Jakarta Post articles from May 2001

Jakarta Post archives from May 2001

MPR asked to hold special session.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of calling on the People's Consultative Assembly to hold a special session to request President Abdurrahman Wahid account for his administration's performance. The...

Three wounded in KPI office attack.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): An unidentified group of one hundred men attacked the office of the Indonesian Sailors' Union (KPI) at Jl Cikini 58, in the Menteng district of Central Jakarta early on Tuesday, injuring three employees. In addition to...

Abdurrahman supporters vow more chaos.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of impassioned supporters of President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid marched from the National Monument to the House of Representatives, recited prayers, broke down the gates and stormed into the compound. Coming...

Supreme Court submits legal opinion.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Court completed on Wednesday deliberations, as requested by the government, who had asked the court to rule the legality of a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly. However, Supreme Court...

Museums want autonomy to improve services.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The problems museums anywhere in the world face, including those in Jakarta, are budget constraints and small number of visitors. But officials say the problems can be solved if museums are given autonomy to manage their...

Red tape hurts investment image.
May 31, 2001... MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): This immigration horror story illustrates the bureaucratic tangle that threatens Indonesia's investment image. Reports have surfaced of the deportation in May of a British investor, David Eddy. He visited Bengkulu...

Fuji camera spare parts.
May 31, 2001... Some time ago I had my camera (Model DL-80 DATE) repaired at Fuji Image Plaza, Matraman Branch, which is supposed to be Fuji's biggest service center. The counter salesman took my camera with my approval after quoting me an estimated maximum...

SEAG training chief to question Pelti.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games training director, Kusnan Ismukanto, said on Wednesday he would ask the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) to explain why it had called up men's singles Peter Handoyo to join the Games...

Malaysia aims to win more than 67 golds at SEA Games.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Host country Malaysia is still hoping to win more than 67 gold medals at the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, despite deteriorating performances within some sports agencies lately. Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Datuk...

JakArt 2001 carnival rolls into town for a month.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A canopy of blue skies is stretched across the city for JakArt 2001, the first international carnival of the arts in the capital, to open on Thursday. For an entire month the city will be converted into a sprawling stage...

Aboriginal dancers find a new stage.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Arriving in Jakarta this week wide-eyed on their first trip outside Australia were young members of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance group who will feature at JakArt 2001. Looking out over the lush rice fields...

The first Chinese School in Denpasar, open to all children.
May 31, 2001... DENPASAR (JP): Qi li (Stand up), chingle (give respect). The shrill voices of children of between two-and-a-half to four years of age were heard saying in unison, Lao shi zao (Good morning, teacher). Tong xue men zao (Good morning, pupils),...

G-15 businesses call for use of local currencies.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Private sector representatives from members of the Group of 15 (G-15) developing nations have urged their governments to promote the use of local currencies intra G-15 trading, an Indonesian delegate said on Wednesday. ...

Fuel prices for industry up 12%.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP) State oil and gas company Pertamina announced on Wednesday an average of 12 percent increase in fuel prices for industrial users in June. Pertamina said in a statement that the price of automotive diesel oil for industrial...

Semen Gresik's profit up.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed cement company PT Semen Gresik booked a 14 percent increase in net profit to Rp 121.6 billion (US$11 million) during the first quarter of the year, up from Rp 106.6 billion in the same period last year. The...

Stock quotations on JSX.
May 31, 2001... Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on May 30, 2001: Shares Close Change Trading Volume Ades Alfindo 1,675 -25 468,000 Adindo Foresta 120 5 162,000 AGIS 140 -5 1,819,000 Alakasa 125 0 0 Alfa...

PLN and Paiton close to reaching long-term accord.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): State-owned electricity company PT PLN and independent power producer (IPP) PT Paiton Energy are close to reaching a long-term agreement that would close the book on one of PLN's toughest deal. Paiton president Robert P....

Govt uncertain over Paris Club debt rescheduling.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government is still uncertain as to whether it will be able to obtain a vital rescheduling facility from the Paris Club of creditor nations of some US$2.7 billion in sovereign debt maturing this year given its continuing...

Cigna expects bullish demand in local insurance market.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Insurance firm PT Asuransi Cigna, formerly known as PT Asuransi Niaga Cigna Life, expects a significant increase in its life assurance business this year despite the bleak outlook for the country's economy. Company finance...

India, S. Korea, Taiwan and Saudi suspected of dumping.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Synthetic Fiber Makers Association (APSyFI) said it had found indications of fiber dumping practices by several countries including India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia, a senior executive said on...

Garuda Indonesia says it will maintain domestic fares.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will maintain its domestic fares although several other local airlines have announced higher fares. "It is not timely to raise the domestic fares at present when the buying power of...

