Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 7 September 2002

88 articles found

SMIT takes action against drugs

SMIT takes action against drugs TANGERANG: The Solidarity for the Tangerang Islamic Community (SMIT) urged the government to revoke the operational permit of Hotel Istana Nelayan on Jl. Gatot Subroto, Tangerang, because the hotel management had turned a blind eye to the rampant drug dealing taking...

Aceh talks to be still-born

Aceh talks to be still-bornDamien Kingsbury Head, Philosophical, Political and International Studies Deakin University Melbourne Australia Negotiations between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which are aimed at ending the northern province's protracted conflict, look set to fail,...

NGO criticizes govt over rights body

NGO criticizes govt over rights body JAKARTA: The presidential decree formalizing the election of 21 members of the National Commission on Human Rights is considered unlawful and too accommodating to political compromises, a non-governmental organization (NGO) lamented.

Schools must promote greater global understanding

Schools must promote greater global understandingSimon Marcus Gower Principal Harapan Bangsa High School Tangerang, Banten Globalization is something that has been spoken of and written of in many different contexts, but an area in which globalization has, perhaps, not been thought of enough is...

checked by Melinda[b]

checked by Melinda revised by agpi Apartemen Golf : Advertorial Focus Edition : Sunday -- Sept. 06 Approval : Monday -- Aug. 30 AGPI will soon open its 2nd tower offering spacious family rooms with fascinating viewFrom the front gardens, inside the building to the back gardens, Apartemen Golf...

Bulog defendant freed due to ambiguous indictment

Bulog defendant freed due to ambiguous indictmentMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Due to ambiguities in the indictment, the South Jakarta District Court suspended on Thursday the corruption trial of businessman Hokiarto in a case involving convict Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra in a...

Govt, House review controversial labor bills

Govt, House review controversial labor billsThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government and the House of Representatives are being battered by a tidal wave of criticism over their stance during the continuing debate of two labor bills, and are being accused by some of favoritism in response to labor...

Crime is all around

Crime is all aroundFrom Warta KotaCrime is everywhere now: murder, robbery, theft, fraud, corruption, etc. Everybody knows that neither religious teachings nor legal norms condone crime.Although Indonesia is a law-based state, the relevant authorities still cannot eradicate crime once and for all.

What puts the `service' into serviced apartments?

What puts the `service' into serviced apartments?Gunawan Yonatan Associate Director, Property Management Department, PT Procon Indah When you think of serviced apartments perhaps the only real points of difference you associate with them, is a small kitchenette and a daily cleaning service.

U.S. House panel approves bill that provides military aid to RI

U.S. House panel approves bill that provides military aid to RIVicki Allen, Reuters, Washington A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee passed a foreign aid bill on Thursday that eases restrictions on military training aid to Indonesia and would bar U.S.

Defiant Akbar will travel to Vietnam

Defiant Akbar will travel to Vietnam Despite a conviction of embezzling Rp 40 billion (US$4.5 million) of state funds, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung is defiantly flying to Hanoi on Saturday.

Voting with conscience

Voting with conscience Nothing, it seems, can stop Jakarta's incumbent governor, Sutiyoso, from winning the gubernatorial election next week. Nothing that is, unless there are enough members in the Jakarta Legislative Council who rediscover their conscience on time, and cast their votes...

Bathtub-plus in Kijangs

Bathtub-plus in Kijangs I refer to the letter Carrying bathtubs in Kijangs from the communications manager, Toyota, published on Sept. 2. I want to urge him very strongly to have the certificates for Kijangs amended by the proper authorities to increase their carrying capacity by an additional,...

BI confirms deal with London Club

BI confirms deal with London ClubDow Jones, Jakarta Bank Indonesia confirmed Friday it had reached debt rescheduling agreements with commercial creditors grouped under the London Club, a day after Standard & Poor's said it had hiked its credit ratings for Indonesia due to the agreements.

