The change of tack by the President’s Democratic Party in calling for an inquiry into the Bank Century debacle may see Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani take the fall, analysts warn.
Democratic Party legislator Ruhut Sitompul said Tuesday in Jakarta that all 144 of the party’s legislators at the House of Representatives had signed the petition requesting the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) bailout.
The establishment of the committee, fiercely opposed by the party initially, now looks inevitable, with the list of petitioners surging to more than 400 out of 560 House legislators.
Once established, the committee will have the power to summon for questioning anyone deemed responsible in the decision to bail out Century, including Boediono (the central bank governor at the time), Mulyani or even President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself.
In the event the President is found guilty of wrongdoing, the committee could push for his impeachment.
But critics point out the Democratic Party will likely to do all it can to prevent the President being summoned or any impeachment effort taking root, with Ruhut squarely blaming Boediono and Mulyani as those most responsible for the bailout decision.
“We, the Democratic Party, will not take sides, even on the behalf of Boediono, Raden Pardede [then secretary of the Financial System Stability Committee, or LPSK] or Mulyani,” Ruhut said.
Anas Urbaningrum, the Democratic Party chairman at the House, also hinted Boediono and Mulyani would be the ones taking the heat from the inquiry committee.
Prior to Monday’s announcement of the final audit by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), which indicated a deliberate cover-up by Bank Indonesia of misappropriation and fraud within Century, not a single Democratic Party legislator had signed the petition requesting the establishment of the inquiry committee.
The committee will also likely call the Financial Transaction Report Analysis Center (PPATK) to track how the bailout fund has been spent.
“The inclusion of the Democratic Party shows that the battle is now on the committee’s future direction,” said Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) political analyst Burhanuddin Muhtadi.
“With that in mind, the current trend shows there is move to make both Boediono and Mulyani the targets of the committee. Targeting them suits the needs of the Democratic Party, the Golkar Party and the PAN [National Mandate Party].”
Burhanuddin added that serving up Boediono and Mulyani on a silver platter would benefit the Democratic Party by deflecting attention from widespread public speculation that the bailout fund was used to save major Century depositors who were also donors to Yudhoyono’s presidential campaign.
“As for Golkar, Mulyani has a bitter history with the chairman of that party, Aburizal Bakrie,” he said.
Mulyani famously refused to intervene when the share price of PT Bumi Resources, Aburizal’s most lucrative company, nose-dived.
“As for the PAN, clearing Boediono and Mulyani from the Cabinet would give [party senior] Hatta Radjasa tremendous political clout in his capacity as the coordinating economics minister,” he said.
Burhanuddin warned that sacrificing Boediono and Mulyani would tarnish Yudhoyono’s reputation, considering how the two were his most trusted aides in the Cabinet.
Indonesia Corruption Watch’s (ICW) Emerson Yuntho said he would not be surprised if the inquiry committee only had Boediono and Mulyani in its crosshairs.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A family of the Orang Rimba tribe lives in a simple hut deep in the jungle
Deforestation, which has become a hot topic for global talks in the past few years, is directly affecting the life of the Orang Rimba tribe who live deep in the jungles of Jambi, a province in Sumatra.
The tribe has been experiencing climate change, the shrinking of their forest home and decreasing biodiversity in the forest - an impact of deforestation.
"The size of the forest has been shrinking due to the forest fires or land clearances for cultivation. We are worried about this phenomenon," said Tumenggung Grip, head of the Orang Rimba tribe in the Bukit 12 neighborhood.
Today, fewer than 5,000 people from the Orang Rimba tribe live in the jungles of Jambi. They are scattered across various locations including the Bukit 12 and Bukit 30 neighborhoods.
Usually living on the slopes of the mountains or among the huge trees not far from the river, the tribe is also known by the name of the river near where they live. Tumenggung and his community are known as the Orang Rimba Makekah Hulu, or the tribe who live near the upper course of the Makekah River.
They live in simple huts made of wood, leaves and, sometimes, tarpaulin. They collect rattan and sell it to people living near the forest. They catch fish and boars for daily consumption.
However, the ever-expanding palm oil plantations and the activities of the people from outside the forest pose a real threat to their future.
"The forest is shrinking," Tumenggung lamented. "What will become of our children?"
