Environmental desecration

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