Jakarta Post articles from May 2000, page 4

Jakarta Post archives from May 2000

PSN plans listing on local stock exchanges.
May 19, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Satellite communications provider PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) said on Wednesday it would list its shares on the Jakarta or Surabaya stock exchange after completing a debt-restructuring program with the Indonesian Bank...

New deadline for Dharmala.
May 19, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Commercial Court gave on Wednesday two more weeks to listed holding company PT Dharmala Sakti Sejahtera to restructure US$180 million in debts with its creditors or face a bankruptcy verdict. "The majority of...

Jatis plans JV in Malaysia.
May 19, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): PT Jatis, a local company providing information technology service, said on Wednesday that it planned to establish a joint venture company in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Jatis' executive officer Jusuf Sjariffudin said the...

RI forex reserves decline.
May 19, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The country's net foreign exchange reserves declined US$215.3 million to $18.05 billion in the week ending May 15. Bank Indonesia said in its latest weekly report that the decrease was mainly due to the repayment of the...

JIEP expects high occupancy rate this year.
May 19, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): State owned PT Jakarta Industrial Estate Pulogadung (JIEP) expects a stable occupancy rate this year despite negative reports on the country's investment climate. JIEP president Otje Soetoto said here on Wednesday that he...

Indonesia beats China, meets Denmark in semis.
May 17, 2000... KUALA LUMPUR (JP): Defending champion Indonesia cruised into the final four after surprisingly overcoming favorite China 4-1 in the last round-robin yellow group of the Thomas Cup championships at Putra Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday. On...

Wiranto grilled for 7 hours over Timor violence.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Former Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto said he was relieved to "spell out the truth" of last year's violence in East Timor while being interrogated on Tuesday by a special Attorney General's Office investigative...

GDP forecast by BPS too low: Experts.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Experts have unanimously disagreed with the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) over its extremely low 1.5 percent gross domestic product (GDP) forecast for 2000. Head of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) Rizal Ramli said on...

Banks told to help boost ailing rupiah.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid has instructed finance minister Bambang Sudibyo to ask state banks to buy rupiah in a bid to shore up the falling currency. Abdurrahman reiterated on Tuesday that the current weakening of the...

Army to raise money to improve soldiers' welfare.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Internal reforms now underway will allow the Army to raise trust funds for use in improving the welfare of its personnel, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Tyasno Sudarto said on Tuesday. Speaking after opening the Army leadership...

Mangunwijaya's wealth in dispute.
May 17, 2000... SLEMAN, Yogyakarta : The death of well-known social activist and Catholic priest Y.B. Mangunwijaya last year has been followed by legal wrangling between the church and six of his 11 children. Six of the siblings, lead by Agustinus...

Fresh violence erupts in Ambon, two dead.
May 17, 2000... AMBON, Maluku (JP): Fresh clashes flared up here on Tuesday following a car accident in which a teenager in Paso subdistrict was killed. The violence, which was continuing as of 8 p.m. local time, has left two people killed and 11 others...

PDI-P faces lawsuit after assault on reporter.
May 17, 2000... BANDUNG (JP): Pikiran Rakyat daily plans to file a lawsuit against the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) in Purwakarta on Monday after an internal dispute between party members led to an assault on a reporter. ...

Akbar dismisses DPA's first minister plan.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): House Speaker Akbar Tandjung dismissed the Supreme Advisory Council's proposal for the appointment of a first minister to assist the President on the grounds that it violated the 1945 Constitution and would only increase...

Gus Dur enjoys breakfast at Mega's official residence.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid breakfasted at Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri's official residence on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday in a clear attempt at refuting rumors of worsening relations with her. The...

Independence Day to be marked in low-key style.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The country's major national commemoration, Independence Day on Aug. 17, will not be marked by a lavish ceremony at Merdeka Palace this year to cut costs. Acting State Secretary Bondan Gunawan said the toning down of the...