Saturday, November 21, 2009
RI condemns Israeli govt for E. Jerusalem settlements
Indonesia condemned Thursday the decision of the Israeli government to continue expanding settlements in East Jerusalem, calling on the international communities to launch a collective action to urge Israel to halt settlement building.
Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the settlement building had gone against international law and a UN resolution, risking peace process efforts in the region torn by decades of conflict.
"The Indonesian government strongly condemns the decision of the Israel government to develop settlement building in East Jerusalem," Marty told the press after opening an exhibition forum at the foreign ministry building.
The Israeli government Tuesday approved the development of 900 homes in East Jerusalem in a movement that has drawn criticism from Washington. The UN Security resolution in 1979 declared that Israel's settlement on land it occupied in 1967 war is illegal.
"The Israeli government is apparently not ready for talks as they keep coming up with decisions that hampers *peace efforts*" said Marty.
Israel defied request from Washington to block the additional settlement Monday when US special envoy George Mitchell met with an aide to Israel Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu in London.
Washington said the move was counterproductive to efforts to relaunch the stalled peace talk between the two. Palestine said they would only resume the negotiations after Israel stopped building the settlements.
"Other countries, including the United States and other Western countries have voiced similar concern... International communities have to join up efforts to urge Israel government to halt the settlement," said Marty.
Indonesia is a staunch supporter of Palestinian cause, citing rights of independence for every nation as enshrined in the country's Constitution.
Jakarta has no diplomatic ties with Israel.
Palestine officials have recently stated Palestine might declare unilateral independence without Israel's consent, reflecting frustrations at deadlock in peace talks. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told a local media that Palestine had decided to seek UN Security Council for support for establishing a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
Reuters reported that the State Department had declined direct comment on the Palestinian plan, but saying that they wanted the negotiation to resume. Experts said Palestinian efforts would be met with a veto from Washington in the Security Council.
The European Union called the recognition of a Palestinian state "premature", saying it should concentrate on resuming negotiations.
Muslim countries, which are supporters of Palestinian cause, including Indonesia, have not made available their position on the Palestinian idea of unilateral independence.
The Palestinians already once announced unilateral independence in 1988 but the declaration was not followed up by implementation on the ground.
Minister feels ashamed by Banyumas law enforcers
Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar expressed his anger over the recent trial of an old woman who was accused of stealing three cacao fruits worth Rp 30,000 from a plantation in the Central Java town of Banyumas.
Patrialis called the trial, which appeared on the front page of the country’s largest daily, Kompas, on Friday, “embarrassing”.
“I think it is very embarrassing. Law enforcers must also uphold humanitarian values,” Patrialis said after attending the inauguration of National Boyscout leaders outside the State Palace.
The Banyumas District Court sentenced Minah, 55, to a one-and-a-half-month suspended jail term. Minah, who stood trial without an attorney, said she took the fruits in September to grow the plant from its seeds.
Patrialis said the case had inspired him to promote reform within the country's judicial system.
“We will mend the system. Our prisons are already overcrowded,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.
Patrialis said his proposal, however, would not intervene with Minah's case.
“We do not have the power to intervene. But we can draft a new policy and seek a presidential pardon for her,” Patrialis said.
Indonesia, Australia eying expansion of business, trade
Investment Coordinating Board chairman Gita Wirjawan and deputy trade minister Mahendra Siregar will brief 150 Indonesian and Australian businesspeople at a two-day conference in Yogyakarta on new business opportunities within bilateral economic ties.
The annual conference of the Indonesia Australia Business Council (IABC), beginning Monday, will discuss new ways of further developing business ties between the two countries amid the green shoots sprouting in the industrialized economies and a robust recovery in Indonesia.
“The perception among Australian businesspeople towards Indonesia is quite positive, and they are looking forward to even better trade and investment opportunities during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s second administration,” IABC executive director Vic Halim told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The meeting will discuss issues related to natural resource and infrastructure development, tourism, small and medium-enterprise partnership, taxation, financing and labor regulations.
Indonesia was Australia’s 13th largest trading partner last year, with two-way trade of merchandise (commodities) and services totaling about US$10 billion.
Indonesia is Australia’s 18th largest investment destination with a cumulative stock of capital investment amounting to nearly $4 billion.
Spring Fountain : Tegal Regency
What could possibly make 10,000 people jump into the same 40-square-meter pool in one day? A desire to be lucky.