Nonexistent PO Box

Nonexistent PO BoxFrom Pikiran RakyatIn mid-July, Pikiran Rakyat ran an advertisement for a job opening placed by a social organization cooperating with a Dutch non-governmental organization in entrepreneurship development.

Big parties support plan to fire dissenting legislators

Big parties support plan to fire dissenting legislatorsTiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The country's three most popular political parties have thrown their weight behind plans to revive a mechanism to fire dissenting legislative members, but differ on other issues.

Civil servants cry out for help over public outrage

Civil servants cry out for help over public outrageYuliansyah, The Jakarta Post, Banjarmasin Civil servants in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan are crying out for help over the unruly behavior of student and non-governmental organization (NGO) activists protesting for the expulsion of Governor...

Namarina's 'Talking Toes' is jolly good fun

Namarina's 'Talking Toes' is jolly good funTantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Remember my name, Fame; I'm gonna live forever; I'm gonna learn how to fly, high; I feel it coming together; People will see me and cry.

Legislator's wife questioned over QSAR scam

Legislator's wife questioned over QSAR scamYuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, West Java Following hot on the heels of House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung's conviction for graft, the wife of House deputy speaker Tosari Wijaya is being questioned about her role in the massive...

Poor students get UGM scholarship

Poor students get UGM scholarship YOGYAKARTA: New students at Gadjah Mada University who come from socially disadvantaged families are eligible to receive a scholarship from the university's alumni, UGM Rector Sofian Effendi said.

Indonesia has little hope of winning Chess Olympiad

Indonesia has little hope of winning Chess OlympiadMusthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta After a high-flying performance with its junior team in Kuala Lumpur, the Indonesian Chess Association (Percasi) appears to have become indifferent ahead of the upcoming World Chess Olympiad.

Now abandoned, Krui seaport tells of glorious past

Now abandoned, Krui seaport tells of glorious pastThe Jakarta Post, Krui, West Lampung Once a busy seaport in West Lampung, Krui is nothing more than a pale shadow of a glorious past.An old, abandoned customs and excise building, a berth, several old and empty warehouses and a fortress stand...

New customs chief faces tough job as integrity questioned

New customs chief faces tough job as integrity questionedRendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Minister of Finance Boediono officially installed on Friday Eddy Abdurrachman as the new director general of Customs and Excise.

Thai fishermen's

Thai fishermen's deportation I am writing in response to the news report titled Thai fishermen deported published in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 28. The said news reported that the South Sumatra Police deported on Aug.

Location remains tenants' main consideration

Location remains tenants' main considerationI. Christianto Contributor JakartaApartments generally offer similar facilities and services such as ample living areas, large bedrooms and luxurious bathrooms in addition to a good security system.

Way Kambas elephant training center falling apart

Way Kambas elephant training center falling apartThe Jakarta Post, Way Kambas, Lampung There was neither a fiesta nor a spectacular ceremony. Nor was there a special attraction, only a modest observance to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the Way Kambas elephant training center.

TV Today: Saturday, September 7, 2002

TV Today: Saturday, September 7, 2002 TVRI 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings6:00 News8:30 Talk Show9:00 Music11:00 News1:00 p.m. Talk Show2:30 Music3:00 Religious Teachings3:30 Cartoon4:00 Japan League (Live)6:00 News7:00 Variety Show8:00 Quiz9:00 News9:30 Music11:00 TV Drama12:30 a.m. NewsTPI 5:30 a.m.

Luring overseas retirees

Luring overseas retirees It was interesting to read your Aug. 26 article Southeast Asia lures stock market victims with cheap lifestyles.Wouldn't it also be a wise gesture for the Indonesian government to take a clue from the success of these programs in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, in...

* Headlines: Police admit to FBI's presence in Papua 2

* Headlines: Police admit to FBI's presence in Papua 2 * National: Legislators at odds over KPU independence4 * Archipelago: Two arrested for recent Ambon blast 5 * Opinion: Stop election process of Jakarta governor6 * City: Officials bribed to allow children to beg 8 * Sports: Sampras looks young...

