Celebrations and hopes for 2000

The hype and the mood is all there for welcoming the new millennium, although there have been misgivings over whether we are celebrating this a year too early. The Jakarta Post asked various people whether welcoming in the New Year of 2000 involved any special plans and hopes.

JAKARTA (JP): Which party to attend or which dress to wear are two hot topics being talked about in greeting the new millennium, especially among youngsters. Controversy? Nope, it does not ring a bell at all.

But for some people, each new year brings about a whole lot of different meanings, a new turn. Amid different opinions regarding the start of the new millennium, most people agree that in a way, this new year, 2000, is special. And as always, a special thing gets a special plan and, certainly, special hopes.

Below, some people, famous and ordinary, talk of their plans and hopes for the new year.

Rudini, chairman of the General Elections Commission: I will spend New Year's Eve watching television with my family until morning. There will be good programs on television. I'm not going anywhere especially because it is fasting month of Ramadhan.

Next year, I hope this nation, which is still developing democracy, can be more mature and that its people can conduct introspection. Hopefully, there will be no more useless protests and clashes and group or religious interests should be avoided.

Next year, we should be committed to upholding law and justice. I see many good young cadres who can take the nation into a brighter future. Just trust them.

M. Triwardhany, Citibank's vice president for business card products: I will be in my office from 6 p.m. on Friday Dec. 31 to 6 a.m. Jan. 1 with another 100 colleagues to make sure that the company's computer system will work as we expect.

However, the office has prepared a small party to celebrate the turn of the new century ... The third millennium is a new beginning in which I will start to live a more balanced and healthy life and in which I will spend more time with my family.

Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar, Minister of Communications, chairman of the All Indonesian Soccer Federation: I will be very busy touring Y2K alert posts on Dec. 31 and at the beginning of 2000 because I am appointed to lead the Y2K taskforce. I must be on alert to check if anything goes wrong with public services in six critical areas. I think it would be more comfortable if I were still governor of the National Resilience Institute.

My personal wish is I want Indonesia to be freed from the prolonged monetary and political crisis so we can start development. I also wish that people would stop disgracing the Indonesian Military (TNI). But the TNI should also contemplate on why the people turn their back on it, so it can stop its unfavorable acts and make changes....

It's also wise for the other elements of the nation, such as students, Cabinet ministers, businesspeople and reporters, to look at themselves in the mirror to find their flaws. My appeal is that no one feels he or she is more righteous and takes personal action in the name of reform, like the recent occupation of Jakarta's governor office, and the arson attack on the (Christian) Doulos foundation.

Anwar Jusuf, a pulmonalogist in Persahabatan Hospital, East Jakarta: I see the new millennium just like any other new year, it will bring new hope for a better future, better in family matters, income and career.

The only thing that makes this new year special maybe because of the year 2000. Just like last year, I'm planning to spend New Year's Eve with my family at home, gathered with the people that we love the most.

Fictor G. Roring, a basketball player for Mahaka Satria Muda club: I will spend the last day of 1999 with my wife, planning something special because we are experiencing the turn of a century.... For the future, I hope that the league can be a professional one. I hope there will be a transparency in salary classes for players.

Brig. Gen. Tono Suratman, deputy spokesman of the Indonesian Military, former East Timor Resort Military commander: I have no specific plan to celebrate the turn of this century, but the day is worth celebrating because it only happens once in our life. In facing the future, I will stick to my own creed that I should be better today than yesterday. I want to do my best for the TNI and the nation.

I also hope that the inquiry into the violence in East Timor will end quickly because the current opinion has cornered TNI as the soldier of the state. A great nation should be able to honor its heroes, and in this context, TNI is also a hero.

Marlev Mainaky, 1999 Grand Prix Finals Badminton Championships runner up: I had planned to spend New Year's Eve in Ancol (North Jakarta beach resort) with the whole family but I canceled it to stay home with my wife, who is two months pregnant.

I hope next year I can improve my performance, especially now that I am ranked number three in the world. I aim to claim the world top spot since I've already had experiences in some tournament finals.

Sigit Budiarto, Indonesia's badminton men's doubles specialist: I still have no idea how I will spend New Year's Eve ... I was suspended from competition for a year after the International Badminton Federation said I was guilty of using an anabolic steroid. This year has become a miserable year for me, but for next year, I have new hope to reach my target of qualifying for the Olympic Games in Sydney in September.

Arianto Pribadi, 45, a Surabaya-based businessman in export- import trading with PT Jaya Global Utama: My family and I will be in Surabaya to celebrate the turn of new millennium instead of abroad as we used to. This year, business is still gloomy, so I'm not going anywhere.

Hermawan Cahyono, 34, a dismissed employee of PT Meka Leather Rungkut: I will take my family out on motorcycle around the city to celebrate the New Year. I'll let my two children (10 and 5) blow trumpets ...

Agus Indra Udayana, 27, coordinator of Gandhi Vidyapith Ashram (Hindu religious boarding school) in Bali: I, together other fellows from various spiritual groups in Bali, will hold a 72- hour prayer session, starting Dec. 31. Reading holy verses and giving talks on peace will be done during the session. At dawn on Jan. 1 we will be leaving for Sanur beach to hold Agni Hotra (fire ritual), which involves local people, to greet the sunrise.

For me the new millennium means a time to improve my mind from what I did in the past. As a Gandhi follower I see the new millennium as an opportunity to enforce nonviolence awareness. Even though the world has been torn by various acts of violence, I am sure that there is still hope for peace ...

H.M. Aksa Mahmud, PT Bosowa Group's president in Makassar: I'll be in Baitullah Mecca. Every Ramadhan I go to the holy land. It just so happens that this new year is celebrated during the fasting month this time. The new millennium has special meaning for me because I (hopefully) still have the chance to enjoy life. Not all people have such an opportunity.

Soni Kasiran, 40,: circulation manager of a Bandung-based newspaper: I'm sorry to say that I'll have to work on New Year's Eve. I may arrange a small event during my work hours at the office. The most important thing to welcome the new year is introspection and preparing our selves to face new challenges.

Ella Yunisperdani, 34, an employee of a private company and a mother of two: I have never celebrated New Year's Eve in any special way. Staying at home with family, watching TV is enough. I'm reluctant to go out as all the roads are congested. In short, I prefer staying at home to going out. My husband, too, is willing to stay home.

Ichlasul Amal, 57, rector of Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta: I'm not going anywhere on New Year's Eve. I'll stay at home with my wife.

Personally, I see nothing special in the change of the millennium. It's just a change from 1999 to 2000. Coincidentally I am one of the people living through the change to the third millennium.

As a rector I hope that the problems blanketing the nation's education system can be resolved. I've had thousands of students at my university who could not afford to pay their tuition. This is just an economic point, we have not yet touched on the quality, especially that of higher institutions.

Khatam Rosyadi, 26, unemployed graduate of Gadjah Mada University: I will, at most, stay up the night with friends, or we will be driving around the town.

Thank God I'll be one of the witnesses of the change of the millennium. As a nation, we should review what we have achieved. Ironically, we are now on the brink of disintegration. Terrible.

And I will always hope to get job...