Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 16 April 2005

83 articles found

Soldiers linked to torture case

Soldiers linked to torture caseAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta After arresting two key suspects, the city police are investigating the alleged involvement of seven military personnel in the abduction and torture of a businessman, Setiadji, 45, last week.

Improving knowledge

Improving knowledge of ConstitutionFrom Koran TempoAccording to plan, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will this year again disseminate the amendments to the 1945 Constitution to elaborate on its contents to society at a cost of Rp 22 billion.

Three quakes jolt Bandung, Jakarta

Three quakes jolt Bandung, JakartaThe Jakarta Post, Bandung/Padang/Jakarta Three major earthquakes jolted western parts of Java island on Friday, one of which could be felt in Jakarta, as fears over a volcanic eruption gradually subsided.

1. PKB --- 1x40

1. PKB --- 1x40 Gus Dur's charisma put to the test again 2. Ambalat -- 3x16 RI, Malaysia navies make peace following Ambalat incident 3. PNS ----- 2x24 Government to raise wages for civil servants, troops

JP/2/pkb

JP/2/pkb Gus Dur's charisma put to the test again Muhammad Nafik and Blontank Poer The Jakarta Post/SurakartaFormer president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid looks set to retain power as chief patron of the National Awakening Party (PKB) he founded six years ago after the 1988 downfall of strongman...

Where to go in Yogyakarta: Saturday, April 16, 2005

Where to go in Yogyakarta: Saturday, April 16, 2005Exhibitions* Ceramics My Passion by Jenni and Dona, at Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta, Jl Suroto 2 Kotabaru (Tel. 0274-560404), until April 18 * Arts Melintas Batas by Popok Tri Wahyudi, Kedai Kebun Forum, Jl. Tirtodipuran 3 (Tel.

Gus Dur's charisma put to the test again

Gus Dur's charisma put to the test againMuhammad Nafik and Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post/Surakarta Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid looks set to retain power as chief patron of the National Awakening Party (PKB) he founded six years ago after the 1988 downfall of strongman Soeharto.

Who does the House

Who does the House really speak for? From Media IndonesiaWith members of the House of Representatives failing or refusing to listen to the voice of people they represent, I wonder who they are really speaking for.

On shop-house hotels in Batam

On shop-house hotels in Batam Your article that blames Batam shop-house hotels for taking business away from star-rated hotels tells only half the story (The Jakarta Post's April 11 edition, page 5).Shop-house hotels fulfill a valuable social role in helping this expensive city stay economically...

Ojek drivers hired to guard UI campus

Ojek drivers hired to guard UI campus BOGOR: Some 300 ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers operating in the University of Indonesia (UI) campus in Depok are involved in securing the campus, following the murder of a student, Daliau Aga Gunawan on Tuesday.

After drought, rain falls in West Timor

After drought, rain falls in West Timor KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: East Nusa Tenggara residents, particularly those who live in West Timor regency, are elated after heavy rainfall in the area over the past week.

Poor people kept away from quality education

Poor people kept away from quality educationMateus Yumarnamto, Surabaya Wahono, the executive director of Cindelaras, an NGO concerned with education for poor people, has criticized the government for its decision to adopt an education system that groups school children according to their abilities...

The A to Z of Sekaten

The A to Z of Sekaten The Sekaten celebration is held for seven consecutive days ahead of Prophet Mohammad's birthday Rabi'ulawal 12 (according to the Islamic calendar) or Maulud 12 (according to the Javanese calendar, and falls on April 21 this year.

Government vows to increase wages for civil servants and troops

Government vows to increase wages for civil servants and troopsRendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono vowed on Friday to raise the wages of civil servants and military and police personnel as part of efforts to boost their professionalism and reduce corruption...

Govt to up wages for civil servants, troops

Govt to up wages for civil servants, troops Rendi A. Witular The Jakarta Post/Jakarta President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono vowed on Friday to raise the wages of civil servants and military and police personnel as part of efforts to boost their professionalism and reduce corruption within the...

JP/1/head

JP/1/head April 16, 20051. Quake (45) - 65 pts 4 cols 2lines (2x16) Three quakes jolt Bandung, Jakarta 2. Camry (40) - 42 pts 4cols 1lines (1x28) State officials to get Camrys 3. Residents (38) - 32 pts 2 cols 3lines (3x12) Tangkuban Perahu folk prepare for the worst 4.

