I will be late today, you too JAKARTA (JP): What is the one most important car accessory that most car owners would in order to make their cars run smoothly? I must say that it is the road. Of course you need the road for your car to run on, unless you have the same type car as mine, which only needs a garage driveway because that is as far as it goes before it breaks down.

Fortress boasts history of struggles JEPARA, Central Java (JP): The history of the fortress dates back to the 17th century when Sultan Agung Hanyokrokusumo took the helm of the Mataram Sultanate. Upon Sultan Agung's order, Pati regent Kembang Joyo Kesumo built the fortress from 1613 to 1645. It was constructed to protect the sultanate against the Netherlands' potential attack from the direction of the Java Sea. The Dutch VOC troops had settled in Jayakarta or Batavia (now Jakarta) since 1619.

Indonesia still haven for copyright piracy Onstage our local musicians appear joyful and glamorous, but look deeper and you will uncover the melancholy story of a lack of protection of intellectual property rights -- an issue many people do not fully grasp. The Jakarta Post goes backstage to explore the issue. More stories on Page 3 and Page 9. JAKARTA (JP): Music offers money, fame and glamor to those involved in the fast-growing industry.

Chinese New Year significant in Pontianak By Edi Petebang PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): Recently the sound of clinking cymbals accompanying the Lion Dance has become a part of afternoon life here at a newly-renovated Chinese temple on Budi Utomo Street.

20 orphans poisoned by tuna fish JAKARTA (JP): Twenty residents of Muhammadiyah orphanage in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, were taken to the hospital with food poisoning after eating bad tuna fish on Friday night. The orphanage's housekeeper, Syaifuddin, 35, said at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's emergency room on Friday night the 20 orphans, between the ages of eight and 19, showed similar symptoms, including red eyes, swollen faces and vomiting, about an hour after eating.

Late Gen. Soedirman honored YOGYAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Military chief (TNI) Adm. Widodo A.S. and other military top brass began arriving here on Saturday to attend a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Gen. Soedirman, the first armed forces commander. Head of the Regional Military Information Office Col. Sugeng Saryanto told reporters that Army Chief of Staff Gen. Tyasno Sudarto, Navy Chief of Staff Adm.

RI women's archers qualify for Olympics JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia women archer team comprising Hamdiah, Nurfitriyana and Lusia Elizabeth have qualified for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney in September, according to the rankings from the International Archery Federation (FITA).

Spotlight Photo A: Indosat JP/alx GOING ONLINE: Director General of Post and Telecommunications Sasmito Dirdjo (right) gets set to inaugurate the first licensed online auction facilitated by Indosat-Net. Tuesday's event was witnessed by PT Balindo president director George Gunawan (left) and PT Indosat director Safwan Natanegara.

Jakarta's first wine cellar keeps visitors' spirits high By Mehru Jaffer JAKARTA (JP): "Here with a loaf of Bread beneath the Bough, A Flask of Wine, a book of Verse and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness, And Wilderness is Paradise now ...," wrote Omar Khayyam, a Persian astronomer and poet in the 12th century. And it has taken almost 800 years to finally open that flask here and turn Jakarta into the kind of paradise talked about by the poet.

Asia must open up SINGAPORE (AP): East Asia must be more open to foreigners if the region is to compete successfully in a global market, a news report Saturday quoted Singapore's political patriarch as saying. Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew singled out Japan in particular, saying that although the nation led East Asia's industrialization, it must now try to benefit from outside views.

Naming names From Pelita A newspaper recently quoted People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais as saying that provocateurs in the Maluku unrest include members of the political elite. The report said Rais possessed complete data on those who plotted the troubles. I fear the statement may prove true. The conflict in Maluku -- touching on problems of ethnicity, religion, race and communal relations -- has persisted for a long time without any sign of abatement.

Student dies in brawl JAKARTA (JP): A student died from slash wounds to his head, stomach and right hand in a brawl that took place on Jl. Hasyim Ashari in Central Jakarta on Saturday morning. The victim, 21-year-old Dedi Supredi, and his friends were taking a bus to school, SMK 53 vocational high school in Petojo, Central Jakarta, when 17-year-old Supriadi, alias Adi, and his brother Indra began teasing them.

Visitors go ape over Cirebon's famous monkeys By R. Agus Bakti CIREBON, West Java (JP): What happens to students who fail to heed religious teachings? They are turned into monkeys, at least near Cirebon. No kidding. That is the traditional explanation for the presence of monkeys in the graveyard of Sunan Kalijaga Syech Abdurrahman bin Wilwatikta in Kalijaga village, Sumberkelok subdistrict, in the Cirebon area.

Taman Puring traders rampage over cut branches JAKARTA (JP): Some 500 vendors on Jl. Gandaria I, on the left of Taman Puring market, South Jakarta, threw rocks, destroyed stone roadblocks and tore down the new galvanized iron fence surrounding the park on Saturday morning. A number of the vendors said the violence was in response to the cutting down of large tree branches along the street by workers from the public order office late Friday night.

Tasikmalaya handicrafts go worldwide By Y.R. Prahista TASIKMALAYA, West Java (JP): The overseas market for handicraft products from Tasikmalaya is experiencing terrific expansion. "Dutch and American women are very attracted to bags made from plaited pandanus leaves," said Haj Sahudin, showing off a number of such bags. The owner of the Pandan Jaya handicraft workshop in Manggungsari village, about 15 kilometers west of Tasikmalaya, employs scores of craftsmen.