Government not broker in islets lease plan.
May 17, 2000... MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Minister of Maritime Exploration Sarwono Kusumaatmadja resisted on Tuesday the mounting criticism against the government's plan to lease islands to investors, saying his office would not act as a broker in the...

Money puts legislation program on hold.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives is now exercising its political function far better than its predecessors, but it fares little better when it comes to its legislation program -- because of a lack of money. Chairman of the...

'Poros Indonesia' members could be sacked: Theo.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) deputy chairman Theo Syafei threatened to dismiss party members who join splinter group "Poros Indonesia" and pursue policies contrary to the party. "They could...

Man detained for killing father.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): An officer said the Cipayung Police arrested a secondhand goods vendor on Tuesday morning for killing his father during a family dispute. East Jakarta Police chief of detectives Capt. Agus Irianto said police arrested...

Police to close unregistered clinics.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): East Jakarta Police will close down nine unregistered maternity clinics operating illegally in the area, an officer said on Tuesday. Police detectives chief Capt. Agus Irianto told reporters that the nine clinics were under...

Dozens admitted to hospital for food poisoning.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of participants of two training programs held at Bumi Karsa Hotel in South Jakarta and at least two staff members of the hotel were rushed to the hotel's clinic and nearby hospitals after suffering nausea and vomiting....

Police ask for more fund from city administration.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi asked the city administration on Tuesday to increase the allocated budget for city police because the annual budget was too small to finance police operations and activities. "We...

Forkot demands release of three arrested friends.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): With dozens of teenage street children marching in front of them, some 200 members of the City Forum (Forkot) university students group rallied on Tuesday outside the Jakarta Police Headquarters in South Jakarta, demanding the...

Glodok are shakes off the gloom once again.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Business activities at Harco Glodok electronics center in West Jakarta stated to show signs of life on Tuesday amid fears of further rioting in the predominantly ethnic-Chinese business district. Several stores opened their...

After Geneva, what next?
May 17, 2000... It is obvious that many politicians in Jakarta are not content to let the ink dry on the joint understanding which the government signed with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Geneva last week. Although it is not due to come into effect until...

Aceh: More challenges from Geneva.
May 17, 2000... GENEVA (JP): It is a breathing space in what could become a long journey toward a final solution for Aceh. The agreement signed by the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Geneva last Friday (May 12), marks President...

Kodak clarifies.
May 17, 2000... I refer to Daripin Wongso's letter Not a pretty picture (The Jakarta Post, May 13, 2000). We would like to clarify certain points that were raised by the writer. MacIndo is the authorized distributor of Kodak digital cameras. It offers...

Teachers' strike.
May 17, 2000... I was intrigued by Mashudan Andi's comment in The Jakarta Post May 6, 2000, edition that teachers should not strike. I also fully agree with the opinion that teachers are paramount in generating a good nation. Without teachers, there would be...

Remember sweet old days at the Oen.
May 17, 2000... MALANG, East Java (JP): A restaurant may be able to retain its original cuisine for one generation at the most, so the theory goes. As an additional note, this rule of thumb applies if the restaurant serves specialties that no other...

It is 'm' now, succeeding the existing profound 'e'.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): One of my grand aunts enthusiastically showed me her new PC set, saying that she could now browse the Internet and "more importantly, I can send e-mails to my children and grandchildren and receive m-mails from them." She...

Indonesian telecommunications need a paradigm shift.
May 17, 2000... If the world were a perfect place, W.W. Rostow's theory of development stages might not have looked so ridiculous after all. The fruit of development would have trickled down to the masses, and our social and economic pictures would be far...

Hands-free means radiation-free?
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The booming trade of mobile cellphone always sparks controversy. The latest issue over cellphones, which are now used by about one billion people, is whether hands-free kits also emit radiation to the brain. Since...

Prevention better than cure in fighting cancer killer.
May 17, 2000... SINGAPORE (JP): The 41-year-old Robby was devastated when he was diagnosed as suffering from advanced lung cancer. He could not stand to think about the little time he had left with his wife and two teenage children. For him and millions...