* Gus Dur's charisma put to the test again Page 2

* Gus Dur's charisma put to the test again Page 2 * Bank Mandiri officials quizzed over scam Page 4 * Workshop participants to be deported Page 5 * Poor people excluded from quality education Page 7 * Soldiers linked to torture case Page 8 * Jakarta's Monas keeps up winning streak Page 10 * Fire...

Who does the House

Who does the House really speak for? From Media IndonesiaWith members of the House of Representatives failing or refusing to listen to the voice of people they represent, I wonder who they are really speaking for.

Open dumping system hazardous

Open dumping system hazardousFrom KompasThe recent landslide at the Leuwigajah municipal dump in Cimahi, West Java, buried several settlements, with 103 victims so far reported and 40 others missing.The slide was caused by a lack of response from the municipal administration to a study of the...

South Africa hopes Asia-Africa summit will boost economic ties

South Africa hopes Asia-Africa summit will boost economic tiesAgence France-Presse, Cape Town, South Africa South Africa hopes that the world's poorest continent will emerge with stronger economic ties with Asia after a summit in Indonesia next week, Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said on...

TNI plans major reshuffle soon

TNI plans major reshuffle soon JAKARTA: The Indonesian Military (TNI) announced on Friday that it plans a major reshuffle after two senior generals were promoted to strategic posts in the Ministry of Defense.TNI spokesman Maj. Gen.

Mulyana drags in KPU top brass

Mulyana drags in KPU top brassTony Hotland and Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The decision to pay bribe money to an audit office official was a collective decision made by top General Elections Commission officials (KPU), corruption suspect Mulyana W. Kusumah says.

Bank Mandiri officials quizzed over lending scam

Bank Mandiri officials quizzed over lending scamEva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The Attorney General's Office questioned on Friday three officials of the giant state-owned Bank Mandiri as it aimed to speed up the investigation into alleged irregularities in the provision of more than Rp...

Tangkuban Perahu folks prepare for the worst

Tangkuban Perahu folks prepare for the worstYuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post/Bandung Daliah, 30, and her two children have been restless throughout each night since Wednesday. The same could be said for the hundreds of other people from Sagalaherang village near Ciater hot springs tourist site on...

Two killed in ferryboat accident

Two killed in ferryboat accident PALU, Central Sulawesi: A ferryboat packed with 40 passengers and crew sank on Thursday afternoon in Tomini Gulf, Central Sulawesi, leaving two passengers dead and another missing.Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen.

Susilo calls on Lemhanas to come down to earth

Susilo calls on Lemhanas to come down to earthRendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Perhaps for the first time in the 40 years of its existence, the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) got a rap across the knuckles from its chief supervisor, the President.

Govt goes ahead with nuclear plant plan

Govt goes ahead with nuclear plant planLeony Aurora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Power in the country, it seems, is going nuclear again.Seeking solutions to the steady increase of energy demand in the country amid declining oil output, the government has decided to go ahead with plans to construct...

Susanto-Dao showdown highlights chess event

Susanto-Dao showdown highlights chess eventMusthofid, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Young chess grand master Susanto Megaranto will take on regional heavyweight Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam in the main event of the Japfa Chess Festival here in May.

BCD sets up Islamic arm and plans expansion

BCD sets up Islamic arm and plans expansionAgence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia's fourth largest lender Bumiputra-Commerce Bank (BCB) on Friday launched its Islamic banking arm and unveiled plans for a foreign alliance to expand to the lucrative Middle East market by next year.

Jakarta Monas keeps up winning streak

Jakarta Monas keeps up winning streakMoch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Men's volleyball team Jakarta Monas Bank DKI extended its winning streak by defeating Yogya Tomkins on day one of the fifth series of the 2005 Sampoerna Hijau Proliga volleyball tournament.

The people's patrons

The people's patrons Surely the Jakarta Metropolitan Police have reason to be proud of the recent establishment of the Traffic Management Center (TMC), which aims to provide the public with various services, ranging from easing traffic jams to dealing with hit-and-run cases and other street crimes.

WCDMA launched for faster data access

WCDMA launched for faster data accessThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Being able to download the latest pop hit on their mobiles tops the wishlist of young, cell-phone crazy Indonesians -- after they receive their daily religious SMS, of course -- and a mobile phone company is hoping to capitalize on this...

New strategy for Asia-Africa economic cooperation

New strategy for Asia-Africa economic cooperationYash Tandon and Chandra Kant Patel Geneva The conjuncture of rapid structural transformation in a growing number of economies of Asia, the adoption of reforms to revive Africa's economic prospects, and the expected leveling -- off in demand and...

