Ex-PBB member to stay in House

JAKARTA: The chairman of the newly established Indonesian Islamic Party (PII), Hartono Mardjono, said on Sunday he would maintain his seat in the House of Representatives despite the fact that he won it as a member of the Crescent Star Party (PBB).

Speaking after opening PII's Central Java chapter in Semarang, Hartono said he was elected to the House in 1999 not just because he represented PBB, but because he won enough votes to qualify for House membership in accordance with the 1999 election law.

"I am staying in the House because there is no law that allows my withdrawal from the legislative body. There are many examples (of this) other than me," he said.

Hartono has been an independent legislator since being dismissed from the PBB for holding a breakaway congress early last year.

Fellow PII executive Amanullah chose to relinquish his House seat after joining the new party. -- Antara ;JP;AMD; ANPAa..r.. Scene-ETimor-Sjahrir Sjahrir invited to East Timor JP/4/SCENE

Sjahrir invited to East Timor

JAKARTA: The chairman of the Alliance for a New Indonesia (PIB), Sjahrir, has been invited to Dili to attend East Timor's declaration of independence and the inauguration of Xanana Gusmao as the new country's first president.

A statement released by the PIB on Sunday said Sjahrir, who is a renowned economic analyst, would be accompanied by the chairman of PIB's Yogyakarta chapter, Jadin C. Djamaludin, during his stay in Dili on May 19 and May 20.

Sjahrir, who is planning to form a new political party to contest the 2004 general election, will fly to Dili from Australia, where he will be holding talks with government officials, academics and businesspeople. -- Antara

;JP;ANTARA; ANPAa..r.. Women-trading-bill Ministry prepares bill on women trading JP/4/SCENE

Bill on women trafficking prepared

BATAM: State Minister of Women's Empowerment Sri Rejeki Sumaryoto said her office would soon unveil a bill on women trafficking, an issue that has become a national concern.

"The bill will among other things cover the enforcement of the law (on human trafficking), including sanctions to be meted out to those involved in trafficking in women," she said after opening a seminar in Batam on Saturday.

Sri said her office, in close cooperation with judges, public prosecutors, the police and non-governmental organizations, was also drawing up a map that would help relevant government agencies work together to fight women trafficking.

The map includes those areas of the country where young women are recruited by the traffickers.

The state minister also touched on the subject of female workers who are sent overseas, and who are prone to discrimination based on their gender.

She said her office was trying to improve the regulations on sending female workers abroad.

The Office of the State Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Ministry of Manpower plan to issue regulations on the protection of female workers, their social welfare and working conditions. -- Antara

;JP;ANTARA; ANPAa..r.. Scene-housemaid-suicide 15 RI housemaids commit suicide in Singapore

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RI maids committed suicide

At least 65 Indonesian maids in Singapore died in the period from January 1999 to April 2002, of which 15 committed suicide by jumping to their deaths from their employers' apartments.

Citing data from the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, Antara news agency reported on Sunday that most of the maids who committed suicide were suffering from stress.

"The Indonesian Embassy is always active in providing protection for (Indonesian) maids and resolving as quickly as possible any problems between recruiting companies and the maids' employers here," an Indonesian diplomat in Singapore, Gazali, was quoted as saying.

According to Gazali, most Indonesian maids are unaware of their rights and obligations. He added that when problems do arise between the maids and their Singaporean employers, negotiation was the first choice in seeking a solution.

"Only when the problems are not resolved (through negotiation) are the cases brought to court," said Gazali.

There are currently 450,000 foreign workers in Singapore, 100,000 of which are maids, including 35,000 Indonesian maids.

Many of the other maids come from the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. -- Antara