Archive: 20 August 1999
52 articles found
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Mahathir continues efforts for AMF
Mahathir continues efforts for AMF BEIJING (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Thursday continued calls for greater financial and security cooperation among Asian countries and urged China to join Malaysian efforts to build a stronger "regional grouping" of East Asian countries.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Kyocera talks with Bakrie
Kyocera talks with Bakrie SYDNEY (Dow Jones): DDI Corp. and Kyocera Corp. of Japan plan to boost their investment in Australia-based Iridium South Pacific Pty., a provider of satellite telecommunications services, according to company executives. Musahiro Umemura, executive vice president of Kyocera, told Dow Jones Newswires that Kyocera and DDI are currently in talks with PT Bakrie Communications Corp. of Indonesia about increasing their respective stakes in Iridium South Pacific.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Marselli Sumarno a storyteller by trade
Marselli Sumarno a storyteller by trade By Tam Notosusanto JAKARTA (JP): As Marselli Sumarno faced the reporters and film critics from various local media, he said: "I've been in your place before, but I am a creator now. So go ahead and evaluate my film; say it's good if you think it's good, say it's bad if you think it's bad. That's fine. I am OK with that." He was speaking at a media conference prior to the first screening of his cinematic debut, Sri, last Sunday.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Mother charges son with TV theft
Mother charges son with TV theft JAKARTA (JP): A 27-year-old man accused of stealing his widowed mother's television set was freed from all charges after the housewife decided to drop the case during the first hearing at West Jakarta District Court on Wednesday. Jie Jini Kukus, the mother, suddenly dropped the charges against her son, Cahyadi Kurniawan, after the judge asked her whether she was serious about the case. "He's my son," she told presiding Judge Sri Handojo during the trial.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Local airlines hit by fuel hike: INACA
Local airlines hit by fuel hike: INACA JAKARTA (JP): The recent move of state oil and gas company Pertamina to raise the price of aviation fuel will further damage the country's ailing airline industry, according to the Indonesian Association of National Air Carriers (INACA). INACA's chairman, Soelarto Hadisoemarto, said the price hike was another blow to the country's airline operators, most of which have suffered financial problems due to the economic crisis. Since Aug.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Women and politics
Women and politics From Kompas Pros and cons about the country's leadership being in the hands of a woman, in this case regarding the leadership of Megawati Soekarnoputri, have been gaining momentum. To be a leader is, indeed, a difficult job, particularly leading a nation when it is deep in difficulties. If this country is to be led by a woman in the future, all parties should, actually, help one another.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Asabri scandal involves generals, businessman
Asabri scandal involves generals, businessman JAKARTA (JP): National Police detectives are investigating an alleged Rp 410 billion (US$55.4 million) insurance fraud at the military and police insurer which suspectedly involved three generals and a businessman, an officer said on Thursday. National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar said the investigation of malfeasance at Asabri was focused on the suspected role of a two-star general and the businessman.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Supreme Court prepares bill on contempt of court
Supreme Court prepares bill on contempt of court JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Court is preparing a contempt of court bill which would protect judges from abusive actions and words in the courtroom. "A team comprising senior officials of the Supreme Court has been preparing an academic text of the bill over the past three months," Supreme Court secretary-general Pranowo said on Thursday.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Helmet thief caught red-handed
Helmet thief caught red-handed DENPASAR, Bali: A man was caught red-handed stealing a helmet from police in the eastern parking lot of Bali Police Headquarters on Wednesday. The suspect, identified as law student Nyoman Suropati, 27, claimed he was there to process some documents. Bali Police secretary-spokesman Capt. Andi Arwita said many helmets have gone missing during the past few months. "We set a trap by putting an expensive helmet on a policeman's motorbike.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Five people queried over on-the-job death
Five people queried over on-the-job death TANGERANG (JP): Police have questioned at least five people after a 20-year-old textile worker was crushed to death when her hair became entangled in machinery. Questioned were the supervisor of PT Jabatex, based in Jatiuwung, Tangerang, and four witnesses to the death of Siti Mahripah on Saturday, Jatiuwung Police said on Wednesday.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