West Sumatra councillors to tour region amid protests

West Sumatra councillors to tour region amid protestsKasparman, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra Despite strong public criticism, all 55 members of the West Sumatra legislature are to go ahead with their plan to tour three neighboring countries: Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Stop election process of Jakarta governor

Stop election process of Jakarta governorAzas Tigor Nainggolan, Chairperson, Jakarta Residents Forum (FAKTA) Apart from being a province Jakarta is the country's capital, and so it should serve as an example for other cities regarding policies or development programs.

Diarrhea attacks orangutan babies

Diarrhea attacks orangutan babies PALANGKARAYA, Central Kalimantan: At least 18 orangutan babies at the Nyaru Menteng Conservation in Arboretum, Central Kalimantan have been undergoing treatment for diarrhea at the Doris Sylvanus General Hospital in Palangkaraya since Thursday.

People's Consultative Assembly chairman Amien Rais suggested

People's Consultative Assembly chairman Amien Rais suggested earlier this week that police stop efforts to bring the company's executives to court although he admitted that Ramli had misused public funds.

1. Intro -- 2 cols, 3 lines, 36 pts, 39 counts

1. Intro -- 2 cols, 3 lines, 36 pts, 39 countsLampung, a melting pot surviving tests of reform 2. Profil -- 5 cols, 2 lines, 48 pts, 66 counts either is fine Lampung, so close to Jakarta, yet so farorLampung close to Jakarta but remains one of the poorest provinces 3.

Lampung unites diverse ethnic groups

Lampung unites diverse ethnic groupsThe Jakarta Post, Teluk Betung, Lampung An old man hovers around eight people who are busy building a ship in the coastal village of Cungkeng, Kota Karang, West Teluk Betung.

Steps needed to control labour flow in region

Steps needed to control labour flow in region P. Ramasamy professor of political science Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia The Straits Times Asia News Network Singapore There are reasons to believe that Malaysia's tough immigration law may not eliminate entirely the presence of illegal migrant workers...

On toll road

On toll road construction From Rakyat Merdeka We are really concerned about Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno's tardiness in settling major problems within the scope of his job. There are two things that are worth questioning concerning his policies.

Talangsari still evokes terrible memories

Talangsari still evokes terrible memoriesThe Jakarta Post, Talangsari, Lampung "Talangsari? Will it cause any problems? Try another company," a man at a rent-a-car company in Bandarlampung said when we told him we wanted to rent a car and driver to take us to the remote village.

People, govt must join hands to curb pollution

People, govt must join hands to curb pollution The public cannot deny the fact that water quality in the capital is deteriorating due to poor public and industry awareness on the environment. Some people shared with The Jakarta Post their concerns upon seeing the reality of our water condition that...

Informal school dedicated to children of the impoverished

Informal school dedicated to children of the impoverishedLeo Wahyudi S, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta With plastic bags in their hands two shoe-shine boys starred at groups of people entering the theater in the Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center in Central Jakarta hoping that some of the cinema-goers...

Moch. N. Kurniawan

Moch. N. Kurniawan and Adianto P. Simamora The Jakarta Post JakartaThe current prolonged dry season would not have a serious impact on this year's rice production target, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Friday.Director General of food production management at the ministry M.

Algeria wants to work more closely with Indonesia to fight terror

Algeria wants to work more closely with Indonesia to fight terrorAgence France-Presse, Algiers Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has called at a dinner honoring visiting Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri for greater cooperation between the two countries in the fight against...

Villagers struggle with dark past

Villagers struggle with dark pastThe Jakarta Post, Talangsari, Lampung Talangsari was an ordinary village with ordinary people living an ordinary life.That was until 1989, before military troops stormed the village to crush a Muslim militant group led by Anwar Warsidi that had resided in Cihideung,...

