Jakarta Post articles from May 2012

Jakarta Post archives from May 2012

Debates loom over maestros.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta To display the work of a great master in one's living room is the ultimate sign of prestige after the long, hard climb up the social ladder -- quite apart of course from a genuine love for art....

Teacher dead, German tourist hurt in Papua shootings.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura The violence in Indonesia's easternmost province appears to be spiralling out of control after an Indonesian and a foreigner were shot by unknown assailants in separate incidents on...

Yudhoyono announces steps to reign in fuel consumption.
May 30, 2012... President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono unveiled on Tuesday the government's five-pronged approach to cutting fuel subsidies and controlling energy consumption by adopting a digital surveillance system to record the daily fuel consumption of all...

Politics, lawsuits jeopardize Corby's clemency.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Critics of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono have promised to take action in the House and the courts to overturn his decision to grant clemency to Australian drug convict Schapelle Corby. Politicians, experts...

SBY asks ANZ to consider cattle industry.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono met with executives from ANZ on Tuesday and made a very specific request: for the Australian banking giant to make cattle farming one of its focuses in...

Shipowners allege paying Rp 5.5t in illegal 'security fees'.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Shipping companies paid Rp 5.5 trillion (US$588.5 million) last year in allegedly illegal levies imposed by officials from a host of state security and law-enforcement agencies, the Indonesian Shipowners'...

Govt set to start ambitious electric car project next year.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Linda Yulisman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government may appoint state-owned companies including PT Pindad and train manufacturer PT Industri Kereta Api (Inka) to take charge of the ambitious electric car project set to begin next...

Land acquisition law will also cover old projects: Govt.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government has finally agreed that the newly approved Land Acquisition Law will also cover infrastructure projects that were started before the issuance of the law. National Land...

JK opposes single time zone for nation.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: Chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Jusuf Kalla said that a single time zone for the entire country would cause severe disruptions to the lives of ordinary Indonesians. "A single time zone means...

KPK to disclose new findings on Century.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says it will reveal new developments in its preliminary investigation into the Bank Century bailout scandal before the House of Representatives' monitoring team...

Six years on, activists remember East Java's mudflow.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta To mark the sixth anniversary of East Java's mudflow disaster, activists rallied outside properties owned by Aburizal "Ical" Bakrie on Tuesday, demonstrating against the man that they allege...

'Flirtatious' migrant workers to blame for abuse: Govt task force.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Rabby Pramudatama, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A senior government official tasked with saving migrant workers who are on death row abroad made the shocking allegation that some of the workers, especially females, were to blame for...

Hambalang project shrouded in secrecy.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Bogor, West Java A green field lies in a village located in the hills near Citeureup district in Bogor, West Java. The air is fresh and the roads are deserted. The village is called Hambalang. It used to be...

Semarang councillor gets prison; graft claims for Morowali regent.
May 30, 2012... Semarang City Council member Sumartono was sentenced to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment on Tuesday for corruption worth Rp 40 million (US$4,280). The Corruption Court in Semarang, Central Java, also ordered Sumartono to pay Rp 50 million...

Grieving father hopes stepson's soccer death is last.
May 30, 2012... Teguh Rianto, 56, sat on the porch of his house in Pasirleutik hamlet in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday, waiting for the body of his stepson. The porch was to be the final place for Rangga Cipta Nugraha, 22, who was found dead along with...

Sugar mill stops operation due to protests.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Oyos Saroso H.N, The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung Rallies over the last week by residents demanding land-use compensation have forced a sugar mill to stop its operations. The debacle at the Cinta Manis sugar mill, operated by...

Journalists attacked in Morowali.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, PALU: Two journalists sustained bruising after reportedly being beaten by a group of people at a gas station in Morowali, Central Sulawesi, on Tuesday. The journalists were identified as Reni Sri Ayu of Kompas...

