Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 15 September 2004

79 articles found

Candidates begin campaign with little fanfare

Candidates begin campaign with little fanfareThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Presidential candidates Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono began their respective campaigns with little fanfare on Tuesday, spending much of the time preparing for the "dialog" on Tuesday evening that have been...

Verdict on 'Tempo' and a lesson from it

Verdict on 'Tempo' and a lesson from itArdimas Sasdi, Jakarta Thursday's court verdict on Tempo magazine, which has been in a long and costly legal battle with businessman Tomy Winata, will set the tone and direction of the development of the magazine and the Indonesian press in the future.

* Condition of police officers injured in blast worsens Page 2

* Condition of police officers injured in blast worsens Page 2 * New Supreme Court justices sworn in Page 4 * Javanese transmigrants left in limbo in Aceh Page 5 * Be prepared to become a good loser next Monday Page 6 * Work plan idea mooted to improve performance Page 8 * Russia, RI and Australia...

The art of life

The art of life For the next four weeks Indonesians, especially Jakartans, will be treated to a plethora of performing and visual arts as part of the 4th Art Summit Indonesia 2004. The start of the month-long festival is a welcome respite for residents of the bustling city, which was again recently...

S'pore firm plans low-cost carrier

S'pore firm plans low-cost carrier SINGAPORE: Singapore aerospace component supplier A-Sonic Aerospace Ltd. said Tuesday it had tied up with two Chinese companies to start a low-cost airline based in China's southern Guangdong province.

Telkomvision service

Telkomvision service On Oct. 14 last year, I wrote The Jakarta Post a letter discussing the poor customer service provided by the various television signal providers. Almost one year later nothing much has changed.

Russian delegation visits Indonesia

Russian delegation visits Indonesia JAKARTA: A Russian delegation, led by the first deputy director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, Sergei M Smirnov, is visiting Indonesia from Sept. 13 to Sept. 17.

5,000 migrants from Java left in limbo in Aceh

5,000 migrants from Java left in limbo in AcehNani Afrida, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh Some 5,000 people or 1,300 transmigrant families from Java, who fled Aceh last year following major conflict in the province, have returned to Aceh, as the situation has returned to normal here.

House endorses controversial FTZ bill

House endorses controversial FTZ billRendi A. Witular, Jakarta In a controversial move -- the first of its kind in the country's modern history -- the House of Representatives has unilaterally endorsed a bill conferring free trade zone (FTZ) status on Batam Island into law, despite the opposition...

Thousands protest huge fund used for council inauguration

Thousands protest huge fund used for council inaugurationApriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan Thousands of people staged a noisy rally here on Tuesday as the new North Sumatra legislative council was inaugurated, with two of its 85 members missing the swearing-in ceremony due to legal problems.

Java remains dominant force at PON

Java remains dominant force at PONMoch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post/Palembang The 16th National Games officially came to close here on Tuesday with Vice President Hamzah Haz calling for teams outside Java to pursue their efforts to catch up with their Java's rivals.

5-year-old Jakarta blast victim wakes up crying

5-year-old Jakarta blast victim wakes up cryingAgencies SingaporeAfter days under heavy sedation, a five-year-old girl critically wounded in the Australian Embassy bombing in Indonesia finally opened her eyes on Tuesday and communicated with her stepfather and grandfather.

Shanties destroyed for railway

Shanties destroyed for railway JAKARTA: Around 600 shanties built alongside the railway track in Kebon Melati and Kebon Kacang subdistricts, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, will be demolished after the second phase of the presidential election on Sept.

City ups security amid bomb threats

City ups security amid bomb threatsBambang Nurbianto and Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta A wave of bomb threats swept through the capital on Tuesday, five days after a bomb exploded outside the Australian Embassy on Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Concerned by councillors

Concerned by councillorsFrom Koran TempoCompared to the news of the presidential runoff on Sept. 20, the recent news of the swearing-in of both provincial and regional councillors might not seem that interesting.Yet, we have to pay serious attention to these new councillors.

TV Program: Wednesday, September 15, 2004

TV Program: Wednesday, September 15, 2004.TB.30" 1.00" TVRI .TB.30" .90" 6:00 a.m. News: Berita Pagi6:30 Talk Show7:30 Music8:00 Health: Sehat dengan Doa8:30 Music: Asyik-Asyik10:00 Battle of Wits11:00 Singing Contest: Konteswara12:00 p.m.