[b]Stop election process

Stop election process of Jakarta governor 2. LA07 -- 1 X 30 The worrying new face of America 3. Star07 -- 1 X 30Foreign govts unfair to Malaysia

Recovery trend continues amid increasing demand

Recovery trend continues amid increasing demand Rikza Abdullah Contributor Jakarta Jakarta's rental apartment market, severely hit by the economic crisis in 1997, continues its recovery amid a steady increase in new demand.

Prolonged dry season won't affect rice output target: Govt

Prolonged dry season won't affect rice output target: GovtMoch. N. Kurniawan and Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The current prolonged dry season would not have a serious impact on this year's rice production target, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Friday.

IBRA to sell all SME debts before year-end

IBRA to sell all SME debts before year-endA'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) will auction off the remaining nonperforming loans (NPLs) owed by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) before the end of this year, an agency official said.

Govt says it's ready to cope with drought

Govt says it's ready to cope with droughtMoch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government claimed on Friday it had prepared adequate precautionary measures to ensure that the longer-than-expected dry season would not trigger further forest fires and adversely affect rice output.

RI probes dumping allegations against four import products

RI probes dumping allegations against four import productsAdianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Indonesian Antidumping Committee (KADI) is currently conducting an investigation into four imported products allegedly being sold here through dumping practices, according to a top official...

Timorese refugees to get 58 tons of rice

Timorese refugees to get 58 tons of rice KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Some 5,000 East Timorese refugees sheltering in Naibonat, Taupukan, and Noelbaki camps in East Nusa Tenggara will receive a total of 58 tons of rice.

RI, China LNG deal imminent: Minister

RI, China LNG deal imminent: MinisterThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Indonesia will sign a contract with China for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China's Fujian province at an energy conference in Bali between Sept. 24 and Sept.

Don't shoot the messengers

Don't shoot the messengers President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who was widely criticized last week for her administration's poor handling of Indonesian workers deported from Malaysia, is now trying to shift the blame: on the press.

Boars, monkeys attack plantations

Boars, monkeys attack plantations CIAMIS, West Java: Dozens of boars and monkeys from Mount Sawal are raiding plantations in Cipaku in the West Java regency of Tasikmalaya after a 12-kilometer-long wall collapsed last Thursday.

Residents foiled court's land seizure

Residents foiled court's land seizure TANGERANG: Hundreds of residents in Rawa Mekar Jaya subdistrict, Serpong district, Tangerang, foiled the Tangerang District Court's attempt to seize a one-hectare plot of land, including the site of the subdistrict administration office on Thursday.

Factions give Akbar two options: Quit or be fired

Factions give Akbar two options: Quit or be firedThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Two days after House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung was convicted of graft, his future has been narrowed down to two choices: resign or have legislators dismiss him through an honorary council.Roy B.B.

Trying to live with history of Dutch colonial rule

Trying to live with history of Dutch colonial ruleJim Schuurmans, The Netherlands The VOC Dutch trade firm, is "a sore memory 400 years after" -- The Jakarta Post reported in March, nearly 200 years after the VOC was declared bankrupt according to Dutch law.

Rupiah Rates Sept.6

Rupiah Rates Sept.6 Banknote rates TT rates Selling Buying Selling Buying Rp Rp Rp Rp Australian dollar 1 5,083.47 4,536.59 4,836.00 4,783.83 Brunei dollar 1 5,364.83 4,789.35 5,103.67 5,050.37 Canadian dollar 1 5,963.20 5,323.20 5,672.91 5,613.31 Swiss franc 1 6,379.05 5,694.94 6,068.51 6,005.

Where to go in Jakarta: Saturday, September 7, 2002

Where to go in Jakarta: Saturday, September 7, 2002Exhibitions * Painting Excellence in Small by Mas Dibyo, lobby level, Club Rasuna Jl. HR.Rasuna Said Kav.C22 South Jakarta, until Sept. 14. * Fine Arts Read! Exhibition, The British Council, S. Widjojo Center, Jl. Sudirman Kav.

