New paradise found in Kemang 'barn' Bill Blade, Contributor, Jakarta I suppose it wouldn't be going too far to say that the essential ingredients that make up any fine restaurant can basically be boiled down to four elements: taste, style, atmosphere and service. Most mundane rather than urbane eateries will usually be blessed with a combination of two or three of these elements. But it's a rare establishment indeed that can boast all four.

Ferry owners demand fare hike, threaten to strike Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung Sea transportation between Bakauheni in Lampung province and Merak in Banten province could be paralyzed soon as the local union of ferry operators has threatened to stop services until the authorities meet their demands to increase ferry fares. The operators asked the government on Tuesday to increase the fares by up to 79 percent, otherwise they would stage a massive strike.

Elementary schools for Dayak tribe BARABAI, South Kalimantan: The Hulu Sungai Tengah administration has allocated approximately Rp 1.8 billion for the renovation and construction of elementary schools for members of the Dayak tribe living in the area of Meratus mountain.

City stops registration fees in schools Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The city administration announced on Tuesday its new policy of exempting all students of state junior and senior high schools from paying registration fees beginning this year. Speaking in a hearing with City Council Commission E for social welfare affairs, head of the Jakarta Education Agency Sukesti Martono said that the city would disburse Rp 3 billion (US$333,333) to cover the registration fees of all schools.

Home minister accused of fraud JAKARTA: A member of the Regional Autonomy Consultative Council (DPOD) Tabrani Rab reported Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno to the Jakarta Police office Tuesday for public deception, action unbecoming of a minister and fraud. Tabrani said that the reason for the report was over the proposal on the establishment of the Riau islands province.

I got my documents back After waiting for so long, I got my documents back. This is indeed an unexpected blessing, as I never dreamed about getting them again. And thus my gratitude to the National Land Agency (BPN). Edy Budayanto, the team leader of the land adjudication division, delivered the documents to me a couple of days ago. And now I am waiting for the issuance of the land title as promised by BPN. M. KUNTHO Jakarta

Rp 400m Bulog fund set for Habibie campaign Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Former chief of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) Rahardi Ramelan approved the disbursement of Rp 400 million from the agency's non-budgetary funds to finance a project to influence media coverage to promote a favorable image of former president B.J. Habibie in 1999. Maj. Gen.

Reasons why legislators couldn't care less Moch. N. Kurniawan and Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta In the past two years the public has learned to live with a legislature with a lackadaisical attitude toward doing their job in producing much needed laws. An interview with two legislators shed some light on the reasons for the legislature's low output.

Slovakia offers RI military equipment JAKARTA: The Slovakian government has offered to extend its military cooperation with its Indonesia, particularly in the selling of military equipment. "The Slovakian government wants greater military cooperation with Indonesia," director general for defense strategy, Maj. Gen. Sudradjat, said Tuesday. Sudradjat noted that three years ago, Indonesia bought amphibian tanks from Slovakia.

Manulife releases video footage showing 'extortion attempt' Ahmad Pathoni, Agence France-Presse, Jakarta Canadian insurance giant Manulife Financial Corp. hit back on Tuesday in its bitter legal feud with former Indonesian partner the Dharmala Group, releasing secretly-filmed video footage of what it called an extortion attempt.

Israel's 'Berlin Wall' may lead to massacres Israeli bulldozers flattened ground Sunday for an electronic fence that is planned to run the entire length of the West Bank -- a disputed project said to be aimed at protecting Israelis from Palestinian bombers. The Jakarta Post contributor Santi W.E.

1. FERRY: 12 x 4 lines Ferry owners demand fare hike, threaten to strike or Ferry owners threaten strike, unless ferry fares increased Sea transportation between Bakauheni in Lampung province and Merak in Banten province could be paralyzed soon as the local union of ferry operators has threatened to stop services until the authorities meet their demands to increase ferry fares.

Asia monies mixed late, rupiah higher Dow Jones, Singapore Asian currencies were mixed in lackluster trade Tuesday as yen weakness weighed on selected currencies. Declines in the Singapore dollar, Thai baht and South Korean won were all pinned on the slumping yen. The New Taiwan dollar closed lower after the central bank intervened in the closing minutes of trading to prop up the U.S. dollar. The Philippine peso and Indonesian rupiah edged higher. The yen stumbled against both the U.S.