Vulgar TV after 10

Vulgar TV after 10 From RepublikaToday's TV programs, particularly those after 10 p.m., are still loaded with sexual behavior and problems presented in a vulgar way, such as reality shows about promiscuous women and female students seeking money, the use of aphrodisiacs, the life of prostitutes and...

New Supreme Court justices sworn in

New Supreme Court justices sworn inMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Chief Justice Bagir Manan installed on Tuesday 14 new Supreme Court justices, who are expected to give the highest judicial body new blood to deal with the mounting backlog of cases, which this year exceed 19,000.

Medal Tally

Medal Tally The final medal table after the closing of the the 16th National Games (PON) in Palembang on Tuesday:Province G S B T1 Jakarta 141 111 114 366 2 E. Java 76 81 111 268 3 W. Java 76 79 94 249 4 C. Java 56 58 64 178 5 S.

'Any of us could be a victim of terror'

'Any of us could be a victim of terror' Less than a week after a bomb exploded outside the Australian Embassy on Jl. Rasuna Said in Kuningan, South Jakarta, President Megawati Soekarnoputri announced that Indonesia was on full alert for terrorist activities.

Preventing Australia-Indonesia tension post the Sept. 9 blast

Preventing Australia-Indonesia tension post the Sept. 9 blastBegi Hersutanto, Jakarta The bombing at the Australian Embassy on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004, was horrific, to say the least. Following the terrorist attack, the embassy has allowed any staff who so choose to return to Australia for security...

Telekom Malaysia raises $500m

Telekom Malaysia raises $500m KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's largest telecommunications company, Telekom Malaysia Bhd., raised US$500 million from the sale of 10- year bonds with the funds going to refinance existing debt and for working capital, a top official said on Tuesday.

Rupiah ends up on optimism of growth

Rupiah ends up on optimism of growthDow Jones Jakarta The rupiah ended higher on Tuesday, on buying fueled by optimism that a powerful blast in Jakarta last week likely will not hurt the country's overall economy or disrupt next week's presidential election, dealers said.

City plans to erect Diponegoro statue

City plans to erect Diponegoro statue JAKARTA: After erecting a statue of Gen. Sudirman, which proved controversial, the city administration is now planning another, of national hero Diponegoro, an official said on Tuesday.

Police name 3 suspects, offer Rp 1b for tip-offs

Police name 3 suspects, offer Rp 1b for tip-offsAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Police named on Tuesday three suspects in Thursday's bomb attack in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta and confirmed the last two of the nine dead, who had been identified as Armansyah Putra and Martinus...

JP/07/media

JP/07/mediaVerdict on 'Tempo' and a lesson from itIndonesia can't afford inaction on threat on the press or Tempo case a litmus test for press freedom and democracyArdimas Sasdi Jakarta Thursday's court verdict on Tempo magazine, which has been in a long and costly legal battle with businessman...

Be prepared to become a good loser next Monday

Be prepared to become a good loser next MondayLeng C. Tan, Jakarta Quentin Tarantino, the director of movies like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, once said that the most interesting time in Hollywood is when they do not know what works anymore. That is when directors take chances.

Underpass work leads to detours

Underpass work leads to detoursThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta After the long weekend, Jakartans passing through Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, will have to get used to heavy congestion due to the ongoing construction of an underpass in the area.

(Spotlight ad column. Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004)

(Spotlight ad column. Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004) WTC SUPPORTS INDONESIAN TOURISM: World Trade Center (WTC) Jakarta supports Indonesian tourism with the 2004 Indonesia Golf & Resorts Expo held in its Atrium hall. This annual event, held for the past three years, ran from Sept. 7 through Sept. 10.

Business unaffected by blast, focus still on election

Business unaffected by blast, focus still on electionZakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Business leaders said that the impact on the economy of last week's bomb blast outside the Australian embassy would be minimal, with business players continuing to focus on the Sept.

Bonuses, permanent jobs promised to athletes

Bonuses, permanent jobs promised to athletesMoch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post/Palembang For some athletes at the 16th National Games, which concluded on Tuesday, winning a gold medal gave them not only honor and pride but hopes for a better life.

