Archive: 23 August 1999
38 articles found
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Better services for migrant workers
Better services for migrant workers By Novan Iman Santosa CILACAP, Central Java (JP): Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris has promised the government's utmost to protect migrant workers from mistreatment and to better serve them upon their arrival home.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Historians angered by treatment of old buildings
Historians angered by treatment of old buildings JAKARTA (JP): Two pieces of bad news regarding the city have been released this past month. Firstly regarding the ongoing construction work at the old Antara building on Jl. Antara; and secondly regarding the mysterious disappearance of the historical Hermes statue from Harmoni bridge. The two news items abruptly sparked anger from historians and supporters of preserved buildings in the capital.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
'Tri Samudra' saves 13 stranded sailors
'Tri Samudra' saves 13 stranded sailors JAKARTA: The Tri Samudra vessel rescued 13 stranded sailors from the Baik Tiga after the boat sank due to bad weather off the north coast off Semarang, the provincial capital of Central Java. Antara reported on Saturday all the crew members were safely transported to Gresik port in East Java. Tri Samudra was traveling from Bontang, East Kalimantan, to Semarang when it saw the stricken ship at about 5:25 a.m. on Saturday.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Residents occupy gold mine
Residents occupy gold mine MUARA TEWEH, Central Kalimantan: Hundreds of local residents are occupying a gold mine belonging to PT Indo Muro Kencana in Barito Utara regency, Antara reported on Saturday. The residents occupied the area last month over unsettled land reimbursements from the company. Details on the land dispute were not available, but local officials reportedly attempted to mediate the issue.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Death toll reaches 28 from Sorong shipwreck
Death toll reaches 28 from Sorong shipwreck JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Rescue workers have recovered 28 bodies from a Sorong regency river estuary where an overloaded motorized vessel overturned on Thursday. A further four people were still missing as of 6.30 p.m. on Sunday. Most of the victims were native Irianese.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
BFC regrets bankruptcy suit
BFC regrets bankruptcy suit JAKARTA (JP): Bakrie Finance Corporation (BFC) said on Saturday that it regretted the bankruptcy petition filed by its Hong Kong-based creditors. The company said in a statement that there were no parties which would benefit from the bankruptcy suit. The bankruptcy suit would force BFC to halt other ongoing debt-restructuring negotiations with other creditors, the company said.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Violence at Ambon's Mardika market continues
Violence at Ambon's Mardika market continues JAKARTA (JP): Violence in the scarred Mardika market in the Maluku capital of Ambon entered its second day on Sunday after three were killed on Saturday, Antara reported. The news agency said that hundreds of people from Batu Merah and Waihaong villages began throwing petrol and other homemade bombs at shophouses on Sunday morning.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
DM 10 million to fight fires
DM 10 million to fight fires SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: The government of Germany, through the Integrated Forest Fire Management -- German Agency for Technical Cooperation (IFFM-GTZ), has allocated DM 10 million (US$5.32 million) to help control forest fires in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan from 1994 to 2003.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Many issues on oil bill still unsettled: Legislator
Many issues on oil bill still unsettled: Legislator JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives could miss a Sept. 6 deadline in giving its final endorsement on a controversial oil and gas bill, a legislator has said. Bahtiar Hamzah, a member of a special team assigned to hammer out the draft law, said here on Saturday that he was pessimistic that the bill could be tabled for final approval on Sept. 6 as scheduled because many thorny issues have not been settled.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Muslims flood Jakarta streets
Muslims flood Jakarta streets JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of white-robed Muslims from Jakarta and surrounding areas rallied peacefully on Sunday morning along the main thoroughfares of the capital. Riding in trucks, buses, private cars and motorcycles, the male and female Muslims from the Front for the Defense of Islam (FPI) thronged Jakarta's main streets from 8 a.m. to midday to celebrate the group's first anniversary.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Seven islands sink, eight likely to follow
Seven islands sink, eight likely to follow JAKARTA (JP): Seven islands in the Pulau Seribu marine resort area, popularly known as Thousand Islands chain, off the North Jakarta shore have perished and eight more will follow shortly if the city administration fails to take necessary preventive measures, city councilors said. The problems were identified during the councilors' visit to the islands on Thursday and Friday.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Disputing Golkar executives attend meeting
Disputing Golkar executives attend meeting JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie invited disputing Golkar executives to a dinner at his residence in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Sunday in an apparent attempt to stitch up rifts in the party.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Jakarta needs more vegetables, fruits
Jakarta needs more vegetables, fruits JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta will remain an attractive market for vegetable and fruit suppliers as the city's population will need 546,000 tons of vegetables and 432,000 tons of fruit in the year 2000, Governor Sutiyoso said over the weekend. "Jakarta will, therefore, need a massive supply of vegetables and fruit from areas outside the city.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Forests concessions to help college
Forests concessions to help college PALU, C. Sulawesi: The Forestry and Plantations Ministry has granted a 42,000-ha forest concession and a license covering 11,000-ha of plantations to the Tadulako University here to help the biggest college in Central Sulawesi fund its domestic affairs. Antara quoted Rector H. Muhammad Rasjid as saying Saturday the grant is aimed at helping the university fund its education and research activities.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Festival marks reopening of Jakarta Historical Museum
Festival marks reopening of Jakarta Historical Museum JAKARTA (JP): A culture festival featuring local Betawi, Chinese and Indian cultures marked the reopening of the Jakarta Historical Museum at the Fatahillah square in downtown Kota on Sunday. The event, to run until Wednesday, features cultural performances and traditional cooking from the Jakarta area, the Middle East, China and India under the banner of "Jakarta's Food Specialties Festival".