New body earnest in their fight to stop piracy By Stevie Emilia JAKARTA (JP): Illegal transactions are usually pereformed in secrecy. But in the case of pirated VCDs, CDs, cassettes and software, one only needs to look around nearby shopping centers or sidewalk vendors. It's all out there, and much cheaper and easier to get than original products. Such openness puts Indonesia on the hot spot.

You are what you wear in business By Agni Amorita JAKARTA (JP): MC and TV presenter Erwin Parengkuan has a young executive friend who works in a small fully air-conditioned office. "His office was very, very cold," said Parengkuan. His friend started wearing a suit as his everyday office attire. People began to assume that the man worked for a trusted company, thanks to his "very serious" clothing.

Recording industry still tenuous in the year 2000 JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian music industry has been facing an up-and-down period for the last five years. The development of the industry has been heavily affected by the crisis which has hit the country since the middle of l997. Unstable political and economic conditions are only one of the many factors which influence the gloomy state of the Indonesian music industry.

'Srimulat' revives traditional comedy By Endi Aras JAKARTA (JP): Every Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. you will find people crowding around the TV in their living room eagerly watching the comedy programs Srimulat and Ketoprak Humor.

Guess What? Megawati What did a state leader like Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri get from journalists as a gift for her 53rd birthday last Sunday? It's not expensive jewelry. It's not money, either. A group of Jakarta-based journalists gave her a framed picture of her kicking a ball, marking the kick off of a friendship football game between journalists and officials of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) in 1995.

China executes 13 BEIJING (Reuters): China has executed 13 people, including an Indonesian, for clubbing 23 seamen to death and throwing their bodies overboard in the country's biggest piracy case in 50 years, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday. China's Supreme People's Court issued the order of execution on Friday after approving death sentences passed on the 13 for hijacking the Cheung Son cargo ship in November 1998 in Chinese waters, Xinhua said.

Royalty system in the country's music industry By Endi Aras JAKARTA (JP): A popular music group from Bandung, Trio Bimbo, has had bitter experiences. It sued the Remaco recording company for copyright violations. Arguing that the company had illegally recorded and sold its songs since 1978, the group demanded Rp 50 billion in royalties in compensation. In September last year, the South Jakarta District Court ruled against Bimbo and ordered the group to pay Rp 500 million for defamation.

Guess What? Etha Love songs are always a favorite, no matter what the situation is. For singer Juwita Titin Sumarni, or Etha, that is good luck. Her song, Bawakan Aku Cinta (Bring Me Your Love), has turned into a successful one and has made it onto RCTI's Clear Top 10 music chart's 10 top songs. Born in Bandung on Oct. 10, 1975, the singer has just released her second album titled Kuhadir (Here I Am).

Gus Dur performs 'umrah', holds talks with King Fahd JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid upon his arrival here Friday evening, immediately went to Mecca to perform the umrah, Islamic minor pilgrimage. Side-by-side with his wife, Sinta Nuriyah, the President walked as he performed the first part of the ritual of circling the Kaaba.

Plane crash brings 2 people together in 'Random Hearts' By Tam Notosusanto JAKARTA (JP): What could possibly be worse than hearing about your spouse's tragic death? Bill "Dutch" Van Den Broeck (Harrison Ford) and Kay Chandler (Kristin Scott Thomas) discover the answer to that question in the film Random Hearts. Happily married, the two individuals are strangers to one another until a fatal accident draws them together.

Year of Golden Dragon may be full of conflict By Mauro Rahardjo BANDUNG (JP): On Feb. 5, 2000, the year of Rabbit will end and we will enter the year of the Golden Dragon. This year is not only a year of the Dragon, but a year of the Golden (Metal) Dragon. What is special about the year of the Golden Dragon? This question is often heard in public.

Problems bombard Portuguese fortress Text and photos by A'an Suryana JEPARA, Central Java (JP): Ask any school kid about Jepara, and they might enthusiastically answer that it was the birthplace of Indonesian women's emancipation heroine RA Kartini in 1879. They might also mention that it is a center for wood carvings, which is correct, as its products have been exported to many countries.

East Timor prone to unrest: UN UNITED NATIONS (AP): The United Nations raised alarm Friday at the potential for social unrest in East Timor because of widespread unemployment, high food prices and frayed social services in the aftermath of the territory's vote for independence. To try to counter the risk, Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommended that the UN transitional administration in East Timor, or UNTAET, make creating jobs and beefing up East Timor's destroyed infrastructure a priority.

Govt puts out welcome mat for political exiles By Linawati Sidarto AMSTERDAM (JP): Another New Order taboo crumbled last week: Indonesian political exiles could now opt to regain their lost citizenship. At the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague on Jan. 17, Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Ihza Mahendra met with over 100 Indonesians who have lived in exile since the country's political turmoil in September 1965.

No English subtitles I would like to direct your attention to my article on Left Luggage, published in The Jakarta Post, on Jan. 28, 2000. It appears that a meaning has been accidentally changed through your misunderstanding.

Rock group Mr. Big revives the spirit of outdated music By Devi M. Asmarani JAKARTA (JP): Before Eddy Vedder and the late Kurt Cobain stole the spotlight of the trendy music scene with their grunge, reshaping our concept of what rock and roll stars should look like and how they should behave (not to mention how their music should or should not sound), the industry was populated by a bunch of dudes with frizzy, big hair.

'MTV's' VJ Sarah Sechan tells it how it is By Chris Brummit JAKARTA (JP): For someone who is seen in more than 19 million households throughout the region, Sarah Sechan, one of the Indonesian presenters (VJs) on MTV Southeast Asia, is refreshingly free from the affectations and hang-ups that such exposure might cause to arise. She is hip though, as only someone who works at Asia's high temple of youth culture can be.