House OKs law on economic planning

House OKs law on economic planningDadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta A law on national development planning was endorsed at a plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, outlining the role of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) in formulating the nation's...

Credit card criminals get four years in jail

Credit card criminals get four years in jailYuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post/Bandung A judge at the Bandung District Court sentenced on Tuesday two men, one of them a repeat offender, to four years in prison for credit card fraud.

1. Bapena (4x10)

1. Bapena (4x10) House OKs law on economic planning 2. Opec (2x31) Oil ministers gather in Vienna, oppose high price of oil 3. Phone (2x19) Cellular firms plan huge investment 4. Bisnis (1x54) Business unaffected by blast, focus still on election

Policeman still on critical list, others OK

Policeman still on critical list, others OKLeony Aurora , The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The condition of a policeman injured in last week's bombing at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta has taken a turn for the worse, but there have been improvements in 12 other bombing victims being treated at hospitals...

Australia election rivals even after Jakarta bomb

Australia election rivals even after Jakarta bombMichelle Nichols Reuters/Melbourne, AustraliaSupport for Australia's main political parties remains even ahead of an Oct. 9 election despite predictions the government would receive a boost after a deadly car bomb attack on the country's embassy in...

Students fight pitched battle

Students fight pitched battle JAKARTA: For the third time this month, students from the Christian University of Indonesia (UKI) and YAI Persada University fought a pitched street battle near their campuses in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.

Gale destroys 1,100 houses

Gale destroys 1,100 housesAndi Hajramurni, Makassar About 1,100 houses in seven villages in South Sulawesi were destroyed by two days of strong winds, officials and residents said on Tuesday. No deaths were reported after the incident on Sunday and Monday in the districts of Barru and Taneteriaja...

Rupiah Rates

Rupiah Rates Sept. 14 Banknote rates TT rates Selling Buying Selling Buying Australian dollar 1 6,772.88 6,069.44 6,455.49 6,386.60 Brunei dollar 1 5,721.37 5,127.78 5,453.26 5,395.74 Canadian dollar 1 7,448.30 6,676.91 7,099.25 7,025.82 Swiss franc 1 7,703.56 6,905.65 7,342.56 7,266.

No excuses needed for Scusa Sunday brunch

No excuses needed for Scusa Sunday brunchJim Read, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta What's in a name? Quite a lot, by all accounts.While taxi drivers may struggle to pinpoint your destination when you ask to be taken to the Hotel InterContinental MidPlaza -- formerly the Kempinski -- Scusa, the eatery...

Shanties destroyed for railway

Shanties destroyed for railway JAKARTA: Around 600 shanties built alongside the railway track in Kebon Melati and Kebon Kacang subdistricts, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, will be demolished after the second phase of the presidential election on Sept.

AGO approves case file against Adrian

AGO approves case file against AdrianAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The Attorney General's Office has approved the case file of Adrian Waworuntu, the main suspect in the Rp 1.7 trillion (US$184.7 million) scam involving state bank BNI, moving prosecutors closer to bringing him to justice.

Cellular firms plan huge investment

Cellular firms plan huge investmentTony Hotland, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Investment in the country's cellular industry is estimated to reach more than US$1 billion in 2005, as operators move to capitalize on growing market demand due to the relatively low penetration of fixed-line telephones.

1. DIALOG: 1 LINE, 30 COUNTS

1. DIALOG: 1 LINE, 30 COUNTS Candidates dialog gets cool response 2, BLAST: 2 LINE, 20 COUNTS Police name 3 suspects, offer Rp 1b for tip-offs 3. PON: 1 LINE, 32 COUNTS Jakarta comes home with 141 golds 4. ART: 2 LINES, 18 COUNTS New burst of life: Masks, fabrics and destinies

Taxi boat pilots want promise kept

Taxi boat pilots want promise kept AMBON, Maluku: About 70 water taxi pilots staged a protest on Tuesday in front of the office of Maluku Governor, demanding the government keep its promise to provide them with soft loans.

House endorses new law on fishery

House endorses new law on fisheryDadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The House of Representatives endorsed on Tuesday a new law on fisheries, which not only stipulates a more sustainable way of exploiting sea resources, but also stern punishments, including jail terms and heavy fines for...