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Why fly the flag if we are not free?
Why fly the flag if we are not free? In the early morning on the day before Independence Day, my mother was busy trying to find the red-and-white national flag. The flag is only used once a year but she was not looking for it because she wanted to put it up. Instead, someone from the neighborhood had come to our home and admonished her for failing to hoist the flag.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
PAN objects to payments to legislators
PAN objects to payments to legislators YOGYAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie's decision to award Rp 150 million to each outgoing member of the House of Representatives is excessive, National Mandate Party (PAN) secretary-general Faisal Basri said on Saturday. He was referring to a report last week on the decision. The House, however, has said it has not been informed of the plan. A total of Rp 75 billion has been allocated for the purpose.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
East Timor fears more bloodshed
East Timor fears more bloodshed DILI, East Timor (JP): East Timor Military Commander Col. Noer Muis warned on Sunday of possible bloodshed in the province following the Aug. 30 self-determination ballot, due to the absence of a strong commitment among the warring factions to a reconciliation. "Bloodshed is quite possible before and after the announcement of the ballot results because neither conflicting factions nor their supporters are ready to accept a defeat.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Axis Force: A case of sour grapes
Axis Force: A case of sour grapes By Rahayu Ratnaningsih JAKARTA (JP): In her long-awaited July 29 speech which was accompanied with much fanfare, Megawati Soekarnoputri, leader of the victorious Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI- Perjuangan), made large statements about herself. First, that she is not a mere politician, but a stateswoman. She is firm in her beliefs and is consistent, unlike so many of her counterparts that say black today and white tomorrow.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Oxford English Dictionary solicits new submissions
Oxford English Dictionary solicits new submissions By Jules Bell JAKARTA (JP): Linguists and wordsmiths take note, because now is your chance to officially add a word to the English language. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is appealing to the public for submissions as part of its first complete revision since the text was published in full in 1928.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ex-Bank Bali chief called on to speak
Ex-Bank Bali chief called on to speak JAKARTA (JP): Banking law expert Pradjoto called on Rudy Ramli to help resolve the Bank Bali scandal by releasing "his notes" on the series of incidents behind the case. "If he is afraid to make his own revelations, then he is not a proponent of the Indonesian people's effort to make a big change toward better conditions in the country," Pradjoto said on Saturday, referring to former Bank Bali president Rudy Ramli.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
City buries 500 unclaimed corpses
City buries 500 unclaimed corpses JAKARTA (JP): The city administration buries some 500 unclaimed corpses at the government-run Pondok Rangon cemetery in East Jakarta each year, an official said. A staff member at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's morgue, Mardiyono, said on Friday the government covered all the expenses for the burials. "The expenses include rental fees for the burial plots, fees for ambulance rentals and costs for burial services," he said.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Improper shelters cause problems for kids
Improper shelters cause problems for kids JAKARTA (JP): An activist has called on the management of halfway houses which shelter street children to separate boys and girls to protect them from sexual abuse. "With shared housing like the way it is now, street girls are vulnerable to sexual abuse from the opposite sex and it will encourage prostitution at an early age," Abdillah of the Gema Mandiri Bangsa Foundation (YGMB) told the daily newspaper Suara Karya.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Golkar's contradictions
Golkar's contradictions When the wind of reform swept through Indonesia last year, Golkar survived against all odds to garner the second-most number of votes in the June general election behind the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). Most people assumed Golkar, the political machine which helped keep Soeharto in power for over three decades, had lost its relevance and would crumble as soon as the tyrant was deposed in May last year. They could not be more wrong.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
W. Sumatra gets rights office
W. Sumatra gets rights office PADANG, West Sumatra: The National Commission on Human Rights opened a branch office here Saturday at a ceremony officiated by Zainal Bakar, secretary of the West Sumatra provincial administration. Antara said the ceremony was attended by Clementino Dos Reis Amaral, the secretary general of the rights commission, and Rudini, former Home Affairs Minister.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Where to go in Jakarta:
Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Art Exhibition, Walk of Malioboro, at Cafe Temen Gue, Wisma Metropolitan I, 17th fl, Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, until Aug. 27. * Architectural Student Projects Exhibition, at Galeri Lawang, 8th floor of block L building, Campus I Tarumanegara University, Jl. S. Parman no. 1, West Jakarta, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., until Aug. 31. * Photo Exhibition: Enchanted Moments by Deniek G. Sukarya, at Galeri Foto Cahya, Plaza Menteng, 2nd floor, Jl.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Budiman's parents meet Bintang at hospital