North Sulawesi tries to lure U.S. investors.
May 31, 2001... WASHINGTON (JP): Officials from North Sulawesi held an investment forum here on Tuesday to lure American investors to invest in the natural resources-rich province. Mayor of Manado Wempie Fredrick said that the North Sulawesi offered...

Govt to appoint auditor to review Guthrie deal.
May 31, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The government said on Wednesday it would appoint an independent auditor to review the controversial US$350 million deal to sell oil palm plantations to Malaysia's Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd. Finance minister Prijadi...

House set to call for special session.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Barring last minute backroom deals, the House of Representatives, in its plenary session on Wednesday, looks set to call for a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly, which could spell the end of the Abdurrahman...

Telkom, Siemens launch fast internet access service.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The country's internet users now have another option for faster Internet access following the official launch on Tuesday of a broadband service by state telecommunication company PT Telkom in cooperation with the Indonesian...

TNI claims to have shot GAM commander.
May 29, 2001... BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): The Indonesian Military (TNI) claimed on Tuesday to have shot dead the operations commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), Ayah Muni, and four other rebels during a fierce gunfight in Cot Keueng, Kota Baro district in...

S'porean escapes from Bali jail.
May 29, 2001... DENPASAR, Bali: Bali Police chief Brig. Gen. I Wayan Ardjana blamed two police officers on Tuesday for the escape of a detained Singaporean national from the Denpasar District Court holding cells. "How could they (the police officers)...

Many state officials say they have reported debts.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Many state officials claim that they are suffering from debts, the Civil Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) revealed in its latest report on Tuesday. House of Representatives legislator Imam Churmen claimed that he...

Rival E. Timor groups reconcile in Kupang.
May 29, 2001... KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara (JP): Former East Timorese warring groups -- the proindependence National Council for East Timor Resistance (CNRT) and the Prointegration Fighters (PPI) -- met here on Tuesday, admitted their past mistakes and...

Two million suffer from epilepsy.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A doctor said on Tuesday that between 1.5 million to two million people in Indonesia suffered from epilepsy. Dede Gunawan, head of the neurology department of the Hasan Sadikin Hospital in the West Java capital of Bandung,...

Akbar and 37 legislators demand police protection.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung and 37 other legislators have requested protection from city police in anticipation of worsening security in the capital. City police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Yacob said...

Emergency threat still possible: Akbar Tanjung.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung warned on Tuesday that President Abdurrahman Wahid may still carry out his threat of imposing a state of emergency, despite the plan even attracting strong opposition from his own...

Court annuls rector's suspension decision.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Administrative Court annulled on Tuesday a decision made by the rector of the University of Indonesia on the suspension of six student activists. The three-member panel of judges, presided over by Sudarto...

Police lack funds to secure Jakarta.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The police need Rp 3 billion (US$272,000) a month to secure the capital when there are special events that require extra security measures, such as the House of Representatives' plenary session or the G-15 summit, an officer...

Two killed as taxi sinks.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A taxi driver and his passenger were killed when their taxi plunged into the Marunda fishing port in Cilincing subdistrict, North Jakarta, early on Tuesday. Tanjung Priok Port police identified the victims as Agus Buang, 34,...

Protesters threaten to storm House building.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of supporters of President Abdurrahman Wahid threatened on Tuesday to storm the House of Representatives (DPR) building should the House decide, at its plenary session on Wednesday, to call for a special session of the...

Dangerous drugs get the okay.
May 29, 2001... Living in the city of Jakarta amid centers of entertainment, one gets acquainted with the circles of people who venture out at night. Of course you cannot help avoid meeting those that indulge in the illegal pleasures of life, like...

Telephone voucher.
May 29, 2001... I bought a Mentari telephone voucher for Rp 110,000 at the Bank Central Asia (BCA) ATM in Wisma Argo Manunggal, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jakarta, on March 20, 2001. The above amount was debited to my BCA account on that date, but since I could...

Indonesia's unresolved war crimes.
May 29, 2001... AMSTERDAM (JP): As the political bickering has dragged on for months in Jakarta, one of the "victims", no doubt, is the issue of war crimes, which has been relegated to the background, in danger of forever remaining unresolved. Meanwhile...

Futsal coaching attracts 100.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): About 100 coaches and referees attended the futsal coaching clinic, which was jointly held by the futsal team of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and McDonald's Indonesia at Padjadjaran sports hall in Bandung from...

Delicious Thai food away from the action at Jittlada.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Jl. Sultan Agung runs through the "no-man's land" of small shops and nondescript business premises that exists along the northern boundary of South Jakarta, linking Manggarai and Setiabudi districts. It lies just outside...

Famous names on the menu at the Star Deli.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Don't you sometimes dream of having a slab of steaming hot Ricky Martin while gabbing with your gal mates? Now your dream can come true, sort of, at Star Deli, located at Jl. Kemang Selatan Raya No. 5. The huge and sloppy...