The hot springs — transformed into a pool — in the village of Guci, Tegal regency, Central Java, have become a major tourist destination, attracting people from as far as Bandung, who believe the water has magical energy that will bring them many benefits.
“It is said the pool came to life thanks to Sunan Gunung Jati of Cirebon,” said 25-year-old Yuwanto, a souvenir seller near the hot spring, when referring to one of nine Muslim saints or Wali Sanga who introduced Islam to Java.
“When Sunan Gunung Jati wanted to spread Islam here, a drought struck the area. He prayed for water and suddenly the fountains appeared. That’s all I know,” he told The Jakarta Post.
Most days, dozens of people can be seen at any one time, not frolicking in the pool, but taking turns washing their bodies in the jet of hot water coming out of one of the 13 fountains located on one side of the pool.
The water, waist high, is so clear that you can see people’s feet in the water. Fountains are located half a meter from each other. Because the pool has 13 holes, people call it Telaga Pancuran 13, or the lake with 13 fountains.
“On Thursday and Friday, especially on the eve of Jumat Kliwon [the Friday coinciding with Kliwon, one of the five market days in the Javanese calendar], many people are bathing here until late at night or even in the morning,” added Yuwanto.
The nine saints are highly respected, especially by Sunni Muslims, who are members of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Muslim organization.
Therefore during certain months, like before and after the holy month of Ramadan, many people flock to the graves of the nine saints.
Places related to the saints such as the Guci hot spring are also considered sacred.
According to the managers of the hot spring complex, most visitors come from West Java, especially Cirebon and also Bandung, as well as Central Java.
Imam Sutanto, head of tourism management for Guci, told the Post recently that Sunan Gunung Jati was very popular in Cirebon as he was also buried there.
“The [Guci hot spring] visitors believe the water will bring them luck. Some say it will heal any skin disease, boost business prospects, bring good fortune, help get the right spouse, and many other things,” said Imam.
“As for the evidence… I don’t know. But we can’t control or restrict them [from believing this],
either,” he said.
The number of visitors peaks on certain days believed to be “good” in the Islamic faith, between Sa’ban or the month before the holy month of Ramadan, and the Idul Fitri holidays.
“During that period, up to 10,000 people visit the hot springs each day. While during other holidays, about 4,000 to 5,000 visitors daily,” he said.
Although there are two other springs nearby, one with seven fountains and another one with three, most visitors prefer the lake with 13 fountains, Imam said.
“The hot water is natural, it is really good and I feel fresh after having a bath here. I do it just for fun. I am not so sure about the magical effect,” said Rumiati, 34, who is from the bordering regency of Brebes.
Taking a bath in the hot pool is like having a massage, she added, so in the past three years, she visited the hot spring more than 10 times.
Suyatman, 32, a resident from Bandung, West Java, said he often visited the place because of its fresh weather and the beautiful nature surrounding the hot springs. “But what impresses me most is the hot water, which is just natural and clear,” said Suyatman, who brings his family to Guci Tegal at least once a year for a few nights.
How to get there:
The trip from Jakarta to Guci takes six-and-a-half hours by car. From Jakarta, drive to city of Cirebon and Tegal, then from Tegal, it takes another 30 minutes to get to Guci. There are many modes of public transportation serving the Tegal-Guci route, with bus fares costing Rp 5,000.
From Yogyakarta, you can drive through the city of Purwokerto and make it to Tegal in five hours.
Bring warm clothes as temperatures can get chilly. There are many hotels and villas in the surrounding area, priced between Rp 100,000 and Rp 500,000 a night.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Borneo (Kalimantan)
Creature of the dark: Tanjung Puting is home to proboscis monkeys which are often seen during the dawn and dusk hours in the trees near the Sekonyer River. JP/ Todd Teetzel
While the jewel of Central Kalimantan, the Tanjung Puting National Park, may conjure up images of sawmills, plywood factories and palm oil plantations gobbling their way through precious chunks of forests, it is still possible to catch a glimpse there of a flying Stork-billed Kingfisher with its yellow stomach and cerulean blue wings, estuarine crocodiles and rust-colored orangutans. At least for now.
The 41,000-hectare Tanjung Puting is a protected home to many species including orangutans, which can only be seen in Borneo and Sumatra.
While you can visit the park in a day trip, many visitors opt to sleep aboard a klotok, a fully equipped boat that ushers them into the heart of the humming forest for an extended stay.