Hundreds of illegal drugs seized.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, MATARAM: The Mataram branch of the National Drug and Food Monitoring Agency (BPOM) seized 126 items of illegally imported pharmaceutical sexual-performance enhancers on Tuesday during a raid in West Nusa Tenggara. ...

Esemka sent for further emissions tests.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Kusumasari Ayuningtyas, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta After failing its initial emissions tests, a prototype of locally assembled car, the Esemka, has been sent to the Propulsion and Motor Thermodynamics Center (BTMP) in Serpong,...

Editorial : Blocking DBS-Danamon merger.(Editorial)
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Bankers are now nervously awaiting the introduction of new regulations by Bank Indonesia (BI) on the structure and nationality of bank ownership and a licensing system to see how they will be phased in without...

Editorial : Geopolitics vs humanitarianism.(Editorial)
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, n normal times, any conflict that leads to the death of 90 civilians, including 32 children, would have prompted the UN Security Council to act swiftly, impose a cease-fire and demand those responsible to account for...

Government's exit strategies for failing energy subsidies.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Maxensius Tri Sambodo, Tokyo By the end of May, the government will announce an energy conservation regulation. Due to hassles in the political process to increase subsidized-fuel prices, the government will design a policy that aims...

Enabling trade in a changing world.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Robert Lawrence and Margareta Drzeniek, Bangkok Global trading patterns have become increasingly intertwined. So too has global prosperity. Rather than products or services simply originating in one country and being sold in another,...

View Point : Gaga's 'gado-gado': When blasphemy is best.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Julia Suryakusuma, Jakarta There are many words in the Indonesian language that start with "gaga", such as gagas (to initiate); gagap (to stutter); gagau (to grope around in the dark); gagah (strong, sharp, as in "looking sharp";...

Letter : First Lady's candidacy.
May 30, 2012... Your comments on statements made by politicians from the Democratic Party hinting that the party will nominate First Lady Ani Yudhoyono as its presidential candidate for the 2014 election: I made two bad votes in 2004 and 2009. I will not...

Comment : RI 'free from street children' by 2014.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, May 24, p. 5, , Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri has expressed confidence that Indonesia would be free of street children by 2014. He said that efforts had been intensifying over street children in...

Comment : Islamic fundamentalism and democracy.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, May 25, p. 6 Amid the hyped resistance of Muslim hard-liners to a planned concert of American singer Lady Gaga in Jakarta, there is reason to hope that ultimately the democratic process will offer a way for...

Comment : Battle against AIDS.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, May 27, p. 1 Globally, new HIV infections continue to fall and more people than ever are starting treatment. With research providing solid evidence that antiretroviral therapy can prevent new HIV infections,...

Insight : Art, profit, authenticity and museums.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Amir Sidharta, Jakarta What happens if a museum, a beacon of knowledge of art and art history, features forgeries or even dubious works of art and glorifies them as the best examples of Indonesian art? In recent years, the price of...

Independent specialists needed to combat forgery.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Collecting highly valued works of art is regarded as an investment apart from a personal interest. The question of authenticity is an age-old problem, with allegations of widespread forgery of the work of masters...

The style is not Father's: Sudjojono's son.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Tedjabayu, the oldest son of Indonesia's maestro painter S. Sudjojono, says he is not an art expert, and seeks answers to the case of three paintings claimed to be the work of his father in the Oei Hong Djien (OHD)...

Jakarta voters advised to view survey findings with skepticism.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Luthfi Rakhmawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Jakartans have been warned to view surveys on the upcoming gubernatorial elections with a grain of salt as many pollsters had taken erroneous statistical approaches in their research,...

Jakarta ready to issue bond: Pefindo.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Andreas D. Arditya, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Credit rating agency PT Pemeringkat Efek Indonesia (Pefindo) has given a credit rating of idAA+ to , Jakarta, citing the capital's robust economic growth and budgetary performance. ...

