Jakarta Post articles from March 2012

Jakarta Post archives from March 2012

Bali Spirit to promote community activism.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Agnes Winarti, The Jakarta Post, Ubud The Bali Spirit Festival, a healing feast combining elements of yoga, music and dance, this year aims to better promote community activism in a significant shift from the previous "heal oneself"...

Fuel-Price Hike Still at Play
March 31, 2012... President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government had a face-saving measure from the House of Representatives, bowing to pressure from the public to not increase fuel prices on April 1. A total of 356 lawmakers voted for the second option of...

Protesters Block Toll Road, Disrupting Traffic
March 31, 2012... Byline: Novia D. Rulistia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Ugly scenes emerged late Friday as police forcefully dispersed the protesters blocking the city's inner toll roads during a mass rally against the proposed fuel-price hike in front of the...

Frenchman with JI ties may be Paris bomber: BNPT.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Two people -- one on a motorcycle, a second on a bicycle -- passed by the Indonesian Embassy in Paris shortly before the explosion on March 21, security camera footage shows. "We have yet to determine the...

Railway blockaded in protest over hike.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, PURWOKERTO Nationwide protests against the planned fuel-price hike reached alarming levels on Friday, with rallying students in Purwokerto blocking rail tracks before police used force to allow trains...

Jakarta readying for Earth Hour 2012.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta In support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Jakarta administration, Jakartans and businesses are preparing to get involved in the global Earth Hour campaign, in which lights and electrical devices will...

23 state firms continue to incur financial losses.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Raras Cahyafitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Of the total 141 state-owned enterprises, 23 companies continued to suffer financial losses last year, according to a State-Owned Enterprises Ministry senior official. Deputy State-Owned...

Google promises to build up local team.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Mariel Grazella, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Google Inc. announced on Friday the opening of the much awaited Google Indonesia -- the Internet giant's local extension that aims to grow businesses in three sectors through a strong focus...

No Hard Feelings after Removal: Jafar
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta: Jafar Hafsah said he accepted the Democratic Party's decision to remove him as its leader in the House of Representatives after he misrepresented the Golkar Party's stance on the proposed fuel price...

173 workers deported from Malaysia.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Tanjungpinang: At least 173 Indonesian workers, consisting of 104 men and 69 women, along with six children, have been deported from Malaysia for various legal violations, an official says. The workers will be...

UI construction not in line with master plan.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta: University of Indonesia (UI) lecturer Tarsoen Wiryono said on Friday that the construction of some buildings on the campus had violated the campus' development master plan, possibly resulting in spatial...

Ministry offers lab equipment to remote science centers.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government has pledged to provide scientific equipment and books to education centers in remote villages run by a nonprofit group led by the wives of Cabinet ministers and women ministers. The pledge...

Antigraft body detains Semarang mayor over bribery scandal.
March 31, 2012... After eight hours of questioning, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Friday detained Semarang Mayor Soemarmo Hadi Saputro for his alleged involvement in a bribery scandal. A week ago, the KPK named Soemarmo a suspect for allegedly...

Urban poor 'fear' contraceptives.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Elly Burhaini Faizal, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Poor women in urban areas are reluctant to accept contraceptives offered to them for free, hampering efforts to slow the country's population growth. Few were even aware of the...

Power plant goes ahead despite opposition.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Ainur Rohmah, The Jakarta Post, Semarang The Central Java administration has insisted on building a steam power plant (PLTU) in Batang, despite concerns that the plan would violate spatial planning regulations and threaten protected...

Ships 'dumping waste' intercepted by Navy.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Fadli and Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post, Batam/Pekanbaru The Indonesian Navy has intercepted two ships and an oil barge suspected of dumping waste in Bintan waters, off the Riau Islands. Sea Security Unit commander First Adm....

Scouts commemorate 57 years since KAA.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, BANDUNG: The hoisting of the flags of 106 countries by scouts will mark the 57th anniversary of the Asia Africa Conference (KAA) and the 32nd anniversary of the KAA Museum. The event will take place around the...

