Prosecutors seek death for cocaine smugglers

Saturday, November 08, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Prosecutors at the Tangerang District Court sought the death sentence for three foreigners convicted of smuggling cocaine into the country through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in February.

Prosecutors Teuku Rahman and Haryadi said in a hearing Thursday evening the defendants, a Thai woman, Thitirat Charoensuk, 24, and two British men, Michael Anthony Guevara, 34, and John Patrick Patton, 52, were proven guilty of smuggling the drugs.

The prosecutors said the defendants violated Article 82 of the 1997 Drug Law. The article carries a maximum penalty of execution.

"The defendants intentionally smuggled 515 grams of cocaine into the country," Teuku Rahman told the panel of judges presided over by Haryono, with two other members Barmen Sinurat and Arthur Hangewa.

He said Guevara and Patton were the owners of the cocaine, and had asked the Thai woman to take the drugs to Indonesia.

The defendants were shocked to hear the penalty demand. Charoensuk fainted.

The defendants were arrested soon after their arrival at the airport on Feb. 20. Customs and excise officers became suspicious after Charoensuk appeared to be nervous at the customs check point.

After being examined, officers found drugs estimated to be worth Rp 2 billion (US$181,000) hidden in a bag she was carrying.

An interrogation led officers to arrest Michael Anthony and his Thai girlfriend Naksri, who flew from Thailand to Jakarta on the same flight.

"Naksri was released later because she was not involved in the smuggling attempt," Eko Darmanto, chief of intelligence at the Customs office, said Friday.

The police subsequently learned of the alleged receiver's address and arrested John Patrick Patton in Cilandak, South Jakarta, seizing eight grams of cocaine from him.

The presiding judge postponed the hearing until Monday to hear the defendants' lawyer Husin Tuhuteru read out the defense.

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Banten province gets ready for floods

Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Banten

As the wet season approaches, Banten's provincial administration has been making moves to mitigate the effects of floods that will likely occur across the province in the middle of this month.

The administration has spent Rp 10 billion (US$950,000) building several embankments designed to hold back overflow of river water in Pandeglang, Lebak, Serang regencies and Serang municipality, an official said.

To cope with possible flooding in Tangerang regency the provincial administration has spent the Rp 135 billion it received from the central government last year.

The money disbursed by the central government from the 2007 state budget has been used to finance the repair of dam sluices and dredge mud at Bendungan Pintu X in Pasar Baru subdistrict, Tangerang municipality, Situ (lake) Parigi, Situ Pamulang, Situ Cilandak, Situ Ciputat and along the Cirarab river.

"All of the flood handling projects are now underway," head of the provincial Resettlement and Water Resource Agency Winardjono said on Tuesday.

He said 87 locations in Banten are prone to flooding. Of them, 63 are spread across Tangerang regency, with 14 in Pandeglang and six in Lebak. The remaining four are in the Serang regency.

Tb. Baihaki, head of society protection at the National Safety Office, said that the administration had also spent Rp 1.48 billion purchasing four rubber boats, a minibus and a pick-up truck to evacuate flood victims, as well as 178 army tents, 77 tarpaulin tents and utensils for public kitchens.

The provincial Geophysics and Meteorology Agency (BMG) predicted that heavy rain would begin in mid November.

The Tangerang municipal administration has also taken a number of measures, such as preparing water pumps, dredging rivers and setting up a crisis prevention team, in preparation for the wet season.

"We have built and repaired several embankments in certain areas prone to flooding," Mayor Wahidin Halim said. The embankments have been built at several flood-prone points along the Cisadane, Sabi and Angke rivers, to prevent water from entering residential areas in Cileduk, Cibodas, Karawaci, Periuk and Pinang districts.

Wahidin said the total budget needed to completely free the municipality from flood disasters was around Rp 1.5 trillion.

"We will likely start the dredging, the widening and the straightening of rivers flowing through the municipality next year, because the central government has promised to disburse flood handling funds in 2009," he said.

Around 150,000 houses in Periuk, Jatiuwung, Karawaci, Pinang, Cipondoh, Cibodas and Cileduk districts are prone to annual flooding.

Widespread flooding in Tangerang regency earlier last year resulted in a temporary but significant 20 percent increase in unemployment, as many factories were forced to stop production.

The floods also damaged 23,716 hectares of rice fields in Tangerang regency, causing farmers losses of Rp 35 billion.

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South Tangerang to have roads repaired, widened

Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The Tangerang municipal administration has prepared detailed engineering designs for road construction and repairs in the newly approved South Tangerang city, Tangerang regent Ismet Iskandar said over the weekend.

The regent asked the residents to help the projects progress smoothly because the administration would also widen several roads connecting seven districts in the new municipality.

The seven districts are Ciputat, East Ciputat, Pamulang, Pondok Aren, Serpong, North Serpong and Setu.

"Therefore, we ask the residents to not increase the price of the land for the road construction and road widening projects," Ismet said Saturday.

The regent said he had heard the price of land in Ciputat had increased soon after the administration decided the area would be the administrative center for South Tangerang.

"Before we announced Ciputat as the administrative center for South Tangerang, the land only cost between Rp 700,000 (US$64) and Rp 900,000 per square meter but now the price has increased to 2 million," he said.

Ismet promised that road repairs in South Tangerang would continue until 2009 because this is only part of the preparations needed to establish the city.

Data at the regency's Public Work Agency showed that the total length of damaged roads in South Tangerang was at least 1,646 kilometers, and includes 258 bridges.

However, the administration will only repair several main roads in South Tangerang in the near future.

Ciputat district administrative secretary Aplahunnajat said the district administration had proposed that the municipality repair all damaged roads this year.

"There are at least 73 roads in South Tangerang that need repairs and the administration has only allocated Rp 18 billion from this year's budget to repair them," he said.

Commenting on the recruitment of new civil servants to fill the new administration, Tangerang municipal assistant Mas Iman Kusnadar said it had yet to become a priority because more than 4,000 existing civil servants would be transferred to the new administrative office.

He said there were two kinds of services -- civil service and public service -- that the new municipal administration would have to deliver in the near future following the establishment of the city.

"Civil service is for ID cards (KTP), family cards (KK) and yellow cards for job seekers," he said, adding that public service deals with parking and environmental sanitation.

He said the Tangerang municipality was currently preparing a design competition for South Tangerang's logo.

"We have 45 days to find and determine the administrative logo; it must suit the city's culture and characteristics which have been developed into residential areas, education, trade, business and tourist areas," he said.

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Security tightened ahead of bombers' execution

Monday, November 03, 2008 pyraerg
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The details of the executions of the Bali bombers remain unknown, but authorities are taking no chances, with security at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport being tightened and the Australian government warning its citizens against traveling to Indonesia.

Airport security guards and police have been tightening inspections of vehicles entering the area since Saturday, fearing a backlash from Islamist militants over the executions of Amrozi, 47, his brother Mukhlas, 48, and Imam Samudra, 38.

"We will tighten security at the airport until the execution of the convicted terrorists is done," Comr. Sutimin, chief of traffic police at the airport, told The Jakarta Post.

He said a number of plain-clothed detectives had been deployed to monitor the situation at the airport.

The 2002 Bali bombings killed 202 people, mostly foreign holidaymakers, including 88 Australians.

The executions by firing squad are expected to be carried out in the next week or two.
These will be the first executions to be carried out under Indonesia's terrorism laws.

Although there has been no official confirmation of a circulating text message claiming National Police anti-terrorism squad intelligence indicates there could be retaliatory bomb attacks in public places, especially big shopping malls, authorities have placed foreign embassies, shopping malls and ports under close guard.

The Australian government issued a travel warning Sunday over fears of an extremist backlash against the executions. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said any Australians traveling to Indonesia should stay clear of places that could be targeted.

"We are making sure that we advise Australians firstly to reconsider their need to travel to Indonesia," Smith told the Nine Network television channel.

"We also indicate to them that if they do travel to Bali and Indonesia, to keep away from sites which have obviously been terrorist sites in the past."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the Australian travel warning was unnecessary as Indonesian security officers would guarantee the safety of foreign nationals.

"We hope tourists won't cancel their trip to Indonesia," he said Sunday, as quoted by detik.com.
According to Faizasyah, the Australian government issued a travel warning last year that was still in effect, but rather than discouraging tourists, the number of visitors increased by 50 percent.