Ban to cover council's meeting upsets reporters

Ban to cover council's meeting upsets reportersBambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Dozens of reporters lodged a protest over the City Council's ban on coverage of Friday's closed-door plenary session about the mechanism to be used in Jakarta's gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial election...

TKIs sold as sex slaves in Kalimantan

TKIs sold as sex slaves in KalimantanThe Jakarta Post, Nunukan, East Kalimantan, Jakarta The plight of illegal Indonesian workers deported from Malaysia took a new turn on Friday with the finding that some 25 girls, mostly from Java, had been forced into becoming sex workers in Tawau, East Malaysia.

Abolishing visa

Abolishing visa free facility The Jakarta Post of Aug. 31 reported a proposal from the Directorate General of Immigration to end the visa free visit facility for nationals of most countries.The advantage of this idea is that it would fill the coffers of the immigration department.

Sex abuse and human trafficking in Malaysia

Sex abuse and human trafficking in MalaysiaRina Jimenez-David, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Asia News Network, Manila Some years ago, I heard stories about Filipino women trafficked into Sabah and set up in brothels just outside the border of Brunei.

Council decides to write names in gubernatorial election

Council decides to write names in gubernatorial electionBambang Nurbianto and Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The City Council decided through a vote on Friday that council members would write out the names on the ballots in the Sept. 11 gubernatorial election.

No room for complacency on judicial reform

No room for complacency on judicial reform On Wednesday, a panel of judges found House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung guilty of the misuse of non-budgetary funds belonging to the National Logistics Agency (Bulog), and sentenced him to three years imprisonment.

Ginandjar to be questioned Thursday

Ginandjar to be questioned Thursday JAKARTA: Former mines and energy minister Ginadjar Kartasasmita will be questioned on Thursday as a suspect in an alleged graft case involving the Technical Assistance Contract (TAC) between sate oil company Pertamina and PT Ustraindo Petro Gas.

10 Indonesians in 'Join The Team 2002'

10 Indonesians in 'Join The Team 2002' JAKARTA: Seventy-five Indonesian adventure enthusiasts are competing at the Baluran National Park in Banyuwangi, East Java, for 10 spots on the Marlboro Adventure Team "Join The Team 2002" event to be held at the Moab wilderness in Utah, the United States,...

Police admit to FBI's presence in Papua

Police admit to FBI's presence in PapuaR.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika said on Friday that an FBI agent was included in the team of U.S. security officials in Papua looking into last week's bloody ambush that killed two Americans and one...

Aceh talks to be still

Aceh talks to be still born, as distrust goes onDr Damien Kingsbury is Head of Philosophical, Political and International Studies at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. Negotiations between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which are aimed at ending the northern...

Delphi IT center opens in Jakarta

Delphi IT center opens in Jakarta JAKARTA: PT Delphi Computech, a leading learning institution for advanced applications in information technology (IT) based in Pune, India, has opened its first IT learning center in Jakarta.

RP unifies approach on Sabah claim

RP unifies approach on Sabah claimAgencies, Manila Philippine President Gloria Arroyo and Congress leaders agreed on Friday to craft a unified approach to Manila's dormant claim to the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island.

Akbar's verdict will not help in fight against corruption

Akbar's verdict will not help in fight against corruptionBerni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The sentencing of the House of Representatives speaker to three-years jail in a country where corruption is rife may seem like a milestone, but critics say the verdict lacks the punch needed to...

New Islamic Center in Kramat Tunggak

New Islamic Center in Kramat TunggakThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Thousands of Muslims pray to Allah at a new mosque that was formerly the site of a notorious red-light district. A radical transformation took place on a 10.

2 arrested over recent deadly blast in Ambon

2 arrested over recent deadly blast in AmbonOktovianus Pinontoan and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Ambon/Jakarta Police in Ambon are questioning two civilians in connection with a deadly bomb blast in a stadium on Thursday as the situation in the violence-torn city slowly returned to...

