-year-old man suspected of brutally killing his former mother-in-law. Balaraja Police chief Capt. Santoso said his men had no difficulty in arresting Jumanta, alias Agum, who was about to board an intercity bus to Serang at the Balaraja-Serang crossroads in Kali Pasir village, Balaraja, on Saturday. "The (alleged) sadistic killer did not resist arrest at all," the officer said on Sunday.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
TV today
TV today TVRI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News: Two Hours Only 8:00 Children's Song 9:00 Music 10:00 Interval 2:00 p.m. News 2:30 Student's Program 3:00 Music 4:00 News 4:30 Indonesian Lessons 5:00 Student's Quiz 5:30 TV Drama 6:00 Sports 7:00 Evening News 7:30 Puppet Show 8:10 Dances 9:00 World News 9:30 Talk Show 10:30 TV Series: Labyrinth 11:30 Late News Program 2 4:30 p.m.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
HK creditor to sue local firm
HK creditor to sue local firm JAKARTA (JP): A Hong Kong leasing company is to file a bankruptcy claim against listed poultry farming company PT Anwar Sierad for failing to pay US$2 million in promissory notes. The plaintiff's lawyer, Lucas S. Halim from Lucas S.H. & Partners, said on Monday that the promissory note matured last year. "We will file the bankruptcy claim at the Central Jakarta Commercial Court on Wednesday," he said.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
A calculated defense
A calculated defense In the current political context, President B.J. Habibie's state of the nation address on Monday came across as the treatise of someone desperately trying to shore up his flagging popularity. Who can blame him? The credibility and legitimacy of his administration are in tatters after the routing of his Golkar Party in the June elections.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
No ownership change in BII despite Widjaja's removal
No ownership change in BII despite Widjaja's removal JAKARTA (JP): The share ownership composition of publicly listed PT Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII) has not changed, despite the removal of the Widjaja family from the bank's management, according to the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX).
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Malaysian educational institutes eye Indonesians
Malaysian educational institutes eye Indonesians By Rita A. Widiadana JAKARTA (JP): Malaysia is emerging as an advanced education center in the Southeast Asian region with its growing international-standard higher learning institutions. Encik Mohd Zain Abu Bakar, temporary charge d'affairs of the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, confirmed that about 15,000 foreign students are now studying at hundreds of colleges, universities, institutes, polytechnics and various professional courses in Malaysia.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Worker's body flown home
Worker's body flown home TANGERANG (JP): The body of Wiwin Widianingsih, 22, an Indonesian woman who had been working in Saudi Arabia, arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Saturday afternoon after three weeks of uncertainty. Wiwin was found dead on July 27 by her employer, Hamud Abdul Azis, after falling from his house.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Habibie defends approach to graft
Habibie defends approach to graft JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie defended on Monday his cautious and legalistic approach to eradicating corruption, saying he refused to be rushed by public opinion over a highly politicized issue. "We cannot rush and be reckless in our investigation and in pushing for a prosecution, especially if the evidence for a trial is incomplete and unconvincing," Habibie said in his state of the nation address broadcast nationwide.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Quiet day in Dili, busy day in Jakarta
Quiet day in Dili, busy day in Jakarta JAKARTA (JP): Independence Day was quiet in Dili, the capital of East Timor, where people preferred to attend the anniversary of the separatist group Falintil. Merriment, however, was still seen among pro-Indonesia groups rallying the city in various vehicles in the campaign ahead of the Aug. 30 self-determination vote.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Police begin Bank Bali probe
Police begin Bank Bali probe JAKARTA (JP): National Police started investigations into the Bank Bali scandal on Monday, questioning four of eight people allegedly involved in the controversial US$80 million deal. The four were Bank Bali directors Rusli Suryadi, Firman Soetjahja, and Henri Kurniawan, and the bank's legal division manager Irvan D. Gunawan. Lawyers representing the four defendants said their clients came to the National Police Headquarters for preliminary questioning.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
On total reform of education system
On total reform of education system The Jakarta Post of Aug. 6, 1999 carried an interview with the minister of education and culture titled Indonesian education system needs total reform: Minister. I was keen to know the details and the kind of education reform strategies the minister would suggest in the interview.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Government trims jail terms of Xanana, Budiman
Government trims jail terms of Xanana, Budiman JAKARTA (JP): The government granted on Tuesday short remissions to jailed East Timorese leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao and chairman of the left-leaning Democratic People's Party (PRD) Budiman Soedjatmiko, Antara said. The head of Cipinang prison, Subari, said Xanana's 20-year sentence was reduced by five months while Budiman had his term reduced by three months.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Megawati claims Habibie's speech parroted her
Megawati claims Habibie's speech parroted her JAKARTA (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri was disparaging in her appraisal of President B.J. Habibie's state of the nation address on Monday, deriding it as a copy of her political speech on July 29. The chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), winner in the June 7 polls, did not specify the similarities.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
JSX suspends PSP trading
JSX suspends PSP trading JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) suspended trading of food franchisee PT Putra Sejahtera Pioneerindo (PSP) on Monday due to its insolvency status. "The trading suspension is effective until there is a final decision regarding the status of Putra Sejahtera Pioneerindo," JSX said in a statement.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Lawyers clash in Anwar trial
Lawyers clash in Anwar trial KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Defense and prosecution lawyers in the Anwar Ibrahim sodomy trial clashed on Tuesday about whether a surgeon should be allowed to testify about an anal operation he performed on Anwar's adopted brother. Anwar, 52, who is serving a six-year jail term for corruption, is on trial for allegedly sodomizing his former family driver, Azizan Abdul Bakar.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Experts, legislators unimpressed by Habibie's speech
Experts, legislators unimpressed by Habibie's speech JAKARTA (JP): Economists and legislators were unimpressed by President B.J. Habibie's Independence Day speech on Monday as it contained nothing new to solve the current economic problems. "There's nothing new in the speech," said Pande Radja Silalahi, an economist at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a prestigious private think tank.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Domestic car sales increase 82.5%
Domestic car sales increase 82.5% JAKARTA (JP): Total domestic car sales surged by 82.5 percent to 8,610 cars in July from 4,719 in June, according to a report released by the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (Gaikindo). The increase derived mainly from the sale of commercial vehicles, which rose 96 percent to 7,881 in July from 4,008 in June, the report said. Sales in passenger cars showed a 2.5 percent increase to 729 from 711, the report said.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Megawati receives support from PKB
Megawati receives support from PKB JAKARTA (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri and her top aides met on Monday with leaders of the National Awakening Party (PKB), and emerged with the latter's firm support for her presidential bid. PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil told a media conference after the meeting that Megawati, whose Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) won the most votes in the June 7 polls, had the right to lead the country.
Wed, 18 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Maternal health care
Maternal health care We would like to make some corrections in your article Unicef aid for health program published on Aug. 10, 1999. It is true that the United Nations Children's fund (Unicef) in Central Java is supporting a maternal health care program, but in approximately 3,000 villages in Rembang, Pati, Megelang, Wonosobo, Banjarnegara, Banyumas, Cilacap, Pemalang, Karanganyar and Brebes districts, and not in "10 small towns" as you mention.