Speedboats and klotok leave from Kumai, a 20-minute drive from Pangkalan Bun airport. Most travel agents, taxi drivers and hotel personnel have a klotok contact. Or, you can head to Kumai and hire one of the klotoks directly there.
While the wild and semi-wild orangutans at Tanjung Puting may be the main attraction, the experience of navigating through forest brings visitors face-to-face with many species of plants and animals in need of protection.
Protection from what? From the rampant illegal logging and mining that have destroyed countless forests in Borneo, and which continue to reduce the natural habitat of the orangutans and other wildlife.
Sail with a view: Watch the sunset and sunrise from the deck of floating klotok on the Sekonyer River in Central Kalimantan’s Tanjung Puting National Park. JP/Melissa Umbro Teetzel
Day one: Departing from Kumai on the klotok, head to Tanjung Harapan, the first of three feeding sites in the park where you can see rehabilitated orangutans. A short hike away from the river and just after 3 p.m., the rangers holler “Eeeooo” to notify the orangutans that a pile of bananas awaits them. While they may not appear immediately, orangutans will likely be heard swinging closer from distant branches.
As the largest arboreal (tree dwelling) animals, orangutans are equipped to maneuver among branches with ease. They have opposable thumbs and big toes. For this reason, their “off stage” movements — reaching, swinging, scooting, dangling — may provide for more spectacular entertainment than their eating ritual on the platform.
Return to the boat and enjoy the late afternoon ride deeper into the park. Keep an eye on the branches overhead for proboscis monkeys with their white tails, auburn heads, round bellies and excessively large noses.
In late afternoons and early mornings they can be seen from the river. Dock for the night and enjoy dinner on deck. Fall asleep to the sound of crickets beneath a starry sky and under the protection of a mosquito net.
Day 2: After waking among the still mist on the Sekonyer River, enjoy coffee and an omelet before heading to the second camp. Orangutans are fed at 9 a.m. at Pondok Tanggui, the newest of the three rehabilitation camps that may be a less crowded setting to see orangutans before venturing on to Camp Leakey.
Be mesmerized by their banana-eating routine — peel it, chomp it, discard it and grab another. Come back to the boat for a ride down narrower waters. While you travel along the Sekonyer River toward Camp Leakey, watch out for moving water lilies, more often than not indicating the presence of lurking crocodiles.
Camp Leakey, widely known as the site of Biruté Galdikas’ research on orangutans, typically draws the greatest number of orangutans at the feeding session, which begins at 2 p.m.
Swaying around: As tree-dwelling animals, orangutans rarely need to descend to the forest floor. They build new nests daily and make keen use of opposable thumbs and opposable big toes to navigate tree branches. JP/Todd Teetzel
If you arrive around lunchtime, you can take a walk to the visitor’s center and the surrounding area before the rangers start feeding the orangutans. Look for Tut, an older female orangutan, lounging alone beneath a smaller dock.
Rangers will be eager to share stories about Princess and her two kids, Putri and Percy. They are known as the genius family. Princess can row a boat. And, when they ask her what she wants, she will tell them (with her hands) some water or food.
Tom, the alpha male and king of Camp Leakey, will likely surface in conversation as well. When males scurry away at the feeding, you can be sure Tom is on his way. While females may eat alongside Tom, all the males are scared off.
Your captain may suggest a location to dock for the night, whether it’s the dark waters near Camp Leakey or at Croc Lake.
Day 3: Return to Camp Leakey to spend the morning hiking through the forest accompanied by one of the guides, who will carry a large knife and slingshot in hand just in case there’s an unexpected encounter with a sun bear or wild orangutan. But, more than likely, you’ll enjoy a shady, peaceful walk under the canopy of trees.
One of the trails leads to the post where Galdikas lived during long stretches observing orangutans. Catch the afternoon feeding before journeying back down the river.
On the last night, you can sleep near the entrance of the park and closer to the Kumai River, where fireflies light up nira palm fronds by night. It’s an idyllic setting for a final candlelit dinner.
Day 4: While it’s a relatively short trip back to Kumai from the firefly post, you may want to ask your captain to return to the feeding post at Tanjung Harapan. Just be sure to let the crew know before leaving Kumai on the first day so they bring plenty of fuel.
Or, you can enjoy the ride out of the park and back to Kumai, with plenty of time to catch a flight out of Pangkalan Bun the same day. Either way, it’s a trip to remember.