IBRA draws up 10 financial groups as servicing agent.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) has shortlisted 10 groups of financial institutions as the servicing agent to help in restructuring Rp 5.42 trillion (US$634.66 million) in bank nonperforming loans (NPLs). ...

Antam books Rp 97.52b in first quarter profit.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Gold and nickel mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) reported on Tuesday that its unaudited first quarter net profit increased to Rp 97.52 billion (about US$11.6 million), from Rp 36.39 billion in the same period last year....

Sucofindo ties up with Belgium to boost services.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): State owned superintending company PT Sucofindo and ABX Logistics of Belgium agreed here on Tuesday to jointly provide transportation, logistics, warehousing and inspection and assessment services to Indonesian companies and...

Telkom's net profit up in first quarter.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed domestic telecommunication provider PT Telkom Indonesia announced on Tuesday a consolidated net income of Rp 751.94 billion (US$94.22 billion) for the first quarter of this year. Telkom said the figure...

Government to increase fixed-line and mobile phone rates.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The government will increase the rates of fixed-line and cellular telephone services by 21 percent and 41 percent respectively some time in June, to meet rising telecommunication costs. Director General of Post and...

Telkom, Amex issue joint card.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): American Express Travel Related Services (TSR) and PT Telkom will soon launch their co-brand credit card, offering a range of benefits to the latter's subscribers. Telkom president Muhammad Nazif said here on Tuesday that...

Goindo's e-commerce service.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Internet company PT Goindo.net introduced on Tuesday its new e-commerce services for businesses wishing to expand on the Internet. The new services facilitate transactions from one business to another (B2B) as well as from...

Two stock brokers suspended.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) temporarily suspended on Tuesday the operations of two securities companies, PT Sekuritas Namalatu Ronesina and PT Intifikasa Securindo, due to alleged market manipulation. The two...

Computer snag may delay JFX trading.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): A problem in the installation of a computer system might cause a delay in the operation of the country's first commodities futures operator, the Jakarta Futures Exchange (JFX). JFX director Rico Menayang said here on Tuesday...

RI Uber Cup players not to lower standards: Manager.
May 17, 2000... KUALA LUMPUR (JP): Indonesian team manager Sumaryono urged shuttlers on Wednesday not to lower their standards in the semifinals against China in the Uber Cup Championships at the Putra Indoor Stadium. "Despite their good performance...

Mahaka SM loses out again in ABC Champions Cup.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Mahaka Satria Muda of Jakarta was forced to head home early after its loss to Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in a group B match in the ABC Champions Cup at Ghazir Club Court in Beirut, Lebanon. Despite the basketball team's...

KONI vows to get tough on athletes found using drugs.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) has spelled out its stance concerning athletes who are caught taking illegal drugs to enhance their performance. KONI's official in charge of organizational affairs, Putra Astaman, said...

JAPFA meets Bali Jeff in league final.
May 17, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): JAPFA chess team will face Bali Jeff on Wednesday in the final of the Indonesian Chess League 2000 at the Novotel, Surabaya. JAPFA, who hired Grand Master (GM) Alex Wojkiewicz of Poland and GM Darryl Johansen of Australia...

City Hall bans traders of pirated VCDs in Glodok.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The city administration announced on Monday that traders of pirated VCDs are prohibited to run their businesses at the area around the Glodok Harco building complex. "Street vendors are welcome to run their business as usual...

Palyja reopens Muara Karang branch office.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): French-based Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) water management company has had 10 of its 14 offices vandalized by members of the labor union of the city-owned tap water company PAM Jaya, but is ready to reopen its branch office in...

Declare your wealth!
May 16, 2000... On May 4 Kompas reported that Adi Andoyo Soecipto had been asked to head a joint anticorruption team. The writer and, perhaps, most people, are fed up with the establishment of various teams, agencies, commissions and the like, which the...

Six million Jews, officially.
May 16, 2000... In your article PKB tells Gus Dur to publicly declare his wealth (May 12, 2000) you quoted Mr. Nurcholish Madjid as follows:"Whatever the problem is, the legal approach should be the answer," he said, citing that many cases such as genocide...