Immigration Office spokesman Maroloan Baringbing also said the planned execution had not affected the number of people visiting the country.

"No significant fluctuation (in the number of visitors)," he told detik.com on Sunday, adding that domestic security would be tourists' main concern.

"Therefore, we have to work together to ensure security," he said. "It's not just the task of the authorities."

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Residents, councilors support new city

Saturday, November 01, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Many Tangerang residents have expressed their support for the new South Tangerang City.

"It is high time that several districts in the southern part of the regency have autonomy," Rita Zahara, a housewife who lives in East Ciputat district, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The district is one of six in southern Tangerang regency, which borders with Jakarta, that used to be at odds over the idea to form a new municipality.

But soon after the House of Representatives approved the proposed South Tangerang City and nine other new regions Thursday, the residents' skepticism suddenly turned into support.

Abdul Rohim, Communication Forum of Tangerang Village, is the most vocal critic of the move. Abdul said he first thought the idea was to accommodate the interests of several people wanting to control the vast area, and, therefore, it should have been ignored.

"I didn't think the proposal would reach the House. I was wrong," he said.

Councilors Abdul Muin Basuni of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Haris Sudiono of the Democratic Party, Dicky Syafrudin of the Golkar Party and Basuki Rahardjo of the National Mandate Party (PAN) voiced their support.

Basuki said 17 councilors representing the six districts agreed with the move because South Tangerang had been unfairly treated by the administration.

He argued that the South Tangerang City contributed 40 percent of the regency's Rp 1.3 trillion (US$119 million) annual revenue, but little of the money came back to the area.

Tangerang regent Ismet Iskandar, who attended a thanksgiving ceremony for the new South Tangerang City on Thursday evening, said he had prepared four candidates to be put forward as the municipality's acting mayor.

The officials are regency secretary Nanang Komera, administration assistant Mas Iman Kusnandar, head of the regency development planning body Bunyamin Davnie and head of the regency sanitation and landscape agency Hery Haryanto.

"We will propose the four names," Ismet said. "The Banten provincial administration will decide which of will be appointed with the task."

The ceremony was attended by Presidium for the Formation of South Tangerang City chairman Zarkasih Nur, legislator and resident Jazuli Juwaini, and hundreds of community figures.

The idea to establish the new city first emerged in 1992 and was backed by a group of Ciputat, Pamulang, Serpong and Pondok Aren residents.

In 2000, residents of the newly established Cisauk and Pegedangan districts said they also wanted to become part of the new city, which would have a total population of 1.6 million and Rp 69 billion in potential revenue.

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Incumbent mayors secured second term

Friday, October 31, 2008
Multa Fidrus and Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Bogor

Incumbent Tangerang mayor Wahidin Halim and running mate Arief R. Wismansyah were reelected in a landslide victory over two other running pairs, securing their second term in office.
Similarly Bogor mayor Diani Budiarto, pairing with the former West Java legislator Achmad Ru'yat, convincingly outdid four other pairs to secure her position at the Bogor municipality office until 2014.

Wahidin won around 88 percent of the total votes in Tangerang. Muhamad Bonie Mudfijar and Diedy Faried Wadji came in second with 10 percent of the votes, while Ismet Sadeli Hasan and Mahfud Abdullah only obtained 2 percent.

The election took place peacefully on Oct. 26 despite accusations of irregularities.
The losing pairs in Tangerang can file for a review within the next three days should they have any objections.

"Each candidate can file their objections within the next three days. We will submit the election results to the municipal legislative council for approval and prepare for the mayor's swearing-in ceremony on Nov. 16," Imron Khamami, the chairman of the municipal elections commission (KPUD), told The Jakarta Post.

In Bogor, Diani won 64 percent of the votes, exceeding the 15 percent of votes collected by Dody Rosadi-Erik Irawan Suganda pair. The three other couples shared the remaining votes.
The leads were expected as both winning candidates received support from political party coalitions.

In the municipality's first-ever direct poll, Wahidin and Arief were backed by a coalition of several political parties such as the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), the Democratic Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Star Crescent Party (PBB), the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

The Diani-Ru'yat pair was supported by PDI-P, Golkar, PKS, Democracy Party, PBSD, PSI, PKPI, PPDI and PDK.

The voting process itself, however, still faces some challenges. Tangerang municipality suffered a low voter turnout rate of around 67 percent. Imron said the commission had registered a total of 972,207 eligible voters, but only 653,944 turned up to vote on Oct. 26.

Meanwhile, the Bogor election commission faces a problem of invalid votes. Of 415,612 votes cast, around 7 percent was deemed invalid.

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More former Banten councilors arrested for corruption

Thursday, October 30, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Banten

Banten prosecutors arrested eight former provincial legislative council members for their alleged involvement in a Rp 14 billion (US$1.32) corruption case in 2003.

Yunan Harjaka, special crime assistant at the prosecutor's office said the arrests were made after his team obtained enough evidence of the misuse of funds and because there were fears the suspects would escape or damage the evidence.

"We have completed the dossiers and we will soon hand the case over to Serang District Court for trial. The suspects received an average Rp 75 million each from the housing fund," he said Wednesday.

The eight former councilors are Rosyid, James Tangka, Eli Soepriyadi, Encep Daden Ibrahim, Toto Heryanto and Yahya Sanusi of the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDIP), Irsyad of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and Maman Prihatna of the Star Crescent Party (PBB).

The suspects have not returned the money they took from the provincial administration's budget for councilor housing and welfare allowances.

The former councilors were initially summoned to the prosecutor's office for questioning only, but were sent to Serang prison directly after the examination was finished.

The case centers on the alleged misuse of budgetary funds under former governor Djoko Munandar. The eight councilors served during the 1999-2004 period.

More than Rp 3.5 billion was allocated to councilor activities, but they were granted an extra Rp 10.5 billion for the construction of 75 houses.

When councilors for the 2004-2009 period took office it was discovered that no housing complexes had been built.

An initial investigation into the corruption case resulted in six former councilors being sentenced in 2005 to up to four years' imprisonment.

The six former councilors jailed were Dharmono K. Lawi, a former Banten council chairman from the PDI-P; former Banten council deputy speaker Muslim Djamaludin; ousted council deputy speaker Mufrodi Muchsin; council secretary Tardian; former secretary of the council's budgetary committee Tuti Sutiah Indra; and former Banten governor Djoko Munandar.

Last year, 14 more former councilors were arrested in a different case.

The 14 councilors were accused of extorting money from the administrations budget for disaster relief.

Five of them -- Iwan Rosadi, Riril Suhartinah, Achdi Syamlani, Jhon R Maulana and Zaenal Novani -- walked free after the district court declared them innocent. The remaining nine are still serving jail terms at Serang prison.

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Japanese-built school opens for kids with disabilities

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The sounds of laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air at the new school building for children with disabilities in Tangerang on Tuesday.

The students, most of whom are from low-income families, knew something different was going on because the campus of SLB Yanaiz had been decked out for the building's inauguration ceremony.

Japanese Ambassador Kojiro Shiojiri presided over the ceremony at the campus on Jl. H. Ridwan, Bojong Poncol kampung in Pinang district, Tangerang municipality.
Tangerang officials also attended the event.

According to Shiojiri, the Japanese government had financed the construction project of the school under the Grassroots Program. The financial assistance amounted to US$85,994, he said.

"We want children with disabilities to be able to study at this school," he said.

Twenty-year-old Khalid, a fourth grader in a class for people with autism, said the new school building was closer to his home.

"I love the new classroom," Khalid said, who is suffering from hydrochepalus and needs regular medicine to control its symptoms.

The school's 123 students pay school fees of between Rp 5,000 (40 US cents) and Rp 10,000 each month.

"The most important thing is that I pay (school fees), no matter how much it is. The money is for the teachers' salaries," Khalid said.

SLB Yanaiz is managed by Erihatu Samasuru Lesuri Tapirone, a humanitarian foundation established by Izak Timisela in 2000.

"We started the school in a small rented house and now we have a three-story building with 12 classrooms, a health clinic, a kitchen, a teacher's office and a meeting hall, thanks to the Japanese government," he said.

Unfortunately, the classrooms have yet to receive new furniture so the students and teachers still use old desks and chairs. Some of the desktops even have holes in them.

