Tangerang shoe workers strike for holiday bonus

Friday, August 22, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Some 7,000 workers from PT Hardaya Aneka Shoe Industry (HASI), a former Nike supplier, began striking Thursday in Tangerang to protest company policy on Idul Fitri allowances (THR).

"The management has announced this year all workers will receive less money for THR," Agus Widodo, the chair of HASI's workers union (SPN), told The Jakarta Post.

He said workers received 241 percent of their monthly salary for THR last year but this year they were told to expect just 100 percent.

The strike paralyzed production when HASI's 7,000 workers sat down inside the factory compound in Jatiuwung district, Tangerang municipality.

The sit-down turned violent after factory security banned TV reporters from covering the strike.

"Security banned journalists from covering our action. They are our friends, our defenders," one worker shouted in a speech.

The workers then mobbed and attacked some 25 security officers at the factory.

Police officers arrived later and managed to de-escalate the situation. Police immediately evacuated the security officers, already black and blue from the crowd's beating.

Company representatives Agus Widodo, Sugeng and Fredy said the company had earlier asserted management would not change its THR policy.

The strike was likely triggered by possible massive lay-offs due to an expected September termination of Nike's order contract.

Nike Corporation, an American athletic apparel company, had sent a termination letter July 6, 2007, to Siti Hartati Murdaya, president director of PT Central Cipta Murdaya, HASI's holding company, the workers said.

The letter said Nike intended to end cooperation with them and PT Naga Sakti Parama Shoes Industry (NASA).

The termination letter then led to 13,000 workers from NASA and HASI, which manufacture shoes exclusively for Nike in Tangerang, to rally at the Jakarta Stock Exchange building on July 16 last year to demand Nike restore contracts with the companies.

Agus said the massive lay-off might not take place because the company had secured new contracts with buyers such as Hitech of Taiwan and Armor and Columbia from the United States.

printer friendly

Ciputat residents protest Ahmadiyah

Thursday, August 21, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Hundreds of residents grouped under the Ciputat Muslim Community Forum (FMMC) sealed a mosque belonging to the beleaguered Islamic sect Ahmadiyah in Ciputat, Tangerang, on Wednesday.

The residents said they sealed the Baitul Qoyyum mosque on Jl. Raya Bukit in Serua subdistrict because Ahmadiyah members had failed to abide by a joint ministerial decree released in June.

The decree banned the group from proselytizing, while allowing it to continue activities that were confined to its mosques.

"Jamaah Ahmadiyah still holds religious activities as usual and has continued the physical construction of the mosque even though none of the Muslims living in the subdistrict agree with their presence here," FMMC coordinator Subhan Basuni said.

The residents' attempt to seal the mosque was prevented by the police. Later, on the mosque's fence, the group tried to place a banner reading, "This mosque is closed for all activities because it caused a disturbance to the beliefs of Muslims in Ciputat."

When residents insisted on putting the banner in place, police officers gave in on the condition that everyone left immediately afterward.

"We just wanted to set up the banner because based on Islamic beliefs, the presence of the mosque and the religious activity of Ahmadis has caused a disturbance to the residents of Serua and Serua Indah subdistricts," Basuni said.

Ciputat district chief Chaerul Saleh called on Ahmadis to cease their activities and refrain from spreading their teachings among locals. Ahmadiyah members in Ciputat have reached 250, he added.

"I call on residents to exercise patience and avoid any kind of negative reaction," he said.

Dozens of police officers were deployed to guard the mosque in anticipation of escalated tensions.
A number of Ahmadiyah members who were inside the mosque did not come out, but looked on and watched the protest.

printer friendly

Ciputat overpass fails to ease traffic jams around market area

Saturday, August 16, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The newly constructed Ciputat overpass, in use since late last month, has failed to alleviate traffic jams near the Ciputat market, an official said.

Weekday market traffic remains chaotic because public minivans and city buses loiter in the road waiting for passengers.

Street vendors have taken over the pedestrian walkway in front of the market making the situation worse.

Ciputat district chief Chaerul Saleh said the overpass, which was expected to solve traffic problems around the market, had failed to do the job.

He said unruly public transportation drivers and street vendors were to blame for the daily turmoil.

"A bus terminal would be the only way to remedy the chaotic situation at the Ciputat market so the administration must accelerate the terminal construction plan because people need it right away," he said.

The head of the Tangerang regency transportation agency Deden Sugandhi said the regency administration faced problems trying to acquire land for the bus terminal.

He said the administration has been planning to build a bus terminal on four hectares of land in Cipayung subdistrict but it has managed to buy only 9,000 square meters of land since 2005.

"The price of land around the Ciputat market has skyrocketed but the administration's land procurement department continues to negotiate with residents in the hope they will lower their land prices," he said.

Earlier, he said, the administration had proposed to build an intercity bus terminal in Ciputat but, since the location was to be too close to the existing intercity terminal in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, the Transportation Ministry refused the regency's proposal.

The construction of the overpass began in May last year and cost the government Rp 94.9 billion. To build it, the government evicted dozens of traders near the market.

In 2005, the traders formed a group and asked for advocacy assistance from Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi). In a press release from June that year, the traders and Walhi stated the overpass would not solve the traffic problem.

"The congestion is due to the absence of a terminal, the unruly public transportation drivers and street vendors, the high number of public minivans and bad management of the market," the release stated.

printer friendly

Elephantiasis endemic in 60 villages

Friday, August 15, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

There have been 242 cases of elephantiasis reported in Tangerang regency over the past eight years, the regency's health agency has said.

"As of this year, we have declared elephantiasis endemic in 60 villages in 16 districts and will be providing mass treatment at no cost in the villages on November 12, to coincide with National Health Day," Yuli Sunar Dewanti, the head of communicable diseases and environmental sanitation at the agency, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

The actual number of people living with elephantiasis in the regency may have doubled from that identified thus far, as detection of the disease can be quite difficult, she added.

"Last year, we discovered up to 81 cases of elephantiasis, but as of June this year we could only identify 18 new cases," she said.

The new cases were discovered recently, after the agency took blood samples from residents in several villages, Yuli added. Most of those afflicted were between the ages of 20 and 45.

Lymphatic filariasis had begun to cause swelling and disfigurement of patients' arms, legs, thighs and genitals, she said.

The disease has been on the rise in the regency over the last three years, with eight cases in 2005, 37 in 2006, and 81 last year, Yuli added.

The health agency has thus far declared 16 of the regency's 36 districts disease-prone, including Ciputat, Pondok Aren, Teluknaga, Cikupa, Rajeg, Pamulang, Balaraja, Sepatan, East Sepatan, Cisauk, Cisoka, Mekar Baru, Legok, Pasar Kemis and Curug districts.

The agency earlier began a mass treatment program for the disease in several areas where it is believed to be endemic, only to halt activities due to lack of funding.

Fifteen of the 18 cases were discovered in Pamulang district alone.

Head of the Pamulang community health center Unna Ramadona said the patients had been given intensive treatment, including diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) and albendazole pills, to be consumed regularly over the course of five years.

"Although elephantiasis is not life-threatening, it can permanently damage a person's kidneys or lymphatic system," Unna added.

printer friendly

Hundreds refuse church in Pamulang

Thursday, August 14, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Hundreds of residents rallied on Wednesday against the construction of the Bernades Church in Pondok Cabe Udik subdistrict, Tangerang regency.

"There are a total of 130 churches in the subdistrict and a new church will be built. Of course, this figure is not fitting and conducive for a subdistrict like Pondok Cabe Udik," said Nana Suwardi, one of the protesters.

Residents said they had received information that the construction would consist of not just the church building, but also a large complex sitting on a two-hectare plot of land.

A large church like Bernades should be built downtown, not among residential kampongs in Pondok Ceb Udik, Nana said.

"We have objected twice to the Tangerang regency's Religious Affairs Office, but the officials have told us that the church's construction plans were approved by locals."

He said the officials even showed a list of signatures collected from the residents who agreed with the church's construction plans.

Nana said no locals had been approached for their agreement to the construction plans.

He said residents' signatures must have been forged to pave the way for the construction.