Rupiah in uncertain times.
May 16, 2000... Bank Indonesia made the correct decision last week by not using any of the ammunition in its arsenal to shore up the rupiah, which dropped to a seven-month low of Rp 8,768 against the dollar on Friday morning before closing the week at Rp...

Sierra Leone: The end of UN peacekeeping?
May 16, 2000... LONDON (JP): "So far, we have had no offers," said chief United Nations spokesman Fred Eckhard last Tuesday of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's call for the major military powers to send experienced troops to bolster the crumbling UN...

A picture of education in fishing communities.
May 16, 2000... KENYAMUKAN, East Kalimantan (JP): Maskur, a first-grade student at Kenyamukan elementary school, stands barefoot in front of the class, clutching a Bahasa Indonesia text book. "Sa-ya, saya... sis-wa, siswa..." he reads out loud. In the...

Balancing Asian elephant conservation with human interests.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): It is difficult to imagine Asia without its elephants, for they are so much a part of its history, culture, religion, literature and mythology. The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is one of a handful of so called megaherbivores...

Minister slammed for forestry policy proposal.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): A former top government official criticized on Monday Minister of Forestry and Plantations Nur Mahmudi Ismail's plan to transfer control of the country's forests to state-owned forestry firm Perum Inhutani. Former director...

IBRA officialy unveils Ombudsman Commission.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) officially launched on Monday its Ombudsman Commission as part of the effort to ensure good corporate governance at the agency. The five-member commission, chaired by former...

Properties of closed down banks up for auction.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) will auction this month about 25 properties formerly owned by liquidated banks. The properties, worth about Rp 15 billion (about US$1.8 million), include shop-houses,...

Indonesia banking on agroindustry: Luhut.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The agroindustry sector, having shown its resilience during the economic crisis, will play a key role in Indonesia's economic development in the coming years, Minister of Industry and Trade Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said on...

Mining association upset over royalty increase.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Mining Association (IMA) expressed disappointment on Monday over the government's decision to raise the royalty rates imposed on mining companies, saying the policy would stave off foreign mining investment. ...

Indian motorbikes roar into Indonesian market.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Indian motorbike manufacturer Hero-Puch of the Hero Group introduced here on Monday the Motorilenia, officially entering the competition for the country's growing motorbike market. Setia Abednego, the president of PT KANCIL,...

Citibank's escrow service.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Citibank announced on Monday the launch of ExcrowPlus!, an integrated breadth of escrow services for companies and organizations in the process of restructuring, mergers and acquisitions or sale and purchase of assets. The...

Matari has new director.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Matari Advertising announced on Monday the appointment of Steve McNamara as its new executive creative director. The company said McNamara previously served as creative director for several agencies in California and also...

Philips opens phone outlets.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Philips Consumer Communications Indonesia announced on Monday the opening of the first authorized sales and repair centers for its mobile phone products at ITC Roxy Mas, the city's busiest cellular phone market. Vice...

Tourism board to hold expo.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): A national tourism exhibition called the Pesta Wisata Nusantara will be held at the Jakarta Convention Center here from May 18 to May 21 to promote domestic tourism. At least 104 local tourism-related companies such as...

Bapepam fines firms for violations.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Nine publicly listed companies have been fined a total of Rp 4.2 billion for breaching capital market regulations, the Capital Market Supervisory Agency (Bapepam) said here on Monday. Bapepam chairman Herwidayatmo said the...

Rates for tax payment, valid from May 15 to May 21.
May 16, 2000... U.S. dollar 1 Rp 7,990.00 Austrian schilling 1 521.02 Australian dollar 1 4,639.79 Belgian franc 1 177.72 Canadian dollar 1 5,354.15 Swiss franc 1 4,626.25 Deutschemark 1 3,667.32 Danish krone 1 956.79 ...