New approach must be adopted for healthier largest cities
New approach must be adopted for healthier largest cities JAKARTA (JP): Experts say a huge budget is not always necessary to overcome health problems in large cities. They say maximizing the potential of local resources could lead to healthier cities. The empowerment of local resources is instrumental in solving community health problems, as well as improving the local's economic condition, said Dr.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Punish Soeharto
Punish Soeharto From Rakyat Merdeka A discussion on how to resolve the matter of Soeharto, aired by private TV station SCTV some time ago, was rather utopian, especially when H. Probosutedjo ventured that the matter should be settled according to Islamic law. Allow me to provide my opinion on what is a fitting course of action. Our country is based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, and not on Islamic law.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
I'm just a normal person: Habibie
I'm just a normal person: Habibie JAKARTA (JP): Facing widespread speculation over his links with the Bank Bali scandal, that may severely damage his chance at the next presidency, President B.J. Habibie strove to project a message that he was just one of the people. "The president is just one of the citizens, he is not a king or an alien from another planet," Habibie said in an unusually brief address to some 1,000 invitees to his "party of the people" in the back garden of Merdeka Palace.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Woman gang-raped after Net date
Woman gang-raped after Net date KUALA LUMPUR (AP): A Malaysian teenager was gang-raped by five men after meeting one of them on the Internet and arranging a blind date, news reports said on Thursday. Police said the 15-year-old girl agreed to meet a 20-year-old man last Friday at an outdoor evening market near the capital, Kuala Lumpur, after chatting with him for two weeks over the Internet.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Lost in a haze: Asian century goes up in smoke
Lost in a haze: Asian century goes up in smoke By Christopher Lingle HONG KONG (JP): The debate over the relevance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a force for regional cohesion continues. Those wishing to assess the capacity of the former economic "Tigers" of East Asia to provide regional leadership in the new millennium need look no farther than the smoke-filled skies around the southern rump of the region.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Persija field to be developed
Persija field to be developed JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso has invited investors to develop the poorly managed Jakarta Soccer Club's (Persija) field in Menteng, Central Jakarta, into a better stadium with an underground business center. He also said interested developers could transform the existing parking lot in front of the field into a business center.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Quite revolution in Southeast Asia
Quite revolution in Southeast Asia The following is based on an address presented by Deputy Foreign Minister of Thailand Sukhumbhand Paribatra at the seminar on "The 1999 Indonesian Elections: Lessons Learnt and Challenges to Consolidate the Transition" organized by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in Jakarta on July 27, 1999. This is the first of two articles.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Anwar judge bars defense plea
Anwar judge bars defense plea KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): The judge in Anwar Ibrahim's sex trial on Thursday rejected a defense request to hold a police officer in contempt of court for alleged lying in his testimony against the former Malaysian finance minister. Judge Arifin Jaka said he would consider a request by Anwar's lawyers to compel the police to investigate the former minister's contention that he could not have sodomized his ex-driver during the time period in the charge sheet.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Fresh violence erupts in Maluku's Piru
Fresh violence erupts in Maluku's Piru JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of houses were set on fire on Thursday in fresh clashes between Muslims and Christians in the West Seram town of Piru, some 70 kilometers north of the riot-torn Maluku capital of Ambon, Antara reported. The news agency said the clashes were triggered by an attack on Tuesday against a resident. The incident then erupted into full-scale riots on Wednesday and Thursday.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Pathetic state of the country
Pathetic state of the country A young cleaner working at the Palace and earning a meager Rp 82,500 per month, which is far below the official minimum wage, stole 11 pens from the President's office. He was quickly tried and sentenced to 10 months in jail. Of course, he was wrong to steal and deserved to be punished. But what about the big guys who steal tens or even hundreds of billions of rupiah from the state? What do they get? Nothing so far.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Police arrest another Ramayana bombing suspect