Elegy for Surabaya in collaborative dances.
May 29, 2001... years ago,/ with tears and blood/ they defend you/ and they succeed tonight/ under the stars/ with heart and soul/ we are dancing and wishing/ for a better Surabaya SURABAYA (JP): For choreographer Linda Josephine, Surabaya is a...

Value of mushroom exports up.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The value of country's mushroom exports rose by 17 percent to US$34.88 million last year from $29.72 million the previous year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Sumarno, the director general of horticultural...

Stock quotations on JSX.
May 29, 2001... Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on May 29, 2001: Shares Close Change Trading Volume Ades Alfindo 1,700 25 1,765,500 Adindo Foresta 115 0 62,000 AGIS 145 10 4,133,500 Alakasa 125 0 0 Alfa...

Pamapersda to go public.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Pamapersda Nusantara, a subsidiary of publicly listed PT United Tractors (UT), will launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in July to finance its expansion program and repay debts. Pamapersda's parent company, UT, said in a...

Eight foreign mining firms due for divestment this year.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Eight foreign mining firms must divest shares this year as part of their contractual obligation to relinquish ownership to local investors. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Tuesday the...

Japan LNG buyers want $100m price cut in contracts.
May 29, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Japanese buyers of Indonesian liquefied natural gas (LNG) have asked state oil and gas company Pertamina to slash their contracted LNG prices by US$100 million a year, a Pertamina executive said on Tuesday. Pertamina...

Top security alert imposed, violence flares up in E. Java.
May 28, 2001... SURABAYA, East Java (JP): As police called for a top security alert throughout the country amid the heightened tension between members of the political elite, riots hit several towns of East Java province on Monday when thousands of...

Order issued to restore security.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid issued on Monday an executive order instructing his top security minister to take steps to prevent disorder brought about by the frenzied political climate. The abrupt move, however, stopped short...

Political foes dismiss executive order.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Senior political figures outside President Abdurrahman Wahid's camp dismissed the newly issued executive order, describing it as a mere "announcement" with little statutory weight. Most brushed aside the executive order as...

President's executive order has no legal footing: Experts.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The old order changes, yielding place to new, but an executive order by President Abdurrahman Wahid does not and will not change the situation in the country as it has no legal footing. Legal experts view the executive order...

House endorses law on 12 new mayoralties.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives passed into law on Monday a bill on the development of 12 mayoralties in eight provinces. The law on the 12 new mayoralties was endorsed during a plenary session presided by deputy House Speaker...

Government launches website for the blind.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A website for the blind was launched on Monday in a bid to create an opportunity for the blind to explore and share knowledge with fellow blind people. State Minister of Research and Technology Muh. A.S. Hikam, said the...

Factions reject new council structure.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Almost all party factions urged the city administration on Monday to review its proposed bylaw on a new city organizational structure with particular attention to the command line between the governor and his subordinates. ...

Bung Karno memorial plaza in Senayan.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Joining the rush to reclaim Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, the Senayan Sports Complex management plans to build the Bung Karno Memorial Plaza in the sports complex. The memorial plaza will be built at the complex's...

Laborers threaten to strike.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of laborers staged a rally that stretched from the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration to the Hotel Indonesia roundabout on Monday, demanding better wages and severance payments. Grouped under the Indonesian...

Fan sent to hospital after clash.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): One of 25 soccer supporters from Semarang, Central Java, rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) after local residents attacked them at Manggarai railway station in South Jakarta on Sunday evening, died on Monday....

City police not equipped to handle major rioting.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Yacob said on Monday that the police would not be able to handle a situation like the May 1998 riots and have therefore deployed maximum security personnel in the capital to prevent such an...

Non-executable order.
May 28, 2001... The new executive order issued by President Abdurrahman Wahid, empowering his most senior political minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take whatever measures are necessary to restore security, law and order, contains one major flaw, making...

A feasible solution.
May 28, 2001... As the political tension in Indonesia escalates and the plenary session of the House of Representatives (DPR) is around the corner, as an ordinary citizen I would like to suggest the following: * Mr. Akbar Tandjung should resign as DPR's...

Leaders abuse religion for gain.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Islamic movements in Indonesia's era of transition are marked by their declining sociocultural roles and an increase in their political orientation. The euphoria of reform has seduced them to compete for political power by...

A double-barreled economic solution and its hair trigger.
May 28, 2001... Things are so bad that it seems they couldn't get worse. Economist Mohamad Chatib Basri asks, can the government seize on the remaining opportunities? The following are excerpts of an interview with The Jakarta Post's contributor Dewi...

England fields second-best team against Denmark.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Underdog England, aiming to stay in Division 1 of the Sudirman Cup mixed team championship, will field its second-best team in its opening match against the 1999 runner up Denmark on Monday. England's doubles coach Rexy...

