Jakarta Post articles from January 2009

Jakarta Post archives from January 2009

Bribe-riddled police move to reform.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 1 The country's police chiefs signed a contract Friday in an effort to push for bureaucratic reform within the force, dubbed the most bribe- riddled of all state institutions. ...

Gov furious over messy Monas.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 1 Ani, 47, and Bayu, 49, sat on a metal park bench under the shade of trees in the National Monument (Monas) Park in Central Jakarta. The couple gazed at the capital's landmark,...

Pertamina boss counting days as firing imminent.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 1 Ari Hernanto Soemarno, the embattled president director of state oil and gas company PT Pertamina, is unlikely to issue any strategic decisions to turn the course of the company,...

Text your say: Mega vs SBY.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 1 Former President Megawati Soekarnoputri has criticized President Yudhoyono's decision to cut fuel prices. What are the chances for these two in the upcoming elections? Send your...

Correction.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 2 In the photograph titled "Future Master" on this page in the Friday, Jan. 30, edition of this paper, the student should have been identified as Augustine Karina, a student of Santa...

BI quartet face multiple charges.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 2 Prosecutors indicted four former Bank Indonesia deputy governors Friday over the embezzlement of Rp 100 billion from BI. The four defendants are Maman Husen Somantri, Bun Bunan...

President Yudhoyono installs 15 new RI envoys.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 2 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono installed 15 new ambassadors, most of them career diplomats, for countries in Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific, on Friday at the Merdeka State...

Soekarwo wins in E. Java for 2nd time, Khofifah still defiant.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 2 Despite allegations of numerous violations, the results of the gubernatorial vote recount and revote on Madura Island, East Java, have given a slim victory to Soekarwo and his...

Hartono given another four weeks for medical treatment.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 2 Prosecutors have granted yet another request made by Hartono Tanoesoedibjo, a key witness in the justice ministry's Rp 400 billion (US$37 million) online graft case, to postpone a...

MUI fatwa is neither necessary nor a priority.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 3 The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) strikes again. This time, the encompassing body of a major Islamic organization in the country issued a legal opinion (fatwa) that abstention...

Police and TNI pledge to stay neutral, abstain from voting.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 4 The police and military have faced increasing scrutiny over their commitment to remain politically neutral in the upcoming elections, with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono...

Spatial planning changes 'endanger forests'.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 4 Poor spatial planning, a booming carbon market and a slump in productivity are the major obstacles facing Indonesia's natural forests this year, a discussion heard Friday. ...

SBY gives police boost to fight drugs.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 4 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited a factory used to manufacture illegal drugs Friday in a bid to encourage the fight against drug trafficking. Yudhoyono was...

AGO seeks new evidence to reopen VLCC case.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 4 JAKARTA: General Attorney Hendarman Supandji said Friday his office was waiting for new evidence to reopen a corruption case connected to the 2004 sale of two oil tankers. ...

Government says sex cult deviant and criminal.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 4 A government body recommended Friday a ban against an alleged sex cult, saying it was deviant and could face charges for indecency. The South Jakarta office of the Coordinating...

KPU backs down over female quota.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 5 The General Elections Commission (KPU) remains divided over a highly contentious proposal for a quota of legislative seats for female candidates. KPU chairman Abdul Hafiz...

Aceh reconstruction body aims to boost village development as term of duty expires.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 5 The Aceh-Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (BRR) has allocated part of Rp 168 billion (US$14 million) from a trust fund raised by private donors to a grassroots economy...

Permadi Quits PDI-P for Gerindra
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 5 Senior legislator Permadi has resigned from the House of Representatives and quit his party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), to join the newly formed Greater...

End the illogical debate.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 6 Public transportation users are always in an unfortunate position when it comes to transportation fares. When the government increased fuel prices by 28.7 percent in May last year,...

Lethal drinking and youths.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 6 A cheap but lethal home-brewed alcoholic cocktail, mixed with 90 percent alcohol, ginseng, vanilla, honey among other ingredients, has recently killed 14 young men in Semarang,...

Free-voluntary reading is the panacea.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 6 Like other countries such as Japan, Korea and Taiwan where the first language is not English, Indonesia is also suffering from a so- called English fever. The symptoms are clear -...

