Archive: 3 September 1999
54 articles found
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Motorbike repaired at last
Motorbike repaired at last Following my letter in The Jakarta Post, Aug. 30, 1999, concerning repairs made on my Suzuki motorbike, I am happy to say that the matter has been resolved. I would therefore like to thank the staff at PT Sinar Roda and Sun Motor for their efficiency in dealing with this matter. They were extremely helpful and went to great trouble to repair my bike.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Conversion Rates
Conversion Rates Bank Indonesia's conversion rates on September 2, 1999: Buying Selling Rp Rp U.S.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indonesia's first futures exchange scheduled to open in March
Indonesia's first futures exchange scheduled to open in March JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia Futures Exchange (IFEX), the country's first commodity futures exchange, will begin trading in March next year, the exchange's president Hasan Zein Mahmud said on Thursday. "We will have seven months from now to develop the computer system, trading regulations and other supporting infrastructure for IFEX to start operating," he said at the official launch of the exchange.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Incompetence caused poll delays: Observers
Incompetence caused poll delays: Observers JAKARTA (JP): Delays in tallying the results of the June elections and disputes over vote-sharing agreements reflect the incompetence of poll organizers, official supervisors of the elections and political lecturers said on Thursday. They said separately that the incompetence of both the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the National Elections Committee (PPI) was due to partisanship and a lack of technical skills.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Globalization and human rights
Globalization and human rights By T. Mulya Lubis JAKARTA (JP): Does culture matter? This question was raised by Abdullahi An-Naim, a highly acclaimed scholar of human rights from Sudan. The international community respected An-Naim's clarity and consistency in advocating universal rights, despite the fact that he comes from a traditionally conservative Islamic community himself. Why is it so important to raise such a question again and again?
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
UI academics meet President to convey political concern
UI academics meet President to convey political concern JAKARTA (JP): Academics at the University of Indonesia met with President B.J. Habibie on Thursday to convey their concern over the ongoing political bickering, lamenting that political elites had no interest in understanding public aspirations. Led by UI Rector Asman Boedisantoso, the academicians warned the elites not to arbitrarily exercise political rights and ignore their obligation to the public.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Fans kidnap Palmeiras striker
Fans kidnap Palmeiras striker SAO PAULO (Reuters): Kidnappers abducted Palmeiras striker Paulo Nunes -- and freed him 10 minutes later because they support the Brazilian club. Shocked after discovering their mistake, the two captors released Nunes unharmed on a Sao Paulo highway. "They said they were Palmeirenses and wished it hadn't been me, but unfortunately it was," Nunes was quoted as saying in media reports.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Asian currencies fall against U.S. dollar
Asian currencies fall against U.S. dollar SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): The Korean won continued to fall against the U.S. dollar during Asian trading hours Thursday, as continuing bad news battered the local stock market and raised concerns that hoped-for financial and corporate restructuring would not materialize.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Woman killed in passenger panic
Woman killed in passenger panic JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: A women was trampled to death as passengers panicked trying to disembark from the KM Umsini passenger liner when its galley caught fire. The ship had just docked at Sorong harbor on Wednesday afternoon from Ambon, Maluku, and passengers were quietly making their way down the gangway when a burst of flames and smoke billowed from the galley.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Parties set to vie for MPR regional representative seats
Parties set to vie for MPR regional representative seats JAKARTA (JP): Due to time constraints, city councilors here will likely agree to retain the previous City Council's internal regulation for the election of the capital's five representatives to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Rp 78 million taken in armed robbery at showroom
Rp 78 million taken in armed robbery at showroom JAKARTA (JP): South Jakarta Police detectives are searching for four men, one of them armed, who stole Rp 78 million from a 51-year-old woman on Wednesday. The victim, identified as Endang Sri Rachmini, intended to buy a car from PT Kebayoran Intan Motor showroom on Jl. Fatmawati. With the permission of Agus, a salesman at the showroom, Endang borrowed a Feroza jeep from the showroom, stopped at a nearby BCA and withdrew Rp 78 million.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Police in charge at Pongkor mine
Police in charge at Pongkor mine BOGOR (JP): The military has handed over security responsibilities for the troubled Pongkor gold mine in Nanggung subdistrict to the police, Suryakencana Military Resort Command chief Col. Suprapto said. "Our duties were only temporary, which was to guard the gold mine as state property. We handed the security over to the police because law enforcement is needed in the area," Suprapto said on Wednesday.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Blue skies gone as heavy smog shrouds the city