On Nov. 3, 2007, locals attended a meeting at Situ Gintung restaurant organized by Forum Taaruf Umat Beragama.

"We were asked to put our signatures on a blank piece of paper provided by the organizer, but we were told that it was just to document our presence at the meeting," he said.

According to the protesters, the first stone of the church was supposed to be laid at the site on Wednesday, but construction was canceled due to the protests.

No one involved in the church's construction was available to comment on the protest at the construction site.

Catholic priest Rev. Romo Puryanto, who was present at the Nov. 3 meeting, said there were 7,798 Catholics living in Pamulang so the district needed a Catholic church.

"The construction plans to build a Catholic church in the area fulfill all of the requirements. We will only build one Catholic church in Pamulang district," he said in a Forum Taaruf Umat Beragama statement.

Pamulang district chief Achmad Taufik said his administration conducted a series of meetings with several community leaders in response to residents' objection to the church.

Pondok Cabe Udik subdistrict chief Saderi A. Sairi, Pamulang religious office affairs chief M.

Fuadi, Forum Taaruf cleric M. Kahfi, Pamulang Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) member KH.

M. Saidih, and Pondok Cabe Udik MUI member H. Nana were present at the meetings, Achmad said.

"They said to leave it up to the religious affairs minister and the home affairs minister. The did not raise any objections to the construction of the church in Pamulang."

printer friendly

Illegal taxis still present, but useful: Airport operator

Saturday, August 09, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II has yet to eliminate illegal taxis operating at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

"We have frequently filed complaints to the airport operator concerning the presence of illegal taxis, but to no avail," Darmin, an authorized taxi driver who regularly picks up fares at the airport, told The Jakarta Post at Terminal II on Thursday.

The operator's failure to crack down on illegal taxis has cost authorized taxi drivers business, as they now have to wait longer to pick up passengers.

Taxis must purchase official stickers, placed on their windshields and rear windows, to be authorized for operation at the airport. Although the majority of illegal taxis are private minivans, official drivers have also objected to fellow taxi drivers operating without stickers.

Darmin said airport security officers were aware of the illegal taxis, but did nothing to stop them, adding it was no secret informal taxi drivers had the backing of individuals inside Angkasa.

"You often see security officers make a show of stopping them with their clubs, only to let them pass," he added.

Salim, 50, another taxi driver, said operators of illegal taxis did not use meters, with many passengers complaining the fees were higher than those in metered taxis.

Authorized drivers are hoping the airport operator will deal with the problem aggressively.

Some passengers find the illegal taxis useful, PT Angkasa Pura spokesman Trisno Heryadi said.

Airport authorities have to consider the problem from a humanitarian perspective, as passengers with limited means rely on informal taxis and ojek (motorcycle taxi) to meet their transportation needs, he added.

"A taxi cannot accommodate seven or more passengers. Your choice is between taking two taxis and paying twice as much or taking a minivan that offers the same service as a single taxi, at the same price, but which can take up to 10 passengers," he told the Post.

Rita Zahara, 37, a resident of East Ciputat district, agreed illegal airport taxis were helpful.

"I arrived at the airport on December 28 after performing a pilgrimage to Mecca. My husband, my son, nieces and sisters came to pick me up at Terminal II. None of the official taxis we hailed was willing to take us using the meter," she said.

Instead, drivers asked her and her family to pay between Rp 200,000 and 300,000 to go from the airport to Ciputat. The metered fare is only Rp 150,000.

"An Isuzu Panther minivan driver approached us at the terminal entrance and was willing to take us for Rp 150,000," she added.

printer friendly

Schools closed to make way for business center

Friday, August 08, 2008
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Schools are the latest neighborhood residents to be evicted from the future site of Tangerang's business center, following the relocation of the Cikokol market a few months back.

The Tangerang municipal administration is sacrificing education in the name of business interests with its plan to relocate two schools to make way for the business center on Jl. Sudirman, Cikokol, critics say.

The two state elementary schools, SDN Sukasari No.4 and SDN Sukasari No.5, will be relocated despite strong objections from teachers and parents.

"The administration informed us of its plan to relocate the schools last year, but we don't know when it will actually happen," Qomaruddin, the principal of SDN 4, said Wednesday.

School officials have no choice but to leave the decision to the whims of the administration, as only it can authorize the relocation, Qomaruddin added.

Developer PT Panca Karya Griyatama will build the Rp 1.5 trillion Mega City business center on seven hectares of land formerly occupied by the Cikokol traditional market. The center will include a large shopping mall, office buildings and apartment complexes.

Head of the municipal development planning board Dadang Durrahman said the two schools would be relocated by the end of the year.

"They will be moved to Babakan subdistrict, near the public library, which is only 500 meters from their present location," he added.

A number of parents expressed their dissatisfaction with the plan, saying the administration had been swayed by business interests.

"It's hard to believe the administration of Wahidin Halim (the incumbent mayor), which has been so committed to improving education standards, is letting developers run the schools out just to put up a shopping mall," said Nani, a parent of an SDN 4 student.

Although teachers and parents reject the administration's plans, they hope the schools will be relocated sooner rather than later, as scholastic activities have been disrupted for nearly a year because of the project, she added.

Edy Ham, a councilor at the municipal legislative council said his organization had yet to receive word about the relocation plan.

"If relocation is unavoidable, the administration should ask the developer to move the schools to an equally strategic location, so as not to inconvenience students and their parents -- because right now, the present position is very strategic," he added.

printer friendly

Racketeering triggered transportation strike

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post , Tangerang | Thu, 08/07/2008 10:09 AM | City

Fed up with racketeers, public minivan transportation drivers along the Cileduk-Pondok Kacang route commenced striking Tuesday.

The drivers said they would continue the strike until the Tangerang municipal transportation agency and the police undertook stern measures to stop the extortionists, who daily threaten drivers with violence.

Illegal fees had become exorbitant, ranging from Rp 5,000 to Rp 25,000 a day, the drivers said, adding the racketeers do not hesitate to resort to violence when refused.

"We can no longer stand being extorted each day like milked cows. We have to endure violence at the hands of these hoodlums," Rojali, 35, one of the striking drivers, told The Jakarta Post at the Cileduk intersection Wednesday.

In protest, drivers parked their minivans at various intersections, leaving hundreds of passengers along the route stranded each day since Tuesday.

Cileduk chief detective First Insp. Erizal said the police had arrested one suspected member of the racket identified as Sodik, alias Bontai, following a police report filed by the drivers.

Officers picked up Bontai at his home in Pondok Serut village in the Pondok Aren district Tuesday and were still looking for his accomplices, Erizal added.

The police will charge the suspect with violating article 368 of the criminal code, on violence. The article carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The Association of Public Transportation Drivers (SPAU) urged local transportation agencies to improve their systems for issuing public transportation minivan permits so that such minivans can operate and properly serve recommended routes.

"The transportation agency and the police must coordinate their efforts to stop hoodlums from demanding money from drivers along their routes," SPAU chairman Saiful Milah said.

Based on the SPAU's calculations, drivers and transportation companies had to spend up to Rp 18 billion on racketeering fees, he added.

In Tangerang regency, the head of the regency transportation agency Deden Sugandhi said illegal fees were collected on many of the regency's streets, involving unauthorized officers who used agency uniforms.

"Racketeering on the part of these unauthorized officers has really embarrassed the regency administration, especially the transportation agency," Deden said, adding he had frequently received reports from community members about such fees.

The impostors collected between Rp 2,000 and Rp 5,000 from each passing driver, particularly after midnight at several spots in the Pamulang and Cisauk districts.

In response to complaints, Deden conducted an undercover investigation, disguised as a pickup truck driver.

In total, he arrested six men stationed at separate spots posing as officers and demanding a Rp 5,000 fee, he said.

Wahidin Halim tenders resignation

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang Wed, 08/06/2008 10:15 AM City

Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim has officially resigned from his position, in order to seek re-election in the upcoming mayoral election.

Jakarta administration assistant Affandi Permana has also resigned, in order to run as a candidate in the regency election in Ciamis, West Java.