On Saharawi people's struggle for independence.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 7 I refer to the interview published by your newspaper on Jan. 24, 2009, "Moroccan ambassador says democracy in RI will endure". Unfortunately, the journalists used the wrong...

Anthropology can lend insight to business.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 7 A trend is on the horizon. Many people are jumping on the multicultural bandwagon. In the political realm, more politicians are more often stressing the importance of cultural...

Central Java, E. Nusa Tenggara officials accused of graft.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 8 Local officials in Central Java and East Nusa Tenggara have been accused of misappropriating village and education funds, causing losses to the state to the tune of billions of...

16 people die from dengue in West Java this month.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 8 A dengue outbreak in West Java has killed at least 16 people this year, with 1,909 total cases reported, an official said Friday. Wahyu Suryaputra, head of the communicable...

Tasikmalaya gets power supply from Bandung.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 8 BANDUNG, West Java: For the next two months, electricity supply to 755,000 customers in Tasikmalaya, Banjar and Ciamis will be directly supplied from geothermal power plants in...

Curb of "mudflow" in Mataloko urged.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 8 KUPANG, E. Nusa Tenggara: East Nusa Tenggara provincial councilor urged Friday institutions in charge of the Mataloki geothermal power plant in Ngada regency to curb the spread of...

Bad weather disrupts sea transportation.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 8 KUPANG, E. Nusa Tenggara: Bad weather over the last few days has forced sea transportation in East Nusa Tenggara to grind to a halt. Manager of the Kupang chapter of the River...

E. Kalimantan faces a deficit of 30,000 tons of rice.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 8 East Kalimantan is a rich province but is not yet self-reliant for its food supply, as more and more rice fields are converted into mining areas. Head of the East Kalimantan...

Council empty as councilors aims reelection.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 8 The Banyumas Regency Legislative Council in Central Java has been virtually deserted for the past two months as councilors are regularly absent and engaged in campaign activities...

Buyan Lake plan rejected.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 9 Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika announced Friday that he had rejected an investment offer from PT Anantara to develop Lake Buyan in Buleleng into an eco-tourism resort. "I...

Bali to be flooded with real estate developments.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 9 "Absolute beachfront villas" or "eco-friendly hotels" are the omnipresent words when getting around Bali. Real estate development on the island is moving at a high pace, impossible...

E. Kalimantan hit by blackouts as N. Sumatra gets more power.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 9 Balikpapan and Medan maybe the largest and busiest cities in Kalimantan and Sumatra respectively but it seems they have different luck when it comes to electricity. In...

Wildfires force tigers into human settlements.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 9 Scattered paw prints and two sightings indicate that four Sumatran tigers have encroached within several hundred meters of Basilam Baru village in Dumai municipality during the...

Bali governor rejects Buyan Lake investment offer.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 9 Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika said Friday that he had rejected an investment offer to develop Lake Buyan in Buleleng. Previously, developer PT Ananta had made a...

Lore Lindu National Park poorly guarded against destruction.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 9 Widagdo, head of Central Sulawesi's Lore Lindu National Park, expressed concern on Friday over the small number of guards in charge of securing the park against human encroachment....

Public outraged at Wangaya hospital fee increases.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 9 The Wangaya hospital in Denpasar is sticking to its in plan to raise fees as of next month despite fierce public resistance. Hospital director Gede Raka Widiana said the...

Cultural festival to kick off campaign in Gianyar.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 9 The Regional Election Commission (KPUD) in Gianyar, Bali's renowned performing arts capital, is planning a cultural festival to kick off the official campaign period in March. ...

Bapepam probes Bumi Resource's auditors.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 13 The market watchdog is questioning the auditors involved in controversal acquisitions made by PT Bumi Resources, an official says. The Capital Market and Financial Institution...

Semen Gresik cements expansion drive.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 13 Publicly listed PT Semen Gresik has named Credit Suisse Group AG to advise the country's largest state enterprise cement producer on its overseas acquisition plans. President...

PLN secures 65% of financing for first 10,000 MW program.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 13 State utility company PT PLN concluded Friday a Rp 4.30 trillion (US$378.27 million) loan deal from domestic banks to finance five coal- fired power plants, which are part of the...

Retail Islamic bonds launched, first time in RI.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 14 Indonesia's first Islamic retail bond (sukuk) was launched Friday, with a sales agent predicting net sales of Rp 5 trillion (about US$455 million). The investment unit, named...