Blue skies gone as heavy smog shrouds the city JAKARTA (JP): Thick smog has darkened the skies above the city for the past few weeks, cutting the visibility of capital residents. The smog created a thick blanket over the entire city on Thursday. The skies were dark in the area surrounding the National Monument in Central Jakarta, half a kilometer from City Hall, by the pollution.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Anwar remains defiant in jail
Anwar remains defiant in jail KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): One year after he was fired, former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has emerged as Malaysia's most prominent dissident, campaigning from behind bars for the ousting of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. "Anwar has shown tremendous courage," his wife Azizah Ismail, president of the National Justice Party, said. Anwar, 52, once Mahathir's heir apparent, was dismissed on Sept.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Top seeds tumble in third round of Indonesia Open
Top seeds tumble in third round of Indonesia Open By Primastuti Handayani DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Top-seeded badminton players started to tumble in the third round of the US$150,000 Sanyo Indonesia Open at Yuwana Mandala Hall here on Thursday. Men's singles second seed Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen of Denmark had to unexpectedly bow out to Malaysian rookie Yap Yong Jyen 13- 15, 12-15.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Witness denies police report
Witness denies police report JAKARTA (JP): A witness retracted in court an earlier statement he made that a student had intentionally hit a cordon of soldiers during a student demonstration in November last year. The witness, Amirul bin Muhammad Sidiq Bakar, told the judges that police officers had pressured him to sign a dossier on the case against Anas Allamoedi, a student at the University of Indonesia's School of Law, who allegedly drove his car into a cordon of soldiers on Nov. 11, 1998.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Cebu, East Java tie up
Cebu, East Java tie up JAKARTA (JP): The Philippine province of Cebu will open a trade office in East Java's provincial capital of Surabaya to promote trade links between the provinces, the Philippine ambassador to Indonesia said. Leonides T. Cadey told The Jakarta Post after meeting with East Java governor Imam Utomo on Thursday that the trade office would be established to supplement their sister-province cooperation agreement. He did not disclose when the agreement was signed.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
One killed, two injured in Manggarai clashes
One killed, two injured in Manggarai clashes JAKARTA (JP): At least one man was killed and two others seriously injured in clashes between residents of Manggarai district in South Jakarta, while at least four buildings were set ablaze, witnesses said on Thursday. Residents in the district have a long history of animosity that often results in street brawls, despite the local government's efforts to mediate between disputing parties.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
ICRC to clarify role in Irianese hostage crisis
ICRC to clarify role in Irianese hostage crisis JAKARTA (JP): In a bid to restore "the trust of all parties", the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is sending a special envoy here to clarify its involvement in the tragic end of the 1996 Irian Jaya hostage crisis. The special envoy will be tasked with explaining that the organization strictly acted as a neutral intermediary to assist and seek the release of the hostages.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Stop the violence
Stop the violence The attack on the office of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) in Dili on Wednesday, while deplorable, came as no surprise to those who have closely followed events unfolding in the territory these past few days. Many had predicted that violence would erupt in East Timor during or after Monday's ballot.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indah Kiat plans Rp 1.5t bond issue to repay debt
Indah Kiat plans Rp 1.5t bond issue to repay debt JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed PT Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper will soon issue bonds worth up to Rp 1.5 trillion (about US$200 million) to repay part of its debts. PT Bahana Securities, the lead underwriter for Indah Kiat's bond issuance, said on Thursday that the five and seven year bonds would be offered to the public between Sept. 28 and Sept. 30 in the denominations of Rp 100 million, Rp 500 million and Rp 1 billion.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Three candidates named to replace Gus Dur
Three candidates named to replace Gus Dur JAKARTA (JP): The Yogyakarta chapter of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization nominated three candidates to replace current chairman Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur. The three candidates reportedly also have the support of NU's Central Java chapter. NU is the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia with more than 30 million members. NU will hold a national conference in Lirboyo, Kediri, Central Java, in November.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indonesia needs to avoid Japanese syndrome
Indonesia needs to avoid Japanese syndrome By Sauri Hasibuan JAKARTA (JP): An object at rest stays at rest. An object in motion stays in motion. That, at least, is the Newtonian law of physics. A theorem that is both definable and formulaic. But what if the object at hand is a nation-state: an entity that is as demanding as it is uncompromising in its expectation of a higher return of nationalist quotient? What then?