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Wahidin wins 88.5 percent of votes

Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Incumbent Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim looks set to win the first-ever direct municipal election, according to preliminary results announced by the municipality's elections commission on Monday.

Wahidin and running mate Arief R. Wismansyah have 572,967 (88.5 percent) of the vote from Sunday's election.

Poll commission chairman Imron Khamami said the commission had counted poll results at 2,000 out of the total 2,273 polling stations throughout the municipality.

"We will soon complete the counting," he told The Jakarta Post.

There were 909,800 registered voters for the election and 90 percent of them cast ballots on Sunday.

Trailing the leading candidates are Muhamad Bonie Mudfijar and his running mate Diedy Farid Wadji, with 65,657 votes (9.2 percent).

Ismet Sadeli Hasan and Mahfud Abdullah trail well behind with 16,596 (1.7 percent) of the votes.
"We will announce the final, official results of the vote on Oct. 30 and the elected mayor will be inaugurated on Nov. 16," said Imron.

Imron added that, as of Monday, the commission had not received any reports of possible election violations.

Moreover, Tangerang Elections Supervisory Body chairman Syafril Elain confirmed his institution had not received any reports concerning violations during either the casting or counting of votes.

"So far, we have received no reports or complaints ... However, we are ready to deal with any reports of possible fraud," he said.

During his inspections of five polling stations, he noticed that three of the stations did not have all their voting booths covered.

"It's unusual, but not considered a violation of the election law," Syafril said.

The poll watch had also received several reports of alleged fraud by supporters of the incumbent, including text messages people received on their cell phones saying voters could cast ballots more than once, as long as they cooperated with the polling stations' working committee, he added.

"There have also been reports of intimidation, money politics and other violations at polling stations before voting began, but we could not process the reports because those who filed complaints could not produce any evidence," he said.

Wahidin and Arief are backed by a coalition of 15 political parties including the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), the Democratic Party, the United

Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Star Crescent Party (PBB), the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Bonie and Diedy are backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), while Ismet and Mahfud are running as independent candidates.

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Incumbent takes early lead in election

Monday, October 27, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The first-ever direct election for Tangerang mayor ran peacefully Sunday with preliminary counts putting incumbent mayor Wahidin Halim in the lead.

It was reported that 90 percent of registered voters turned up to vote.

The high turnout was unexpected as most Tangerang residents work in Jakarta and therefore tended not to be well-informed about the municipal election.

Polling stations, particularly in suburbs on the border of Jakarta, saw as many as 10 people at a time turning up between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Many residents said they had good knowledge only of Wahidin, who is trying to secure his second term.

"I know a lot about Wahidin Halim but nothing about the other two candidates," said Jusniati of Tajur subdistrict, Cileduk.

Tangerang municipality, formerly part of the Tangerang regency, stretches from the fast-growing western outskirts of Jakarta to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in the northwest.
When the municipality was established in 1993, it had six districts but has now developed into 13 districts with a total population of 1.4 million.

As of Sunday afternoon, the municipal elections commission had recorded about a turnout of 90 percent and put the pair of Wahidin and Arief Wismansyah in the lead with 89.07 votes, followed by Muhamad Bonie Mudfijar and Diedy Farid Wadji with 9.19 percent, and Ismet Sadeli Hasan and Abdullah Mahfud trailing with 1.8 percent votes.

"We got the preliminary results from an electronic count reported by 83 polling stations," commission chairman Imron Khamami said, adding there were 2,276 polling stations set up across the municipality.

The final results are expected Monday afternoon.

The commission registered 909,800 eligible voters for the election.

Wahidin, who looked tense while waiting for information on the result, said he had not set a target for the votes.

"I never set a target of a percentage of votes to win. I will thank God if I am reelected mayor," he said.

"It means I can continue the development programs I'm already committed to."

Separately, Tangerang Elections Supervisory Body chairman Syafril Elain said that during his inspections of five polling stations, he noticed that three of the stations did not have all the polling booths covered.

"There was no cover behind the voters which means (their vote) could just be seen from behind when they voted for a candidate and the secrecy of the ballot was not guaranteed at all," he said.

Syafril said he believed the three noncompliant polling stations were among many that failed to ensure voters' privacy.

Wahidin and Arief, president director of Sari Asih Group, which manages several hospitals in Tangerang and Serang, are backed by a coalition of 15 political parties including the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), the Democratic Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Star Crescent Party (PBB), the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Bonie and Diedy are backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), while Ismet and Mahfudz are running as independent candidates.

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Respiratory problems among children rises

Saturday, October 25, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Tangerang health officials are on alert following a jump in the number of cases of acute respiratory infections in children in the regency this year.

"We have recorded a total of 5,764 children under five years of age who have contracted respiratory infections since January," Yuli Sunar Dewanti, head of communicable disease prevention at the agency, said Friday.

She said 1,883 of those cases had been recorded in just the past two months.
The total number of cases last year is 2,058.

Yuli said the figure was bound to increase should community health centers in the regency fail in their prevention efforts.

"We have instructed all 47 health centers in 36 districts to improve service and take preventive steps through early detection because respiratory infections are the number one killer for children under five in the regency."

She explained these airborne diseases could easily spread, especially during the transition from the dry to the rainy season.

The agency has also ordered each health center to disseminate information to residents on how to curb the spread of the diseases and to train volunteers in emergency response.

"We have also prepared medicines to be distributed to all health centers," Yuli said.

In response to agency instructions, Endang S. Sumarah, head of Pondok Aren's community health center, said she had already trained 11 volunteers for emergency response not only in anticipation of more respiratory infections but also for possible flooding.

"We have even formed an emergency post to help serve patients better."

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Drowned kids mar election campaign

Friday, October 24, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The Tangerang municipal poll watchdog (Panwas) and local police are investigating a series of alleged electoral breaches by candidates including a campaign event at Lake Cipondoh in which two children drowned.

At the event for candidate pair Wahidin Halim and Arief R. Wismansyah, several violations of the electoral regulations reportedly occurred. The most serious allegation breached a law regarding the involvement of children in the campaign.

The organizing committee for the event, chaired by Syachrudin, Cipondoh district chief, asked residents to scramble for one ton of fish released into the lake.

Two children, identified as 10-year-old Eko Nur Faizi and 14-year-old Aditya, were allegedly among hundreds of residents who plunged into the water. The pair subsequently drowned among the crowds.

Cipondoh Police chief Insp. Sukarna said police were still looking into the incident to determine whether those distributing the fish acted negligently during the event.

"We will question all the organizing committee members as witnesses but so far haven't decided whether any of them will be named as suspects," he said.

The Tangerang municipal poll watchdog (Panwas) chairman, Syafril Elain, said Thursday the involvement of children and civil servants in the campaign event for Wahidin, the incumbent, and Arief was considered a serious breach.

He said besides Wahidin and Arief, the other two pairs of candidates also reportedly committed minor violations of electoral regulations.

"We began to receive reports of violations being committed by candidates on the first day of campaigning, ranging from the use of children, excessive use of vehicles and placing campaign posters in the areas far before the campaign period had started," he said.

According to Syafril, the other two pairs of candidates, Muhamad Bonie Mudfijar and Diedy Farid Waji, and Ismet Sadeli Hasan and Mahfud Abdullah, only violated minor regulations set by the municipal Elections Commission (KPUD).

"However the use of minors and civil servants in the campaign is a serious offense," Syafril said. Both KPUD law and a government regulation forbid administration officials and district and subdistrict chiefs from campaigning on behalf of any municipal candidates.

Syafril said the campaign watchdog would suggest that the KPUD impose sanctions against the offending candidates.

"We will also advise the KPUD to process two of 11 violations reported to Panwas during the campaign period because they are serious violations," Syafril said.

Supporters for Wahidin and Arief erected banners before the campaign period had begun while supporters of Bonie and Waji (Niji) were reportedly spreading hatred, accusations of blackmail and defaming candidates Wahidin and Arief.

KPUD chairman Imron Khamami said the commission had sent warnings to the candidates over these violations.

"The campaign period ran peacefully. However, we will impose administrative sanctions to each pair of candidates because they committed administrative violations," he said.

The campaign started on Oct. 10 and ended Thursday. The election is scheduled for Oct. 26.