Comments on the edicts (fatwa) made by MUI.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 17 Your comments on the edicts (fatwa) made by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) which included a ban on smoking, yoga with chanting, and abstaining from voting. I am an Indian...

Higher level of fabulosity.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 17 Honestly, can any of you assure me that to look and feel stylish for a whole day in our beloved city of Jakarta, like those typical characters we see in the movies, is possible?...

'Letter: Irresponsible Jakartans' -- Jan. 23. p. 20.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 17 This is a comment on The Jakarta Post's editorial titled "Irresponsible Jakartans" (The Post, Jan. 17, p. 6). It is simple role. If you don't want to be flooded - don't build on...

Beyond Obama's skin color.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 17 Many of Americans are not unaware that Barack Obama's mother was a white woman from Kansas. Nor do I think that Americans need a wake up call, with the invasive ring tone "Obama...

Is Obama really prophet of change?
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 17 While many seem enamoured at the ground-breaking election of the first, black, US president, few seem cognizant of the fact that Barack Obama's core beliefs and record...

Integrate to other Indonesians!
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 17 In trying to stop discrimination, perhaps if the Chinese were to integrate themselves more into Indonesian society there would be less prejudice spreading around. This is written...

Who do you trust?
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 17 Party discipline belittles you, your secretary tolerates you, your constituents harass you, journalists mock you, local papers ignore you, senior colleagues patronize you, junior...

Cisarua market receives composting unit.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 20 JAKARTA: The Cisarua market in Bogor, West Java received an organic waste composting unit from the Danamon Peduli Foundation on Friday. The foundation's executive director...

Most gas stations fail safety standards.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 20 JAKARTA: Thirty gas stations across Central Jakarta have failed to meet environmental standards, as they have not completed the required environmental impact assessment, the...

STNK renewal fees paid through DKI ATMs.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 20 JAKARTA: The City Revenue Agency (Dispenda) said Friday that it is planning to launch a service which will allow residents to pay fees for the renewal of their vehicle licenses...

City should preserve Chinatown: Experts.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 20 The Jakarta Administration should strictly control development in Glodok, West Jakarta to preserve what is left of the city's Chinatown, an expert in Chinese historical buildings...

City told to serve the poor.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 20 City councilors are calling for the city administration to make it easier for poor families to receive affordable healthcare. "The administration should make poor people its...

Residents told to be on high alert for street criminals.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 20 An unnamed resident of the elite Menteng area in Central Jakarta was shocked when two robbers on a motorcycle attempted to mug him early Friday morning on Jl. Karawang. He...

Cikini vendors see business slump as project looms.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 20 Aay packed fragrant Arabica coffee, freshly ground, into a brown paper bag. "You see, there is not much left in this shop. We used to sell canned milk powder, imported candies...

Chess park at station front yard.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 21 Amidst the screeching and honking of cars and the rattle of trains passing by, dozens of men sat on benches under a South Jakarta overpass in Tebet. Oblivious to their noisy...

Do you really want to ride on top?
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 21 Two men raced to get on top of the train carriage. One succeeded but his friend was too late and hit a wall while the train was running at high speed. The man on the roof was...

Taufik Hidayat quits national team.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 24 After 13 years of service, which culminated in an Olympic gold medal, shuttler Taufik Hidayat announced Friday his resignation from the national training camp in Jakarta. The...

Bank Jatim remains unbeaten in Proliga.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 24 JAKARTA: Defending champions Surabaya Bank Jatim defeated the Jakarta BNI Taplus 25-18, 21-25, 25-14, 25-12 to remain unbeaten in the women's division of the 2009 Proliga Indoor...

Loving life in the fast lane.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 25 Ferrari wants to ensure its cars end up only in the hands of real enthusiasts, and prominent lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea happens to be one of them. Hotman says he has long...

Speed demons on a Jakarta Joyride.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 25 You are what you wear, and when it comes to cars, you wear your status on the roads. Unlike "fake" brand-name clothes and handbags, with a car there's no fooling anyone: No...

From Balinese hands to Hollywood heads.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 26 A small, hidden village near Ubud is not where you'd expect to find a shining slice of Hollywood glamor. But in Abuan, Bangli, a 30-minute drive from Ubud, Orlando Bassi is...