Orange for Orangutan Day
In celebration of Orangutan Awareness Week, the Orangutan Foundation invites people to participate in this international event by wearing orange on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Help raise awareness of the need to protect orangutans and their habitat by wearing orange clothing, wigs, accessories or stickers. For the brave and committed, you may dye your hair orange.
If you would like to host an “Orange for Orangutan Day” event and need suggestions for ideas visit the Website for a fact sheet, event ideas and a downloadable poster (www.orangutan.org.uk/orange-for-orangutan-day). Be sure to share photos of your event with the Orangutan Foundation. Participants in “Orange for Orangutan Day” are encouraged to donate £1 [US1.68], which will go toward the campaign “Protect Me and My Tree Appeal”, an effort to release rehabilitated orangutans into the wild in the Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve in Central Kalimantan.
Joglo ; Java Traditional House
Joglo lost to Bali
hopping: Many Javanese joglo have been re-erected in Bali as museums, private houses and hotel accommodation.
The joglo and limasan ancient houses of Java, post-and-beam buildings dating back more than 1,300 years, are springing up like mushrooms across Bali’s rice terraced landscapes.
According to Laretna Adishakti, a lecturer in the department of architecture of Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University, who also happens to sit on the Indonesian Heritage Trust board of directors, joglo and limasan are also depicted on the relief walls of the 8th century Buddhist temple of Borobudur.
However, a millennia on, these teak buildings housing Javanese culture are increasingly being knocked down and sold off, either overseas or to Bali. Some are re-erected as houses, but many are chopped up and used for furniture, as so-called recycled timber.
“This is a problem, because we must think of ways to protect the joglo [and limasan] in Java.
Currently there buildings are not protected,” says Adishakti over the phone.
She points out that not only is the cost of maintaining joglo high, but the lack of government incentives and funding are forcing owners to sell their ancient family homes.
“I texted the Mayor [of Yogyakarta] yesterday — he is sympathetic [to our cause] and understands the loss, but how do we protect these buildings that are Javanese heritage?
Disappearing heritage: Former farmer, Badri, now sells the carved doors and windows of Madura in Bali. Perched with his one-year-old daughter on an ancient teak bed, Badri says the bed is 1,000 years old and was once the resting place of a Madurese sultan.
The big problem is people don’t care about joglo. They are only interested in selling the land underneath the joglo, therefore they knock the joglo down to erect a concrete building instead,” says Adishakti, adding that most of Java’s joglo risk ending up in Bali.
In an effort to raise awareness about the heritage value of joglo, Adishakti and the Indonesian Heritage Trust, with Unesco’s support, have set out to record the remaining joglo and limasan buildings of Yogyakarta’s ancient city, Kota Gede, and also created a user-friendly booklet on the history and culture behind those buildings.
And while the process of re-erecting those antique houses in Bali is, in a round about way, protecting this Javanese cultural heritage — rather than pulling them apart to use the resulting panels for furniture, Java is still loosing out, explains Adishakti.
“When these buildings are removed from their environment, it is not just a single building that is lost, but the entire streetscape — that is what we must protect. Only a few people have the experience and the knowledge to build joglo. There is a complete set of Javanese terminology for building joglo, and once the people who still hold that knowledge pass away, it will be lost, so the houses can never be recreated. I can see that within a couple of generations, this Javanese language of building and the skills that go with it will be lost. When the joglo [and limasan] are turned into furniture, it is even worse as they are lost forever,” says Adishakti.
It is hard to estimate the number of limasan and joglo that have already been removed from Central Java’s landscape, as according to Adshakti, the buildings do not have to be registered and there is no regulation protecting them.
The most famous joglo are from Kudus. Often the teak walls, posts and beams of these former houses belonging to the elite were carved entirely with flowers, Islamic and geometric symbols. “I don’t think there is a single Kudus joglo left in Kudus,” says Adishakti.
Economic migration: Akhlis, master carver from Kudus, Java’s center for joglo houses, has shifted operations to Bali where he can carve and build joglo, as well as access a ready and appreciative market.
Designed to be earthquake resistant, joglo have a high central cap built over huge teak beams called a tumbang sari. Although the structure is designed to cope with earthquakes, Adishakti says many joglo collapsed during the 2004 earthquake that destroyed much of Yogyakarta.