Police arrest another Ramayana bombing suspect JAKARTA (JP): City police have arrested an alleged accomplice in the January bombing of the Ramayana department store on Jl. Sabang in Central Jakarta, an officer said on Wednesday. "The suspect Mukri, alias Ruspandi, was arrested last week at his residence in Kramat Jati subdistrict, East Jakarta," city police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
PNG wants ties with Jayapura
PNG wants ties with Jayapura JAKARTA (JP): The Port Moresby administration has proposed a sister-city arrangement with Jayapura, Irian Jaya, to promote trade and business ties. The governor of Papua New Guinea's capital, Philip Taku, said on Thursday he drafted a memorandum of understanding to establish the relationship and requested that Irian Jaya's governor Freddy Numberi sign the draft.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Soeharto returns home after 6 days in hospital
Soeharto returns home after 6 days in hospital JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto on Thursday returned home after six days of treatment at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta for intestinal bleeding. The former strongman was wheeled into a waiting dark blue BMW sedan, driven by his second eldest son Bambang Trihatmodjo. All of his children were present at the hospital, except for the youngest son, Hutomo Mandala Putra.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Auditing the auditors
Auditing the auditors Auditors have a crucial role in enhancing the integrity of the disclosure process, one of the pillars of good corporate governance. But the integrity, honesty and objectivity of Indonesian public accountants appears to be suspect.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Officials urge KONI to focus on sports offering many golds
Officials urge KONI to focus on sports offering many golds JAKARTA (JP): Sports officials urged the National Sports Council (KONI) to pay more attention to sports development in multisport events of track and field, swimming, shooting and gymnastics, which offer a large amount of gold medals.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Dell to move HQ to S'pore
Dell to move HQ to S'pore SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): U.S. computer maker Dell Computer Corp. (DELL) intends to make Singapore its Asia-Pacific headquarters, it said Thursday at a media conference. The company's Asia-Pacific operations is currently based in Hong Kong. The company is currently in negotiations with the Singapore government to iron out details on how the U.S.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Habibie's unappreciated address
Habibie's unappreciated address Why is the public indifferent to the President's recent state- of-the-nation speech? Most probably because there is a gap between the priorities Habibie and the people in his immediate surroundings are setting and the actual problems that are occupying people's minds. This presents a most dangerous situation for us as a nation, and if this continues the public's apathy and distrust will grow. The Aug.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Telkomsel responds
Telkomsel responds I refer to the letter Adventures with kartu Halo by Mr. Santoso N. in The Jakarta Post of July 26, 1999. We are grateful for your challenging input and we also want to show our appreciation for your loyalty and trust in using our Telkomsel GSM services for three years. We apologize for any inconvenient services provided by Telkomsel. Although ultimately you understood why the misinformation occurred, we are happy to state that the problem has been solved.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Angkasa Pura II doubtful about profit target
Angkasa Pura II doubtful about profit target JAKARTA (JP): PT Angkasa Pura II, the country's main airport operator, might not be able to meet this year's pretax profit target of Rp 500 billion (about US$70 million) due to the strengthening of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar, the company's top executive said here on Thursday.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
KPU allocates most interest group seats
KPU allocates most interest group seats JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) completed on Thursday its task of appointing representatives of various groups in society to the 65-seat Interest Group faction at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). The interest group faction will later play an important role in the upcoming presidential election.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indosteel eyes garment export
Indosteel eyes garment export JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed Indosteel will establish an export-oriented garment factory in Purwakarta, West Java, with investment of US$20 million, of which $7 million will be equity financing, the company said here on Thursday. Indosteel announced that the garment unit would be designed with an annual capacity of 22 million garments consisting of high-quality trousers, jackets, T-shirts and sweatshirts for export to the United States, Europe and the Middle East.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Stock quotations on JSX