Demonstrations won't be tolerated at AAS

Demonstrations won't be tolerated at AAS JAKARTA: The City Police said that protest demonstrations by students or community groups may be as harmful as terror bombings to the security during the Asian-African Summit (AAS), which will be held in Jakarta and Bandung next week.

Juwono seeks civilian support to reform TNI

Juwono seeks civilian support to reform TNITiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono wanted civilians, not military officers, to produce defense policies that would help reform the Indonesian Military (TNI), he says.

Dutch couple quizzed over Munir case

Dutch couple quizzed over Munir case JAKARTA: National police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Friday that a team of police investigators have questioned two Dutch nationals who sat next to human right activist Munir, who was apparently poisoned on Sept.

Korea introduces its language, culture to local school

Korea introduces its language, culture to local schoolBambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta After successfully introducing various Korean products to Indonesia -- from cars to TVs -- South Korea is now encouraging state schools to teach its language.Since March, Senior High School (SMA) No.

Ports reform and economic growth

Ports reform and economic growth On behalf of the Indonesian National Shipowners' Association, I commend your editorial Aburizal's coordination, in The Jakarta Post on April 11 calling for institutional reform and behavioral changes in the ports sector.

AdamAir adds two more planes

AdamAir adds two more planesThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Budget carrier PT Adam SkyConnections Airlines (AdamAir) has added two more Boeing aircraft to its existing fleet of six to help accommodate rising demand.

Indonesia FDI jumps 173 percent to 4.28 billion dollars

Indonesia FDI jumps 173 percent to 4.28 billion dollars Indonesia's foreign direct investment (FDI) approvals in the three months to March rose 173 percent from a year earlier to US$4.28 billion, official data showed on Friday.

Govt to pay another Rp 176.6b to Bank Global depositors

Govt to pay another Rp 176.6b to Bank Global depositorsThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Ministry of Finance has verified 3,997 savings accounts owned by depositors of the now defunct Bank Global and will pay Rp 151.13 billion (US$15.

2 x 25

2 x 25 Bank Mandiri officials quizzed over lending scam JP/4/LEMHAN 2 x 25 Susilo calls on Lemhanas to come down to earth JP/gam1 x 51 Aceh peace talks in Finland clouded by TNI action JP/4/WOMEN2 x 26 Conservatism still a 'major hurdle' in gender equality

Caltex to host physics Olympiad

Caltex to host physics Olympiad PEKANBARU, Riau: Caltex Polytechnic will host the Sixth Asia Physics Olympiad in April this year, an official at oil and gas company PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia has said.

Schools need strong policies on drugs to protect young people

Schools need strong policies on drugs to protect young peopleSimon Marcus Gower, Jakarta It seems a sad but unfortunately an increasing sight on the streets of Jakarta to see teenagers and even younger children wearing school uniforms and smoking cigarettes.

Aceh peace talks clouded by situation on the ground

Aceh peace talks clouded by situation on the ground Agencies Helsinki/JakartaAs a fourth day of Aceh peace talks got under way in Helsinki on Friday, Aceh rebels called the negotiations "constructive" but said they were unhappy about Indonesian troops continuing to pour into the region.

JP/18/SIA

JP/18/SIA'Enchanting Bali' and boarding pass aim to lure guests to BaliRita A.Widiadana The Jakarta Post/DenpasarIt was a rainy April morning, unusual weather for normally sunny Bali. This was the result of minor cyclone Juliet, which swept through East Indonesian waters from April 7 through to...

EMP to spend $400m on Kangean field

EMP to spend $400m on Kangean fieldLeony Aurora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta After extending its contract in the Kangean oil and gas block in East Java, PT Energi Mega Persada (EMP) is ready to spend US$400 million to develop Terang Sirasun, a major gas field there, and expects production to start in...

'Indonesian people are so friendly'

'Indonesian people are so friendly'Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta A country is strengthened not by great people with small views, but by small people with great views.Thanks to such people, the young Republic of South Africa has made great strides toward economic, sociopolitical and...

[b]Tax agency in desperate

Tax agency in desperate need of extensive reformAgam Fatchurrochman and Edi Suhardi Jakarta 2. Simon -- Rising young smokers is quite alerting 2 x 30 Schools need strong policies on drugs to protect young people Simon Marcus Gower Jakarta

Who to give the money to in Aceh

Who to give the money to in Aceh I've just spent about ten days up in Aceh in one of the Lhoknga camp sites in an attempt to come up with some projects that will get a few people up and running into a new livelihood.