Both politicians resigned to comply with a 2004 law on regional administrations that obliges officials seeking election to leave office.

"Wahidin Halim's resignation letter was approved by Home Affairs Minister Madriyanto on August 2. Wahidin Halim relinquished his role as head of the administration on that date," administration spokesman Saiful Rochman said Tuesday.

Control of the administration has been given to deputy mayor Deddy Safei, until a new mayor is sworn on September 6.

Wanted: pedestrian crosswalks at Serpong

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post , Tangerang Wed, 08/06/2008 10:19 AM City

Every day, dozens of students in Serpong, Tangerang, have to brave oncoming traffic just to get across the street.

Despite being one of the busiest roads in the city, Jl. Raya Serpong -- near the Alam Sutra, Bumi Serpong Damai and Vila Melati Mas housing complexes -- has no pedestrian walkways.

Instead, pedestrians have to dodge and weave through the thousands of vehicles that use the 12-kilometer-road every hour.

The street has only two pedestrian bridges.

"There is an urgent need for a pedestrian crossing along Jl. Raya Serpong due to the movement of such large numbers of people along with the high volume of traffic in the area. It's too risky for pedestrians to cross the road," Tangerang traffic police chief Insp. Ristanto said Tuesday.

The police have conducted a study on traffic density in the area, finding a pedestrian crosses the street nearly every second, he added.

"We've sent a letter to the Banten provincial public works agency three times to ask them to build pedestrian bridges, but the response is always that no budget exists for such construction," Ristanto said.

The absence of such bridges causes traffic congestion at certain points, such as at the Plaza Serpong and WTC Matahari shopping centers, as well near the Gading Serpong housing complex, the Ashobirin Hospital and the Pratama Abadi Industry building, he added.

Risanto said pedestrians crossing the street often disrupted traffic because passing vehicles had to slow down or stop, delaying vehicles behind them.

"At some spots, there are no signs warning motorists to reduce their speed and allow pedestrians to cross," he said, adding warning signs could help protect pedestrians.

Many multinational companies have opened offices in Serpong, accelerating economic growth in the area and attracting more visitors and foot traffic.

Tangerang regent Ismet Iskandar said his administration was not responsible for public facility construction along the road.

"Jl. Raya Serpong is a provincial road controlled by the Banten provincial administration, so we don't have the authority to build public facilities or to make improvements there," he added.

300 jobless after permit revocation

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Tue, 08/05/2008 10:16 AM City

As many as 300 employees of financial firm PT Graha Finesa Berjangka (GFB) lost their jobs after the firm's business permit was revoked by the Futures Exchange Supervisory Board (Bappebti).

"We will soon file complaints with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono because such unfair revocation of our business permit, without warning, has cost some 300 employees their jobs," Hafidz, the company director, said in Karawaci on Monday.

The revocation of GFB's business permit was unfounded because there is no evidence the company has violated the regulations Bappebti claims it has, he added.

Hafidz said Bappebti accused the company of committing violations in its promotional campaigns, in failing to report customer transactions to PT Bursa Berjangka Jakarta (BBJ) and PT Kliring Berjangka Indonesia (KBI) and in using funds for activities unrelated to customers.

Bappebti also accused the company of having violated standard operation procedures.

"All the accusations are false because we have always reported customer transactions, of any kind, to the PT BBJ and PT KBI," Hafidz said.

Tangerang tap water gets private investment

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post , Tangerang Tue, 08/05/2008 10:16 AM City

The central government signed a memorandum of understanding Monday with a private company investing Rp 520 billion in tap water provision for five districts in Tangerang regency.

"Due to limited sources of clean water across the country, the government needs to begin collaborating with private investors. This is a creative solution," Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said in Tangerang.

The collaboration with a private company would not be detrimental to the existing tap water utility PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja, which has supplied clean water to Tangerang locals thus far, he added.

"With a new competitor, PDAM must work harder from now on," Djoko said.

The quality and volume of Java's rivers, including the Cisadane river in Tangerang, has drastically declined, he added.

Djoko said Tangerang regency was a model of collaboration between government and private investors in the provision of clean water. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has given a target date of December 2009 for completion of the project, he added.

"If the water provision project with Acuatico Pte Ltd is successful, collaboration of this kind will be further developed in other regions across the country," he said.

Singapore-based Acuatico will build a tap water installation plant to supply clean water for industries and residents living in Sepatan, Pasar Kemis, Cikupa, Balaraja and Jayanti districts.

Acuatico is expected to provide 3,400 liters of water per second for households and 10,000 liters per second for industries.

Acuatico director Fatah Topobroto said investment in the water production came solely from the company's own capital, not from state or regional budgets.

Construction for the project consists of intake installations, a water treatment plant, pipelines and installation of meters in consumers' homes.

The collaboration grew out of an infrastructure summit initiated by several ministers in the United Cabinet, with the aim of developing regional infrastructure, such as roads, schools, bridges and tap water facilities.

Tangerang regent Ismet Iskandar said the supply of clean water in Tangerang was still inadequate.

"We are very grateful the central government has paid attention to the regency," he added.

Ismet said he hoped the government would continue monitoring the project's implementation.

Acuatico first entered Indonesia's tap water market in January 2007, acquiring 95 percent of the shares in PT Aetra Air Jakarta, formerly PT Thames PAM Jaya.

The 2004 Law on Water Resources first opened the possibility of private investment in water provision, sparking protests from organizations arguing water provision should be in the hands of publicly controlled entities.

In 2005, at least 17 organizations requested the Supreme Court perform a judicial review of the water resources law. The court refused the request in July of that same year.

Tiring Passport Queue at Immigration Office

TIRING WAIT: Thousands of will-be migrant workers wait in line for passport at Cikokol Immigration Office in Tangerang. Many of them fell asleep because of feeling tired of standing in line to get a passport bookfrom the office. Multa Fidrus/JP

Migrant workers face delays

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Thousands of migrant workers could not leave the country to start new jobs due to long delays in passport processing at the special immigration unit in Cikokol, Tangerang municipality.

The delays forced some migrant worker agencies (PJTKI) to postpone departures to several Middle Eastern countries, throwing workers' jobs into further uncertainty.

Migrants workers claimed they had been waiting for their passports at the office since Friday.
Yanti, a would-be migrant worker, said she was confused by immigration officers' request that she be photographed a second time.

"The officers took my picture last week, but claimed they lost my file, which was being processed under the new system," the 22-year-old worker from Sukabumi, West Java, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

The delay means she and her friends will have to pay more to the PJTKI to cover the cost of accommodations, she added.

Darsih, 19, another migrant worker, from East Nusa Tenggara, said she had been scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, but was still waiting in line for her passport Thursday.

"I've been waiting here since Friday, but don't know how long I have to wait before my passport gets printed," she added.

Immigration officers, seen busily attending to their duties before the new system took effect Monday, appeared confused and at a standstill, while passport application forms piled up around them.

Several officers said they could nothing as they waited to transition to the new system.

Head of the Cikokol immigration office Tamsil Yakub said the directorate of immigration implemented the new system, called the Travel Document Publication System of the Republic of Indonesia (SPSPRI), to replace the older, outdated Biometrics-Based Integrated Photo System (SPTBB).

"SPTBB was based on finger print recognition. We could process passports as soon as the applications were submitted," he said, adding the process used to be on a first come, first served basis.

"The new system is based on facial recognition, requiring applicants to wait in line longer. Also, our existing equipment could not support the new system," he added.

Passport processing at the office will be delayed until the new system is fully integrated.
Tamsil refused to answer when things would get better for the workers, saying the journalists should have been grateful he was willing to meet them.

printer friendly

Jewelry smuggling attempt foiled at airport

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Custom and Excise officers have foiled a smuggling attempt of expensive jewelries worth billionsof Rupiah from Hong Kong into the country through the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

“We seized as many as 77 pieces of luxirious jewelries decorated with pearl, pure diamond, gold and giok stones comprising earings, bracelets, necklaces and rings from a passenger,” Eko Darmanto, chief of intelligence at airport Customs and Excise Office said Monday.

