Malaysia seeks RI, RP's help KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will seek cooperation from neighboring Indonesia and the Philippines to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the country, following a recent mass deportation exercise, a junior minister said Saturday. "We will request Indonesia and the Philippines to beef up security, especially in waters off Sabah," Deputy Defense Minister Mohamed Shafie Apdal was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

Chinatown, a magnet for tourists in Singapore Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Singapore Singapore has long been known as a shopping mecca for tourists. But the tiny country also offers rich cultural heritage, which has been well-preserved and is an interesting side for visitors to explore. One such area of interest is Singapore's Chinatown, which has been successfully preserved by the government.

Hassan Wirayuda meets top U.S. official Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda met U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in Washington on Friday, and discussed Iraq, among other issues, as the U.S.'s embassy in Jakarta still closed by a security scare. Hassan lunched with Armitage, as Secretary of State Colin Powell was at the United Nations in New York, drumming up support for a harsh Security Council resolution critical of Iraq.

New Merc engine offers efficiency and power Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Whenever you see a Mercedes-Benz, you'll quickly be able to tell its engine type just by looking at the serial number on its trunk. As of August 2002, DaimlerChrysler -- which produces Mercedes- Benz, Jeep and Chrysler -- have launched the new type of C180 Kompressor. The C-Class is promised to be more attractive for customers with the newly developed four-cylinder engines and an exterior facelift.

On the Shelves Jakarta Good Food Guide 2002-2003; By Laksmi Pamuntjak; Pena Klasik, Jakarta, 2002; 433pp. There are many things that makes a city interesting for both its residents and visitors. One of them is its culinary traditions. For some people, savoring the sight, smell and taste of diverse dishes is an incomparable delight. Therefore when Laksmi Pamuntjak launched the Jakarta Good Food Guide 2001, the book received a good response from culinary pleasure-seeking Jakartans and expatriates.

Painter Boy modernizes 'wayang beber' Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Over 600 hundred years old, the wayang beber is similar to the comic strip of today. It contains a series of illustrations and just like other ancient works of art, the wayang beber has its own pakem, or rules of making and treating it. Painter Boy Tri Harjanto, however, rebels against it and turns it into a modern work of art.

After-sales service helps sales To maintain optimum customer satisfaction, a car manufacturer needs to provide after-sales service by employing skilled mechanics as well as carrying a complete stock of spare parts. These convenient facilities have been maintained by PT DaimlerChrysler Distribution Indonesia over the past 24 years. The company's after-sales deputy director, Ivo A.

Offering flexible alternatives in obtaining funding Sudibyo M. Wiradji, Contributor, Jakarta When you ask someone about the best alternative, other than banks, to obtain funds to purchase a car, you will probably be told to try a leasing company. Leasing means renting something from multifinance companies either in the form of office equipment or heavy machinery. In most cases, the person taking out the lease is given the option of owning the goods when the leasing term is completed.

Author takes advantage of fact to work of fiction Lie Hua, Contributor, Jakarta Indonesian Gold; By Kerry B. Collison; Sid Harta Publishers; Hartwell, Victoria, Australia, 2002; 626 pp. By far its closest neighbor, Australia, in reality, is quite far from Indonesia in virtually every respect. For Indonesians, Australia is just like a country somewhere in Europe or in the U.S., although it is just somewhere down under.

Two policemen killed in restive Aceh BANDA ACEH: Two personnel of the Police Mobile Brigade were killed in a firefight with rebels in Seunuddon, North Aceh, some 300 kilometers east of Banda Aceh on Saturday, according to reliable sources. The bodies of the two policemen who have yet to be identified were taken to the Military Hospital in Lhokseumawe, hours after the firefight.

Indonesian arrested in Bangkok Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (right) inspects a cache of 140 kilograms of heroin and other drugs in front of arrested suspects Tjong Leng Oei (center) from Indonesia and his adopted Thai son Direk Ruangritthi (left) at Bangkok's police headquarters on Friday. The prime minister confronted three suspected heroin traffickers, including the two suspects, on Friday as they were paraded before the media. "Do you know we have capital punishment in Thailand?

Business booms for Nunukan islanders Fitri Wulandari and Tertiani Z.B. Simanjuntak, Nunukan, East Kalimantan "Has your passport been sorted out?" asks the owner of a store in downtown Nunukan Island of anyone whom she believes does not belong to the island, Indonesian migrant workers in particular.