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Air traffic controllers reject civil-servant status

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Air traffic controllers are asking the government not to recast their employment status from professionals managed by a state enterprise to civil servants managed by a government office.

"To guarantee the quality of air traffic service, as recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization, we are asking the government to let air traffic control continue to be managed as a state enterprise," Adri Gunawan, president of the Air Traffic Controllers Association (IATCA), said in a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Tuesday.

The association came out against the wholesale revision of the air transportation law now being deliberated which calls for placing air traffic control management under a public service office.

"If passed, the new bill will allow the government to function as both regulator and operator of air traffic service," Adri said.

That would mean air traffic operations would be dependent on the state's tight budget, he added.
"If air traffic control is administered as part of a public office, it will be part of the bureaucracy ... the degrading of the quality of our service would be inevitable."

IATCA is a professional organization established in 1999 by air traffic controllers. It currently has 1,271 members nationwide.

Adri said his association had not been involved in drafting the bill currently being deliberated by the government and the House of Representatives.

"The association was invited once to a House hearing on the revision plan, but nothing else after that. The draft bill needs a clearer formulation and better transparency."

The 1992 air transportation law comprises 14 chapters and 104 articles, while the newly proposed law is far more extensive with 26 chapters and 405 articles.

Susila, head of air traffic control at I Gusti Ngurah Ray International Airport in Denpasar, who attended the press conference, said rumors about the possible change to their employment status had spread among the employees.

"None of the air traffic controllers want to be civil servants because they are professionals," he said, adding that air traffic service could wind up someday being led by civil administrators with little understanding of air traffic control.

One IATCA member who declined to be identified said that, should the government insist on changing air traffic control management status from a state enterprise to a public office, air traffic controllers would likely strike.

"The government and the lawmakers should reconsider this.... Air traffic control has been doing a good job under state enterprise management," he said.

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Pondok Aren braces for possible floods

Thursday, October 16, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

As the rainy season nears, Pondok Aren district, in cooperation with Tangerang regency's social welfare agency, has begun to repair and clean drainage systems in several flood-prone sites in the district.

The district chief Chaerudin on Wednesday identified six flood-prone areas, all housing complexes.

They are: State Secretary (Setneg) in West Pondok Kacang subdistrict; Taman Mangu in West Jurangmangu subdistrict, Vila Bintaro Regency; Pondok Maharta and Prima Pondok Kacang complexes in East Pondok Kacang subdistrict; and the Ministry of Defense complex in Pondok Betung subdistrict.

"Last year those housing complexes chronically flooded so we will monitor them throughout this year," he said, adding the administration had also established a crisis center in the district.

He said officers from the social welfare agency would check in on each vulnerable site once the rainy season arrives.

"We are optimistic these housing complexes will not suffer similar flooding this year because we have worked hard to improve the drainage," Chaerudin said.

Separately, Abdul Qadie, an official with Ciputat's meteorology and geophysics agency, said the southern part of Tangerang regency had already entered the transition period from the dry season to the rainy one.

"The rainy season this year will begin early next month. We are calling on residents to be on the alert for flooding."

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Flyers to pay more to jack up regency's tax revenue

Monday, October 20, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The Tangerang regency legislative council will soon approve a bylaw which will pave the way for the regency to collect fees from passengers at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
The fee will be collected at Terminal 2, which is located in the regency's jurisdiction.

About 340 out the total 2,600 hectares of the airport area is located in Rawa Rengas, Rawa Burung, Belimbing and Jatimulya subdistricts in Kosambi district, in the northern part of Tangerang regency.

"We will soon approve the transportation bylaw which will function as the administration's legal umbrella to collect fees from passenger taxes," Council speaker Endang Sudjana said Saturday.

He said the fee would be collected along with the airport tax. It means that when passengers pay the airport tax, they will also pay a fee to the regency.

However, the council has yet to decide how much each passenger will be charged.

"The fee may be 10 percent of airport taxes for domestic and international flights. For example, if the domestic tax is Rp 25,000, each passenger will pay Rp 2,500. For international flights, the fee may be Rp 5,000," he said.

The administration has long prepared plans to collect fees at the airport. A decision to create the bylaw became firmer after the council's Commission C conducted a comparative study in several other regions across the country.

"We found that most of other regional administrations obtain revenue from air transportation activities and we have yet to do so. The airport has been operating a long time and we have only been collecting taxes on the land and the buildings."

According to the council speaker, with the implementation of the regional autonomy law, the regency should also be obtaining revenue from several other sources of levies at the airport such as advertising and parking taxes.

"We will propose the revenue collection from passengers first. Later we will consider other sources which are under the regency's authority and we are sure that airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II will listen to our wishes," he added.

The council said this bylaw was expected to be approved by the end of the month.

PT Angkasa Pura II spokesman Trisno Heryadi refused to comment on the regency's plan to ask for fees through one of the company's airports. He said the issue was a matter for the administration.

He said he was aware that outside Soekarno-Hatta airport, regional administrations had installed counters to collect money from air passengers.

"We do need to clarify that we (the company) collect no tax from passengers. Only the government does so," he told The Jakarta Post.

According to Trisno, the term "airport tax" is actually a service charge that airport operators collect from air passengers at every airport. The money is used for cost recovery and for the maintenance of the public facility, he said.

PT Angkasa Pura II manages 12 airports in Jakarta, West Java and Sumatra.

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Airport facelift costs questioned

Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Prosecutors will soon launch an investigation into the development of public facilities at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, following allegations of misappropriation of state funds earmarked for the project.

"We received information that renovations of washrooms at the airport cost Rp 40 billion (US$4 million). This is very odd," Tangerang head prosecutor Agus Sutoto said Monday.

"We are still monitoring and collecting supporting data about the project work to date."

He said prosecutors who had inspected the recently opened washrooms at terminals I and II and other public areas at the airport had found nothing special about the new facilities.

"However, we have to be very careful in launching an investigation into the airport because there are so many vested interests there," he said.

Agus added that if prosecutors found sufficient initial evidence of misappropriation of project funds, the investigation would be developed.

Airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II inaugurated the new facilities on Sept. 23 as part of its Clean Airport Action (CAA) program. The program consisted of upgrades to facilities such as restrooms and musholla (prayer rooms).

At the inauguration ceremony, attended by Transportation Minister Jusman Syafei Jamal and Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, PT Angkasa Pura president director Eddie Haryoto announced that the CAA program had cost Rp 59 billion.

"We installed 139 new toilets and renovated 168 existing ones and we constructed nine prayer rooms in response to public complaints about conditions at the airport," Eddie said at that time.

Other items listed as included in the improvement plan are an integrated food court, new trash cans and more seats in waiting areas.

In response to suggestions of possible misuse of funds from the renovation project, Angkasa Pura II spokesman Trisno Heryadi said the budget was not used for toilet renovations alone.

"Rp 40 billion was an accumulative figure of the entire renovation work, covering toilets, musholla, bus shelters, a canopy for the terminal lobby and infrastructure such as the three-lane ring road in front of terminal I," he said.

All construction and renovation projects had been open for tender and had been carried out in line with the appropriate procedures, he added.

"The improvements of public facilities at the airport were financed from PT Angkasa Pura's own budget and not from the state budget," Trisno said.

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Police still seeking Kosambi fire cause

Monday, October 13, 2008

Tangerang Police are still investigating the cause of the fire which claimed the lives of eight workers in a steel-cutting factory in Kosambi district, Tangerang.

Tangerang police chief Sr. Comr. Agus Andrianto said Saturday forensic investigators were still looking into evidence at the site, which belongs to PT Surya Sejahtera Metalindo Lestari.

"We have questioned six workers, the company's president director Warjono and the director Wiriyanto as witnesses in the fire incident," he said.

He said so far, however, arson by the owner was unlikely because two of the victims were relatives of the warehouse owner.

Fire burned down the steel-cutting factory located at Pantai Indah Dadap Warehousing Complex Block K-7 in Kosambi on Friday afternoon. Workers panicked and fled but eight workers got trapped and died.

Survivors of the incident said a big blaze suddenly appeared in the welding area on the first floor.
"The big fire spread really quickly and all the workers on the first floor ran in a panic," survivor Eko Marhaen Dianto said.

