Fuel shortage and unemployment From Koran Tempo The fuel shortage continues to prevail in several regions, such as Surakarta, Yogyakarta and Central Lombok. In Surakarta, Central Java, hundreds of people have to queue up for hours only to get two liters of kerosene each. In Yogyakarta, kerosene and gasoline are also scarce. Subscribers will get a maximum of 40 liters of premium gasoline each while new consumer is only rationed to 10 liters.

Night raids a positive move From Warta Kota The police are intensifying raids on various entertainment centers at night targeting illicit drug trafficking and gambling. A large number of suspects have been nabbed in the operations. As a visitor to such centers, I fully support the move launched by National Police chief Sutanto because for those who frequent nightclubs and entertainment centers to relieve the stress of the daily routine, the raids give a feeling of security.

Villagers get free eye tests GIANYAR: A team from the YKI and Rumah Sakit Indera recently visited Pesraman Ida Pedanda Gunung, Blahbatuh, Gianyar in Bali for the day as part of the YKI's outreach program. Over the course of the day, the team examined 273 people with eye problems. Some of the problems were solved easily with standard prescription glasses, which the team issued on the spot.

Don't insult chess JP/7/LET74 Don't insult chess From Media Indonesia In a demo staged by the Women's Alliance for Electricity Concern (APPEL) on Aug. 22, its members distributed leaflets with the words: Eddie Widiono, chairman of Percasi (Association of Corruption Brokers). The All-Indonesia Chess Association (Percasi) lodges a strong protest against the demonstrators using the name of this organization. To our knowledge, Percasi is the only association of the kind with this acronym.

Everybody needs a hero Anybody who watched documentaries on the Sept. 11, 2001 World Trade Center tragedy must have been impressed by the firefighters' bravery. People undoubtedly learned how to fully appreciate firefighters. Compared to the Sept. 11 outrage in New York, which killed thousands of innocent people, the fire that killed one firefighter in Jakarta on Monday could be considered less of a tragedy.

Fuel subsidy for vehicles The fuel subsidy for motorcycles and cars is creating more and more financial problems for Indonesia. The subsidy disproportionately benefits the "haves" as opposed to the "have- nots", for the latter more often than not are not even able to buy bicycles, much less motorcycles and cars.