Malaysian filmmaker ready to challenge viewers Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Singapore The seven-minute film is called Checkpoint, a story about what it feels like to travel in a post-Sept. 11 world, where you receive extra attention just because your passport contains stamps from countries considered to have a connection with terrorism.

Flyovers or underpasses needed From Warta Kota The TB Simatupang outer ring road may solve the traffic jams in several spots in South Jakarta. Actually, neither the toll road or the artery roads are too crowded, except in areas close to an intersection. After observing road conditions for many years, I have found that the traffic congestion at the Pasar Minggu intersection is really very serious, as vehicles merge from Warung Buncit/Ragunan and from Pasar Rebo/Tanjung Barat.

Fresh fish in city? Dream on, they're frozen for weeks Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta If you are a big fan of sushi or sashimi, or have a taste for seafood and live in Jakarta, you will need to make a real effort to enjoy the best. For the best seafood, especially sushi and sashimi (both made from raw fish), sea produce that is fresh from the sea is an absolute necessity. Most Jakartans think it is easy to find fresh sea produce because Jakarta is a coastal city.

Despite the increasing number of modern, lavish supermarkets and hypermarkets which offer convenient shopping, traditional markets in the capital, many of which are in a deteriorating condition, are still bustling with activity. The Jakarta Post's Arya Abhiseka, Sari P. Setiogi, Moh. Taufiqurrahman and Evi Mariani look into the conditions and the early morning activities at several traditional markets in the capital. Related stories and images on pages 6, 7 & 20.

Family matters for R&B singer Ingram Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Attending a gala dinner with James Ingram was the best way to spend New Year's Eve, not only because of his songs that took me back to the '80s, but also to fulfill my curiosity to see a live performance by the 1981 Grammy winner. The ballroom of the Hotel Mulia Senayan was packed with almost 750 people on Tuesday evening. It was only four hours before midnight, and everyone was gearing up to welcome 2003.

Ciputat Market faces uncertain future Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta One of the most popular traditional markets in the Greater Jakarta area is Ciputat Market. But looking at its present condition, people may doubt whether the market -- which was established in 1932 by the Dutch colonial government -- will survive for much longer.

Jailed American nurse to be transported to Jakarta Nani Farida and Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Banda Aceh Lawyers of jailed American nurse Joy Lee Sadler expressed on Saturday their disappointment with the refusal by all of the hospitals in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province to treat their client, and said that Sadler would be sent to a hospital in Jakarta soon.

FOR ADVERORTIAL: BATAM - SUNDAY A portrait of reality: Batam through eyes of expatriates Although Indonesia is now under an unfavorable international spotlight, Batam Island continues to portray a positive image to the outside world, a fact proven by the results of an Oct. 25, 2002, study conducted by Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd (PERC), a Hong Kong-based independent research institution.

World number two DJ Sasha dazzles Jakarta at Stadium Joseph Mangga, Contributor, Jakarta It was 2.30 a.m. and the crowd was getting very restless at Stadium. They had already heard DJ Deny from Bandung, who opened the show at 10 p.m., followed by Ministry of Sound DJ Jan Carbon, who bombarded the hall with melodic swoops of spacey tribal grooves for nearly three hours. But Sasha, the star attraction who was originally billed to start at 1 a.m., was nowhere in sight.

Spotlight on Batu Puteh Carolyn Hong New Straits Times Kuala Lumpur In hindsight, it should have been easy to foresee that the public reaction in Malaysia after the Sipadan/Ligitan victory would not have focused on Indonesia. That would have been gloating, and besides, even the most triumphant victory quickly becomes stale news. The next challenge beckons, and its Pulau Batu Puteh, the football-field-sized island off Johor, which is claimed by Singapore.

Sardono cherishes his good luck ==================== Tantri Yuliandini The Jakarta Post Jakarta --------------------- Some say success is made out of 90 percent hard work and 10 percent talent, but famed Indonesian dancer and choreographer Sardono Waluyo Kusumo say luck has plenty to do with his success. "To tell you the truth I was very lucky. There were probably a lot of other people better than me, I was just lucky," the 57- year-old said in an interview recently.

Demystifying globalization Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Lexus dan Pohon Zaitun : Memahami Globalisasi; (Original title, Lexus and The Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization); By Thomas L. Friedman; ITB, 2002; 496pp Globalization may not be the most frequent word people say in the world but there is no doubt that it greatly affects the lives of everyone on the planet.

Caption photo: 3 cols NEW HOTEL: President Megawati Soekarnoputri (center) inaugurates the Nirmala Biak Beach Hotel, an international hotel owned by the Djajanti Group, in Biak, Papua. Witnessing the dedication were (from left) Papua Governor Jaap P Solossa, Minister of Mines and Energy Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Mrs. Soedjono, Djajanti chairman Soedjono Varinata, Bank Mandiri Executive Vice President M. Sholeh Tasripan and the hotel's General Manager Busli Saraka.