Firdaus, who worked in the cutting department, said flames first appeared right under the stairs leading to the second floor.

"It flared up quickly and blocked the way out from the second floor. At least seven workers were up there along with two mechanics repairing computers," he said.

The eight fatalities were identified as Endang, 20, Lisye, 25, Malla, 26, Mei Ling, 32, Merry, 20, Priyono, 30, Ratna, 20, and Tasya, 28. They were found dead on the second floor which functioned as the factory's administrative office.

The victims' bodies were sent to the morgue at Tangerang General Hospital for identification.

Forensic investigators at the fire scene said strong indicators suggested the fire was caused by sparks from the welding area.

"The sparks landed on the foam of the partition wall in the factory warehouse and the fire spread quickly," said one officer who requested anonymity.

One male worker, Muhamad I'if, was rushed to the hospital after being badly injured. He survived the fire trap by jumping from the second floor. -- JP/Multa Fidrus

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Poll body reports candidates' wealth

Saturday, October 11, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The Tangerang Municipal Elections Commission (KPUD) on Friday published a list of the personal fortunes of all mayoral candidates that will contest this year's election, scheduled for Oct. 26.

The list was compiled from documents demanded of the candidates in accordance with a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) regulation.

At the top of the rich list is incumbent mayor Wahidin Halim, whose total personal wealth, comprising property, vehicles, bank accounts and bonds, is Rp 8 billion (US$842,000).

Second on the list, with a personal wealth of Rp 6.5 billion, is Wahidin's running mate, Arief Wismansyah, who is also president director of Sari Asih Group, which manages several hospitals in Tangerang and Serang.

The coalition of parties in support of the duo includes the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the United Development Party (PPP).

"The candidates' wealth was calculated from the list of assets they submitted to the KPUD. They have to declare their liquid and non-liquid assets, including vehicles, land and buildings, bank accounts, bonds and gold," poll commission chairman Imron Khamami said Friday.

He said the list was published to offer transparency to voters.

Dadang Hermawan, chairman of the Candidacy Working Group at the KPUD, said the requirement had been prompted by the many cases of corruption that plagued politics in Indonesia.

"If a candidate's wealth has been verified by the KPK and publicly announced before they are elected, it will be easy to monitor any fluctuations of wealth once they take up their new position," he said.

Ismed Sadeli Hasan, a retired civil servant and a former Jakarta City council secretary, is the second richest mayoral candidate, with a wealth of Rp 3.5 billion.

His running mate, Mahfud Abdullah, a Muslim preacher, has a personal fortune of Rp 1.1 billion. Ismed and Mahfudz are independent candidates.

Muhamad Bonie Mudfijar, who is backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is third on the list with a total wealth of Rp 293.5 million. His running mate, Diedy Farid Wadji, is worth Rp 1.7 billion.

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Bogor and Tangerang start mayoral campaign

Thursday, October 09, 2008
Multa Fidrus and Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Bogor

All candidates slated in Tangerang's upcoming mayoral elections have promised a peaceful campaign and vowed to focus on improving the welfare of local residents if elected.

Three pairs of running mates -- Wahidin Halim and Arief Wismansyah, Ismed Sadeli Hasan and Mahfud Abdullah, and Muhamad Bonie Mudfijar and Diedy Farid Wadji -- made a joint declaration at the municipal elections commission (KPUD) office on Wednesday.

KPUD chair Imron Khamami said the next phase of the election called for each party's ticket to deliver vision and mission statements Thursday.

All candidates told journalists Wednesday their agendas would outline policies in agribusiness, education, health care, industry, infrastructure, tourism and trade as well as strategies for developing human resources across the board.

There were no significant differences among the three pairs.

Tangerang municipality will hold its first ever direct elections on November 26.

A coalition of 15 political parties are backing the ticket of Wahidin, the incumbent, and Arief, president director of Sari Asih Group which manages several hospitals in Tangerang and Serang.

Parties in the coalition include the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the Democratic Party (PD), the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the United Development Party (PPP).

Bonie and Diedy are backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Ismet and Mahfudz are independent candidates.

Poll watch agency chair Sapril Elain, also present during the declaration, said his agency had only found administrative infractions on the part of the Wahidin-Arief ticket.

"Wahidin Halim-Arief Wismansyah is the only ticket which kicked off its campaign before the period officially started. We will remove all banners and flags they've placed on the streets soon."
The joint declaration specified all candidates would campaign between October 10 and 22.
Tangerang municipality, which will celebrate its 16th anniversary on February 28, is home to 1.5 million people.

In another outskirt municipality, Bogor, five pairs of mayoral candidates delivered their vision and mission statements Wednesday.

The five tickets all presented agendas focusing on environmental issues, Bogor's traffic woes and street vendors.

The five, in campaign-numbered order, are: independent candidates Syafei Bratasendjaya-Akik Darul Tahkik; the independent pair of the purported psychic Ki Gendeng Pamungkas running under his given name Iman Santoso with Ahmad Chusaery; Iis Supriatini-Ahani backed by, among others, PD and PBR; Dodi Rosady-Erik Irawan Suganda backed by PAN, PPP, PBB and PKB; and Diani Budiarto-Achmad Ru'yat with support from Golkar, PDI-P and PKS.

The head of Bogor's KPUD, Radjab Tampubolon, said the campaign period was starting Wednesday and would run through October 20.

The election is scheduled for Oct. 25.

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Green group accuses battery producer of toxic dumping

Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Dozens of local environmental activists of green group Yayasan Peduli Lingkungan (Yapelh) staged a rally in front of a battery factory in Tangerang municipality Tuesday to protest alleged toxic dumping.

The protesters urged consumers to boycott batteries produced at the PT Yuasa factory, which they said dumped toxic waste into the nearby Cisadane river, the main source of fresh water for residents of Tangerang municipality and Tangerang regency.

"We call on the public not to buy all Yuasa products and we ask the Tangerang municipal administration to quickly take stern action against the company," Uyus Setia Bakti, Yapelh executive director, told journalists.

Yuasa security officer Dewan Hadi Setiawan, who said he had been authorized to speak on behalf of the company, denied the allegations.

"We have obtained business and operational permits from the government and therefore we always process the waste at our waste treatment facility before dumping it into the river," Dewan said.

Uyus said that since 2004, laboratory tests had continuously shown that waste discharged from the factory exceeded legal limits, but that the local administration had turned a blind eye to the findings.

He said the company dumped untreated waste, including mercury, into the river, and that the factory's waste-treatment facility was incapable of filtering out all toxins.

Some sections of the Cisadane river, once a popular fishing and recreational attraction, resemble a muddy swamp.

State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar, who inspected the Cisadane river on a boat earlier this year, said the river was polluted and that cleaning efforts would take up to 20 years.

Natural sedimentation has also decreased the quality of the river's water.

Water suppliers PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja and PDAM Tirta Benteng, owned by Tangerang regency and Tangerang municipality, respectively, depend on the river for water supply.

PDAM Tirta Kerta Rahardja distributes treated water from the river to Jakartans via a water utility company in the capital.

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Suspect in murder of marine evades police

Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

A murder suspect, whom the Tangerang police arrested last month for allegedly killing a marine soldier, managed to escape from four officers on Sunday.

The missing suspect, identified as Zahiri alias Miki bin Marsan, was leading four detectives to the hideout of three other members of his robbery gang, who were still at large in Pandeglang on Sunday, when he ran off.

Police had not officially detained Miki when he slipped through their fingers.

Miki had been taken into police custody along with two other gang members identified as Ali Sadikin bin Ambarwan and MD in Kalijodo, West Jakarta, on Sept. 17.

MD was shot dead for trying to escape arrest whereas Ali is still in custody. Two other members, identified as Yuliandri and Zanuri, are still at large.

A marine platoon arrived at police headquarters in Tigaraksa on Sunday following reports the suspect had gone missing.

Maj. Elfian Rakawira, a marine public relations official, said the Marine Corps were respecting legal procedure; they were aware the police were still investigating.

"We just hope the police are handling the case professionally because the robbers were reckless enough to kill a military soldier, as well as civilians. They are very dangerous people," he said.

Tangerang Police chief Sr. Comr. Agus Andriatno gave a statement about the newest case development.

"The missing murder suspect has yet to be registered as a detainee under police custody. I've ordered P3D (internal affairs) officers to examine the officers who were escorting him to determine if there was negligence or other factors."