BI chief's signature forged

BI chief's signature forgedAbdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The signature of Bank Indonesia Governor Burhanuddin Abdullah is not only good for making a banknote legitimate, it also apparently convinced bankers to hand over a lot of cash to so- called fund-raisers.

Rare bird found in hotel garden

Rare bird found in hotel garden YOGYAKARTA: A rare species of bird known locally as a gelatik Jawa (Java sparrow) was reportedly discovered in the garden of five-star Melia Purosani hotel on Jl. Suryotomo during a recent bird-watching session in the hotel's surroundings.

A-A Summit to facilitate scores of bilateral meetings

A-A Summit to facilitate scores of bilateral meetingsAdianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta When leaders of the Asian and African countries assemble later this month in Jakarta to attend the Asian-African Summit, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will be the most sought-after...

'Mulyana's arrest is a good sign'

'Mulyana's arrest is a good sign' The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has made headlines in the past two weeks by sending suspended Aceh governor Abdul Puteh to jail and arresting General Elections Commission (KPU) member Mulyana W. Kusumah for alleged bribery.

Foreign volunteers free to stay as long as they wish on Nias

Foreign volunteers free to stay as long as they wish on NiasApriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan The North Sumatra provincial administration, which is in charge of disaster mitigation on Nias island, on Thursday announced that it would give ample time for the foreign relief workers involved in...

Tax agency in desperate need of extensive reform

Tax agency in desperate need of extensive reformAgam Fatchurrochman and Edi Suhardi, Jakarta One of the puzzles of the Indonesian economy has been the tax office. True, the Directorate General of Taxation has played an important role as the prime motor of the economic engine and by consistently...

Volcano warning system

Volcano warning system The way people look at the apocalyptic Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh has changed somewhat. With a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale, the catastrophe looks like the apex of a string of major earthquakes in this archipelago, both before and after Boxing day.

State officials to get Camrys

State officials to get CamrysRendi A. Witular and Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The Indonesian government has opted to use Toyota Camrys as the official car for all state officials, with Volvo S80s being used to transport heads of state for next week's Asian-African Summit.

Who to give the

Who to give the money to in Aceh? I've just spent about ten days up in Aceh in one of the Lhoknga camps in an attempt to come up with some projects that will get a few people up and running into a new livelihood. They have all lost everything -- family, house, community and livelihood.

Workshop participants to be deported for visa violation

Workshop participants to be deported for visa violationApriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan After seven hours of questioning, four foreigners participating in a trauma counseling workshop in Medan will soon be deported for visa violations. Syarief O.

Yogyakarta seeks right concept for Sekaten night market

Yogyakarta seeks right concept for Sekaten night marketSri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta When the Yogyakarta municipal government revamped the image of Sekaten night market last year, it never imagined that it would harvest criticism, especially regarding its accessibility for poor families.

Volcano warning system

Volcano warning system The way people look at the apocalyptic Dec. 26 tsunami in Aceh has changed somewhat. With a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale, the catastrophe looks like the apex of a string of major earthquakes in this archipelago, both before and after Boxing day.

The ups and downs of Sekaten through the ages

The ups and downs of Sekaten through the ages Held for the first time in the 15th century in the Demak kingdom under the reign of Raden Patah, the Sekaten celebration was especially designed by the wali (pious Muslim leaders) to propagate Islam.

Semen Padang complete 2004 reports, profit increases

Semen Padang complete 2004 reports, profit increasesThe Jakarta Post, Jakarta Cement producer PT Semen Padang has completed its 2004 audited financial statement, paving the way for its parent company, publicly listed PT Semen Gresik, to issue the latter's consolidated account soon.

Inculcating

Inculcating creativity in our daily life Dewi Susanti Jakarta Muhammad Zuhdi wrote an attractive article entitled Education and Creativity, published in The Jakarta Post on April 2. The article discussed the importance of creativity and suggested that it should be part of formal education, a...

Aceh peace talks in Finland clouded by TNI action

Aceh peace talks in Finland clouded by TNI actionAgencies, Helsinki/Jakarta As a fourth day of Aceh peace talks got under way in Helsinki on Friday, Aceh rebels called the negotiations "constructive" but said they were unhappy about Indonesian troops continuing to pour into the region.

Master plan for Aceh, Nias signed

Master plan for Aceh, Nias signed JAKARTA: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed on Friday a presidential regulation on the master plan for the reconstruction of tsunami-devastated Aceh and earthquake-hit Nias, North Sumatra, State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said.

On shop-house hotels in Batam

On shop-house hotels in Batam Your article that blames Batam shop-house hotels for taking business away from star-rated hotels tells only half the story (The Jakarta Post's April 11 edition, page 5).Shop-house hotels fulfill a valuable social role in helping this expensive city stay economically...