Dance draws on Javanese and Tai Chi traditions.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 31 A contemporary dance performance will be held at the Salihara Community next week, exploring the connections between Javanese traditional dance and Tai Chi movement. "This...

Donna wants to be healthier.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 32 JAKARTA: Second pregnancy has made actress Donna Agnesia realize that it is important to look after herself for the sake of her unborn baby. The 30-year-old former catwalk...

The man with the midas touch.
January 31, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2009 -- PAGE 32 In his room on the 24th floor of a five-star Tokyo hotel, Butet Kartaredjasa stares at the screen of his notebook. Every once in a while, he takes a sip of his steaming hot...

AGO halts probe into tanker sale graft case.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 2 Attorney General Hendarman Supandji has ordered an investigation into alleged graft related to the sale of two tankers by state oil and gas firm Pertamina to be halted. ...

Women still face discrimination: Minister.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 2 Although Indonesia has since 1984 adopted the UN convention on the elimination of discrimination against women (CEDAW), many women in the country still face violence and...

No more extension for tax amnesty, Mulyani says.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 2 Despite the success of the government's tax amnesty for administrative violators, dubbed as the Sunset Policy, there will be no extension beyond the Feb. 28 deadline. The Sunset...

Yoga controversy - being healthy is more important.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 3 There's always enthusiasm when you do things for the first time. That included my first experience joining a yoga club three months ago. The reason for giving a nod to a friend's...

Antigraft body arrests two manpower ministry officials.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 4 The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested two manpower ministry officials Thursday when they exchanged 17 envelopes containinga total of Rp 100 million (US$8,827). ...

Parties reminded of brief chance to make election complaints.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 4 The Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) has reminded political parties and their lawyers they have a very short window in which to file complains over election-related crimes. ...

KPK won't appeal SBY loyalist's sentence.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 4 JAKARTA: The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said Thursday that they would not appeal the Corruption Court's descision to sentence former lawmaker and convicted bribe-taker...

US assists Unsyiah lab school library.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 4 BANDA ACEH: US Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron R. Hume has handed over nearly $100,000 worth of English language books, computer software, furniture, equipment, and other materials...

Children's body wants broadcasting law reviewed.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 4 JAKARTA: The National Commission for the Protection of Children (Komnas PA) has requested the Constitutional Court review an article in the Broadcasting Law because its language...

Council to Question Agung about Supreme Court Bill Allegation
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 4 The House of Representatives' disciplinary council announced Wednesday it will summon House speaker Agung Laksono and two other legislators asa follow up of a report by the Indonesia...

Bribery-riddled KPPU seeks to boost image.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 5 The national antimonopoly agency is striving to regain public trust, after one of its members was detained in connection with a major bribery scandal involving a renowned...

MPs accused of proposing fund to procure patrol boats.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 5 It was members of the House of Representatives who proposed the budget for patrol vessel procurement projects at the Transportation Ministry in 2007, the Corruption Court heard...

Disaster response still fragile in RI: Humanitarian report.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 5 Disaster reponse by the government and humanitarian workers is still below the United Nations' minimum standard, a report said. The 2008 Indonesia Humanitarian Forum report said...

Life is cheap.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 6 In a country vulnerable to disasters like Indonesia, death is just a matter of statistics. Earthquakes, flash floods and volcanic eruptions have often struck suddenly, claiming many...

MUI 'fatwa' has not smoked out the myths.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 6 Walter Lippman in his seminal book, Public Opinion points out the manufacture of consent and its significance to the practice of democracy, because it allows control over public...

Islam, yoga practice, and religious essentialism.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 6 The recent banning through a fatwa by the Ulema Councils in Malaysia and in Indonesia (Majelis Ulama Indonesi, MUI) of a particular form of yoga, the one with "Hindu elements", poses...

Opportunity not to be missed by Obama.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 7 The newly inaugurated administration in Washington provides an opportunity for the US to "reorganize, rearrange and reorient" its place and role in global politics at a time when its...

Oil and coal mining firms pollute Balikpapan Bay.
January 30, 2009... from THE JAKARTA POST -- FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 -- PAGE 8 The Balikpapan Bay is one of the city's landmarks, a place where foreign and domestic companies, mostly in the coal and oil sectors, have been carrying out their business for dozens...