Graves relocated for
Graves relocated for road construction
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Graves relocated for road construction
The Menteng Pulo public cemetery in Tebet district, South Jakarta, is still open for burials despite a plan to use part of it for the construction of a new road.
The head of the Municipal Cemetery Office, H.R.M. Sridhana, said on Friday that the removal of 760 bodies which occupy 2,853 square meters in the cemetery, will not change the status of the cemetery.
He stressed that the city will only acquire a small portion of land for the construction of a new road in the district.
The plan, which was stipulated in a 1992 gubernatorial decree, requires the appropriation of around 3.07 hectares of land on Jl. Casablanca Kav. No. 7 in Tebet district to make way for the construction of an office complex and supporting facilities, including a road.
According to Sridhana, PT Angkasa Interland, the private company which will construct the road, has provided 7,137 square meters of land in the Kampung Kandang cemetery, another city- owned cemetery in South Jakarta, for the relocation of the contents of the Menteng Pulo graves.
Sridhana said that 584 bodies have been moved to several cemeteries since May 6. The remaining 176 will be relocated in the near future.
The removal of the bodies from the Menteng Pulo cemetery will be followed by the removal of 1,392 others from a Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, cemetery between May 22 and May 28. The administration will build low-cost houses on that cemetery site. (03)
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Bekasi residents held for murder
A bad temper and an accident in a rice field landed a 23-year- old farmer and his father in jail for the killing of a 45-year old vegetable vendor on Thursday.
Ada, the vegetable seller was tending a goat he intended to slaughter on Saturday, the Idul Fitri Day of sacrifice, in a rice field in Bekasi, 30 kilometers east of here.
City Police spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar quoted Bekasi police as saying on Friday that the killing happened on Thursday not more than half an hour after the victim, Ada, accidentally brushed against the suspect, identified as Sarmili, when they were passing each other on a narrow strip of raised land between paddy fields in Tambun.
Upon impact, Sarmili fell into the muddy rice field.
Sarmili went home soaked and wet and reported the accident to his father, Remin, 55, who went back to the rice field with him.
The three men became embroiled in an argument and Sarmili, fearing his father would be hurt in the fight, rushed home and got a machete.
"Sarmili returned with a machete and without a word of warning hit Ada in the head and stabbed him several times, while his father was watching," Latief said.
Sarmili and his father are being held at the Bekasi police precinct. (bsr)
Police seize firecrackers
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Police seize firecrackers
Police have confiscated a total of 50,000 medium-size firecrackers believed to have been especially produced to meet the rising demand among native Jakarta residents, known as the Betawi.
The Betawi people are accustomed to setting off fireworks at ceremonies marking the departure of relatives to Mecca for the haj pilgrimage.
The firecrackers were confiscated on Friday at several houses in Pancoran, South Jakarta, by local police officers.
The police also questioned at least four people believed to have been illegally producing and storing the firecrackers.
In many areas around the city, Betawi families still celebrate the departure of their relatives who are going to Saudi Arabia for the Islamic pilgrimage by setting off dozens of firecracker in front of their houses.
Many believe that the tradition originated among Chinese people, who came to Batavia (the old name of Jakarta) in the early years of its existence for trade. (bsr)
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Tourism Office holds contest
The City Tourism Office, in cooperation with the Indonesian Professional Photographers Association, is holding a photo contest on tourist objects in the city and the surrounding areas of Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi.
Designed to further promote tourist objects in and around the capital, the competition is open to the public. The closing date for acceptance of entries is July 20.
Participants can send either black-and-white or color prints of 20 X 25 centimeters (10 R) in size to Kantor Dinas Pariwisata DKI Jakarta, Jl. Kuningan Barat No. 2, Jakarta Selatan 11720.
The first place winner will receive a cash prize of Rp 2.5 million (US$1,160) plus a camera, the second place winner will get a Rp 1.5 million ($700) bank deposit, plus a transistor radio and the third place winner will get Rp 1 million ($465), plus a transistor radio.
The organizers will also present gifts worth Rp 500,000 ($230) for the two best pictures.(bsr)
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Municipal officials receive awards
One-hundred-and-eighty-five municipal employees received Satyalancana Karya Satya awards in a ceremony held in conjunction with National Awakening Day at City Hall on Friday.
The award is given to civil servants who have been in continuous service for 25 years.
The awards were formally presented by Deputy Governor R.S. Museno to 10 officials. Among them were Djoko Broto Suryono, the city inspector; H. Suhatman, head of the Municipal Manpower Office; Syamsul Ardirakhman, the former chairman of City Investment Coordinating Board (BKPMD); H. Ahmad Zainal Abidin, the assistant to the city secretary in charge of administrative affairs, and Zainudin, deputy South Jakarta mayor.
Usman, head of the city's awards and medals subsection, said nine high-ranking officials received second level awards, 160 middle-ranking officials received third level awards and 16 lower-ranking officials received fourth level awards.(03)
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Carpet auctions at World Trade Center
Public auctions of Persian and eastern carpets and rugs will be held next Saturday and Sunday by the privately-owned PT Liabilitaspersada Superintenden.
The auctions will take place at The Atrium of the World Trade Center, second floor, Jl. Jend. Sudirman, South Jakarta.
For both events the carpets will be on view from 1 p.m., and the auctions will begin at 2 o'clock. (anr)