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Water rate hike set for Bogor
Water rate hike set for Bogor BOGOR (JP): Local drinking water company PDAM Bogor is to hike water rates between 10 percent and 40 percent beginning next month to cope with its chronic losses, its president said on Wednesday. Ida Farida said the plan was necessary to because PDAM Bogor was about Rp 4.4 billion in the red since the economic crisis hit the country in 1997. The increase also will be implemented in consumer categories at an average of Rp 1,500, she said.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Stock Exchange
Stock Exchange Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Sept. 2, 1999: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ----------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 425 0 14,000 AHAP Insurance 525 0 0 Alakasa Industrindo 275 0 0 Alter Abadi 275 0 12,500 Alumindo Light Metal 1,450 0 285,000 Aneka Kimia Raya 425 0 0 Aneka Tambang (Persero) 1,550 0 5,677,500 Anwar Sierad 200 0 150,000 APAC Centertex Corp.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Where to go in Jakarta:
Where to go in Jakarta: Exhibitions * Sketch Exhibition: Paradigma Seni Rupa Indonesia, by Srihadi Soedarsono, at Galeri Lontar, Komunitas Utan Kayu, Jl. Utan Kayu 68 H, East Jakarta (Phone: 8573388), 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Sept. 27. * Photo Exhibition: Kekerasan, by students of IKJ, at Wisma Mitra Budaya, Jl. Tanjung no. 34, Central Jakarta, until Sept. 5. * Photo Exhibition by Sigrun Janiel and Rama Surya, at Galeri Milenium, Blok B-23, Jl. R.S. Fatmawati No.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Media biased in Kosovo reporting
Media biased in Kosovo reporting Unlike earlier -- when extremely broad publicity was given in The Jakarta Post and other media to the situation in the Serb province of Kosovo, with an abundant number of reports, articles, analysis and opinions, as well as disturbing images on television every day -- news and reports from Kosovo over the past month have been very scarce or totally absent in Indonesia.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Project aims to train, educate student-athletes
Project aims to train, educate student-athletes JAKARTA (JP): The government and the National Sports Council (KONI) will discuss the possibility of sports training for talented elementary and secondary school students which will be designed not to disrupt their education.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
2,000 residents of Aceh lie on road in protest
2,000 residents of Aceh lie on road in protest SIGLI, Aceh (JP): About 2,000 residents from several districts in Pidie, on their way to Banda Aceh in dozens of buses and trucks, lay on the road in protest on Wednesday night after being stopped by security forces in Glumpangtiga district. The convoy was heading along the Banda Aceh-Medan highway to attend a gathering of students and residents at Darussalam University on Thursday in Banda Aceh, the capital.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Military ready to evacuate up to 250,000 from East Timor
Military ready to evacuate up to 250,000 from East Timor DILI, East Timor (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) has prepared a contingency plan to evacuate up to 250,000 people from East Timor by land, sea and air if the tension there develops into a full-scale war. "We don't want the plan to materialize, but if it happens, we have a mission to protect the evacuees until they reach safety," East Timor Military Commander Col. Muhammad Noer Muis said.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
YLKI balks at plan to hike toll road fees
YLKI balks at plan to hike toll road fees JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) expressed strong objection on Thursday to the government's plan to raise tolls on several tollways in the country, including the Jagorawi toll road. YLKI chairwoman Indah Suksmaningsih said the increase would not only affect car owners but also passengers of public buses because public transportation drivers would "illegally" increase their fares.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Hidden treasures abound in neglected Bali museum
Hidden treasures abound in neglected Bali museum By Putu Wirata DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Gilimanuk Archeology Museum in Jembrana, western Bali, is languishing. The seaside museum consists of a two-story building where the collections are badly displayed. Unlike other places of attraction on the tourist island, there are hardly any tourists visiting the museum, which is run by the Jembrana regency's tourism office. The museum boasts a vast collection of items of invaluable historical value.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Drug traffickers turning to women couriers: Police
Drug traffickers turning to women couriers: Police JAKARTA (JP): Fearing arrest themselves, some drug traffickers have begun recruiting young Indonesian girls as smugglers and dealers, a senior officer said on Thursday. The chief of the National Police narcotics division, Col. Wilhelmus Laturette, said this tactic has become common among African-run drug syndicates, who use local Indonesian girls as couriers.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
UN condemns latest violence in East Timor