Lampung close to Jakarta but remains one of the poorest provinces

Lampung close to Jakarta but remains one of the poorest provincesThe Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung, Lampung Initially part of the South Sumatra province, Lampung became a province on March 18, 1964.Today, 38 years after its establishment, Lampung's social and economic conditions are far from...

'Angkat Saudara': Lampung tradition to settle ethnic conflicts

'Angkat Saudara': Lampung tradition to settle ethnic conflictsThe Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung The revival of ethnic and religious sentiments as opposed to nationalism has been blamed for many of the ethnic and religious conflicts that have been raging in Indonesia since the era of reform began in...

E-learning remains big question in Indonesia

E-learning remains big question in IndonesiaEridani Sudiono, Consultant, Accenture, Jakarta Flexibility is what should come to mind when people hear of e- learning. E-learning corresponds to the notion of easy access training, hi-tech, multimedia, easily managed training, etc.

City officials bribed to allow children to beg

City officials bribed to allow children to begMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Most Jakartans are familiar with the presence of street children at most intersections in the city every day. They take their existence for granted as another dark side of the city.

Legislators at odds over KPU independence

Legislators at odds over KPU independenceKurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Despite intentions to give greater independence to the General Election Commission (KPU), legislators remain divided on whether the commission should be granted full authority to manage its own affairs or partial.

A melting pot surviving the tests of reform

A melting pot surviving the tests of reformThe Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung, Lampung In this era of regional autonomy, every province and regency has been craving the government's attention, with the exception of Lampung. Or so it seems.As Jakarta's hinterland, Lampung seems to have been sidelined.

BI confirms deal with London Club

BI confirms deal with London ClubDow Jones, Jakarta Bank Indonesia confirmed Friday it had reached debt rescheduling agreements with commercial creditors, a day after Standard & Poor's said it had hiked its credit ratings for Indonesia due to the agreements.

Shell insists it remains committed to Timor Sea development

Shell insists it remains committed to Timor Sea developmentAgence France-Presse, Sydney Energy giant Shell on Friday dismissed a report it was set to quit the multi-billion dollar Sunrise gas project in the Timor Sea because of a disagreement with its joint venture partners.

Attempted murder of Aceh governor may hamper talks

Attempted murder of Aceh governor may hamper talksThe Jakarta Post, Medan/Banda Aceh The attempted assassination of Aceh's governor by unidentified gunmen on Thursday is likely to encourage the government to take a tougher line against separatists in the war-torn province and may have derailed...

Media body calls local news 'vulgar'

Media body calls local news 'vulgar' JAKARTA: The violence shown in crime reports aired by local TV channels has reached a horrifying level as the program is watched by the general public, a media watchdog said on Friday.

Unfair

Unfair compensation The news on the plan to continue the construction of the veteran-Ulujami section of the Jakarta outer ring road (JORR) should bring relief to motor vehicle owners. On the other hand, landowners who may be subject to eviction will be anxious.

Location remains tenants' main consideration

Location remains tenants' main considerationI. Christianto Contributor JakartaApartments generally offer similar facilities and services such as ample living areas, large bedrooms and luxurious bathrooms in addition to a good security system.

Cabbie jailed for molesting maid

Cabbie jailed for molesting maidSINGAPORE: A Singaporean man has been sentenced to a year in jail for molesting a teenage maid that he hired to care for his dying wife, according to a court official and newspaper reports on Friday.

New guidebook offers deep insights of Yogyakarta

New guidebook offers deep insights of YogyakartaSri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta Yogyakarta is home to hundreds of both historical and archaeological sites that might be of interest to adventurous travelers.

Mideast countries co-fund new mosque

Mideast countries co-fund new mosque SEMARANG: Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Husin Al- Munawar officiated on Friday the ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of a construction project for the building of a grand mosque in the Central Java capital of Semarang.