Villagers set fire to company assets.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAMBI: A number of assets of PT Wirakarya Sakti (PT WKS) were vandalized and a security post and base camp set alight on Friday by residents of Senyerang village, in Jambi's West Tanjungjabung regency. Jambi...

Vastenburg declared a cultural-heritage site.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, SURAKARTA: The Vastenburg Fortress in Surakarta, Central Java, has been officially declared a cultural preserve after the endorsement of a bylaw. The municipal bylaw on spatial planning was approved earlier this...

CSR funds go to integrated health posts.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, BANDUNG: The West Java Health Office has distributed Corporate Social Responsibility funds, collected over the past three years, to community health and nutrition centers (posyandu) in the West Bandung, Bekasi and...

Editorial: Only an Ad-Hoc Fuel Measure
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, The rowdy public debates, political uproar and street demonstrations over the past few weeks over the fuel-price issue turned out to be another big waste of time and energy, similar to the wasteful burning on the...

'Native' vs 'imported' leader.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Harison Citrawan, Jakarta citizens are welcoming their gubernatorial candidates who have registered with the Provincial Elections Commission for the July 11 race. While the official campaign season will only commence in April,...

Jakarta's public health and living standards.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Jennie S. Bev, Jakarta I was born, raised, and lived in Central Jakarta for more than 25 years. I was proud of calling myself an anak Menteng asli, or a "genuine Menteng kid." Today, I still pass by the hospital where I was born,...

Fuel and demonstrations: Two sides of the same coin.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Akh. Muzakki, Surabaya The planned fuel price hike and demonstrations are two things that are necessarily connected. They are just like two sides of the same coin, which may be distinguished but are inseparable. Both are always...

Is one hour enough to save our earth?
March 31, 2012... Byline: Robert Fletcher, Jakarta On Saturday, March 31st, from 8:30 p.m. through 9:30 p.m., Indonesia joins in the rest of the world and goes dark to recognize Earth Hour. As we turn off our lights and enjoy an hour of quiet darkness, it's...

Letter : Revolution toward energy sovereignty.
March 31, 2012... The public has erupted in anger over the past few weeks, an outcry that led to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's statement about "a freak movement", which critics said was a scapegoat for the government's failure to address corruption and...

Letter : Youth, diplomacy and G20.
March 31, 2012... I refer to an opinion article titled "The Los Cabos Summit: The G20 remains a process" (The Jakarta Post, March 26) by Maria Monica Wihardja. The assertion made by Maria about the lack of continuity, legitimacy and credibility that has been...

Customs Office explains.
March 31, 2012... Regarding Mr Joseph's letter about bad customs service at the airport (the Post, March 8), we'd like to provide the following explanation. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is the busiest airport in Indonesia. The Air Transportation...

Text your say : Local officials join protests.
March 31, 2012... It means that they, the local officials, have proved their loyalty and love to the public. Muhammad Isa The local officials' involvement in the protest shows "democracy in action", and that SBY's decision to jack up the fuel price is not...

Issue : Opposition should not be like that: SBY.
March 31, 2012... March 29, Online President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pointed his finger at the opposition when journalists asked him for comments over the massive protests against the fuel price hike plan, which have resulted in numerous violent incidents...

Comment : Sharia remains a priority for candidates.
March 31, 2012... March 25, p. 2 Islamic sharia remains the main political sales pitch among gubernatorial candidates in the upcoming Aceh regional election scheduled for April 9. This was disclosed by candidates when they presented their vision and mission...

Vocational students seek jobs in Japan.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Hundreds of vocational students in Greater Jakarta are looking for opportunities to work overseas, and Japan is one of the countries they are targeting. "They are prepared to work when they complete their...

Police find jihad books in armed robbers' hideout.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Police reportedly found books describing lessons on jihad during a raid on a house in South Tangerang that was allegedly used as a hideout by a gang of armed robbers believed to be responsible for the recent...