Stock quotations on JSX Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Aug. 19, 1999: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ---------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 475 0 0 AHAP Insurance 525 0 0 Alakasa Industrindo 300 0 0 Alter Abadi 300 0 166,500 Alumindo Light Metal 1,150 150 25,000 Aneka Kimia Raya 400 0 0 Aneka Tambang (Persero) 1,475 0 5,601,000 Anwar Sierad 250 25 136,000 APAC Centertex Corp.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
B- rating for BII's card
B- rating for BII's card HONG KONG (Dow Jones): Duff & Phelps Credit Rating (DCR) Co. said Thursday it has reaffirmed its B- rating on the credit card receivable securitization issued by Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII). "DCR believes the recent senior management changes instigated by the government should not have a material effect on BII's credit standing, thought they may cause some near-term uncertainties," the credit ratings agency said in a statement.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Akbar concedes fissures in Golkar Party
Akbar concedes fissures in Golkar Party JAKARTA (JP): Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung said on Thursday he suspected members of the party's inner circle of spreading dissension in a bid to topple him. Akbar was commenting on a letter dated Aug. 14 signed by 12 Golkar provincial chapters, in which call for an extraordinary executive meeting to present a no-confidence motion against Akbar if he failed to take action against his controversial deputy Marzuki Darusman.
Fri, 20 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 last of a four-part series. The first three parts describe the pursuit of the Marcos wealth through open and legal means as well as a clandestine operation called "Big Bird" that identified and exposed part of the Marcos deposits in Swiss banks.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
School wall kills one, injures another
School wall kills one, injures another JAKARTA (JP): An elementary school student died, while another was rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo general hospital for surgery, after a wall around their school yard in Bekasi collapsed on top of them on Thursday. The student, who had surgery, suffered from a fractured collarbone. "The bone went through his lung so that we had to operate on him to avoid a collapsed lung," a doctor at the hospital's emergency unit said. The incident happened around 9 a.m.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
UNAMET urges anti-weapon measures
UNAMET urges anti-weapon measures JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) called on Thursday for Indonesian police to arrest anyone found with weapons outside designated cantonment areas. UNAMET chief Ian Martin told a press briefing in the East Timor capital of Dili that he had also urged the removal of Indonesian military officers linked to prointegration militia groups.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Thrills and spills at bartending championship
Thrills and spills at bartending championship By Jules Bell JAKARTA (JP): The crowd cheered and the drinks flew. Bottles of tequila and vodka spun through the air, and ice cubes and pieces of lime performed triple somersaults. The music pumped and the bartenders juggled glasses. It was all part of the action on Saturday night at the Front Row Sports Grill in Senayan, Central Jakarta, for the Indonesian Final of TGI Friday's 1999 World Bartending Championship.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Govt asked to screen pesticide importers
Govt asked to screen pesticide importers JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Crop Protection Industry Association (AIPTI) urged the government to screen potential importers of pesticides and pesticide formulas. AIPTI chairman Joko Suwondo said on Thursday tighter selection and registration of importers with the Ministry of Agriculture's Pesticide Commission would enable the government to control the use of pesticides and more effectively protect domestic industries.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
RI wants win in ASEAN swim meet
RI wants win in ASEAN swim meet JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia aims to grab the overall title in the fourth Southeast Asian Students Swimming Championships in the Senayan swimming pool from Aug. 23 to Aug. 25. The Indonesian Swimming Federation (PRSI) official in charge of technical committee, Gerald P. Item, told a press conference on Thursday that PRSI would field 10 swimmers. Seven of them competed in the just concluded Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam last week.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Swiss bank 'knew' of Marcos funds
Swiss bank 'knew' of Marcos funds MANILA (AP): A German journalist told a Philippine Senate committee on Thursday that the Union Bank of Switzerland admitted holding an account of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Peter Muller of Stern TV said UBS spokeswoman Gertrud Erismann-Peyer said in an interview in 1991 that Marcos had a "few million" dollars in an account with her bank.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
