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)