A member of a robbery gang allegedly shot dead 1st Brig. Diki Nur, 28, a marine soldier who was trying to stop a grocery store holdup in Pondok Aren, Tangerang, on Sept. 16.

Diki Nur was assigned to a military facility in Cilandak, South Jakarta. He was passing by the crime scene on his way home. He was living in a rented house with his wife and their two-month-old in the Pondok Jagung subdistrict.

The soldier stopped after he heard a scream coming from a grocery store belonging to Tri Martin, known as Atjong, 55. The robbers were forcing Atjong to hand over money from the till when the soldier stepped in.

They shot Diki in the chest and made Atjong give them Rp 43 million (US4,600) before leaving the crime scene on two motorcycles.

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Soekarno-Hatta airport gets 139 new toilets, nine prayer rooms

Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

PT Angkasa Pura II, operator of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, invited three cabinet ministers on Tuesday to inaugurate newly installed facilities.

The new facilities are part of the operator's Clean Airport Action (CAA) program, comprising infrastructure improvements such as washrooms and Islamic prayer rooms, an additional terminal and other upgrades.

"We installed 139 new toilets and renovated 168 existing ones, and we constructed nine prayer rooms as our response to public complaints about unsanitary conditions at the airport," president director Edie Haryoto said.

He said CAA had cost the operator Rp 59 billion (US$6.35 million) this year.

"We will always monitor complaints filed by the public about our service because complaints challenge us to improve our performance," Edie said.

Earlier this year, a number of non-profit organizations surveyed hundreds of airport users. Complaints about airport toilet facilities topped the list.

Edie said he would be reminding all users of airport services to help keep the airport clean.

Present during the washroom inauguration ceremony were Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Jamal, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan A. Djalil, Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah and Tangerang Deputy Regent Rano Karno.

Wacik cited a survey which showed 70 percent of air travelers who arrived at the airport from overseas visited the washrooms.

"We have to support the airport's efforts to take better care of the public toilets and other facilities for visitors," he said.

The airport is also getting ready a new, third terminal which will start operating Dec. 3. Train service from Jakarta to the airport is also still in the works.

Other items listed in the improvement plan are an integrated food court, new trash cans and increased seating.

The passenger lounges now have new stainless-steel seats and minigardens decked out with Balinese sculptures and wood carvings, but the lobbies and entrance halls still have limited seating, forcing passengers to sit or crouch on the floor.

The departure area taxi stands have been better organized, enabling passengers to take their preferred service more promptly without having to wait in long lines or go through the hassle of bargaining with aggressive drivers.

The airport management has also set up new welcome billboards at the airport gates as well as a statue of Indonesia's founders, Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta.

"We will invest whatever we must to gradually improve the services and facilities at the airport," the airport executive general manager Haryanto said.

Some travelers, however, still voice complaints about the presence of hawkers offering various informal services: ojek drivers (offering motorcycle hire), ticket scalpers and illegal taxis.

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Minister visits young inmates

Monday, September 22, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

TV presenter Dewi Hughes (holding a microphone) led a discussion Friday between State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Hatta and 300 inmates at the Tangerang Juvenile Penitentiary during an event to break the fast.

"Ibu Meutia is with you today because she cares about all of you. Don't worry, she wants to share stories about a difficult period in her childhood and listen to how you feel about being in prison and what you want to do after you leave. She will do her best to help you all," Hughes told the inmates.

"You have to look at the penitentiary as your temporary home. Look at it as a place where you can study and learn various skills. You have everything you need to support your future here."

During the visit, the minister distributed souvenirs for the juveniles including books, equipment for futsal, koko (tradition shirts worn by Muslim men) and mukena (prayer robes).

"We're away from our parents. We still want to go to school and study," Pindrewila, a female inmate from Ambon, told the minister.

"We've gotten everything we need for a better future here, but our friends who left this place complain because it's difficult for them to get a certificate of good conduct from the police. Can you help us fight for our rights?" Abdulrokhin, another child inmate, said.

"I will send a request letter soon to the National Police Chief concerning your rights," Meutia said.

Doni, an inmate, asked the minister to provide remission to all inmates serving their jail term on National Children's Day.

According to Meutia, the government has drafted a bill on remissions on National Children's Day for child inmates.

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Monkey survey questioned as tall tale

Monday, September 22, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Tangerang Regency council members have questioned a Rp 300 million budget proposal to conduct a census on long-tailed monkeys in the area, saying the amount is a "fabrication".

The administration has proposed an allocation of Rp 300 million from the regional budget to study the population growth of the monkeys in their habitat around the site of Syeh Mas'ad grave in Solear district.

Almost all of the regency's legislative council members have questioned the allocation.

"I think the proposal is fabricated," Anugrah, a counselor of the Prosperous Justice Party faction said, adding that the administration should have allocated the funds for the public's interest.

"But we can do nothing now, the budget proposal for the monkey census has been approved already. We don't understand how this could have slipped through our discussion. It is unbelievable," deputy speaker Arief Wahyudi said.

"I am sure such a proposal would not have been approved had we been aware of it during the discussion."

"The regency's administration allocates the funds with the intention to develop tourism in the region. The budget will be used by the regional development planning body," said Solear District Chief Surya Wijaya.

He said the administration had struggled to develop Solear as a tourist attraction, and especially as the destination of a pilgrimage that is expected to increase regional revenue.

Dahyat Tunggara, a counselor representing Solear district at the council said the census was not urgent.

He said a census on the monkey species was conducted by the Bogor Institute of Agriculture and the University of Indonesia several years ago.

"They made the study by catching the monkeys with nets. After that, the monkeys were gathered and counted one by one.

"The population of monkeys at the time was not so high. But the present population is predicted to be as high as 300," he said, adding that the cost of the census per monkey was Rp 1 million.

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Minister lobbies EU over palm oil restrictions

Friday, September 19, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Tanggerang, Banten

Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, has sent Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono to lobby the European Union (EU), over concerns the group were planning a policy that would limit imports of the commodity.

After arriving in Jakarta on Tuesday from a week-long visit to the continent, Anton said Indonesian and Malaysian representatives met EU parliamentarians, assuring them the palm oil produced by the two countries met emission standards set by the EU.

Anton visited several European countries -- the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Belgium -- with his campaign. During a meeting on Sept. 11 with the EU, he filed Indonesia's opposition to a planned EU directive on renewable energy and fuel quality (DREFQ) which would enter a voting phase during the general assembly next month.

Anton, who is a tout supporter of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), argued that this directive would hamper palm oil exports from Indonesia and Malaysia to EU member states.

The directive, however, regulates palm oil supply for alternative energy use, while imports for cooking oil and soap are not subject to the same laws.

Palm oil exported to the EU for biofuel is required to have a minimum emissions benchmark rate of 35 percent (the higher the rate the lesser the impact of the commodity on the environment).

According to the EU, however, the average recorded emissions rate of 32 percent for palm oil was below the minimum requirement.

Malaysia has denied the emissions rate measurement made by the EU, arguing that it was in fact around 60 percent.

Indonesia and Malaysia account for 85 percent of the world's palm oil output.

Anton said the planned EU directive was merely aimed at reducing the group's dependency on palm oil, which it could not produce itself.

"We are being attacked with environmental issues, while the real reason is trade competition, specifically with rapeseed. I asked the audience in a seminar why it should be us who makes the sacrifice and not those producing rapeseed or soybean."

"The EU was influenced by negative campaigns from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). We feel it's not about environmental issues, it's about trade," Anton said.

According to the ministry, Indonesia's palm oil exports reached 16.9 million tons last year with a total value of US$7.9 billion. Exports to Europe accounted for one fifth of this figure.

The EU has also accused palm oil producers of damaging the environment by planting crops in or near natural forests, and even in the middle of protected animal habitats.

SawitWatch researcher Norman Jiwon said oil palm plantations had caused huge amounts of damage to the environment.

"Aside from peatland damage, the planting and production of palm oil is damaging our environment," he said.

However, Anton argued that of the 133 million hectares of forests cleared, oil palm plantations accounted for 6.3 million hectares, highlighting the relative size of the damage.

"It's only a small proportion. And the peatland cleared for the plantations was only 5 percent of the 6.3 million hectares," he said.