Batak Market thrives in Senen Moh. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The market is not easy to find among the warren of bustling streets and hectic trading activities in the Senen area, Central Jakarta. But if you make an effort, you'll find yourself standing at a gate leading into a market thronged by people -- both vendors and their customers -- with North Sumatran complexions and speaking in the Batak dialect.

JP/20/INTRO Timeless tapestry Day in and day out, traditional markets hum with the activities that have been a part of Jakarta life for generations. The markets are a comforting reminder in these times of economic uncertainty of our resilience and the age-old tradition of bargaining and the good business deal. Millions of people rely on their livelihoods from the revenue generated by family kiosks here.

.rm FOREIGN INVESTOR VARIABLES Variable in BATAM Variable in region- CH INDIA INDO MA PH SI TH VN Batam survey wide survey -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discrimination 3.40 Discrimination 5 6.67 6.17 3 4.5 2.1 5.89 3 againts new againts new foreign foreign direct direct investment investment in Batam Levelness of 3.68 Levelness of 5 7.58 6 4.43 6.55 2.7 5.67 6.25 local playing local playing field for field for existing...

Traditional markets: the pulse of life Despite the increasing number of modern, lavish supermarkets and hypermarkets which offer convenient shopping, traditional markets in the capital, many of which are in a deteriorating condition, are still bustling with activity. The Jakarta Post's Arya Abhiseka, Sari P. Setiogi, Moh. Taufiqurrahman and Evi Mariani look into the conditions and the early morning activities at several traditional markets in the capital. It was five minutes past midnight.

Drivers on strike, passengers stranded INDONESIA: Hundreds of passengers here were stranded Saturday as public minivan drivers heading to Kampung Melayu in Teluk Naga district of Tangerang were on strike as people refused to pay more despite the fuel price hike. The residents were seen stranded on Jl. TMP Taruna, near the Tangerang General Hospital, and on Jl. Daan Mogot, where they usually take the minivans.

S'pore Navy rescues trapped crew SINGAPORE: The Singapore Navy has launched operations to rescue four women trapped in an anti-submarine ship that collided with a merchant vessel in the Singapore Straits, the defence ministry said Saturday. Eight other crew members of the ship RSS Courageous were injured in the collision with the Dutch-registered container vessel ANL Indonesia before midnight Friday.

Pray for America's destruction: Abdul Aziz aka Samudra I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali Imam Samudra, the alleged mastermind of the Bali bombings, reiterated his anti-U.S. sentiments here on Saturday during the reenactment of meetings allegedly held to plan the bomb attacks that killed over 190 people last October. "Pray for America's destruction," he shouted, raising his fists on the sidelines of the reconstruction held at the Bali Police Headquarters in Denpasar.

Tara loyal to his calling Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Tara Sosrowardoyo may not be an outgoing kind of person. But the calm photographer shows his enthusiasm when it comes to the field he is famous for: Photography. The 50-year-old man compared a photographer to a good jazz singer, where both professions require one to practice to make perfect. "In reality, we (photographers and jazz singers) must be ready for improvisation as sometimes things don't go to plan," he said.

Kebayoran Lama Market a symbol of Betawi's glory days in trading Arya Abhiseka, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Elvis Romadhona, 27, is a particularly interesting person. It's not just because of the romantic sound of his name. The M-09 mikrolet (public minivan) driver, who serves the Tanah Abang- Kebayoran Lama route, looks relaxed and happy working his early morning shift. "I don't know how my parents came up with the name.

Bags remain a complimentary fashion accessory Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta For women, bags have become a complimentary fashion accessory to achieve their best look. The style and trend of bags has also moved along with the fashion industry. Noted fashion houses have always carefully designed the bags and even remade the once-hit style.

Message from the Ambassador On this auspicious occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Independence Day of the Union of Myanmar, I have great pleasure to convey warmest greetings and best wishes of the Government and the people of the Union of Myanmar to the Government and people of the Republic of Indonesia as well as to the Myanmar community residing in this beautiful country.

Birth certificate fees From Warta Kota North Jakarta municipality head, Soebagio, has often said he would dump into a garbage bin all praise but will treasure criticism about the municipality administration's performance. Unfortunately, for a birth certificate, an official in charge in North Jakarta's municipality demands between Rp 30,000 and Rp 40,000, while the original fee is only Rp 5,000. This means a rise of 500 percent to 700 percent.

Now Showing Aku Ingin Menciummu Sekali Saja (I Want To Kiss You Just Once a.k.a. The Bird Man Tale) (Drama, 90 minutes). Starring Lulu Tobing, Octavianus Rysiat, Sonya Baransano, Minus Karoba, Adi Kurdi. Directed by Garin Nugroho. Coming-of-age story set in the turbulent province of Papua about a young boy whose freedom-activist father has to hide on a hill.

Hero's father dies of broken heart Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta "I lost a son ... now I've lost my husband ... because of them ... these people ... who refuse to take responsibility for all this violence," the mother of reform hero Elang Mulya Lesmana, Hiratetty Yoga, mumbled while viewing the remains of her husband lying before her.