Nunukan: An impoverished transit for the hunted Nunukan has long been a transit center for migrant workers from Nusa Tenggara and Sulawesi making the sea crossing to neighboring Malaysia -- either legally or illegally. In the last month, the regency at the eastern tip of East Kalimantan province has been flooded with deported workers who have doubled Nunukan's population.

U.S. attack on Iraq would fuel radicalism The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A U.S.-led attack on Iraq would fuel radicalism and anti-U.S. sentiment among Muslim communities, putting western interests, particularly that of the United States, across the country further at risk, analysts warn. "There's no doubt the reaction (to an attack) will be as strong as before," vice president of the Indonesian Society for Middle East Studies (ISMES) Smith Aldahar said over the weekend.

Business remains promising despite some difficulties Rikza Abdullah, Contributor, Jakarta The high growth of domestic consumption has helped Indonesia's multifinance companies accelerate the pace toward recovery after the recent economic crisis devastated it, forcing a large number of financial service companies to halt operations or even collapse.

Power supplies mostly return to normal Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Power supply returned to normal in most parts of Greater Jakarta on Saturday after hours of blackout on Thursday night and Friday as state electricity firm PT PLN worked hard to bring things under control. There were still power outages in certain areas. However, PT PLN said it would stick to existing regulations in case a class action suit is filed against the company.

Steel gives industrial appearance Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The steel house was meant to be an experimental and cheap project for architect Ahmad Djuhara. Located on a small lot in a typically crowded neighborhood in the Jati Makmur area of Pondok Gede, Bekasi, the house's reconstruction made use of used materials sold in the capital's flea markets.

Yasmine White: A designer showcasing Oriental jewelry Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Su in Korean means drops of water. The little stream of river that makes its way to the sea. Not as tremendous and powerful as the ocean, but meaningful. And so Korean jewelry designer Yasmine White named her collection Su. Maybe it also has something to do with her free-flowing attitude, just like water. "I'm not really commercial. I am just doing something that I like.

Temple of Sound and humanized technology Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Singapore The interview with Neil Sparkes and Count Dubulah of UK DJ outfit Temple of Sound was quickly added to my most-favorite-interview list. We met recently on the sidelines of the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) 2002 in Singapore, where they performed together with Pakistan's Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali -- a performance that was a crowd favorite at the three-day event.

Missing pieces at Indonesia's famous temples Peter Janssen, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Yogyakarta Restoration work on Central Java's world-famous Buddhist/Hindu temples -- Borobudur and Prambanan -- was theoretically completed in 1990, just in time for the 1991 Visit Indonesia Year. In fact, much remains to be done on the two spectacular monuments which may take decades to finish given Indonesia's continuing economic crisis, experts say.

Minarti Timur has been the country's best mixed doubles player during her 16-year career. At the age of 34 she has decided to resign, ending her career on a happy note by winning her sixth Indonesia Open title. Page 3 Oriental jewelry Korean jeweler Yasmine White showcases oriental designs in her jewelry using precious and semiprecious stones. Her collection has begun to gain popularity among Indonesians. Page 13

Korean dancers reveal much beyond ginseng and soccer Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta What is Korea famous for? Except for its ginseng, the country began to steal international attention by reaching the 2002 Soccer World Cup semifinals under Dutch coach Guus Hiddink before bowing out to eventual runners-up Germany. Its disciplined, efficient and hard-work ethic also helped the country to successfully co-host the quadrennial event with neighboring country Japan.

Happy badminton finale for Minarti Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The most beautiful moment for an athlete is when he or she wins a tournament, especially before a home crowd at the end of his or her career. American tennis ace Pete Sampras did it, hinting last Sunday that he might retire, and so did Indonesian badminton mixed doubles specialist Minarti Timur.

TV Program: Sunday, September 15, 2002 TVRI 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 7:00 Sports 8:00 Quiz 8:30 Children's Program 10:30 Music 11:00 Maskum Show 12:30 p.m. Comedy 2:00 TV Drama 3:00 Documentary 3:30 Religious Teachings 4:00 Sports 6:00 News 7:00 TV Drama 7:30 Music 9:00 News 9:30 Variety Show 10:00 Theater TPI 5:30 a.m. Religious Teachings 6:00 News 7:00 Cartoon 8:30 Chinese Food 9:00 Entertainment News 11:00 TV Drama 12:30 p.m.

21 soldiers quizzed over shooting R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura Police in Papua have so far questioned 21 Army soldiers who were on duty during the shooting at giant copper and gold mining company PT Freeport Indonesia compound in Timika on Aug. 31, 2002 but have said the investigation remained inconclusive with no one yet held responsible for the incident.