House grills top finance, monetary men
House grills top finance, monetary men JAKARTA (JP): Banking authorities steadfastly refused to meet demands made by the House of Representatives during a heated debate on Thursday to disclose the names of government leaders allegedly involved in the high-profile Bank Bali scandal.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Hasan appointed boss of new futures exchange
Hasan appointed boss of new futures exchange JAKARTA (JP): Former Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) boss Hasan Zein Mahmud was elected on Thursday as president of the newly established Indonesia Futures Exchange (IFEX). The exchange's commissioner Hanafi Sofyan said Hasan was elected by the exchange's 29 founding members, who at the same time also appointed two professionals from crude palm oil producing companies -- J.W. Sudomo and Don Rico Menayang -- as directors.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Conversion Rates
Conversion Rates Bank Bali's conversion rates on Aug. 19, 1999: TT rates Bank notes rates Buying Selling Buying Selling Rp Rp Rp Rp U.S.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Councilors insist on debt allowance
Councilors insist on debt allowance JAKARTA (JP): Outgoing council members demanded on Thursday that the city administration grant them severance payments to cover their debts at city-owned Bank DKI. Jonggi JP Sihombing of the Golkar party said city councilors, whose terms will end next Wednesday, would need the money to pay for their debt installments when they left office.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
House to deliberate state security bill
House to deliberate state security bill JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives (DPR) agreed on Thursday to deliberate the widely criticized bills on state security and on a civilian militia, despite public calls that it drop the Ministry of Defense-sponsored documents. Spokespersons of the four factions of the House, however, qualified their agreement with criticism that the documents sought to grant the administration excessive power.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Borrower's relatives mob Dutch expatriate
Borrower's relatives mob Dutch expatriate JAKARTA (JP): A Dutch citizen was rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital after he was mobbed by a group of men on Thursday. The man, identified as Ayf Welers, was rushed to the hospital's emergency unit by another Dutchman and an Indonesian identified as Fritz. Officers from the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) and Military Police accompanied them.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indonesian foreign exchange reserves fall to $16 billion
Indonesian foreign exchange reserves fall to $16 billion JAKARTA (JP): The country's net foreign exchange reserves fell US$201.4 million to $16 billion as of Aug. 13. Bank Indonesia announced in its latest weekly report that the drop was due to foreign debt payments. Net forex reserves are still above the minimum target of $14.3 billion set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), it said.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
More violence in Aceh as DPR debates autonomy bill
More violence in Aceh as DPR debates autonomy bill JAKARTA (JP): The government and the House of Representatives responded to demands for justice by Acehnese by launching on Thursday the reading of a bill that would accord the troubled province special treatment and autonomy. "With the document ... the Acehnese will be able to enjoy the benefit of the special status," Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Feisal Tanjung said.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Walhi sues president over failed project
Walhi sues president over failed project JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) has filed a lawsuit against President B.J. Habibie over a failed government project to develop one million hectares of peat land in Central Kalimantan.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Official says no inmates escaped
Official says no inmates escaped PADANG, West Sumatra: Head of the provincial office of the Ministry of Justice, Soemoeljo, denied reports that 20 prisoners escaped when the Muaro Penitentiary here was set on fire on Wednesday. "No one escaped. Media reports that there are 20 fugitives are wrong ... one of the officials here made a mistake in his announcement," Soemoeljo said on Thursday. Padang Police chief Lt. Col. Suhardi Sigit supported Soemoeljo's remark.
Fri, 20 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ministers implicated in Bank Bali scandal
Ministers implicated in Bank Bali scandal JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the front-runner in the June elections, accused on Thursday one of President B.J. Habibie's younger brothers, four Cabinet ministers, two ruling Golkar party leaders, and five businessmen of being directly involved in the US$78 million Bank Bali scandal.