IBF set to experiment with shortened scoring system.
May 16, 2000... KUALA LUMPUR (JP): Badminton is to experiment with a seven-point scoring system instead of 15 in a best-of-five game match. International Badminton Federation (IBF) chief executive Neil Cameron said on Sunday the scoring system would be...

China changes lineup in hope of beating RI shuttlers.
May 16, 2000... KUALA LUMPUR (JP): China will change its line-up team to enable its men's shuttlers to upset defending champion Indonesia in the Thomas Cup championships' yellow group round-robin at the Putra Indoor Stadium on Tuesday. Head coach Li...

Mahaka SM loses in ABC Champions Cup.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's Mahaka Satria Muda (SM) club has failed to shine in the ABC Champions Cup at Ghazir Club Court in Beirut, Lebanon. The champion of the 1999 national basketball league was thrashed by Al Manama of Bahrain 64-93 in...

JAPFA leads chess league.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): JAPFA chess team leads group A of Indonesia Chess League 2000 at Novotel Hotel, Surabaya, after winning 3.5-0.5 against the Bali team in the fourth round and 4-0 against the South Sulawesi team in the fifth round on Monday....

Kurniawan faces sanction over alleged drug use.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) will sanction Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto from PSM Makassar soccer club on Friday after he failed to explain his alleged use of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) last month. The...

Febi, Hendri start well in Future tournament.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's young tennis hopes, Febi Widhiyanto and Hendri Susilo Pramono, got their overseas experience off to a good start by reaching the men's doubles semifinal in the US$15,000 Future tournament in Schwabisch Hall in...

Akbar wants govt to explain RI-GAM truce signing abroad.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Wariness slowly crept in on Monday as concerns grew that the government committed a diplomatic blunder in signing an accord that could confer international recognition to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). House of...

Bank Indonesia rules out rate hike to shore up ailing rupiah.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Bank Indonesia ruled out on Tuesday any plans to raise interest rates or engage in massive dollar-selling in an attempt to rescue the ailing rupiah. Bank Indonesia deputy governor Miranda S. Goeltom said such monetary...

Indonesia to face China, Korea vs Denmark in Uber Cup semis.
May 16, 2000... KUALA LUMPUR (JP): Indonesian girls will have to fight harder in their next match against China in the final four of the Uber Cup Championships at the Putra Indoor Stadium Wednesday. Another semifinals will see Denmark trying to become...

BPS to cut GDP forecast to 1.5%.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) said on Monday it would revise down this year's economic growth forecast to 1.5 percent from the initial target of 4 percent, due to continuing political instability. Speaking at a...

Yusril says he is ready for lawsuit.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Crescent Star Party chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra said he was prepared to face a lawsuit filed by a rival group of 16 former party executives over alleged money politics. "As a person who is committed to law enforcement, I...

Strict controls imposed on SIM applicants.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): In compliance with the nationwide campaign for the eradication of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN), the city police have instituted strict controls on obtaining or renewing driver's licenses since early this month. ...

Soeharto questioned again over alleged corruption.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): A team of state prosecutors questioned for a third time former president Soeharto here on Monday over alleged corruption during his 32 years in power. Soeharto was questioned for more than two hours at his residence in...

Party followers in internal dispute.
May 16, 2000... PURWAKARTA, West Java: A clash erupted here on Monday between members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), making the road linking Jakarta and Bandung impassable. A journalist from Pikiran Rakyat daily,...

Fresh batch of Laskar Jihad enters Ambon.
May 16, 2000... AMBON, Maluku (JP): Another 600 members of the Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah entered Ambon through Yos Sudarso Port in the early hours of Sunday, Pattimura Military Command Chief Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela said. The group was on board...

Azizah meets with local party leaders.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): Malaysian Justice Party chairwoman Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the wife of jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, met with several political party leaders here on Monday. Azizah said she met with Golkar Party chairman...

President hails DPA proposal on First Minister.
May 16, 2000... JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid welcomed on Monday a proposal from the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) to appoint a First Prime Minister in the cabinet to help manage the country. Council chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro said the...