Bus station, mall raided for smokers.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Commemorating World No-Tobacco Day, which falls on May 31, the Jakarta Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD DKI) raided Blok M bus station and Blok M Square shopping center in South Jakarta on Tuesday...

Mini-theaters become alternative venues for moviegoers.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Couch-potato heaven: Subtitles, a mini-theater in the Dharmawangsa City Walk shopping center in South Jakarta, offers movie lovers rooms equipped with a big LCD screen, a comfortable couch and thousands of...

Police to probe drug smuggling at port.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: The police say that officers will question customs officers at Tanjung Priok Port on attempts to smuggle 351 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 2 kilograms of ephedrine worth Rp 702 billion (US$75.1...

Bekasi feeder bus service halted, again.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: The Bekasi City administration has again halted Transjakarta feeder-bus service between the Pulo Gadung and Bekasi terminals, citing a lack of passengers, tempo.co reported on Tuesday. Rayendra...

4,000 cows readied for national holidays.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: City-owned slaughterhouse PD Dharma Jaya says it will import 4,000 cows to meet increased local demand for meat during the Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year holidays. The company's president director,...

Youth get political after Gaga furor.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Sixteen-year-old Tamara Ramli says that she has heard news about local politics, but it was the hullabaloo over Lady Gaga that sparked her opinion. "The brouhaha gives you an idea about how our law enforcers...

Tokyo gov defends move to buy disputed isles.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAPAN: Tokyo's outspoken governor is defending his move to buy a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea to keep the Japanese-controlled islands from Chinese attempts to seize them. Addressing journalists...

A 'smashing' time for upcoming Djarum Indonesia Open 2012.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Legends of the badminton court teamed up with celebrities for the entertaining Celebrity Smash event, with members of the public invited to have a good-natured hit with their heroes at Gandaria City Mall. Among...

Batavia Air airplanes to be repossessed.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Domestic carrier Batavia Air is struggling to pay back overdue for leased planes and will soon return two of its airplanes upon the lessor's request, the Transportation Ministry has revealed. The...

PGN sets sights on acquisition of four gas blocks.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, State-owned gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) is in the due diligence process of its plan to acquire several gas blocks in the country and overseas, a top executive says. "In the pipeline, there are...

Indosat to pocket up to Rp 2.5 trillion from bond offering.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Mariel Grazella, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Meet the press: (From left to right) Indosat director and chief commercial officer Erik Meijer, Indosat president director and CEO Harry Sasongko and Indosat chief financial officer Stefan...

BNP Paribas targets managing Rp 33t this year.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: Leading local investment manager BNP Paribas Investment Partners says it expects its assets under management (AUM) to top Rp 33 trillion (US$3.04 billion) by year end, up 15 percent from last year. "As of...

Pulp and paper exports to pick up on Asian demand.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Linda Yulisman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Indonesian pulp and paper business expects exports to pick up despite the worldwide economic downturn, driven by strong demand from Asian markets, an industry association says. Newly...

Kadin calls for govt support to develop green business.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) says it wants greater support from the government to develop pro-environmental "green" business practices in Indonesia. Kadin vice chairwoman for...

Top RI women coaches gain int'l accreditation.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: The Australian Embassy and the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) joined forces on Tuesday to present an Australian strength-and-conditioning coaching course to Indonesian women coaches. In the latest...

SM BritAma gives a try in qualifier for FIBA's Cup slot.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Indonesia's eight-time national champion Satria Muda BritAma is preparing for its SEABA qualifier game on July 3 to 7 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in order to get a slot at the higher FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Tokyo in...

PBSI welcomes criticism, suggestions from local legends.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Niken Prathivi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) welcomes all the criticism and suggestions offered by local badminton legends to fix the state of the sport in Indonesia, a top official says. ...