He said the 40-years old Indonesian woman identified as IJ arrived at the airport from Hong Kong with Garuda GA863 on July 26.

“Based passenger’s profile analyses, officers became suspicious of the woman who appreared to be nervous when she passed by the check point at the terminal,” he said.

Officers then asked the woman to open both her cabin and hand bags and found the jewelries hidden in her hand bag.

“The value of the jewelries exceeded the minimum limit of free obligation of items a passenger has to report in the declaration form,” he said, adding that the woman did not report the jewleries through the custom declaration.

He said officers were still examining the purity and the real value of the jewelries to find out how much the woman had to pay to the state for the import.

“For the time being, we alleged that the jewelries worth more than Rp 5 billion,” he said, adding that the woman had testified that the jewelries she took from Hong Kong belonged to several colleagues of her.

Factories stay shut on weekend

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post , Tangerang Mon, 07/28/2008 11:01 AM City

Factories in Tangerang regency remained closed on Saturday, despite government regulations requiring manufacturers to shift at least two workdays a month to the weekend.

None of the 500 manufacturers operating in the regency has implemented the regulation, which was supposed to take effect on July 21 in an attempt to reduce electricity consumption by 10 to 20 percent.

Masruri, human resources manager of PT Surya Toto, a tile and toilet producer located on Jl. Raya Serpong, said only 150 out of a total of 3,200 workers came in to work on Saturday.

"Only employees who work at the incineration section come in on Saturdays," he told The Jakarta Post.

He said although the company supported the new regulation, it would not implement it because the factory uses its own power generator.

"Moreover, we have also been informed by state-owned power company PT PLN we were not included in the power rationing list," he said.

It was a similar story at the factory of PT Hardaya Aneka Shoe Industry (HASI), a supplier for American athletic apparel company Nike.

Agus Widodo, chairman of HASI's worker union, said workers had yet to receive notice from the company management about a change in working hours.

"Everything is the same as usual here. On Saturdays, workers only work for five hours, from 7 a.m. to 12 noon, or from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.," he told the Post.

He said the factory, which employs 7,000 workers, produced on average 15,000 pairs of shoes each day between Monday and Friday, and 10,000 pairs on Saturday.

Hery Rumawatine, chairman of the regency's Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), said Apindo was still trying to raise awareness among manufacturers about the government regulation.

"We postponed the implementation of the regulation to July 31, pending a memo from Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno, because the shift in workdays involves overtime payments," he told the Post.

He said Apindo supported the regulation but it was difficult to implement because of the additional costs to manufacturers of operating on weekends.

Amir Hamzah, head of the external division of the national oil and gas Upstream Regulatory Body (BP Migas), said Friday the supply of gas from BP West Java to Jakarta had normalized on July 24.

He said supplies had resumed after BP West Java completed maintenance works scheduled to end on July 25, but it managed to finish the work two days earlier than scheduled.

PLN's Jakarta and Tangerang office announced Friday it had canceled plans for a rotating blackout in the capital because of "cooperative big consumers".

It said offices and retail centers also managed to lower their energy consumption, thus keeping the firm from having to cut power.

Modern fresh food markets do well in housing suburbs

CLEANUP ON AISLE ONE: Industry and Trade minister Mari Elka Pengesti talks to traders witnessed by Tangerang deputy regent Rano Karno (above). Customers browse the fresh vegetable section at Pasar Modern in the Bumi Serpong Damai City housing complex in Tangerang. The market is one of the first in the country to adopt a clean traditional market concept. (JP/Multa Fidrus)

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post , Tangerang Sat, 07/26/2008 11:25 AM City

It's hardly surprising when people turn their backs on the traditional market given its notorious reputation for being a muddy, cramped and smelly place.

But the traditional market in the Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) self-contained housing area in Serpong, Tangerang, called a "modern market" is an exception to the rule.

There, the market stays dry and orderly, luring customers from the middle-income housing areas to stop by and shop for their groceries.

"I don't just come here to shop for all my family's needs. I frequently bring along my children and husband, particularly during holidays, because they also enjoy spending time here," Ika Setiani, who lives in a nearby housing estate, told The Jakarta Post last weekend.

The 37-year-old mother of two said the traditional market served the residents and gave small traders nearby the opportunity to make a living.

Being far from business and trade centers, housing clusters and self-contained residential areas on the outskirts of Jakarta have tried to cater to all their residents' needs.

Malls and the shopping centers came first. Years later, several developers in Tangerang built traditional markets, offering their residents an alternative place to buy fresh groceries at lower prices.

A basic commodity trader, Tie Lin, 50, said that although most of her customers drove their own cars to the market, they still enjoyed haggling even though it was not something they were good at.

"Buyers have the right to bargain and we have the right to put our prices up or down," she said.
The modern market, which is located on a 2.6-hectare property near the Serpong-Pondoh Indah turnpike, opened to public in July 2004.

It has 303 spaces in its main area for traditional traders, 320 kiosks facing that area and 100 shops near the market area.

Every evening, there are 100 cafes in tents set up in the parking lot serving a variety of local favorites.

Muhammad Ridwan, marketing manager of Serpong City Paradise, has installed a modern market inside their area. He said the existence of the market supported other housing areas and several nearby villages because the regular traditional markets were located far away.

"We adopted the concept of a modern market from various models," he said on Wednesday.

The market has 100 kiosks and 56 lots, and was opened last June. All of the kiosks and lots were sold out before the opening.

To attract more visitors, the sogo jongkok and fruit wholesalers with lower prices set up stalls every Saturday and Sunday.

Sogo jongkok is a local term for non-permanent market where street vendors sell second-hand or even counterfeited branded items.

Property developer Summarecon opened Gading Serpong's traditional market, Sinpasa Modern Market, in September 2004.

"The market concept is adopted from Pasar Mandiri, a modern market we built in Kelapa Gading, East Jakarta, in 1985." said Cut Meutia, corporate public relation manager of Summarecon.

The Simpasa Modern Market is located right next to Summarecon Mall Serpong so that visitors are given more opportunity to purchase what they need after shopping at the mall.

The market has 142 kiosks offering basic commodities and 137 lots for vegetables, fruits, fish and meat. It opens from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.

"In their contract, all traders agree to abide by the regulations we apply in order to keep the market clean and comfortable," Meutia said.

She said traders were also obliged to provide fresh merchandise and sell them to buyers at affordable prices. Visitors are also given the opportunity to bargain any transactions they make.

"The strategy we use to keep the market crowded each day is maintaining comfort and good sanitation," Meutia said.

Diana Natalie, 40, who manages a restaurant at the BSD traditional market, said customers could wait in line while market management supervised traders to sustain cleanliness.

"Look at the traders in this (BSD) market. They are perfect examples of traditional traders who abide by the rules. The market stays clean and neat at all the time," she said.

Diana said she was surprised to hear that within a year her food business would be making over Rp 8 million (US$851) a day.

"It's not just BSD residents who shop here. Most of my customers come from Pamulang, Bintaro, Pondok Indah (other housing areas in South Jakarta) and Gading Serpong," she said.

Kuei Pin Yeo: Dedicated educator who is committed to creating high-quality young musicians

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The Jakarta International Summer Music Festival (JISMF) was in fact not merely an assembly of diverse and outstanding groups of talented young musicians, music teachers and visiting international artists as it was expected to be.

More than that, the two-week event had also given a significant transformation to the characteristic of students at Jakarta Musical School (SMJ) in fact.

“What makes me very impressed and proud of the festival was that silent students turned to be talkative and those who where shy and scared appeared to be self confident through the festival,” pianist Kuei Pin Yeo told The Jakarta Post in an interview at SMJ campus in Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) satellite city on Tuesday.

Yeo, artistic and music director as well as the initiator of JISMF said the festival held from June 21 to July 5 was merely expected to give talented young musicians an opportunity to learn from noted musicians and teachers from several other countries who have had experience in musical creativity.

The school invited Andrew Massey and Lisa Laskowich from the U.S. ; Pamela Wedgwood from the U.K. ; Arten Konstantinov and Gleb Dontzov from Russia ; Ichiro Kato from Japan ; Leanne Nicholls from Australia ; Olivia Skwara from Poland including Yeo’s husband who is Indonesian director of strings Jap Tji Kien.

