'Love Rupiah' campaign gains support
JAKARTA (JP): The campaign to restore confidence in the battered Indonesian currency is gaining momentum with groups of journalists, businesspeople and legislators pledging to exchange their U.S. dollars for rupiah.
A group of Indonesian editors said they would change their dollars to rupiah today through the counter of Bank Bumi Daya (BBD) at Bank Indonesia, the central bank, on Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.
The Indonesian Editors Group, in a statement signed on Saturday by Zulfiani Lubis and Marah Sakti Siregar, said Bank Indonesia governor Soedrajad Djiwandono and the bank's directors would change the journalists' dollars to rupiah in a special ceremony.
Antara reported that at least five noted businessmen would participate in the event. They are Sahid Gitosardjono, who owns the five-star Sahid Jaya hotel in Jakarta; chairman of the Indonesian franchise business association Bambang N. Rachmadi; The Nin King, who chairs the Argo Manunggal Group; chief of the Gobel electronics group Rachmat Gobel; and Jusuf Kalla, a South Sulawesi businessman and president of PT Bumi Karsa.
The editors' statement also quoted legislator Indra Bambang Utoyo and his colleagues in the House of Representatives' state budget commission as saying that they supported the drive.
"We are for this drive and we will come (today) to participate actively in this drive," Indra was quoted as saying.
Separately, the Indonesian Businesswomen Association (IWAPI) said in a statement Saturday they had scheduled "a solidarity campaign" for Friday in which several public figures would sell their dollars in Jakarta.
The drive, to be held at the Bank Exim building on Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta, would involve prominent names including business tycoon Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, Moslem scholar Nurcholish Madjid, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, legislator Ekki Sjachrudin, Secretary of Development Operations Lt. Gen. AM Hendropriyono and North Sumatra military chief Maj. Gen. Rizal Nurdin.
It would also include artists Rhoma Irama, Neno Warisman, Titiek Puspa and Deddy Gumelar, businesswoman Mooryati Sudibyo, assistant to the Armed Forces chief of socio-political affairs Maj. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Jakarta Military commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
"There's already enough expression of concern. Now is the time for action," said Suryani Motik, the chairperson of IWAPI, in the statement.
Meanwhile, at least one hotel in the East Java capital of Surabaya, the four-star Garden Palace hotel on Jl. Yos Sudarso, has agreed to set their room rates in rupiah. In North Sumatra, travel bureaus, hotels and restaurants have also agreed to quote their tourism packages and room rates in rupiah.
Antara said the agreement was reached here Saturday by the provincial branches of the Association of Indonesian Travel Bureaus (ASITA) and the Indonesian Restaurant and Hotel Association (PHRI) at a meeting organized by the North Sumatra Tourism Board (Bawisda).
The development of the "love rupiah" drive came only a day after President Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana changed US$50,000 to rupiah in a highly publicized event.
"Let us all exchange our dollars for rupiah," urged Mbak (Sister) Tutut, as Hardiyanti is better known, when she changed her money to the BBD in Central Jakarta last Friday.
She said she sold her dollars because she was an Indonesian citizen who loved her country very much. "I love the rupiah, and I will keep rupiah in the bank," she said.
Hardiyanti's drive followed the rupiah's free fall against the U.S. dollar last Thursday when the local currency crashed to an historic low of Rp 10,000. This, and rumors about impending steep price hikes, sparked a massive shopping rush for basic daily needs at markets in many regions.
The frenzy calmed down yesterday in the markets of Central Java's capital of Semarang.
In Yogyakarta, political observer Rudini told a discussion at Gadjah Mada University that all members of society should be aware of "certain parties" who would exploit the present crisis "by fishing in murky waters". (aan/har)