RI, Russia and Australia call for unity to fight al-Qaeda groups

RI, Russia and Australia call for unity to fight al-Qaeda groupsEdith M. Lederer Associated Press/United NationsThe latest terrorist targets - Indonesia, Russia and Australia -- called on Monday for greater international cooperation to identify al-Qaeda supporters and halt their activities.

Masks, fabrics and destinies

Masks, fabrics and destiniesThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The second day of a two-day performance by the El Hanager theater company, as part of Art Summit Indonesia 2004, will be staged on Wednesday at Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta.

Blast has mixed impact on concert

Blast has mixed impact on concert Although a concert featuring Alicia Keys, scheduled for Oct. 5, has already been canceled on security concerns, other acts due to appear soon will be going ahead. Tommy Pratama of Original Production confirmed on Tuesday that The Scorpions would perform at Senayan...

Airport closed due to volcanic ash

Airport closed due to volcanic ashYemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post/Kupang The Sikka regency administration has been forced to close Waioty Airport in the town of Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara, due to last week's eruption of Mount Egon, officials said on Tuesday.

Online article reveals hacker's ID

Online article reveals hacker's IDUrip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Witness Affan Basalamah, a member of the General Elections Committee (KPU) information technology (IT) team, told the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday that he had obtained the name of the KPU website hacker through an...

JP/19/SCUSA

JP/19/SCUSANo excuses needed for Scusa Sunday brunch Jim Read The Jakarta Post JakartaWhat's in a name? Quite a lot, by all accounts.While taxi drivers may struggle to pinpoint your destination when you ask to be taken to the Hotel InterContinental MidPlaza -- formerly the Kempinski -- Scusa, the...

Vento-Kabchi upset by Cho at Wismilak tennis tournament

Vento-Kabchi upset by Cho at Wismilak tennis tournamentEva C. Komandjaja and Wahyoe Boedhiwardhana, The Jakarta Post/Nusa Dua, Bali Sixth seed Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuela went down in a surprise defeat to unseeded South Korea's Cho Yoon-jeong 7-5, 6-1 in the opening round of the US$225,000...

Terror-risk insurance still costly

Terror-risk insurance still costlyDadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The recent bombing in front of the Australian Embassy should highlight the fact that Indonesia has become a high-risk place when it comes to terrorism -- a reality that may increase the demand from businesses for...

Juwono in town for a reception?

Juwono in town for a reception?JAKARTA: The presence of Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Juwono Sudarsono in Jakarta in recent weeks has raised questions among diplomats, officials and politicians.

Deputy regent resigns to take council post

Deputy regent resigns to take council post PEKANBARU, Riau: Riza Pahlevi has tendered his resignation as Bengkalis deputy regent, choosing instead to become a councillor with the Bengkalis legislative council.Riza said he sent his resignation to Riau Governor Rusli Zainal on Sept. 8.

Last victims's remain s given to families

Last victims's remain s given to familiesTiarma Siboro and Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The remains of two victims of the bomb blast outside the Australian Embassy last week were handed over to their families on Tuesday, ending days of speculation that they were involved in the latest...

Prosecution urged for 45 councillors

Prosecution urged for 45 councillors PALU, Central Sulawesi: Ten non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reported on Tuesday 45 former members of the Donggala legislative council to the Central Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office for alleged graft.

LOGO: Movement to oppose criminalization of the press

LOGO: Movement to oppose criminalization of the press Safeguarding freedom of expressionInformation is the key to the movement to combat corruption and militarism, the two greatest threats to Indonesia's budding democracy.

Candidates focuses on cecurity, corruption fight

Candidates focuses on cecurity, corruption fightRidwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Security and corruption were two crucial issues that have been given serious attention by Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi and their rivals Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla ahead of the Sept.

House passes much-awaited domestic violence bill

House passes much-awaited domestic violence billKurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta TV soap stars Fivevy Rahmawati and Novia Ardhana may well have breathed a deep sigh of relief after the House of Representatives endorsed the long-awaited domestic violence bill on Tuesday.

Candidates begin campaign with little fanfare

Candidates begin campaign with little fanfareThe Jakarta Post JakartaPresidential candidates Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono began their respective campaigns with little fanfare on Tuesday, spending much of the time preparing for the "dialog" on Tuesday evening that have been...

National Library to go online

National Library to go online JAKARTA: The National Library plans to open an Electronic Library to facilitate information and data searches by the public."The service aims to make it easier for library users to access data and information," Fadli of the National Library was quoted by Antara as...