Budiman's parents meet Bintang at hospital JAKARTA (JP): Parents of the Democratic People's Party (PRD) chairman, Budiman Sudjatmiko, met with the Indonesian Democratic Union Party's chairman, Sri Bintang Pamungkas, in a "reunion" at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta on Saturday. Budiman's parents, Wartono Karyo Utomo and Sri Sulastri, went to visit Ernalia, Sri Bintang's wife, who was admitted to the hospital after a traffic accident on Thursday evening.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Officer caught in drug raid
Officer caught in drug raid KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: A police officer identified only as Capt. BS was arrested in a dawn drug raid on Wednesday, Antara reported on Saturday. The officer was apprehended at about 4 a.m. at a party involving crystal methamphetamine, known as shabu-shabu. Seven other people were arrested in the raid led by Kendari Police chief Lt. Col. Indra Budi. All of the suspects are reportedly being detained at Kendari Police Headquarters for further investigation. (edt)
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
RP to fight forest fires
RP to fight forest fires MANILA (Xinhua): The Philippines government ordered local government units on Sunday to beef up their forest fire fighting capabilities amid the resurgence of forest fires in neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
BI audit unlikely, says former director
BI audit unlikely, says former director JAKARTA (JP): The International Monetary Fund's demand that international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCooper be allowed to audit the central bank to resolve the Bank Bali scandal faces a "procedural" difficulty, according to an expert. Former Bank Indonesia director I Nyoman Moena said on Sunday that the new independent central bank law stipulates that Bank Indonesia can only be audited by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Religious groups upset over Indonesian politics
Religious groups upset over Indonesian politics JAKARTA (JP): Two religious organizations expressed their concern on Sunday over various political developments and the coming General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). The Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) called in a statement signed by chairman Sularso Sopater and secretary general J.M.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
The notebook to take if you want to travel light
The notebook to take if you want to travel light By Zatni Arbi JAKARTA (JP): When I finally had my turn to test drive a ThinkPad 570, I understood why people have been raving about it. It's very light, has a powerful engine and is really pleasing to the eyes. I'd like to compare it to the BMW Z8 Roadster, the sleek two-seater that will debut next year. ThinkPad 570's pretty high price tag (US$ 3,600) more or less matches the Z8's projected $100,000 price, too.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Cargill to invest in Subic
Cargill to invest in Subic SUBIC BAY, Philippines (AFP): United States grain processing giant Cargill will invest some US$35 million to expand a distribution center in this northern freeport, the operators of the freeport said Saturday. Cargill will use one of Subic's deepwater piers to bring in vessels carrying huge volumes of soymeal and protein for farmers and livestock raisers in the region, the Subic Bay authority said in a statement.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Experts laud planned tax incentives
Experts laud planned tax incentives JAKARTA (JP): Investment and trade consultants hailed the government's plan on Saturday to provide new tax incentives in order to boost the inflow of foreign direct investment into the country. But they said that providing tax incentives would not work in attracting foreign investors if the government failed to create political stability in the country. "The bottom line is, the government can not solely depend on a tax incentive scheme to attract investors.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Government requests contraceptives on tick
Government requests contraceptives on tick JAKARTA (JP): The National Family Planning Board (BKKBN) has requested PT Schering Indonesia to advance 45 million sets of contraception pills worth Rp 50 billion (US$6.7 million) and defer payment until next week, company president Parulian Simanjuntak said on Saturday. Simanjuntak said, however, he was confident the agency would pay its debt before then.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indonesia's telecom groups to name financial adviser
Indonesia's telecom groups to name financial adviser SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Five consortiums working to expand Indonesia's telephone service will soon jointly appoint a financial adviser to work on their proposals to restructure the country's telecommunications business. Executives from the five met Friday in Singapore with four investment banks competing to be appointed.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Gus Dur says he is in bind over presidential candidacy
Gus Dur says he is in bind over presidential candidacy SURABAYA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid admits he is in a political bind. He still wants to be the next president, but he is also committed to an agreement made by his National Awakening Party (PKB) to support the presidential bid of Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Mon, 23 Aug 1999, 00:00 WIB
Teenage girl dead at cheap hotel
Teenage girl dead at cheap hotel JAKARTA (JP): A 19-year-old female student was found dead in a cheap Ilham Hotel in Kemayoran in Central Jakarta on Sunday. Sakiyah, a resident of Jl. Pulo Besar in Sunter Jaya in North Jakarta, was suspected to be a victim of murder, local detective chief Sgt. Supratman said. "No injuries were found on her body and we believe that the murderer had fatally pressed a pillow on her face," the Central Jakarta police officer said.