UN condemns latest violence in East Timor JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations on Thursday "strongly condemned" the latest outbreak of violence in East Timor and called on the Indonesian government to take immediate steps to prevent a further recurrence. In a statement by UN spokesman Fred Eckhard in New York, a copy of which was received by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on the Indonesian police to arrest those responsible for the latest incidents of violence.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Meulendjiks hopes Mia will be a treat for the Dutch team
Meulendjiks hopes Mia will be a treat for the Dutch team DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Dutch women's team coach Judith Meulendjiks is hopeful the presence of former Indonesian number one Mia Audina on her squad will lift her players to a higher level. Meulendjiks, who also plays singles on the team, said on Thursday she was happy to have Mia on the national team.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Millions benefit from special rice program
Millions benefit from special rice program JAKARTA (JP): The government program to sell heavily subsidized rice to poor people has benefited some 49 million people since its launching in August last year, according to consultants hired to assess the scheme. The program, jointly administered by the Office of the State Minister of Food and Horticulture and the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), channeled 1.8 million metric tons of rice to 10.5 million families, Steven R.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
House leaders decide not to summon Habibie
House leaders decide not to summon Habibie JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the House of Representatives fanned the fire of controversy in the Bank Bali scandal on Thursday by deciding not to exercise their constitutional right to summon President B.J. Habibie. They opted instead to draw on the right of "investigation" into the scandal, which has been dubbed "Baligate" due to its mix of political intrigue and shady dealings.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Fire destroys admin office
Fire destroys admin office PALANGKARAYA, Central Kalimantan: Fire razed the Palangkaraya administration office in the early hours of Thursday, causing total losses of about Rp 15 billion, Antara reported. "We estimate the building damage alone to reach Rp 10 billion," Palangkaraya Mayor Salundik Gohong said. Priceless documents were also lost in the fire, he said. "The cause of fire is still being investigated. For the meantime we will move to an unused administration building," Salundik said.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Bali waits for Megawati to become Indonesia's president
Bali waits for Megawati to become Indonesia's president By Degung Santikarma DENPASAR (JP): It's only a few minutes past noon in Denpasar, but already Made Sukra, long known as the best tailor in the neighborhood, has had to turn away a dozen potential customers. It's not that he has more work than he can handle. It's that he has even more important business to attend to. Sukra is busy waiting for Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Datakom names UK firm advisor
Datakom names UK firm advisor JAKARTA (JP): Multimedia company PT Datakom Asia said on Thursday it had appointed PT Rothschild Indonesia, a subsidiary of a London-based financial adviser, to help in the restructuring of its US$440.6 million in debts. Datakom president Pri Sulistio said Rothschild would assist in assessing the company's debt problem and designing debt restructuring proposals. "We signed the contract with Rothschild last week and they are now working on the resolution concept.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Tension and fear prevail in Dili
Tension and fear prevail in Dili DILI, East Timor (JP): Tension reigned on Thursday amid fears of further violence ahead of next week's announcement of the results of Monday's ballot on East Timor's future. Dozens of people and a number of journalists were seen leaving the territory aboard a military aircraft, as two companies of the National Police's elite Mobile Brigade arrived in the provincial capital of Dili.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Activists warn of civil disobedience over security bill
Activists warn of civil disobedience over security bill JAKARTA (JP): Political activists warned on Thursday of the likelihood of civil disobedience if the House of Representatives failed to suspend its deliberation of the controversial bill on state security and civilian militia. Bambang Widjojanto of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) maintained that the House lacked the moral grounds to continue the deliberation in the wake of a public outcry.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Indosat plans to use more submarine cables in future
Indosat plans to use more submarine cables in future JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed state-owned telecommunications company PT Indosat will boost the use of submarine cables to support its future transmission activities. Indosat planning and engineering general manager Djoko Prajitno said submarine cables were more favorable due to their durability, cost effectiveness and higher transmission quality.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Fishery firm to offer 84 million shares to public
