Environmental desecration

I visited Makassar recently and stayed at Hotel Sedona where the service and facilities were great. I really enjoyed the vibrancy and friendliness of Makassar, the fresh air and its relative cleanliness compared to Jakarta. What I didn't enjoy was that the view of the harbor and natural atmosphere of the bay forming the harbor has been ruined by the actions of PT Telkom and the local authority of Makassar.

About one kilometer off the harbor edge in the middle of the bay is a narrow palm fringed island. In an act which in many ways typifies the extreme crass commercialism and insensitivity of some Indonesian corporate executives, PT Telkom has erected a huge Telkom sign that dominates the previously lovely vista. The Telkom marketing manager has the vision of a gnat -- every visitor and many Indonesians seeing that sign cringe at its desecration of the environment.

It immediately creates an image of Telkom that may not reflect its real environmental policy and it comes at a time when Telkom has to socialize its dramatic price increase. When are some Indonesian corporate executives going to realize that putting signs showing off their money and power in places of natural beauty pays a much lower "branding" dividend than say planting more trees on the harbor road in Makassar and having plaques saying Telkom supports the beauty of South Sulawesi".

ROBERT J. COCHRANE

Jakarta