New waste management center launched.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: The Jakarta administration has launched a river waste management program combined with a water reserving campaign in a military complex in Cijantung, East Jakarta. The center is designed to manage waste...

Jokowi to sell shirts to fund campaign.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: Jakarta gubernatorial hopeful Joko "Jokowi" Widodo plans to produce and sell the checkered shirt he wore while registering his candidacy with his running mate Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) to the Jakarta...

Fauzi claims success ahead of election.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Andreas D. Arditya, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, who is seeking reelection this year, reiterated his claim that his administration had improved public prosperity and the economy. In an annual performance...

US committed to doing more in Southeast Asia.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta With the world now setting its eyes on Asia, recognized as an emerging force, the US apparently feels the need to further develop its relations in the region, including with the 10-member ASEAN. According...

Soaring fuel costs hurting local carriers.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Increasing global oil prices have forced domestic carriers to adopt efficiency programs as the rise has significantly inflated operating costs, an airline executive says. Pujobroto, the vice president for...

Unilever: Profits up 23% on rising domestic consumption.(Financial report)
March 31, 2012... Byline: Raras Cahyafitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Consumer goods giant PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk is reporting a 23 percent increase in net profits for 2011, due to growing exports and increased domestic consumption. According to a...

OCBC seeking Rp 1.5t from rights shares offering.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta PT Bank OCBC NISP Tbk (NISP), one of Indonesia's top 15 lenders, is looking to raise Rp 1.5 trillion (US$163.5 million) by offering rights shares to strengthen its capitalization and extend loans. The...

PGN books lower net profits.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: State-owned gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara Tbk (PGAS) booked Rp 5.93 trillion (US$646 million) in net profits in 2011, falling 4.9 percent from Rp 6.24 trillion the year before. "Lower...

Jasa Marga net profits jump 12 percent.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: State-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga Tbk (JSMR) reported Rp 1.24 trillion (US$135 million) in net profits in 2011, an increase of 12 percent from Rp 1.19 trillion in 2010. The publicly listed JSMR...

Mandiri CEO, CFO get awards.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, HONG KONG: State-owned Bank Mandiri CEO Zulkifli Zaini and CFO Pahala N Mansury were presented Corporate Governance Awards for their leaderships in their daily running of the country's largest lender in terms of...

RI stability leads to investment boom.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Gains in macroeconomic and political stability in Indonesia have unleashed a level of consumer and business confidence unseen in decades that has led to a consumerism and investment boom, said a senior...

Dumasi Marisina Magdalena Samosir : Up for the challenge.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Lily Glorida Nababan, Contributor, Jakarta Despite her many responsibilities as director of PT Asuransi Sinar Mas (ASM), Dumasi Marisina Magdalena Samosir always tries to remain positive to keep her employees motivated. "There is a...

Listening and speaking up.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Tifa Asrianti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Hailing from the Netherlands, new F&B director of Hotel Mandarin Oriental Jakarta Mark Wouters has gone places during his 14 years in the hospitality industry. Wouters' most recent...

How brands influence people.
March 31, 2012... Byline: Joseph Eko and Daniel Surya, The first thing to recognize when we talk about brands is that they are not just names, terms, symbols, designs or combinations of these, although it is true to say that such things can and do...

The life of Benteng Chinese.
March 31, 2012... Byline: P.J. Leo, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Banten Lim Tjoan Lie, 75, was asleep on a bamboo bench in front of his traditional Kebaya house adorned with Chinese characters on its walls and doors. He took a nap after helping his children...

Fender makes signature guitar for Eross.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: The famous guitar brand Fender has made an unprecedented move in designing a signature guitar for Indonesian musician Eross Chandra, detikHot news portal reported on Friday. The guitarist of band Sheila...

Easter Sunday Offer!
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Easter Sunday is a special occasion for families to gather with a feast of good food. Some choose to do it in the warmth of the family home, while others prefer relaxing at a favorite and familiar eatery. For this...