RI cricket team named for Vanuatu

RI cricket team named for Vanuatu JAKARTA: The Indonesian Cricket Foundation (ICF) has selected nine local players in its 22-strong squad to represent the country in the EAP Cricket Cup in Vanuatu in September and October.

Juwono seeks decree on TNI businesses

Juwono seeks decree on TNI businesses JAKARTA: Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said on Friday that he was waiting for a presidential decree to enable him to go ahead with his plans to take over the management of Indonesian Military (TNI) businesses.

Hunger for shark fins running high

Hunger for shark fins running highNana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post/Indramayu Shark fins from Indramayu, West Java are in demand by people in a number of countries in East Asia as indicated by the amount that is exported each month -- up to 90 tons.

People protest over road damage

People protest over road damage TANGERANG: Hundreds of angry residents and public minivan drivers protested on Friday over the long neglected potholes along the road connecting Kosambi and Teluk Naga districts in the northern part of Tangerang regency.

RI urged to boost security in Strait

RI urged to boost security in StraitINDONESIA: Japan's counterterrorism envoy asked the Indonesian government to boost security in the Malacca Strait, a strategic shipping lane where pirates regularly launch attacks on vessels.U.S.

Minister visits Batam, discusses FTZ status

Minister visits Batam, discusses FTZ statusFadli and Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post/Batam/Jakarta The Ministry of Trade is still assessing solutions to resolve the ongoing debate on the status of the industrial island of Batam, despite the government's previous statement that it was going ahead...

Minus leg, Nurlaili faces tough life

Minus leg, Nurlaili faces tough lifeNani Afrida, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh Nurlaili, 20, has barely smiled since the tsunami catastrophe on Dec. 26 last year, when she lost her right leg. The resident of Lhok Nga district in Aceh Besar regency, is among thousands of Acehnese who are adapting to...

Poll committee needs Rp 40b

Poll committee needs Rp 40b MANADO, North Sulawesi: The North Sulawesi General Elections Commission (KPU) needs a staggering Rp 40 billion (US$4.4 million) in funds to pay election committee members for the regional leadership election in June, an official has said.

Conservatism still a 'major hurdle' in gender equality

Conservatism still a 'major hurdle' in gender equalityHera Diani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Muslim clerics continue to be one of the major stumbling blocks in gender equality in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim country, hence moderate Muslim leaders need to do more to change the conservative...

N.Korea fetes birthday of late Kim

N.Korea fetes birthday of late KimJack Kim, Reuters/Seoul Excitement and joy reigned in North Korea, official media reported, as the impoverished, secretive state celebrated the 93rd anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, its founder and eternal president.

RI, Malaysia navies make peace following Ambalat incident

RI, Malaysia navies make peace following Ambalat incidentFadli and Rendi Witular, The Jakarta Post/Batam/Jakarta The Indonesian and Malaysian navies reached a truce on Friday over an incident involving their warships, but both would maintain their presence in the disputed border maritime area of...

'Cokelat Postmortem' released at Gramedia

'Cokelat Postmortem' released at Gramedia YOGYAKARTA: A novel titled Cokelat Postmortem written by Gadjah Mada University (UGM) paleoantropologist and lecturer-turned- novelist Etty Indriati was launched at Gramedia bookstore here last weekend.

Malaysian lender sets up Islamic arm, plans global expansion

Malaysian lender sets up Islamic arm, plans global expansion Agence France-Presse Kuala LumpurMalaysia's fourth largest lender Bumiputra-Commerce Bank (BCB) on Friday launched its Islamic banking arm and unveiled plans for a foreign alliance to expand to the lucrative Middle East market by next...

TV Program: Monday, April 18, 2005

TV Program: Monday, April 18, 2005TVRI .TB.30" .90" 5:00 a.m. Religious Teachings6:00 News: Berita Pagi7:00 Cartoon: Maya the Bee7:30 Children Drama: Karna8:30 Music: Asyik Asyik10:00 Talk Show12:00 p.m.

Rupiah Rates April 15

Rupiah Rates April 15 Banknote rates TT rates Selling Buying Selling Buying Australian dollar 1 7,694.19 6,923.98 7,347.28 7,270.75 Brunei dollar 1 6,045.71 5,439.37 5,773.13 5,711.79 Canadian dollar 1 8,062.57 7,256.57 7,699.05 7,620.00 Swiss franc 1 8,255.79 7,429.82 7,883.55 7,801.