They guided the participants in intensive but pleasant musical activities comprising individual lessons, master classes, workshops, chamber music, musical theater workshops, improvisations, choir, music appreciation, concerts and orchestral activities.

The event also introduced improvisation workshops and musical theater to the participants. Dozens of participants from various regions were taught how to design and create their own works through this workshop.

Students also learned from videos featuring musical theater shows from Broadway, such as The Producers, Chicago , Rent, Wicked and The Lion King. The participants will learn how to play roles for musical theater.

The musical productions put together from the training were be staged in the JISMF Gala Concert at the closing of the festival at the Jakarta Art Building in Central Jakarta .

SMJ which now has four learning centers besides the main campus in BSD is managed by the Jakarta Music Foundation, which was established by Kuei Pin Yoe in 1983.

As a dedicated educator whose unceasing efforts to bring world-class music education to Indonesia , Yeo also established the International Music Conservatory of Indonesia in early this year.

She is committed to producing high-quality young musicians who are well prepared in music performance and skills.

“Only this (dedication) what I can give back to the country where I was born, grew up and spend the rest of life” she said, adding that she Thanks to God because she always gets a balance in developing musical education in the country and performing at international concert stages.

Yoe was born in Jakarta in 1954. It was her mother who had mostly played important role in supports to her musical talent with high discipline to exercise.

Being the only girl in a family of four children, her parents supported her love for music and her decision to use music as a platform to realize her visions and duties as a musician and educator.
“I clearly remember when I was five years old. My parents bought a used piano for me and I began to seriously learn the music when I turned seven,” said Yoe who aspired to become a civil engineer.

Yeo managed to attribute her conviction in maximizing her potential to her parents, who encouraged her to achieve the highest possible degree and she could prove it since elementary school.

After graduating from senior high, she was registered as a technical engineering student the Trisakti University .

Just a few months later, she left Trisakti because scholarship offer from the Manhattan University summoned her to study music in the USA .

She spent nine years of musical studies at the Manhattan School of Music in New York . When she retuned to the country, she became the first Indonesian to obtain a doctorate in Music (piano performance).

Yeo who can fluently speak in Mandarin and English, believes that striving is always the best for the better.

Her concerts have drawn praise in Europe , America and Asia . The New York Times, on the occasion of her Carnegie Hall recital debut, hailed her as both a polished technician and responsive musician, and even praised for her elegantly detailed, immaculate and musically direct interpretation.

According to Yeo, music begins to have a good prospect in the country since the mindset of most Indonesian people had also begun to shift forward.

“Most parents used to insist on their children to study the subjects the parents wanted but now many parents began to understand and even support children’s choice to study based on their talents.”

“I wish Indonesia could have a good standard of music and we could be proud of the achievement in musical scene and one day we could have a good orchestra like those in the developed countries,” she said.

She said good orchestra could not be established and survive without the attention of the government because orchestra needs a permanent place for exercise and concerts. It also needs spectators.

“To provide a permanent building for exercising, concerts and familiarize people with the classical music is the role of the Culture and Tourism Ministry. I am very concerned because skyscrapers continue to grow in the capital but not an orchestra building,” she said.Her marriage with Jap Tji Kien in 1983 has given them a couple of children Anthony Jaya, 22 and Stephanie Jaya, 18

Int'l NGOs condemn forced evictions

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Friday, July 18, 2008

International NGOs have recently spoken out against the eviction of families from their homes near Lake Setu Antap, Tangerang.

"We condemn the forced eviction, on Apr. 30, of 35 families living around Setu Antap," Bret Thiele, rights litigation program coordinator of the Geneva-based Center on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), said in a July 8 letter to Tangerang regent Ismet Iskandar.

COHRE urged the Tangerang administration to ensure adequate compensation for loss of home and livelihood for the evicted residents, as well to provide housing for the families.

Representatives from the organization will come to Indonesia to meet with regent Ismet Iskandar and discuss the matter in mid-August, Thiele said in his letter.

A similar letter was sent to Raquel Ronik, special rapporteur for the UN High Commission for Human Rights; President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah; Ifdhal Kasim, chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights, and to the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, Thiele added.

On Apr. 30, the Tangerang regency administration evicted 250 residents living around Lake Setu Antap.

Public order officers, escorted by some 400 police officers and the military, dismantled the residents' houses, despite a brief sit-in staged by locals and backed by a number of activists from the Anti-violence Students Association.

In the initial eviction order, signed by regent Ismet Iskandar in April 2007, the administration stated the land around the lake had been bought by a woman named Darnelis. Residents later found out Darnelis had died and her heirs had inherited the land.

Ismet then issued another eviction order on Apr. 17, 2008, stating the eviction was aimed at restoring the lake's use as a water catchment area.

Despite being forcibly evicted, some families continue fighting for their rights to the state land, occupying partly demolished houses around the lake or nearby tents.

"We won't leave our home, even though it has been demolished, because this is the state's land.

We have been living here for 20 years. We don't want to move for the benefit of a private owner," Bambang Setiabudi, a member of one of the eight families squatting on the lake bank, said Thursday.

Bambang now lives in a tent near the lake with his two children, his house having been completely demolished.

Darwis, another resident, said he and seven other neighbors -- Ustad Rais, Faturahman, Fatoni, Rokim, Muhlis, Parno and Bambang Setiaudi -- had frequently received threats for occupying the land.

"The most recent threat we received was from the South Jakarta Police. We were summoned to police headquarters, following a report filed by Sarmidi Purba," he said. "Sarmidi Purba is a lawyer for the late Darnelis."

Ismet Iskandar said there was no private developer interested in the land.

"The eviction was in line with the ongoing river and lake revitalization program funded by the central government. The lake was never sold to a property developer," Iskander said.

Earlier, regency councilors asked Ismet where he received the funds from to evict the Setu Antap residents. Councilors said they could not identify any eviction program in the 2008 regency budget.

"The regent asked for two weeks to prepare his answer to this question," said council deputy speaker Arif Wahyudi, of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

printer friendly

Human skeleton found in house

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Residents of a housing complex in Kunciran believe that a human skeleton found buried in a house is the former owner of the house, Siti Khoiriah.

The human skeleton, now at Tangerang Public Hospital, was still dressed in female Muslim clothing complete with a veil when found.

Sarah, Siti's niece, Tuesday said she recognized the clothing.

"Yes, I recognize the clothing and the veil. They belonged to my aunt," Sarah told reporters after taking a look at the skeleton in the public hospital.

The skeleton was first found by Sachrudin, a worker who was digging a water way in the house Monday afternoon. The house was sold to a Bintaro resident two months ago, neighbors said.

"I just saw a human foot-like bone, but when I dug deeper, I found a human skeleton in an upside-down position," Sachrudin said.

News about the discovery spread and drew curiosity from neighbors, who then swarmed to the house to see what had happened.

Neighbor Rusnaidi, 45, said the last time he saw Siti was last year.

"To the best of my knowledge, Angga, the son of the Siti, was the last person to leave the house," he said.

Neighbors said Angga sold the house because he needed money to get married.

Rusnaidi said the last time he met and talked with Angga, 24, was about three months ago. He also happened to see Angga in Gondrong subdistrict a few days ago, but he did not get the chance to talk to him.

"When I met him in April I asked where his mother was. Angga told me his mother lived in a rented house in Cipete subdistrict."

Rusnaidi said he told Angga that he would like to see his mother, but Angga prevented him, saying that his mother was still very sick and always ran amok when people visited.

He said that before her disappearance, Siti lived in the house with Angga and her other niece Ani.
In the neighborhood, Siti was known to suffer from a mental illness. She frequently shouted alone without cause and threw things out of the house.

"Angga seldom talked to neighbors here. We suspected he was embarrassed of his sick mother," Rusnaidi said.

Cipondoh Police chief Insp. Sukarna dismissed neighbors' suspicion.

"We are still working hard to investigate the case. We don't even know yet whether the skull belonged to a man or a woman," he said.