“People had taken out the gebyok [traditional room partitions or doorways made out of timber] and replaced them with bricks. The buildings consequently lost their flexibility and collapsed,” said
Adishakti.
Meanwhile, in Bali, the picture is slightly different. On every second street corner, massive antique doors, carved walls, windows and full tubung saris are lined up for sale. The remnants of Java’s joglo, as well as Madurese carved walls, windows and doors, sell well on the island, with tourists lapping them up for their artistic and cultural value.
For Madurese farmer Badri, starting a gebyok business has allowed him to leave behind subsistence farming and eke out a living on the edges of Sanur’s bypass.
“I got into this when I was 20 years old. Before I started selling antique building materials, I was a farmer. That was really hard. I took a risk and moved to Bali to sell antiques from Madura. The Madurese are happy to sell their doors and windows because they need the money,” says Badri.
He adds Bali’s appreciation for antiques from his homeland has ensured the Madurese carving tradition lives on.
“There is still a lot of this material in Madura, and people are still carving doors and windows. They can still make gebyok. Craftsmen mostly carve doors for cupboards and things like that, but the carving tradition continues,” says Badri.
The Madurese wood carving is “less elegant” than the Javanese, he says.
“In the past, the Madurese did not carve. Then a few hundred years ago, a man from Jepara, a great carver, came to Madura and married a Madurese woman there. He started to carve and soon all the men from his village learned his trade. But Madurese carving is much heavier and less elegant,” says Badri, perched with his one-year-old daughter on an ancient teak bed, which he suggests is 1,000 years old and was once the resting place of a Madurese sultan.
In Bali, joglo and limasan are now used as museums, private homes and hotel accommodation or sold as recycled furniture. Javanese antique doors have replaced many Balinese carved doors fronting villas, and Madurese carved windows are cheaper than glass and second-grade timber modern windows. But without protection or heritage laws, this rich cultural expression risks disappearing fast.Visit Palembang the Capital of South Sumatra
The lost fortunes of Kemarau
Happy face: A corpulent, happy Golden Buddha suggests prosperity may lie on the island.
Tales about the island of Kemarau, located near Palembang along the 800-kilometer Musi River that meanders across South Sumatra, are abound, with two of the most recounted riches-to-rags stories involving Chinese ships sailing down the river.
Both regrettably tragic tales could easily pass for mythology rather than straight history. The most popular one about this low-level island — often described as “the island that floats the river” as it mysteriously never seems to flood despite heavy rainfall — recounts the story of a Chinese commercial ship sailing down the river after its captain earned a fortune trading goods in Palembang.
Inebriated from celebrating his success, the captain neglects his sailing duties, sinks his ship near the island and spills all his riches into the river there. Since then, people have been searching the river to recover the fortunes believed to have sunk around the island.
In the second tale, which claims to explain how the island came to exist, a Chinese man by the name of Tan Bu An comes to Palembang to study and falls in love with a local princess called Siti Fatimah.
He asks for her hand in marriage but her parents insist upon gifts to allow the wedding to go ahead.
Tan Bu An sends a messenger back to his father in China asking for such gifts to be provided. When the messenger returns with fruits and vegetables, Tan Bu An is so disgusted he throws the gifts into the river, not realizing his father had placed money inside the edible gifts.
Upon finding out about the subterfuge, the enamored Chinese man frantically jumps into the river to find the discarded treasures, but soon drowns. Siti Fatimah, who rushes to the river the instant she finds out her love is lost in the river, also sadly drowns.
It seems however she had a premonition about her fate, so before entering the river’s waters, she leaves a message saying land may form in the place she will die, and the tree that will grow will be one of love.
Spell of beauty: The tall pagoda is the most outstanding feature of the island.
The land that emerged is said to be Kemarau Island. It is also believed the spirit of Tan Bu An remains on the island and over the years, the local Chinese community has consequently come to see Kemarau as a special place.
Nowadays, the main attractions are a Chinese temple and pagoda, built as a result of those mythical stories.
The Taoist temple, dedicated to a deity that protects homes, villages and rural areas on the island, was erected in the 1960s and receives a fairly constant flow of worshippers. Those visitors usually brave the murky waters of the river by slow sampan (a flat-bottomed skiff usually propelled by two short oars) or fast speedboat to make offerings and say their prayers.