Dancing at the Mangkunegara.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Ganug Nugroho Adi, Contributor, SURAKARTA,CENTRAL JAVA Young voices: Children from Soeryo Soemirat perform Beksan Panembromo in the hall of the Mangkunegara Palace in Surakarta.The gamelan in a corner of the palace hall was playing...

Sizing up approaches to achieve energy security.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Gathering at the three-day 36th Indonesian Petroleum Association Convention and Exhibition here last week with the theme "working together to meet Indonesia's energy needs", top oil executives, energy...

Oil and gas firms optimistic about increased investment.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Simon Panggabean, Contributor, Jakarta The oil and gas industry is optimistic about the future of reform in the Indonesian energy sector through using comprehensive dialogue to tackle investment challenges. This approach is expected...

What they say.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, The 36th IPA Convention and Exhibition, held in Jakarta from May 23 - 25, has ended. Participants and visitors, including students, commented on the holding of the event. Yanto Sianipar, Vice President, Policy,...

CSR products on show at empowerment center.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, The 36th IPA featured an Empowerment Center to showcase products made by communities fostered under their CSR programs. As many companies work in the offshore sector, the communities they assist are also often...

From head to toe at ConocoPhilips.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, ConocoPhilips offered free face sketches and foot massage to attract visitors to its booth. The free sketch service was available on Wednesday and Thursday, while the foot massage was available every day during the...

Eye on the industry in photo exhibition.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, A picture is worth a thousand words, so the saying goes, and since the oil and gas industry is such a complex industry, a photo exhibition could very well tell the story. For the first time, the industry...

Acehnese treats on menu at Medco Energi.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Each booth offered snacks and coffee for visitors. Medco Energi served up a unique treat with Acehnese snacks and coffee, complete with the attraction of kopi tarik-teh tarik (aerated coffee and tea that is...

Prisia wears kebaya-style dress to Cannes.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: A picture of actress Prisia Nasution wearing an Indonesian-style dress to the Cannes film festival has been uploaded to the microblogging site Twitter. The photo, uploaded by the account @ottoharijanto,...

Jupe supporting nabbed father.
May 30, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: Singer Julia Perez, or Jupe, says she is supporting her father, who was recently arrested by the police in a drug-related matter. "I have to give support. I can't say much, I want to find out the truth,"...

Citra Pratiwi : An intuitive artist.
May 30, 2012... Byline: Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Intuition has been indispensable in the work of Yogyakarta-based artist and theater director Citra Pratiwi. Since the beginning of her career, Citra has relied on intuition to guide and...

Lapindo: Long-term taxpayer burden.
May 29, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta These days Niscahul Munir can only reminisce about the bountiful days of the past, when the water was clear and he could return home with a full catch of fish. Now, the waters of the Madura Strait are...

SBY proposes friend as envoy to Malaysia.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The President's military and family friends top the list of candidates given to the House of Representatives to consider as Indonesia's next ambassadors to 20 nations. Former Air Force...

Govt caves in to coal blackmail.
May 29, 2012... Jero Wacik: Energy and Mineral Resources Minister (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)Governors in Kalimantan have shown their enormous power after the government caved in to their demand to supply more fuel following a massive blockade of a major coal...

Jakarta to develop 'ASEAN diplomatic zone'.
May 29, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Jakarta administration says it will develop Kebayoran Baru in South Jakarta into a long-awaited special zone for diplomatic affairs to support ambassadors to the ASEAN in the capital. "So far, the...

Out-of-towner Jokowi gaining in popularity.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Lutfi Rakhmawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta It was not until March that the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party nominated Surakarta Mayor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as their...

Yudhoyono commissions Indonesian electric cars.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Linda Yulisman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration has a reputation for coming up with novel ideas on technology and the environment. Some of the ideas, such as the Coral Triangle Initiative and...

Turkish electronic companies eye RI.
May 29, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta A large delegation from the Turkish Electro Technology Exporters' Association (TET) met with business leaders from the Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) here on Monday to explore business...