Sukarna said police were looking for Angga for questioning.

printer friendly

Airport cops take urine tests after drug bust

Multa Fidrus and Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Jakarta

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Urine tests have been ordered for all 383 officers stationed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport following the weekend arrest of three airport officers for the alleged possession of narcotics.

"All officers at the airport are required to submit to a urine test, without exception, including myself," airport police chief Sr. Comr. Guntur Setyanto said Monday.

He said the tests were being administered at Jakarta Police Headquarters beginning Monday morning.

Three airport police officers, identified only by the initials W, IR and D, were arrested by West Jakarta Police over the weekend for the alleged possession and use of crystal methamphetamine.
Authorities believe the three officers stole the crystal methamphetamine from drug shipments intercepted by the airport's customs and excise office.

"Long before the arrests were made, I had already ordered internal affairs to look at all the officers. I suspected that some officers were using the drug evidence," Guntur said.

He said he would wait for the West Jakarta Police to complete their investigation before deciding what action to take against the three officers.

"If the officers are found guilty, I will take stern measures. These measures will be imposed on the officers based on the decisions made at a hearing of the police's ethics board," he said.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Adang Firman said Monday that any officers found guilty of possessing or using drugs would be fired and brought up on criminal charges.

"This is in line with police regulations. The possession and use of drugs is strictly prohibited for police," he said.

Three months ago, the National Police arrested the head of the North Bogor Police sub-precinct, Adj. Comr. Endang Rudianes, and two civilians as they used crystal methamphetamine, or shabu-shabu, in the officer's office.

printer friendly

Foreign airline complains of kites near airport runways

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Friday, July 11, 2008

PT Angkasa Pura II, operator of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, on Thursday urged the government to help enforce a kite-flying ban, following complaints by a foreign airline of kites being flown near the runways.

"We received complaints from Japan Airlines because one of the airline's pilots was distracted by a kite when the plane was landing," Angkasa Pura spokesman Trisno Heryadi told The Jakarta Post.

He said local residents continued to flout the ban, despite measures by airport security officers to confiscate kites.

Trisno said Angkasa Pura had asked for police assistance to enforce the ban, but police officers said there was no legal basis to act on because the kite flyers "are not criminals" despite their obvious transgressions.

"We have also asked for assistance from the Tangerang Public Order Agency to help keep local residents in check, but they are running scared because residents threatened them with machetes," he said.

The airport operator has been forced to switch the usage of its runways every afternoon since June 30 because of this problem.

Every day after 3:30 p.m., the airport's left runway is used for taking off and the right runway for landing, to ensure airline safety, an official said Wednesday.

The left runway is normally used for landing and the right runway for taking off.

The Tangerang municipal administration passed the 2004 bylaw prohibiting residents from flying kites within 18 kilometers of the airport, following complaints by pilots about the safety risks posed by the kites.

Theoretically, violators face three months in jail or a fine of up to Rp 3 million.

A 1992 aviation safety law also stipulates those who endanger the safety of flights face up to 6 months in jail term or a fine amounting to Rp 16 million.

However, both regulations have proved toothless without support from law enforcement agencies.

M. Farriedh, head of Angkasa Pura's security division, said airport security had confiscated as many as 483 kites between May 5 and June 30, with residents undeterred in their quest to break the law.

"Today we seized only three kites, yesterday it was 13. Most kite flyers tie the kites to trees and watch them from a distance," he said.

"However, we will continue operations to monitor the problem around the runways until we can get to the root of the problem and create a system to curb the activity."

He said airport security had met with airport police, airport administration and the Tangerang Public Order Agency to discuss the problem on Thursday, but the meeting ended without any concrete decisions.

printer friendly

Air Force evicts residents

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Thursday, July 10, 2008

Some 300 Air Force soldiers on Wednesday evicted families from 39 houses at the Air Force housing complex in Neglasari, Tangerang, near Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Those evicted were families of retired Air Force officers, who are required to vacate their official residences once they are no longer active. Another 41 houses have yet to be reclaimed, with active officers waiting in line to move to the complex and occupy the houses.

The soldiers, who began evicting occupants at 8 a.m., were met with resistance and protests.
"We are very disappointed with the forcible eviction because we have no idea where we will live now," Nini, one of those evicted, said.

She said she had lived in the house in the complex for more than 15 years, but was now forced to leave with no compensation at all.

However, Col. Mulyo Handoko, chief of operations at Halim Perdana Kusumah Air Base, who led the eviction, said the proceedings were carried out to uphold existing regulations.

"We have been very tolerant and now we are just doing our duty by removing the old occupants," he said.

He said all retired officers were required to leave their official houses because the houses were reserved for active officers.

The evicted occupants had previously filed a legal challenge to the decision at the Tangerang and East Jakarta district courts.

"The actions we are taking are in line with legal procedures. The old occupants have to leave the houses because the lawsuits they filed with the Tangerang District Court and East Jakarta District Court have been turned down," Mulyo said.

printer friendly

Busway, airport brace for blackouts

Mustaqim Adamrah and Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Tangerang

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Busway operator TransJakarta's service will face possible disruptions during power blackouts scheduled from July 11 to July 25, says the company's operational head Rene Nunumete.

He said Tuesday the company had experienced "numerous blackouts" that left busway shelters without lights, functioning ticketing machines or sliding doors.

"Rotating blackouts apply to everyone. There's been no special treatment for public service facilities like the busways," he told reporters, adding that he has yet to receive an official announcement from state electricity firm PLN.

"Our service is affected every time PLN cuts the power supply to busway shelters."

Rene said TransJakarta would not equip busway shelters with generators needed to cope with the rotating blackouts.

"We'll use paper tickets during future blackouts, as usual," he said.

Paper tickets are in use on Corridor 4 (Pulo Gadung in East Jakarta Dukuh Atas in Central Jakarta), Corridor 5 (Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta to Ancol in North Jakarta), Corridor 6 (Ragunan in South Jakarta to Kuningan in South Jakarta) and Corridor 7 (Kampung Rambutan in East Jakarta to Kampung Melayu).

PLN Jakarta distribution manager Budi Nugroho announced last Friday the blackouts would occur every day at alternating periods, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3 to 10 p.m., in Jakarta and Tangerang.

PLN Jakarta operational director Azwar Lubis on Tuesday said PLN would try to maintain power supply for public service facilities, like hospitals and the busway.

Jakarta administrative secretary Muhayat said he would meet PLN Jakarta officials today to learn the exact schedules and locations of the blackouts.

Electricity consumption in Jakarta can reach between 4,500 megawatts (MW) and 5,000 MW during peak hours, usually between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Budi said PLN had to schedule the rotating blackouts as gas supply to two of its power stations -- a 900 MW plant in Tanjung Priok and a 750 MW plant in Muara Karang, both in North Jakarta -- has been temporarily terminated.

Both stations receive gas from multinational energy giant BP, which will halt gas supply in two weeks for routine maintenance of its central flow station located offshore West Java, including the installation of a low-pressure flare tip.

Airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II's branch office head at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Haryanto, said he had asked PLN not to cut power supply to the airport as it was one of "the country's places of vital interest".

He said his office had prepared two generators for use in the event of possible power cuts.
"They're only able to supply 30 percent of the airport's electricity demand."

A complete schedule of blackouts and list of affected areas can be found at www.plnjaya.co.id

printer friendly

Water price hike too high: Council

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Members of the Tangerang regency legislative council have asked the regency's tap water company to review its plan to increase the price of tap water by up to 30 percent, given the recent fuel price increase.

"An increase in the price of tap water will certainly increase the burden on residents. We therefore urge the water utility to review its plan to increase water prices," Burhanundin, speaker of commission C at the council, said Tuesday.

He said he understood the company, PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja (TKR), needed to raise water prices to meet increasing operational costs, but that the increase should not be as high as 30 percent.

"The water company must also take a look at the reality of people's purchasing power. Most of the consumers are on a low income," Burhanundin, a member of the Indonesian United Party faction, said.

Another commission member, Dahyat Tunggara, said any increase, however low, would be a burden for residents.

