'Love Rupiah' campaign gains support

'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)