Domestic industries maintain growth.
May 29, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Indonesia's manufacturing industry continued to grow in the first quarter, as robust domestic consumption countered the adverse impact from slowing global demand, the Industry Ministry reports. The nation's...

Semarang mayor to be tried in Jakarta.
May 29, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: The Supreme Court has granted a request from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to try Semarang's suspended mayor Soemarmo Hadi Saputro in the Jakarta Corruption Court instead of in Semarang. The...

Patek 'only an accomplice': Lawyer.
May 29, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA: A lawyer for the alleged Bali bombing mastermind Umar Patek denied that his client had been involved in planning the Bali bombings, saying that Patek was there only to provide assistance. "He didn't plan...

Smoking reverses 'demographic gain'.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Elly Burhaini Faizal, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Without a concerted effort to control cigarette consumption, Indonesia will likely fail to achieve the so-called "demographic dividend" which is expected to materialize between 2020 and...

Blame Game Starts in Sukhoi Crash, as Firms Shirk Responsibility
May 29, 2012... Byline: Margareth S. Aritonang, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Private companies involved in the demonstration flight for the ill-fated Sukhoi Superjet 100 that crashed in Mt. Salak revealed that a number of irregularities had plagued the program...

BNN foils attempt to smuggle 1.4m ecstasy pills.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has announced that a joint operation has foiled an attempt to smuggle more than 1.4 million of ecstasy pills from China to Indonesia in a shipping...

Mamberamo Raya strives to conserve forested lands.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura The Mamberamo Raya regency administration in Papua plans to develop the region and gain income without damaging the environment. "The regency administration can earn an income without...

Endangered dugongs in Balikpapan gulf face extinction.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Nurni Sulaiman, The Jakarta Post, Balikpapan The endangered dugong (Dugong dugon), or seacow, which is found in the Balikpapan Gulf, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, is at risk of extinction as its numbers have continued to decrease due to...

Six regencies in Lampung to form new province.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandar lampung Six regencies in Lampung have announced plans to form a new province, despite the government's moratorium on the creation of new regions. The regencies - North Lampung, West...

N. Maluku cancels school due to ash-filled air.
May 29, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, North halmahera: Officials in North Halmahera regency in North Maluku were forced to cancel all school activities across three districts -- Tobelo, South Tobelo and North Tobelo -- following an eruption of Mt. Dukono...

17 cops arrested for drugs in N. Sumatra.
May 29, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, MEDAN: North Sumatra Police have arrested 17 police personnel suspected to have been involved in illegal drug cases between January and May. The latest arrest was that of Chief Brig. Adi, a member of the North...

Five foreigners detained for cocaine.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Peni Widarti, The Jakarta Post/Bali Daily, Denpasar The Bali Police have detained four foreign nationals, allegedly members of an international drug syndicate, following the arrest of a British woman by customs and excise officers at...

Plan to cut subsidized fuel in Batam may trigger upheaval.
May 29, 2012... Byline: Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam The government's plan to reduce the subsidized fuel quota for Batam in Riau Islands by 30 percent by the end of this year is feared to trigger social upheaval in the province. "Currently we are facing...

Not just the Gaga saga.
May 29, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Security has a price, as the cancellation of Lady Gaga's concert in Jakarta has demonstrated, but at the expense of the National Police as the institution responsible for the job. Yet again on another occasion the...

Reformed Islam: Between hatred and critical thinking.
May 29, 2012... Byline: M. Syafiâ Are Indonesian Muslims committed to a reformed Islam? This question arose during an informal discussion among Indonesian post-graduate students at Harvard's Science Center cafe recently. It was not easy to...

Extremists win the Lady Gaga saga.
May 28, 2012... Byline: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Flash mob: , JP/Nurhayati, Fans of American pop star Lady Gaga perform in a flash mob event in Jakarta on Sunday. The Lady Gaga concert in Jakarta was canceled after weeks of controversy created by religious...