"The increase should not be as high as 30 percent. We think any plan to increase water prices should be approved by the council even though we realize an increase in the price of water is inevitable," he said.

Neither the government's 2005 regulation on PDAM management nor the home minister's 2007 regulation gives the council any involvement in technical arrangements to set water prices.

PDAM TKR president director Maryoso said the company had yet to finalize the new water rates because his staff had not completed studies on appropriate price ranges.

"The increase in the price of water has been triggered by an increase in our operational costs because of the recent fuel price rise," he said.

He said the new water rates were likely to come into effect in October. The new rate will apply for households and industry; for consumers from social groups there will be no increase.

"We are considering increasing the price of tap water from Rp 2,100 to Rp 2,520 per cubic meter for households and from Rp 3,500 to Rp 4,500 per cubic meter for industries," he said.

He said the company also planned to increase the price of partly processed water usually sold to third parties such as Bumi Serpong Damai city, Gading Serpong housing estate and Jakarta water utility.

Maryoso said he would keep the council informed about the company's plans to increase water rates, but would not seek the council's approval.

"There is no need to ask for the council's approval to increase tap water prices," he said.

PDAM TKR produces tap water from the Cisadane river to meet the needs of 90,000 customers. One-third of its customers live in Tangerang regency and the other 60,000 are residents of Tangerang municipality.

The company is still unable to supply water to 60,000 new customers currently on a waiting list because of limited production capacity and infrastructure.

printer friendly

Plywood plant accused of polluting water

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Dozens of residents Monday rallied to protest a plywood factory belonging to PT Sumber Griya Sentosa in Sentul Village, Tangerang, for allegedly polluting the area's ground water.

"Water in our wells has turned brownish and smelly. We believe this is because of the factory," said Lastri, a resident.

The residents, mostly housewives and children, protested at the factory's gate. They shouted, asking for the factory to be relocated. However, none of the factory management staff members appeared to meet with the protesters.

Lastri said she and other residents living around the factory could no longer consume the ground water from their wells because the water had turned dirty and smelly.

"We are also afraid of using the water for washing and bathing," she said.

The factory should never have been built in the populated residential area, she said, as it frequently causes problems. Locals want the local administration to pay attention and to tell the company to relocate the factory.

Since the factory was built in the area, residents have frequently faced difficulty getting ground water for their daily needs because the wells have dried up at times, said Mimin, another resident.

"I can't remember how many times I have had to deepen my well to get water since the factory began operating here several years ago," she said.

Factory staff members were not willing to comment when they were asked to respond to the protest.

"Our bosses are not here today and we are not authorized to speak to the press," said staff member, who requested anonymity.

printer friendly

Poor patients get free surgery

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Monday, July 07, 2008

Hundreds of patients lined up Saturday for free surgery at the Defense Ministry's Suyoto Rehabilitation Center in Bintaro, South Jakarta.

Among them was Rasmini, 29, who brought her 2-year-old son Rizki to the center for surgery on his cleft lip. She said she was very thankful for the chance, because it meant her son would finally be allowed to greet the world with a full smile.

"My husband works as a bread vendor so we have no money for the kind of operation our child needs," she told The Jakarta Post.

Rasmini, who lives in a small house owned by her husband's employer at the Nuri Bintaro Jaya housing complex in Tangerang, said she immediately registered her son at the center after learning in April about the free surgery.

"I want to see my son smile at the world and begin confidently playing with other kids in the neighborhood," she said.

Hundreds of lower income residents will receive free surgery for cataracts, cleft lips, hernias and minor and major tumors at the center on Saturday and Sunday.

The free surgery program is being held to mark the center's 40th anniversary, Dr. Indrayani, a member of the program's organizing committee, told the Post.

"This social service activity involves 50 specialist doctors, 13 general practitioners, 94 nurses and 302 volunteers serving the patients over the two-day period," she said.

All registered patients were required to undergo a series of health tests at the center. Only 640 out of more than a thousand who registered met the requirements for the free surgery.

"Today, we plan to operate on up to 233 cataract patients, 70 hernia patients, 14 cleft lip patients, 96 minor tumor patients and 69 major tumor ones," Dr. Indrayani said.

She said Sunday's surgeries would include 106 cataract, 10 labioschisiz and 42 major tumor patients.

Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Slamet Riyanto said this was the largest social service program of its kind ever held at the center, while Defense Ministry secretary Lt. Gen. Syafrie Syamsudin said lower income patients deserved access to the center's medical facilities.
"I think more programs like this should be undertaken," he said.

printer friendly

Police investigate poll official over dual IDs

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang Saturday July 05 2008 City

Police in Tangerang, Banten province, are investigating a newly sworn-in member of the municipal elections commission for the possible illegal possession of two official identification cards.

"Indonesian citizens are only allowed to possess one ID card and if a citizen has more than one ID card and uses them for any purpose, it's a crime," the Tangerang Police's chief detective, Comr. Budhi Herdi Sisianto, said Friday.

Budhi said police had received reports that Dadang Hermawan, one of the members of the elections commission, or KPUD, who were sworn in on June 18, possessed ID cards from two regions.

"We will summon Dadang Hermawan soon for questioning," he said.

He said based on initial information gathered by police from media reports, it appeared Dadang was in possible violation of Article 263 of the Criminal Code for falsifying state documents.
If convicted under this article, he could face up to nine years in prison.

Dadang registered as a candidate for the Tangerang regency elections commission, but failed to pass the selection process.

He then registered for the Tangerang municipality elections commission, eventually winning a seat on the body.

One of the requirements for registering as a candidate for the commissions is a local ID card.
According to data from Tangerang regency, Dadang is registered as a resident of Sepatan district.

Several students from the group Himpunan Mahasiswa Tangerang, Tangerang mayoral candidate Ibnu Jandi, councilors Wawan Tavip Budiawan of the Justice and Welfare Party and Hasanudin Bije of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle have delivered protests to the Banten provincial elections commission for its decision not to remove Dadang from the municipal body.

Dadang has acknowledged possessing two ID cards and using both to register as a candidate for the regency and municipal poll commissions.

"My ID card from the regency has been revoked. Check with the Pasir Jaya sub-district office in Jati Uwung and see that I have been registered and given a new ID card as a resident of the municipality," he said.

printer friendly

Groups cooperate to ensure order at city's airport

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang Friday July 04 2008 City

Operator of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, PT Angkasa Pura II, launched a joint operation last Sunday to ensure order at the country's main international gate.

Angkasa Pura II spokesman Trisno Heryadi said Thursday the operation involved airport police, Tangerang municipal public order officers, the district court and prosecutors.

The operation targets visitors who park illegally, ticket scalpers, street vendors, illegal parking attendants and thugs.

"We hope the joint operation will deter all violators of the Tangerang municipality's bylaw on public order," he said.

Trisno said one violator was Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, who parked her car at the wrong place at the airport on June 30.

"We have provided a VIP area for state officials, including the Banten governor, to park their cars, but Ratu Atut did not use it," he said.

Trisno said the joint effort has helped officers find violators. Every operation, he said, was preceded with discreet observation by officers so they could focus on their targets.

"So far, we have processed 13 taxi drivers that don't have airport stickers, seven unlicensed vendors, four unlicensed shoe polishers, seven unlicensed porters and 37 vehicle owners, including the governor, for parking their cars on the curbside at the airport," he said.

Trisno said the raids were aimed at providing comfort, safety and security to airport visitors following complaints lodged by airport service users.

A consumer report released in March showed that out of eight airport facilities, the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport's toilets received the most complaints.

The survey, conducted by the Indonesian Consumers Organization (YLKI), showed 46 percent of the total 955 complaints on airport facilities were about toilets.

The other eight were prayer rooms, signage, scans, trolleys, waiting rooms, parking lots, airport information and food. Complaints about prayer rooms came in second at 14 percent.

Soekarno-Hatta airport officials said the poor services were caused by the airport's inability to cope with rapid growth.

The airport was designed to accommodate about 18 million passengers, but in 2007 there were about 39 million customers.