Starlet reports PH for child exploitation.
March 31, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: Former child star Claudia Annisa, popularly known as Dhea Imut, has filed a lawsuit against the director of production house (PH) PT Verona Indah Pictures for exploiting the teenager in the production of a...

Golkar Rejects Fuel-Price Hike
March 30, 2012... The proposal from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government to raise fuel prices is hanging in the balance with the Golkar Party now joining the political movement against the plan. The decision by the Golkar Party was taken after party...

Pastika defies SBY, leads protests in Bali.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar Defying the central government's instruction to support a plan to raise fuel prices, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika led protesters on Thursday to fight against the policy that he...

Government to protest all territorial incursions.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Rabby Pramudatama, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta All foreign aircraft flying into Indonesian territory must report to local air-traffic authorities, otherwise the government will file a protest of border infringement, a top security...

Discourse: Minister on short skirts, the haj and nonIslamic radical groups.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali might be the busiest man in the Cabinet, with the recent spate of religious violence, the deliberations over halal food and the drawing up of a regulation by which the newly...

Police Prepare for Final Showdown
March 30, 2012... The National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) are preparing for their final face-off with protesters as intense bickering between the government and the House of Representatives over the proposed fuel-price hike is expected to culminate...

In Jakarta, Staple Stockpiling Begins as Prices Climb
March 30, 2012... Byline: Lutfi Rakhmawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta As politicians squabble and students rally across the nation to protest the government's impending fuel-price hike, some housewives in Jakarta are stockpiling groceries in anticipation of...

Govt threatens to stop cost recovery to Chevron.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Rangga D. Fadillah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Upstream oil and gas regulator BPMigas said on Thursday that the government would halt cost recovery payments to PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI) should the company be proven to have...

Foreign firms eye brand-loving Indonesians.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Leather-goods producer Bonia from Singapore, sporting equipment manufacturer Li Ning from China and the Pho Hoa noodle chain from the US are among many famous foreign brands vying to set up franchises here to...

Medco, partners to acquire two ExxonMobil's gas blocks.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, PT Medco Energi Internasional says it will join forces with two other firms to buy two oil and gas blocks operated by US-based ExxonMobil. Medco, state gas distributor PT PGN and state fertilizer maker PT Pupuk...

Editorial: In Search of a Professional KPU
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, The new members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), which President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will swear in on April 9, will have to disprove the doubts of their critics...

Save Bank Indonesia (Part 2 of 2).
March 30, 2012... Byline: Anwar Nasution, Jakarta The central bank administers the foreign exchange reserves of Indonesia. As the banker to the government, Bank Indonesia holds its deposits and gives credit to the government backed by its securities. Prior...

Subsidy and 'burger and oil' consumption.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Sondang Grace Sirait, Jakarta What do burgers and fries have to do with fuel subsidies? Some may argue there's ample correlation in which higher fuel prices lead to dire economic consequences, which then force changes in...

Text your say: Tomcat widespread.
March 30, 2012... Your suggestions on how to deal with the ongoing spread of rove beetles, locally known as "tomcats", whose highly toxic irritant causes serious skin irritation: Give them back their habitat; stop overbuilding; turn golf courses back into...

Letter: The oil reality.
March 30, 2012... The plan to increase the price of gasoline on April 1 has sparked a wave of protests, demonstrations, and a backlash from the majority of the Indonesian public. Political parties have joined in their opposition against the proposed plan,...

Letter: Fuel-prices hike: Too little, too late.
March 30, 2012... This refers to the article "Deputy Minister tells public to cut fuel consumption," (The Jakarta Post online, March 27). This is one of the few pieces of media coverage where a minister of the government is trying to explain the need to...

Letter: Why do affluent people join the outcry?
March 30, 2012... Premium is a subsidized fuel supposedly for people in the lower-income brackets or those with less purchasing power. But the fact is, all these years, the government neither issued or enforced regulations as to who was entitled to Premium, nor...