A tall Chinese pagoda erected in 2006 is now the most distinctive feature of this otherwise flat island.
Many Chinese figures are represented in relief or statues, with the most alluring of these being a huge venerable golden standing Buddha, seemingly laughing out loud looking across the river. The island tends to fill up during festival times such as the Chinese New Year, but otherwise remains a haven of peace the rest of the year.
A peaceful moment: Worshippers make their offerings and say their prayers at various locations around the island.
Pilgrims — local and sometimes from Singapore and Malaysia — who come to pay respect to their deities, leaving the sweet smell of their burning incense sticks to waft across the island.
How much truth there is to the tale of Tan Bu An and Siti Fatimah cannot really be said, but hopefuls can still be seen scouring the river looking some of the lost riches of that wedding gift.
With many believing the island is still haunted by the spirit of Siti Fatimah’s suitor, Kemarau remains a sleepy little outcrop of Indonesia, enveloped by the Musi River’s murky waters.
While much of the surroundings are industrial, the island remains a charming get away for those seeking quietness.Islamic Day of Sacrifice ; Deal 0r not Deal?!?
Goat Trader For Islamic Day Of Scrifice : Trader to respons to Buyer by phone at seasonal animal market in Walikukun, Regency of Ngawi, East Java. The price of cattle has increased by 20 percent ahead of the Islamic Day of Sacrifice.
North Korea vows to defend itself after sea clash
North Korea warned it will aggressively defend itself in disputed waters where a bloody naval clash with rival South Korea took place last week, though tempered its rhetoric by indicating it wants better relations with Seoul and Washington.
The exchange of fire off the western coast was the first in seven years and came ahead of a trip to Seoul by President Barack Obama. A senior South Korean military officer said one North Korean officer died and three others were wounded. South Korea suffered no casualties.
North Korea's warning Friday - issued by a high-ranking military officer - follows vows to punish South Korea carried in North Korean state newspapers Thursday. The military also repeated its demand that South Korea apologize for Tuesday's skirmish.
The divided Koreas have long been at odds over their western sea border and fought battles in the area in 1999 and 2002. The North insists a line imposed by the U.N. command at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War be redrawn farther south, a demand rejected by South Korea.
North Korea's military also said it "will take merciless military measures to defend" its interpretation of the border "from this moment." It said South Korea would be forced to pay a heavy price for the firefight, though did not elaborate.
Despite those strong words, the message also indicated North Korea's wish to continue a thaw in relations with South Korea and the United States.
It blamed what it described as "conservative forces" in South Korea as well as its military for trying to spoil moves toward detente on the Korean peninsula.
According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency, the warning was sent to South Korea by a military officer who heads the military delegation that occasionally holds talks with South Korea's military.
Both Koreas have blamed the other for provoking the skirmish.
In Washington, the State Department told Pyongyang to avoid behavior that raises tensions.
"We would urge North Korea to refrain from that kind of bellicose rhetoric and, in general, avoid any kind of provocative actions that would further inflame the tension in the region," said spokesman Ian Kelly.
South Korean officials have largely shrugged off the North's threats, saying they can deter any military moves off the coast. The country's 680,000-member military has been on guard following the skirmish, though officials said they have seen no evidence of unusual North Korean moves.
Analysts have said that while North Korea craves the kind of attention that comes with such clashes, the chance of further conflict appears unlikely as it does not want to scuttle upcoming talks with the U.S.
"North Korea does not want to harm the atmosphere of dialogue with the United States," said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Seoul's Dongguk University.
Obama's special envoy, Stephen Bosworth, is scheduled to visit Pyongyang by year's end in a mission to secure North Korea's return to six-nation nuclear disarmament negotiations, which the North walked away from earlier this year.
Kelly, the State Department spokesman, said the trip will probably take place at the end of this month or early December.
Obama, meanwhile, is due to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, part of a regional tour that began Friday in Japan.
The two Koreas have remained technically at war since the Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The U.S. stations 28,500 troops in South Korea to deter potential North Korean aggression.
Eye Openers: Myths Of Owning A Business
If only you knew then what you know now. ... There are plenty of reasons that statement rings true for battle-tested small-business owners. We asked a bunch of them to share the most commonly misplaced assumptions about entrepreneurship. They just might spare you that familiar lament.
Myth: Entrepreneurs are risk-taking visionaries.