Notaries must have post-graduate education

Notaries must have post-graduate educationKurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta People pursuing a career as notaries will now need to have university degrees in law and a master's degree in the notarial profession, according to the newly endorsed notarial profession bill.

* Condition of police officers injured in blast worsens Page 2

* Condition of police officers injured in blast worsens Page 2 * New Supreme Court justices sworn in Page 4 * Javanese transmigrants left in limbo in Aceh Page 5 * Be prepared to become a good loser next Monday Page 6 * Work plan idea mooted to improve performance Page 8 * Russia, RI and Australia...

Work plan mooted to improve performance

Work plan mooted to improve performanceDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The fact that some regional councillors have been investigated by the police for their alleged involvement in graft cases is a good reason for Jakarta councillors to prepare an annual work plan, which would enable the...

Games over

Games over The 16th National Games (PON) officially closed in Palembang, South Sumatra, in a triumphant fashion last night, as athletes and spectators celebrated two weeks of the best sporting competition the country has to offer.

Candidates dialog receives cool response

Candidates dialog receives cool responseFabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The much-awaited dialog involving the presidential candidates and their running mates failed to draw much public interest on Tuesday, with less than half of the around 600 seats available being occupied by the...

Judges told to use Press Law

Judges told to use Press LawMuninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Chief Justice Bagir Manan told senior judges on Tuesday to consider using the Press Law in settling all disputes involving the press instead of the Criminal Code.

Filipinos in HK told to learn Cantonese

Filipinos in HK told to learn CantoneseDeutsche Presse-Agentur Hong KongFilipino maids in Hong Kong have been told to learn Cantonese or lose out on jobs to Indonesians, a news report said on Tuesday.The number of Indonesian maids working in Hong Kong has grown by 25 percent to nearly 86,000 over...

[b]Given the political forces amassed by Megawati's PDI-P with

Given the political forces amassed by Megawati's PDI-P with Golkar et al., this juggernaut has meant that a Susilo victory is no longer a forgone conclusion.

Indonesians tried for fraud in Australia

Indonesians tried for fraud in Australia JAKARTA: Six Indonesians are currently on trial in Melbourne, Australia, for credit card fraud, an official from the Indonesian consulate, Kamapradipta, said on Tuesday, dismissing suggestions they were being tried for involvement in terrorism.

Insensitive picture

Insensitive picture I am one of the people who was injured in the bombing attack outside of the Australian Embassy on Thursday, Sept. 9.I am writing to express my disappointment with your decision to run a picture of two pageant queens on page two of The Jakarta Post's Sept. 11 edition.

Twenty fires in Palu in past nine months

Twenty fires in Palu in past nine months PALU, Central Sulawesi: Twenty fires were reported in the past nine months in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, the municipal fire department says.The fires, which mostly razed houses in residential areas, had cost local residents billions of rupiah.

Clean-up fraud

Clean-up fraudFrom Warta KotaIn connection with the claim by certain parties -- Indonesia Asri, Jakarta Asri and the Indonesia-Australia Action Committee (IACT) -- that the Clean Up Indonesia/Indonesia Bersih program is part of their activities, I must clarify the matter as follows.

SIA to outsource some IT functions

SIA to outsource some IT functions SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on Tuesday it will outsource some functions performed by its information technology (IT) infrastructure department in a bid to trim costs.

JP/18/PASIR

JP/18/PASIRPeople turn unfriendly as sand quarrying rampantSand quarrying endangers riverine villagers Indra Harsaputra The Jakarta Post/Surabaya Bambang, a resident of Mlirip hamlet in the East Java town of Mojokerto, can only sit still watching how sand quarrying machines are operated in Brantas...

Boarding houses must be monitored

Boarding houses must be monitoredDamar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta In a bid to beef up security in the city, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso reiterated his call to local leaders to intensify local body efforts to monitor the use of boarding houses and rented buildings.

EU donates Rp 100b for RI elections

EU donates Rp 100b for RI elections JAYAPURA: The European Union (EU) has donated 7 million euros (Rp 100 billion) to assist Indonesia in holding its presidential and legislative elections, the chief of the EU Election Observation Mission to Indonesia, Glyn Ford, said on Tuesday.