"We should choose between human interests or those of the monkeys," said Anton, adding that the palm oil sector currently employed more than 5 million people.

Founder of the Center for Orangutan Protection, Hardi Baktiantoro, said the numbers Anton cited were only statistics.

"On paper, these plantations are said to be developed on grasslands or in agricultural areas when in reality they have flattened forests containing high biodiversity."

"It's mafia at every layer. From the map making, through to other production and legal processes," Hardi said. (iwp)

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Dropouts dive deep for small change at Merak port

Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Banten

Watching a squad of sunburnt teenage boys diving after coins may be an entertaining spectacle for ferry passengers at Merak port in Cilegon, Banten.

For those who frequently cross the Sunda Strait from Merak to Bakauheni in Sumatra, the coin-diving boys are a familiar sight. These children all live around this busy crossing port.

They dive into the water, ignoring the risks while scrambling for coins that ferry passengers throw.

The boys know the rules of this game. They climb to the top of the ferry, even scaling its chimney, as it rests at anchor at the wharf. They wait for many passengers to board the vessel.

Once a crowd lines up along the vessel's railing, they start diving into the sea, one by one. Looking up as they tread water, they appeal to the passengers to throw coins.

If passengers do throw their coins from the deck, they boys dive like cormorants racing to get to the coins before the others.

This occupation is quite dangerous, but the coin divers, ranging in age from 10 to 20 years old, say they enjoy the activity. Some see it as a routine job since they have dropped out of school.

Sadri, 10, a coin diver who lives with his parents in Pulomerak district in Cilegon, said being a coin boy required bravery as well as caution.

He said if they were not careful, they could be dragged too close to the ships' propellers which could slice them into pieces.

"We have to be quick when retrieving coins from the bottom of the sea," Sadri a coin boy since the age of eight, told The Jakarta Post.

Sadri said he and his fellows coin divers were aware of the dangers lurking beneath the surface.

They often had to dive below moving ferries but they would not stop retrieving the coins because they said the activity was fun and they made money.

"I am scared about getting hit by a boat or pulled into its propellers. That's why I swim fast when diving for coins," Sadri said, adding he could earn between Rp 5,000 (54 US cents) and Rp 10,000 each day.

Palar, 13, another coin diver, said he was proud of what he earned this way.

"It's not so bad, we can earn money to buy snacks on our own without having to ask our parents," he said.

Palar said he was also scared of drowning or getting hurt by a propeller, but he had to do this for money because he had no other skills besides swimming and diving.

"The fun and challenge in snagging the coins crushes my fear. Me and my diver friends, we can earn 12,000 a day from hunting for coins," he said.

Sadri, Palar and some 50 other coin divers at Merak port claimed they could earn Rp 50,000 each day during the Idul Fitri holidays because the ships are ferrying more passengers with each crossing.

"I hope my friends and I can earn more money so we can buy new clothes for the Idul Fitri holidays coming up," Palar said.

"We have to be fast because we compete for each coin a passenger throws; if we're slow we get nothing at all," he said.

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Merak ferry port expects increase in passengers

Monday, September 15, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Banten

The number of homeward-bound ferry passengers at Merak port -- the main gateway to sea routes between Java and Sumatra -- may increase during the Idul Fitri holiday season, an official says.

As a result of the potential rise in the number of ferry passengers, national water-crossing transportation operator PT ASDP Ferry Indonesia has been preparing additional vessels and facilities at the port.

"Last year, we recorded 12,659 vehicles of various types crossing the Sunda strait on ferries during the holiday season and have predicted that figure will rise to more than 15,000 this year," ASDP's Merak branch manager Teja Suparna said Saturday.

The number of travelers moving through the port will increase to 117,377 this year, up from 111,788 last year, he added.

A significant increase in the number of travelers usually occurs during Idul Fitri, Teja said. This year, peak time for the port will be from Sept. 25 to 30.

"The port serves an average of 60 round-trip ferry journeys per day between Merak and Bakauheni in Lampung, carrying some 12,000 passengers in total. For the upcoming holiday season, we expect to serve between 75 and 90 round-trips a day," Teja added.

The company will deploy 24 ferries and 12 speed boats to handle the increase in passengers and vehicle loads.

According to Teja, 15 additional ticket booths will be built at the port, supplementing the four currently in operation.

"The new booths will include five for passengers, eight for motorists and two for motorcyclists," he said.

To deal with heavy congestion at the port's entrance as well as with overflow from thousands of trucks, the operator has also prepared two large parking lots.

"Trucks will not be allowed to cross three days before and three days after Idul Fitri," Teja said, adding mandatory security checks on all vehicles would inevitably cause long delays.

The Cilegon municipality has constructed an integrated bus terminal near the port to ease congestion.

However, Cilegon Mayor Tb. Aat Syafaat said the operational permit for the new terminal had not yet been approved.

"The municipal administration has spent huge sums of money from its annual budget. I'm wondering why several parties are opposing the operation of the terminal," he said, adding the terminal construction was also approved by Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah.

Critics claim the terminal will exacerbate congestion instead of easing it, with the Cilegon Police among those recommending the terminal not be used out of concerns about traffic jams.

City secretary Edi Eriadi said the terminal would be given a test run during the holiday season, with preparations already underway for its successful operation.

"We don't accept the claim that the terminal will create more traffic problems. It was built to help smooth traffic, as we explained in a presentation to the Transportation Ministry," he said.

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Unfinished dock confuses fishermen

Saturday, September 13, 2008
Multa Fidrus

A fishermen association at Cituis port in Sukadiri, Tangerang regency, has questioned regency officials about a maintenance and repair facility the administration has left half finished and idle.

Supposedly managed by a public institution called UPDT Pangkalan Pendaratan Ikan Cituis, the facility absorbed more than Rp 3 billion (US$326,000) in funds from the regency's 2007 budget.

"The facility was supposed to start operating in May this year, but as of today there are no indications when it might start. Our fishermen are eager to see it up and running," Jauhari, the chair of the Cituis fishermen association said Friday.

He said no one was available to address why construction has stopped and the facility neglected.

The docking facility has been built right next to the campus of the Seafarer Education and Training Center (BP2IP).

None of the UPDT officials could be found at the facility, except Rusdi, a local fisherman and the facility caretaker.

When The Jakarta Post visited the facility on Friday, a number of imported docking machines were lying untouched in a room and the facility's storage room stood empty.

"Since the main building was completed in February, there's been no activity here. It's just me taking care of the building day and night," Rusdi said.

"Officials from the administration only came once," he said.

Rusdi added local fishermen still have to take their boats to Indramayu in West Java or Pekalongan in Central Java to get them repaired if they have engine problems.

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Drug dealers shot, one dies

Friday, September 12, 2008
Indah Setiawati and Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A Nigerian national allegedly involved in an international drug ring died after police shot him in the back in Bekasi, West Java, dawn on Thursday.

Police narcotics directorate head Sr. Comr. Arman Depari said the man, Oliver Uchechukwu Osondu aka Today Taouray, 32, was brought to a nearby hospital, but he died on the way.

"He tried to fight police officers and attempted to run. When an officer fired a warning shot, he ignored it and kept running,' Arman told reporters.

He said police found 100 grams of heroin at his house on Jl. Mutiara Gading, East Bekasi.
Oliver was formerly convicted of drug offenses and arrested in 2001 by city police officers.

"At that time, he was sentenced to five years in prison under the name of Benjamin Musakoro," Arman said.

He said Oliver was believed to have links with an international drug ring because the heroin might be delivered from an area known as the Golden Crescent -- Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq -- or the Golden Triangle -- Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

Police also arrested another Nigerian national who was allegedly a dealer. They made the arrest after detaining his courier on Jl. Sabang, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Police got a tip-off from neighboring residents that people often did drug transactions on the street.

The alleged courier, identified as Mardiah, led police to her boss, Victor Thembo Macoba, who tried to escape.

"We were forced to shoot him in the leg," Arman said.

Arman said both shot Nigerians did not have a gun.

Police found 58.8 grams of crystal methamphetamine, known as shabu-shabu, in Mardiah's hand and 59.6 grams from a raid at Victor's house on Jl. Jomas, Meruya Utara, West Jakarta.

Victor told police that he got the shabu-shabu from a fellow Nigerian named Ricardo Mabuakor alias Steff, who was still at large.