How much longer can beeper operators go?
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The recent breakthrough of three local GSM operators in introducing a joint SMS service have undoubtedly boosted message sending via cellular phones in the country. But one party is left behind: radio paging operators. ...

Stock quotations on JSX.
May 28, 2001... Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on May 28, 2001: Shares Close Change Trading Volume Ades Alfindo 1,675 -200 3,820,500 Adindo Foresta 115 0 51,500 AGIS 135 0 303,500 Alakasa 125 0 0 Alfa...

Independent body needed to spur IT investment: IFC.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The International Finance Corporation, the World Bank's financial arm for the private sector, has suggested that Indonesia speed up the establishment of an independent telecommunication regulator in a bid to encourage foreign...

New leader will still face complex challenges: Mari.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's prospective new leader would still have to deal with the complex challenges of economic recovery and political stability, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) economist Mari Pangestu warned on...

Graft watchdog urges govt not to pay OPIC claim.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): An independent corruption watchdog urged the government on Monday not to pay a US$260 million-worth insurance claim by the United States owned Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), as the claim was linked to a power...

JORR tender winner unveiled in August.
May 28, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The tender process to find new strategic investors for the 56.87 kilometer Jakarta Outer Ring Road (JORR) project is expected to be finalized by late August, a senior executive said on Monday. Abdul Hadi Hasbullah,...

Publishing industry fight for survival.
May 27, 2001... The devastating economic crisis, combined with hefty taxation and a lack of interest in reading, continues to batter the publishing industry. In conjunction with National Book Month, which falls every May, The Jakarta Post's Rita A....

Gus Dur and Megawati engage in war of words.
May 27, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri disclosed on Saturday that President Abdurrahman Wahid had planned to impose a state of emergency and order the arrest of several people on Saturday if the House of Representatives continued...

Thank God, it's (not) Friday.
May 27, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): "I was born this way. What's your excuse?" said the T- shirt worn by Kevin, an engineering consultant working for a major oil company. With a pair of faded blue jeans and sneakers, he looked like a tourist who had just returned...

House factions turn down President's proposal.
May 27, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A last-ditch move to reach a compromise between squabbling members of the political elite has failed as major factions at the House of Representatives turned down on Saturday President Abdurrahman Wahid's proposal to transfer...

'Leftist' publishers serve the curious.
May 27, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): A visitor to Kalam bookstore in the Utan Kayu area of East Jakarta was amazed by the number of new books of good taste flooding the store every week. The Utan Kayu bookstore is famous for selling books with a perceived...

The big show draws near.
May 27, 2001... As the big day of May 30 approaches, political suspense has been on the increase as to whether or not the House of Representatives will reject the presidential accountability speech following memorandum I and memorandum II and decide to go...

Guruh wins Montblanc achievement award.
May 27, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Despite being tongue-tied, Guruh Irianto Soekarnoputra beamed with elation after accepting the Montblanc Achievement Award 2001 in a lavish ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Jakarta, on Wednesday. "I asked myself, why me?"...

Playwright Nano can make fun of Gus Dur, too.
May 27, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): "Play as cheerfully and as well as possible, not only for Gus Dur, but for every ticketholder" said N. Riantiarno. At that time, all members of Teater Koma were sitting in a circle seriously lending their ears to the briefing of...

Asboth records the story of a unique artist.
May 27, 2001... Teguh Ostenrik, Transcending Time; Published and distributed by Galeri Teguh, 2000; Barbara Asboth; 250pp JAKARTA (JP): When Barbara Asboth first met Teguh Ostenrik here in 1996, both his work and life seemed to resemble a necklace that...

Contemporary batik collaborations: Mountain meets ocean.
May 27, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): On June 1, a unique exhibition opens at the National Gallery. Not only are the art works which will be hanging there unusually long; their textures and consistencies are dramatically different from what is usually encountered in...

Don't judge a bookstore by its cover.
May 27, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): The romantic comedy You've Got Mail portrays how a giant bookstore chain puts an independent, small bookstore out of business. People like to spend time in a bookstore that also offers coffee, Internet connections and other...

Info campaigns fail to curb Hepatitis B.
May 27, 2001... JAKARTA (JP): Despite information campaigns against the hepatitis B virus by various organizations, many people are unaware about this fatal disease. Uninformed poor people remain in an unhealthy lifestyle and environment, allowing the virus...

The lure of studying abroad.
May 27, 2001... As in past years, Jakarta and other big cities have been flooded with advertisements and exhibitions about overseas universities with a clear market target: Indonesians fresh out of high school. The following reports, including those on Page...

Australia, popular among Indonesian students.
May 27, 2001... CANBERRA (JP): Heavy rain poured down in Sydney one afternoon two weeks ago. Suharto, an Indonesian university student, took shelter in front of a supermarket after his regular shopping stint, waiting for the rain to stop. Suddenly,...