Fishery firm to offer 84 million shares to public JAKARTA (JP): PT Bahtera Adimina Samudra, an export-oriented fishery company, will offer 84 million shares to the public later this month to raise funds for its planned expansion. Company president Laurentius Soegiarto said on Thursday the shares, which would have a nominal value of Rp 500 per share, would account for 26.41 percent of the company's enlarged capital. "Hopefully, the shares will be listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange on Sept.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
MLM customers blockade road
MLM customers blockade road MEDAN, North Sumatra: Hundreds of customers from Higam Net multi-level marketing company vented their frustration by blocking a major street here on Thursday. The group set piles of wood and rubber tires on Jl. Gatot Subroto, causing a heavy traffic jam. They demanded the return of the money they invested in the company, in what they described as a scam.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Ombudsman, a means for good governance
Ombudsman, a means for good governance By Benget Simbolon Tnb. JAKARTA (JP): At a seminar here last week, a prominent speaker from the Netherlands presented a new and distinctive idea to Indonesia's fledgling democracy: having an ombudsman. The ombudsman is an institution set up to investigate government and government officials following the complaints of members of the public, Marten Oosting told the seminar on the function of a parliamentary ombudsman in a democratic state.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Supermarket stops selling turtle eggs
Supermarket stops selling turtle eggs DENPASAR, Bali: A supermarket in Denpasar has stopped selling turtle eggs after an environmental organization pointed out the damage the egg trade has on the survival of the turtles. "A few days ago we received information that Hero Supermarket here were selling turtle eggs," Ketut Sarjana Putra, deputy director of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) region office, said on Thursday.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Parents told to help kids say no to drugs
Parents told to help kids say no to drugs JAKARTA (JP): Parents, don't neglect to look out for your teenage kids, otherwise, your beloved children may have to face a dangerous challenge -- drugs -- alone. This call came from a social worker helping people, many of them alarmingly young, to get over their drug addictions. Teenagers are most vulnerable to becoming addicted to drugs, said David D. Gordon, founder of the Harapan Permata Hati Kita Foundation in Bogor.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Oil down as report rattles confidence
Oil down as report rattles confidence SINGAPORE (Reuters): Crude prices in Asia were weaker on Thursday, falling from 22-month highs after a report raised the prospect of OPEC slightly loosening the production taps. The October New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) crude futures, trading on the after-hours ACCESS system, were last traded at US$21.75 per barrel at 0710 GMT, 24 cents lower than New York.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Art forum opens Sunday
Art forum opens Sunday UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi: Some 200 artists and critics, from locally and overseas, will participate in the Makassar Art Forum to be opened here on Sunday. The event, which will last till Sept. 12, is scheduled to be held at three venues: the Ford Rotterdam fortress, the South Sulawesi Cultural Park and the Societet de Harmonie Art Center. The Forum will feature various musical and dance performances representing both local and foreign cultures.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
The confusion at KPU
The confusion at KPU Problems seem to be descending without end on the General Elections Commission (KPU). The latest problem has come in the wake of a vote taken within the commission last Monday, killing a vote-sharing agreement (stembusakkoord) reached in preballoting stages among eight Islamic-based parties. Feeling cheated, the eight parties have recently threatened to take the KPU to court.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Muslim faction not exclusive
Muslim faction not exclusive From Rakyat Merdeka Interesting political developments have taken place in this country. Hamzah Haz of the United Development Party (PPP), in cooperation with eight small Muslim parties, launched the idea of forming a Muslim faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) in the context of building an "axis force". The National Mandate Party (PAN) decided to join but they changed the name to the reform faction. It is not meant to be exclusive.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
German expert defends antimonopoly law
German expert defends antimonopoly law JAKARTA (JP): A German expert, who helped draft the country's newly introduced antimonopoly law, denied on Thursday allegations that the law was aimed at harming the development of successful Indonesian enterprises. Antimonopoly expert Prof. Kartte said people believed the law would impede the growth of Indonesia's successful enterprises due to a misleading perception of the bill's clause on a 50 percent market share limit.
Fri, 03 Sep 1999, 00:00 WIB
Government studies required hiring of disabled
Government studies required hiring of disabled JAKARTA (JP): The government is considering drafting a bill to compel companies to employ disabled people. Minister for Social Services Yustika Baharsyah said in a seminar on employment here on Thursday that a new law is needed to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities and enable their participation in the work force. "They can be as productive if not more productive than normal people.