Habibie's aide dresses down journalists over dress code

JAKARTA (JP): An adjutant of President B.J. Habibie berated reporters as "stupid" for not wearing the peci, the traditional black cap which has reportedly become part of the dress code at the State Palace since the President came to power, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) said on Wednesday.

AJI said Col. Firman Gani shouted at several photojournalists and television cameramen covering the meeting between Habibie and the UN secretary-general's special envoy on East Timor Jamsheed Marker at Merdeka Palace on Monday. Merdeka Palace is part of the presidential compound.

"The adjutant went after the journalists and said: 'You are stupid, you have been told to wear peci if you are covering the President here, so why don't you wear one?'" AJI said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post.

Since he assumed power in May 1998, Habibie has told all Cabinet members, his security personnel and journalists at the palace to don the cap because it indicates the wearer is a "nationalist", AJI said.

"This incident shows that government officials still think that journalists are their subordinates and can be controlled. The parameters of politeness do not depend on attire, let alone peci".

A source at the palace said the incident was probably due to a "misunderstanding" and would be settled as soon as possible. He also denied the cap was mandatory attire at the palace.

"There has never been a clear rule regarding that (dress code)," the official said. Use of the cap would only have been an appeal, not an obligation, he added.

A journalist quipped: "If the President was from Yogyakarta, we would have to wear the kemben (traditional bodice)." (byg)