IMF assistance still needed, say economists Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Economists urged legislators and the government to join hands in implementing difficult economic reform programs in order for the country to achieve a quick recovery, and not waste time and energy in quarreling about the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) here.

Application of 'syariah' From Forum Thumbs-up to the raids conducted by the authorities, for example the Tulungagung Police, against prostitution. Unfortunately, such raids fail to produce the desired results because there is no adequate sanction against those involved. Imprisonment has failed to discourage people from being involved in prostitution. I suggest, therefore, that syariah Islamic law be applied in all aspects of life because Islam has the answer to all of the human race's problems.

Closure of refugee camps in Kupang delayed Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara The central government has relented a little in its approach toward East Timorese refugees by postponing the planned closure of refugee camps in East Nusa Tenggara province until December this year. But the government has made it clear that there will not be any repatriation of refugees to the newly established Democratic Republic of East Timor after August.

Globalizing debate on IMF: Enter Indonesia Max Lane, Visiting Fellow, Center for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia The debate about extending Indonesia's relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) between Minister Kwik Kian Gie, in charge of the National Economic Planning Board and the other ministers in President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Cabinet is an important development in Indonesian politics and the debate on...

Prisoners flee as wardens watch soccer JAKARTA: Forty-eight prisoners escaped from the Pekanbaru prison in Riau province while guards were engrossed in Brazil's World Cup match with Belgium, police said on Tuesday. The Pekanbaru Police said the breakout occurred shortly before the end of the first half of Monday's match, which Brazil won 2-0 on second-half goals. Fifteen of the escaped convicts have been recaptured, said Pekanbaru Police chief Lt. Col. Pandiangan.

Bank Rakyat Indonesia BRI 14040 offers quick and easy banking transactions by phone Executives, professionals, academics and businesspeople who are always on the move can now make banking transactions by phone anywhere and anytime through Bank BRI, Indonesia's only bank which has offices in almost every town across the country.

German, French artists' works in Ubud UBUD, Bali: Two German and French artists will be displaying canvasses that feature batik designs and photographic effects in a joint exhibition at a gallery in Ubud from June 22 to July 6. The artists are Annemarie Kipar, 68, a German who has lived in Pejeng, Gianyar, for 10 years, and Jacques F.X. Guyat, 44, a Frenchman who lives in Ababi village, Karangasem, Bali, said gallery owner Wayan Sika in Ubud on Tuesday.

New directive may heighten tension in Aceh Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Tension may rise in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province following a directive issued by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that security operations against hard-line rebels be intensified.

BII obtains shareholders' approval to launch rights issue Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Publicly-listed Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII) obtained shareholders' approval on Tuesday to launch a rights issue to raise Rp 4.81 trillion (US$552.87 million) to strengthen its capital. Sigit Pramono, head of BII's management team, said the move would boost the ailing bank's capital adequacy ratio (CAR) to 14 percent, compared to the minus 47 percent it recorded at the end of last year.

PALYJA to double investment to improve clean water supply PT PAM Lyonaise Jaya (PALYJA), a subsidiary of ONDEO Services of France, will more than double its investment to improve and expand the supply of clean water in western Jakarta.

Soeharto to get hospital exam Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A government-appointed medical team spent two-and-a-half hours examining former president Soeharto at his residence in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, to see if he could stand trial. However, the six-member team issued no recommendation to state prosecutors and decided to take Soeharto to a hospital to continue its check.

Awad, Palestin's freedom fighter Grace Emilia, Contributor, Jakarta In the last three years, almost every foreign diplomat who has arrived in or left Indonesia has been greeted or bid farewell by Ribhi Y. Awad, the dean of the diplomatic corps here and also the chairman of the Arab Ambassadorial Council in Jakarta. Having spent 10 years as the Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia, Awad is not just a senior diplomat, but also a life- long freedom fighter.

Govt to issue decree on SMEs's bad debts Antara, Jakarta The government will issue a presidential decree on the restructurization of bad debts owed by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by the end of June or early July, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Dorodjatun Kuntjoro Jakti said here on Tuesday. "The government wants to settle the issue as soon as possible," Dorodjatun said after a cabinet session on SMEs led by Vice President Hamzah Haz.