Former governor launches book

JAKARTA (JP): Former Jakarta governor, R. Suprapto has launched a book commemorating his marriage's golden anniversary.

Speaking from his home in Jl. Imam Bonjol, Suprapto, a 72-year-old retired Army major general, said the book entitled Pengabdian Tiada Mengenal Akhir (Devotion that Will Never End) would be available at a party at the Sahid Jaya hotel today.

He said 500 invitations had been sent to government officials and close friends. There are 1,500 copies of his book which tells of his life and his career.

Suprapto, now chairman of the agency for the propagation of Pancasila, was Jakarta's governor from 1982-87,

Suprapto's wife, Suprapti, is now 70.

Besides promoting his new book, Suprapto also talked briefly about the city's development and its flood problems.

"I feel sorry about the building of Mega Mal Pluit in North Jakarta. The building stands on a land where a natural pond was," he said.

There must be short, middle and long term plans to deal with floods, he said.

The short term covers the purchase of pumps, the middle term is the construction of Cakung and Cengkareng drains and the long term is the construction of a dam in Depok, he said. "The dam would hold water from the Ciliwung river," he said. (04/sur)