Letter: Don't hike fuel prices!
March 30, 2012... While demonstrations to reject fuel price hikes are still continuing across Indonesia, the government should seriously consider these measures. Please do not compare fuel prices with those in neighboring countries. Yes, our neighbors pay more...

Muhaimin's subordinates get three-year jail sentences.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Jakarta Corruption Court has sentenced two subordinates of Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar to three years in prison for accepting bribes in connection to a development...

Health Minister may be involved in graft.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta: Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih may have been involved in a graft scandal, which has led to the ministry's former director general for medical services, Ratna Dewi Umar, being named a suspect. ...

Police know location of Nazaruddin's wife.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta: The police have tracked down the location of fugitive Neneng Sri Wahyuni, the wife of graft defendant Muhammad Nazaruddin, a top detective said on Thursday. National Police detectives' chief, Comr. Gen....

KPK, AGO and police unite against graft.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, The joint monitoring of project procurements is part of a new tri-agency strategy to combat corruption that was unveiled on Thursday by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Attorney General's Office (AGO)...

Cost of staples up ahead of fuel-price hike.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, PEKANBARU: Housewives in Pekanbaru, Riau, are worried about the planned increase in fuel prices, which has triggered a rise in the prices of basic needs. "They are concerned that costs will further swell following...

School activities paralyzed in E. Manggarai.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, East Manggarai: Educational activities at 80 schools in East Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara, have come to a halt after the area was devastated by whirlwinds 10 days ago. Teaching is currently being held in...

Good Samaritan gives free healthcare in Jambi.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAMBI: A man has been providing free medical care at his home in Ulu Gedong subdistrict in Jambi once-a-month for the past four years. "I have been providing the service on the 25th of every month for almost four...

Regional bureaucrats vow to shun corruption.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Yuli Tri Suwarni , The Jakarta Post, Bandung West Java's regents and mayors signed what they called an integrity pact in Bandung on Thursday in the wake of several bureaucrats being implicated in graft cases. The 20 signatories at...

Robbery rises in C. Java's southern regions.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Agus Maryono , The Jakarta Post, Banyumas At least six robberies have been recorded in Central Java's southern regions of Kebumen, Purbalingga, Cilacap and Banyumas regencies over the past month, but none of the perpetrators'...

Convenience stores violate consumer law, agency finds.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar As many as 80 percent of convenience stores violate the Consumer Protection Law by charging higher prices at the register than those listed on price tags, a survey of 400 stores by the...

Balinese language 'will never die'.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar Despite the decreasing use of the Balinese language in daily life, two university professors say they are convinced that it will not disappear. The growing membership of the Balinese...

Cooperative group accused of swindle.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, DENPASAR: As many as 1,276 members of Koperasi Masyarakat Adil Sejahtera, which means the "prosperous and fair community cooperative", are reportedly anxious about deposits made to the cooperative. They fear that...

Police personnel watch gas stations, seize hoarded fuel.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Peni Widarti, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar After seizing more than 100 tons of gasoline and diesel in a series of raids targeting hoarders across the island, Bali Police have now deployed some 8,000 personnel to guard hundreds of gas...

Ministry tells city administration to expedite work on e-ID program.
March 30, 2012... Byline: Andreas D. Arditya , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta With only a little over a month left before the deadline for the completion of the electronic identity (e-ID) data collection, the Home Ministry has asked the Jakarta administration to...

Protesters block brand-new Bekasi feeder-bus route.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, The Transjakarta feeder-bus service linking Pulogadung and Bekasi terminals had to temporarily halt operations on Thursday, a day after it was officially launched by Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, due to protests...

Jakarta-Depok train service disrupted.
March 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: The commuter train service that connects Jakarta and Bogor was disrupted on Thursday after one of the cars was damaged by an explosion. A security official aboard the train, Mohammad Ruliansyah, said an...