Habibie visits Malang markets

Habibie visits Malang markets

MALANG, East Java (JP): Hundreds of shoppers at Singosari and
Besar market in this small East Java town were taken aback when
they saw their president suddenly among them yesterday.

B.J. Habibie made an impromptu day visit to the two markets,
staying in this small town for about five hours before returning
on a special plane with his entourage to Jakarta.

Partly a public relations move and partly as a way to get
first hand knowledge, the President also took 11 Jakarta-based
foreign envoys to the two traditional markets to show them
stability had returned to the country.

While visiting the markets, Habibie mixed with traders and
shoppers, shaking as many outstretched hands as possible.

People pushed and shoved each other to get near him but often
could only catch a glimpse of his peci as he was swallowed in the
mass surrounding him.

Habibie, with his wife Hasri Ainun Besari watching closely
over his shoulder, tried to stop and talk to people in as many
shopping stalls as possible.

"I hope you can restore the country's economy soon. We're
suffering Pak, especially because I have many children to feed,"
Nafsiah, a spice trader, told the President.

Gunawan, a retailer, said he was confused why the price of
low-quality cooking oil in Malang was more expensive than the
prepackaged Bimoli cooking oil produced by the giant Salim Group.

Habibie could only guess that maybe the company had a social
mission in its marketing.

Left and right, the President randomly stopped people to ask
questions at will.

One trader, Faisol, look confused when the President suddenly
turned to him and asked whether many people still bought his
goods despite the crisis.

"Demand is as usual Pak," he answered with a curious smirk.
Habibie apparently did not realize that Jufri sold bras.

An elderly woman complained that prices continued to
skyrocket, especially hot peppers which she claimed had risen 600
percent.

Habibie was quick with a facetious reply: "Ibu, why should you
worry, you eat rice every day, not peppers."

Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto, who accompanied the
President, took time to show U.S. Ambassador Stapleton Roy, who
took part in the trip, the art of haggling.

"If you can speak Javanese you can get a cheaper price,"
Wiranto pointed to a trader offering flowers.

It is not clear why Habibie chose Malang as his first
destination outside of Greater Jakarta.

But the town holds some significance to him because it was
where he was elected as chairman of the Indonesian Moslem
Intellectual Association (ICMI) in December 1990.

Habibie freely admitted that his visit was partially designed
to show the diplomats that the situation was fully stable.

"This was aimed at enabling the ambassadors to see with their
own eyes that the provinces are reasonably economically and
politically stable," he told journalists on board the plane back
to Jakarta later in the afternoon.

Present yesterday were foreign envoys from Canada, Germany,
Italy, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, Vietnam and the United States.

The diplomatic effort apparently bore some success with
Ambassador Roy, who praised Habibie's warm approach to ordinary
traders.

"It gives you an opportunity to see the concerns of the
people, about how they feel, whether prices are too high. I think
it's useful. I'm pleased the President made a trip like this," he
said.

Japanese Ambassador Takao Kawakami said he was pleased to see
Habibie taking a personal interest in the people's plight and
said the visit helped assure him that the situation was becoming
more stable. (prb)