To improve capacity, the airport operator has begun construction of Terminal 3, which is expected to be completed this year.

Customers who have complaints about the airport can send text messages to 9900.

printer friendly

Kite flyers still flouting Tangerang airport bylaw

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang Thursday, July 03, 2008 City

The operator of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, PT Angkasa Pura II, has been forced to switch the usage if its runways every evening since June 30 due to the failure of a bylaw banning kite flying in the area.

Every day from 3:30 p.m. the airport uses the left runway for taking off and the right one for landing, for the safety of air transportation, an official said Wednesday.

The left runway is normally used only for landing while the right one is only for taking off.

"Hundreds of residents living near the runways still continue to ignore the ban on flying kites in the area," PT Angkasa Pura II spokesman Trisno Heryadi told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He said the Tangerang municipal administration had passed the 2004 bylaw prohibiting residents from flying kites in areas within a radius of 9 kilometers of the airport following complaints lodged by pilots about the safety risk the toys posed.

Trisno said airport security had seized as many as 483 kites from residents between May 5 and June 30 (before kite flying season begins), but reports on Wednesday showed residents continue to fly kites.

"It's hard to imagine how many more residents of several subdistricts such as West Kedaung, Bayur, Kelor, East Kedaung and New Kedaung will fly kites near the runways after kite flying season starts this month," he said.

According to Trisno, kite flying around the runways seems to be done on purpose by residents although the airport operator has carried out social responsibility programs to help residents find alternatives to kite flying.

"The only way to solve the problem is to cooperate with the municipal public order agency, the police, district court and prosecutors. They should bring the violators to justice," he said.

"This is just a seasonal thing and kite flying is the only form of entertainment for residents here," Denny Setiawan, a resident of West Kedaung subdistrict, told Post.

Denny said residents would be upset if the airport operator enforced the ban without providing an alternative.

Muslim, another resident, said many residents were unaware of the ordinance, which carries a penalty of three months in jail or a Rp 3 million fine.

Endin, a community unit chief in Kelor subdistrict, said the ban had not been properly introduced in his area.

"We know that Angkasa Pura officers regularly come to this area to monitor residents flying kites but we just ignore them and they can do nothing to stop us," he said, adding that residents did not believe the kites disturbed flights or had any impact on landings and take-offs.

Residents usually start flying the kites around the airport at 3 p.m., peak-time at the airport.

Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim said he was aware the bylaw had not been effective and he promised to tell all district and subdistrict heads around the airport to disseminate information on the kite flying ban to residents.

printer friendly

Journalists rally in protest to regent’s threat

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Wednesday July 1 2008 City

Dozens of journalists grouped under the Tangerang Journalists Working Group (Pokja Wartawan) staged a rally at the Tangerang regental administration office in Tigaraksa on Tuesday to prostest regent’s threat to beat a journalsits.

“We demand regent Ismet Iskandar to apologize for his bad conduct and correct all bad words he delivered when he threatened to beat a journalist,” Eka Chandra, Pokja Wartawan chairman said.

Chandra said should the regent fail to fulfil the journalists demand, Pokja would file complaints with the police.

Awaludin, the administraiton spokesman who meet with the protesting journalists promised that he would deliver the domands to Ismet Iskandar.

“I will immediately deliver your demands to Pak Ismet and I also apoligize for what happened between the regent and journalists yesterday,” he said.

Meanwhile, the regental council speaker Endang Sudjana said that the regent’s conduct and his words could not be justified at all.

“There is no reason to justfiy what the regent had done to journalists in front of many people, no matter in what situation he is,” he said.

Ismet Iskandar lost his temper and came close to punching Tangerang-based journalist of Seputar Indoneisa daily Denny Irawan when the latter asked about a payment of Rp 9.2 billion (US$978,723) from tap water operator PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja on Monday.

Ismet replied there had been no new transfer of money from PDAM to his account but Denny asked again "Are you sure you did not order a new transfer from PDAM (Tirta Kerta Raharja) to your account?

Ismet became heated, saying, "Nothing, nothing, that's not true. What do you want, you want me to hit you?" he said, while extending his fist toward the journalist.

Luckily, the regent was immediately restrained and separated from the journalist by members of his staff, who escorted him to his car before he managed to hit Denny, who appeared shaken by the incident.

Denny asked the questions to confirm information gained from a local NGO, Poros Tangerang Solid (Portas).

According the NGO, it had reported the alleged misuse of the PDAM budget by the regent directly to the Attorney General's Office because similar reports filed with the Tangerang Prosecutor's Office had received no response.

The incident was witnessed by a number of regency administration officials including Deden Sugandhi, head of the regency's Public Transportation Agency, Yayat, head of the regency's Coordinating Body for Capital Investment, and several members of the Women's Welfare Movement.

BSD holds reporting competition for Indonesian journalists

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Wednesday July 1 2008 City

PT Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD), the management of BSD satelite city in Serpong, Tangerang holds a reporting competition called BSD City Award for all Indonesian journalists.

“This is the first reporting competition we ever hold for journalist at national level and the competition itself is aimed at encouraging Indonesian journalists to improve the quality of their skills,” Idham Muchlis, PT BSD corporate communication manager told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Idham said the first annual competition is themed “Serpong as a center for new economy growth.”

“This competition is open for all print media journalists and photographers while for TV journalists, we still confine only those who cover issues in Banten can join,” he said.

He said those who are intereted in taking part in the competition could chose two categories of coverage such as hard news and features.

According to Idham, the judges will short-list 12 out of all stories from print, online, TV and radio reports of each categoriy sent to the organizing committee to be the finalists and six of the finalists will be selceted as the winners. ]

“The six winners will receive trophies, diploma and cash of Rp 10 million each,” he said, adding that those who can join the competition must be active journalists and photographers who work for print, online media as well as Banten-based TV reporters.

Print journalists and photographers can send their works published by respective media between July 15 and Sepember 30 in the form of microsoft word copies and clippings while TV journalists must send their works in the form of DVD with unlimited duration.

“The organizing committee should have received the journalsits’ work by October 15 at the latest,” he said, adding that for further questions, participants could send email to humas@bsdcity.com or contact to organizing committee at (021)53152688.

Regent threatens to beat journalist

Regent threatens to beat journalist

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post , Tangerang Tue, 07/01/2008 10:25 AM City

Tangerang Regent Ismet Iskandar lost his temper and came close to punching journalist Denny Irawan when the latter asked about a payment of Rp 9.2 billion (US$978,723) from tap water operator Tirta Kerta Raharja.

Denny Irawan, a Tangerang-based journalist with Seputar Indonesia daily, first asked the regent to confirm his order for a Rp 9.9 billion payment from PDAM Tirta Kerta Raharja.

Ismet, who had just left the regency's legislative council building in Tigaraksa for a break after attending a plenary session Monday, said he had allocated the money he borrowed from the company to the regency's soccer team Persita.

"That's Rp 9.5 billion. What I mean is another Rp 9.2 billion that you recently ordered to be transferred to you from PDAM," Denny said.

Ismet replied there had been no new transfer of money from PDAM to his account.

"Are you sure you did not order a new transfer from PDAM (Tirta Kerta Raharja) in addition to Persita's needs?" Denny asked again.

Ismet became heated, saying, "Nothing, nothing, that's not true. What do you want, you want me to hit you?" he said, while extending his fist toward the journalist.

The regent was immediately restrained and separated from the journalist by members of his staff, who escorted him to his car before he managed to hit Denny, who appeared shaken by the incident.

Denny said he had asked the questions to confirm information gained from a local NGO, Poros Tangerang Solid (Portas).

The NGO is said to have reported the alleged misuse of the PDAM budget by the regent directly to the Attorney General's Office because similar reports filed with the Tangerang Prosecutor's Office had received no response.

"I just want the regent to apologize soon or I will report him to the police for bullying and committing an unpleasant deed," Denny told The Jakarta Post.

The incident was witnessed by a number of regency administration officials including Deden Sugandhi, head of the regency's Public Transportation Agency, Yayat, head of the regency's Coordinating Body for Capital Investment, and several members of the Women's Welfare Movement.