In Tangerang, security officers seized 99.05 grams of shabu-shabu smuggled through a postal delivery package in a cargo warehouse at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

"The drug was found by airport security officers who were conducting routine checks in the cargo warehouse on Wednesday," Eko Darmanto, chief of intelligence at airport's Customs and Excise Office, said on Thursday.

According to Eko, the drug was sent from Jakarta by a man identified as LL to Jessica, a receiver in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

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Three candidates slated in Tangerang mayoral election

Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The Tangerang municipal elections commission (KPUD) confirmed Monday only three pairs of candidates would be running in the mayoral election scheduled Oct. 26.

The three candidate pairs are incumbent mayor Wahidin Halim with running mate Arief Wismansyah, Muhamad Bonie Mudfijar with Diedy Faried Wadji, and Ismet Sadeli Hasan with Mahfudz Abdullah.

Wahidin is backed by several major parties including the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), the Democratic Party (PD), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Star Crescent (PBB), the Reform Star Party (PBR) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Bonie and Diedy are backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Ismet and Mahfudz have put themselves up as independent candidates.

The three candidate pairs arrived at the KPUD office Monday morning to learn their order on the ballot.

In an open plenary meeting held by the KPUD, Wahidin-Arief was nominated to appear first on the ballot, Bonie-Diedy second and Ismet-Mahfudz third.

The candidates will have police escort until election day to assure security.

"Each candidate and running mate will be escorted by at least two police officers, so 12 officers will be assigned to safeguard them all," KPUD chair Imron Khamami said.

The candidates, he added, are not allowed to begin campaigning until the official campaign period begins next month.

"If any pair withdraws its candidacy, they will be fined as much as Rp 20 billion (US$2.13 million)," he said.

The elections oversight agency (Panwasda) has found the candidates have already committed violations, but it has yet to take any action because they are still waiting for their operating funds from the administration.

"The most glaring violation is the placement of banners promoting the candidates and their running mates. There should be no banners or other promotional materials on the streets until the campaign season starts," Panwasda chair Syafril Elain told The Jakarta Post.

"We are planning to take them all down, but it's postponed because we don't have the money yet."

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Merak Port to adopt electronic ticketing

Monday, September 08, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Banten

An electronic ticketing (or e-ticketing) pilot project will begin at Merak Port in Cilegon, Banten, in a bid to prevent revenue loss from fraud, the national water-crossing transportation operator PT ASDP Ferry Indonesia has said.

"We will start the tryout of the e-ticketing system 15 days before the Idul Fitri celebration," Teja Suparna, PT ASDP Ferry Indonesia Merak's branch manager, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He said the e-ticketing system aimed to minimize company revenue loss by between 5 and 10 percent at least and to help eliminate illegal fees at crossing ports.

"E-ticketing is an automatic system, just like the ticketing system used by turnpike operators. It's quicker and more accurate," he said, adding the new system would also help improve the company's service to the public.

Teja said Merak Port had started introducing the new system to users, in particular vehicle owners, by placing posters near the entrance and inside the port.

To prepare for the exodus of travelers during the Idul Fitri holidays, PT ASDP Merak will open eight ticket booths for vehicles, with ticketing machines placed in each ticket booth.

"So far, we have completed four gates," he said, adding all of the gates were expected to be functioning properly 15 days before the first day of Idul Fitri.

He said a one-hectare parking lot at the port could take up to 250 to 300 large vehicles such as trucks and buses.

During the exodus period ASDP Merak will operate 24 ferries, Teja said.

Banten Police are also making safety preparations for the Idul Fitri holiday.

"We will operate a fleet of seven patrol vessels and three rubber boats to monitor the Sunda strait during the Idul Fitri holidays," Banten Water Police director Adj. Sr. Comr. Alex Fauzi said.
He said anticipation of possible accidents and evacuations from the Sunda strait would mostly focus on the tourist resorts in Cilegon and Pandeglang.

Banten Traffic Police director Adj. Sr. Comr. Istiono said about 2,500 officers would be deployed to secure land transportation lanes, especially at the points in Banten prone to traffic accidents.
"We will also establish at least 27 first-aid stations for passing motorists," Istiono said.

He said the police had asked PT Marga Mandala Sakti, operator of the Tangerang-Merak turnpike, to repair damaged parts of the toll road between kilometer 47 and kilometer 98.

"The toll road operator has promised to complete the repair works by 10 days before Idul Fitri," he said, adding the police had yet to identify the borders of road repairs for motorists.
Idul Fitri this year falls on October 1 and 2.

The road between Serang and Cikande is damaged and without traffic signs at several points, making it a high-accident area, especially during holiday periods.

Istiono said that to ease traffic at the crossing point, the police would not allow trucks to cross the Sunda strait for the four days before and after the Idul Fitri holiday.

"Trucks that still operate during that period will be confined at rest areas on the sides of the turnpike," he said.

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'WFP biscuits improve students' health'

Friday, August 29, 2008

As they have done every day for the past four years, school children at state elementary school SDN Belendung in Tangerang ate nutritional biscuits Wednesday distributed by the World Food Program (WFP).

According to teachers, there has been an overall improvement in the health of the school's 267 students since the start of the food program back in 2004.

"Thank God, by consuming the WFP's biscuits every day since 2004, the health, intelligence and weight of our students have improved, on average," Yati Nurhayati, a teacher at SDN Belendung, said Wednesday.

Students and teachers were also taught to reuse biscuit containers for a variety of uses, such as for files, for carrying books, and in the creation of handicrafts, she added.

"I just hope the WFP's school program will continue," Yati said.

Students of SDN Belendung, located near Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, are among the 500,000 children across Indonesia who have received nutritional supplements through the WFP's school food program.

"We hope to see more students improve their health through the Indonesia program, organized in cooperation with Pizza Hut Indonesia," said Bradley Busetto, WFP Indonesia deputy country director, during a visit to the school Wednesday.

The WFP's hunger relief program, sponsored by the Indonesian government, the private sector and through individual donations, focuses on improving children's health through integrated health service posts (posyandu) and food programs at schools across the country, he added. --JP/Multa Fidrus

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Banten on software piracy

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Banten

Commercial users of pirated computer software will soon face sterner measures from the Banten police.

"We are warning all private companies to replace illegal software with legal versions," police chief Sr. Comr. Rumiah Kartorejo told a press conference Tuesday.

Police have allotted a two-month window for companies to replace pirated software before raids are conducted.

"It's difficult to stop the distribution of pirated software, but the enforcement of intellectual property rights can help reduce demand," Rumiah added.

Representatives of the Jakarta police held a workshop Tuesday to familiarize members of the province's business community with the Intellectual Property Rights Law, later signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Business Software Alliance (BSA) at police headquarters.

According to the MoU, BSA will begin providing the police with technical assistance and data to help support investigations.

BSA representative Donny A. Sheyoputera said the alliance fully supported police efforts to enforce the law and to protect intellectual property rights.

"To assist industrial firms and end-users ... we are offering a computer software certification program or Piagam HKI, which is supported by the National Police," he added.

By joining the program, companies will receive proof of their software's legality, as well as support and recognition from the National Police, in addition to seeing improvements in work performance, Donny said.

BSA has recorded several cases of pirated software use -- either by end-users or commercial retailers -- discovered by the police, with only a few suspects prosecuted in criminal court, he added.

Over the past six months, the police in Jakarta, Tangerang, Batam and Yogyakarta have been enforcing regulations against the use of pirated software more vigorously.

According to BSA's annual reports, as well as a survey conducted by the International Data Center, 87 percent of computer software installed in Indonesia in 2005 was illegal.

Enforcement efforts managed to lower that figure to 85 percent in 2006 and 84 percent in 2007.
The use of pirated software in Indonesia has so far cost the state Rp 3.8 trillion (US$411 million) in losses, Donny said.

"If Indonesia manages to reduce the use of pirated software by 10 percent in the next four years, the absorption of skilled workers into the information technology sector will soar," he said, adding the growth of the software industry will increase state income from taxes, inviting more foreign investment.

In its attempt to improve enforcement against illegal software, BSA, in cooperation with the US Commercial Service, held a workshop for prosecutors and police, training 120 officers on the detection and prevention of pirated software use.

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