Govt gives public officials one month to report wealth Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government has given all public officials in the bureaucracy until the end of this month to report their assets or face punishment. State Minister of Administrative Reforms Feisal Tamin said on Monday he had sent letters to all officials, from national to regional level, to comply with the mandatory procedure stipulated by the Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN).

Small parties demand ban on holding two jobs Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A group of minor parties demanded on Monday that all party leaders be banned from key positions in the executive and judicial branches to avoid conflicts of interest. The parties also said that political parties should not accept financial assistance from the state because of the country's weakening economy.

'I am using bottled water for drinking' Many residents in Jakarta have to turn to bottled-water to fulfill their basic needs of a clean water supply. City-owned tap water company PAM Jaya has yet to develop a city-wide water network due to financial constraints. Even those who can access the service complain of its availability and quality. Using ground water is not always a viable option. Several residents share their experiences with The Jakarta Post.

IBRA cuts layoff target in bank merger Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The planned merger of five banks under the supervision of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) is now expected to cause fewer job losses than initially predicted, agency Chairman Syafruddin Temmenggung said on Monday.

QSAR's fall brings lax regulations into spotlight Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta They may claim to be trading agricultural products, handicrafts, or cosmetics, but what companies like the now defunct PT Qurnia Subur Alam Raya (QSAR) really do is amass public funds without stringent regulations to protect investors. So far no state institution has claimed responsibility for the debacle that followed QSAR's recent bankruptcy.

KL trade surplus edges down, but exports show strength Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia's trade surplus fell in July from the previous month, but exports showed better-than-expected strength, the trade ministry said Monday. Malaysia posted a surplus of 4.05 billion ringgit (US$1.07 billion) in July, down one percent from 4.09 billion in June, the International Trade and Industry ministry (MITI) said in a statement.

Arroyo shows her concern Malaysia has suspended the deportation of illegal Filipino migrants after a deal was reached between Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Reports said that Arroyo called Mahathir last Friday saying that a team would be dispatched to Malaysia to investigate the conditions in which the migrants were being held in detention centers in Malaysia before they were sent home.

Jakarta governor and deputy governor From Media Indonesia Fauzi Bowo has demonstrated his magnanimity by his willingness to be nominated as deputy governor of Jakarta for the 2002 to 2007 period. If he had not placed the interests of Jakarta and its residents above his own, he would have run for the position of governor himself. Therefore, his magnanimity has enabled Jakarta to have an ideal pairing: Sutiyoso as governor, with Fauzi Bowo as his deputy.

Public cautioned over landmines AMBON, Maluku: Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Soenarko Danu Ardianto called on local residents on Monday to be on the alert for landmines planted in public places, admitting that his department did not have the necessary equipment to detect landmines. "The residents should be alert because the recent explosions in Suli village were caused by landmines planted on pathways," Soenarko was quoted by Antara as saying.

Rupiah Rates Sept.2 Banknote rates TT rates Selling Buying Selling Buying Rp Rp Rp Rp Australian dollar 1 5,132.25 4,582.38 4,882.27 4,832.26 Brunei dollar 1 5,345.13 4,771.47 5,084.78 5,031.67 Canadian dollar 1 6,010.91 5,365.42 5,718.14 5,658.00 Swiss franc 1 6,238.01 5,569.84 5,934.17 5,873.58 Danish krone 1 1,236.66 1,104.08 1,176.42 1,164.29 Euro 1 9,185.06 8,199.78 8,737.68 8,646.93 Poundsterling 1 14,496.12 12,944.38 13,790.05 13,650.26 Hong Kong dollar 1 1,200.29 1,072.02 1,141.82 1,130.

Sultan criticized over special status bill Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta The governor of Yogyakarta, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, submitted to the provincial legislature on Monday a bill on the region's special status. The bill, which seeks to preserve the Sultan's position as Yogyakarta governor, will be first deliberated by provincial lawmakers before it is submitted to the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta for further discussion and approval.

10 killed in fresh violence in Aceh over the weekend Ibnu Mat Noor, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh At least 10 people were shot dead in four separate incidents in Aceh over the weekend, police and military officers said on Monday. Aceh Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Dade Achmad said five suspected Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fighters, including a woman, were killed in two separate skirmishes in West Aceh on Sunday afternoon. The first took place at about 3 p.m.

1. Merger (4x10) IBRA cuts layoff target in bank merger 2. SME (2x27) Government provides 25% discount for SME debts 3. Inflat (1x18) Inflation up 10.6% 4. Telkom (1x46) Telkom fails to complete plan to buy Ariawest

Prosecutors believe Syahril guilty JAKARTA: The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is planning to challenge the High Court's verdict acquitting Bank Indonesia Governor Syahril Sabirin from all charges in the Bak Bali case, saying it believed the official guilty. "We believe Syahril abused his power in the Bank Bali case and therefore we plan to appeal the verdict," spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Barman Zahir said on Monday.

Smuggling ships can be released on bail Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government announced on Monday that it would release on bail nine vessels accused of smuggling sand to Singapore, while pledging to proceed with legal prosecution. After a meeting with Vice President Hamzah Haz, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Rokhmin Dahuri said bail could reach Rp 2 trillion (US$250 million).

Malaysia to suspend repatriation of RP migrants Agencies, Singapore/Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Malaysia has agreed to suspend forced repatriations of illegal Filipino migrant workers amid outrage over conditions in detention camps, where three children are reported to have died, the British Broadcasting Corp. reports on its web site.

PKB to simulate upcoming election JAKARTA: The Jakarta chapter of the People's Awakening Party (PKB) will conduct a simulation of a direct election to decide on Jakarta's governor in 56 locations across the five mayoralties here. The party has prepared 18,000 ballots, consisting of seven pairs of candidates running for governor and deputy governor, for the simulation, called the "freedom vote".

Indonesia has hopes for 19 golds The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Based on a medal assessment conducted by sport organizations, Indonesia has a good chance at winning between 18 and 19 gold medals at the 2002 Asian Games, a national training director has said. "Given our evaluation of the athletes' progress during training, we have a good chance at winning between 18 and 19 golds. That means we would surpass President Megawati's expectations," Imron ZS told Antara on Monday.