Truth. Despite what some in the media would have you believe, you don't have to be a swashbuckling risk taker to run your own show. "These glamorous stories serve to make entrepreneurship appear to be an exclusive art that's relegated to a few people who exhibit a variety of specific traits," says Len Schlesinger, president of Babson College in Babson Park, Mass. "Entrepreneurs are actually very good at avoiding risk rather than taking it on."
Myth: The idea is more important than the details.
Truth: Whiz-bang new technologies and business models are sexy, but they aren't a requirement. "A well-executed, decent idea is better than a poorly-executed, excellent idea," says Gerald Shreiber, founder and chief executive of J&J Snack Foods ( JJSF - news - people ). Shreiber's secret to minding the details: a healthy dose of paranoia. "I have 2,600 people to worry about," he says. "Somewhere, God or my parents and grandparents are watching over me."
Myth: Jealously guard your idea, lest someone might steal it.
Truth: You may be onto something, but you surely don't have all the answers (if you even knew to ask all the right questions). "While you don't want to put your entire business plan on the Internet, entrepreneurs who do their homework look to a relatively large but select number of people to talk through their ideas," says Reid Hoffman, founder and chief executive of LinkedIn.com.
Myth: Your business plan must be rock solid from the get-go.
Truth: Building a company is an iterative process, says Hoffman, and entrepreneurs must be willing to adapt--to changes in customer demand or the competitive landscape. "It's not like chess where you have a pre-formulated, deterministic strategy and must get all the moves in exactly the right sequence," he says. There should be a principal plan in place--see Ten Things All Good Business Plans Must Have--but it should be flexible and updated constantly. Says Hoffman: "No battle plan survives impact with the enemy."
Myth: Passion will get you there.
Truth: Passion can ease the pain of 15-hour days. It can galvanize employees and win over customers. In some cases, it can even enthrall deep-pocketed investors. But it is no silver bullet. The most effective entrepreneurs learn to modulate their emotions, says Rich Gelfond, chief executive of IMAX ( IMAX - news - people ). His mantra: "It's never as good as it looks, or as bad as it seems."
Myth: You can set your own schedule.
Truth: "I thought I'd be the boss and sit back and put my feet up," says Mike Zaya, chief executive of Printrunner, an online printing and ink-cartridge company. Reality looked a bit different, including a several-night stretch of sleeping but two hours a night at the office. "You end up being the goalie of the company, and the goalie has to sacrifice their body," adds Zaya. "You have to be the first man in and last man out on any given day."
Myth: There's glory in it.
Truth: For all its rewards, entrepreneurship can also feel like a thankless job. "No one tells me that I did really well, it's always me telling everyone else that," says Amir Korangy, owner of the Real Deal, a real-estate focused publishing company in New York City. Korangy says entrepreneurs need internal motivation and reassurance because it rarely comes from outside. "After a few years, you want someone to say you're doing good work," he adds. "But the only way to tell yourself you're doing a good job is to see an increase in revenues."
Friday, November 13, 2009
RI to purchase trainer, attack aircraft from Russia, China
Indonesia will purchase new trainer/light attack aircraft from Russia and China as part of an effort to revitalize its primary defense system, says newly sworn-in Air Force chief of staff Vice Marshal Imam Safaat.
He said the new jets, consisting the Yak-130 from Russia and the FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle from China, would replace the squadrons of British Hawk Mk-53 jets and American OV-10 Bronco.
The Air Force has 20 Hawk Mk-53, and eight turboprop-driven OV-10 Bronco aircraft that are around 30 years old.
“We plan to replace them in the next couple of years. We have done feasibility studies for the purchases, and will propose them to the government soon,” Imam said after the handover ceremony at Halim Perdanakusumah Air Force Base in East Jakarta. Imam replaced Marshal Subandrio.
It would be the first time Indonesia purchases warplanes from China and the second from Russia after the United States embargoed the supply of spare parts for its F-5E Tiger II and F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters and C-130 Hercules transport planes in 1999 due to human rights abuses mainly East Timor.
The Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman, Rear Marshal Sagom Tamboen said the reshuffle in the Air Force leadership was conducted to improve its professionalism through the regeneration of leaders.
Sagom added the new Air Force chief was assigned to boost the country’s air defense system by increasing the quality of aircraft and equipment.
“It is our mission to reduce accidents during training and operational work conducted by Air Force personnel to zero,” he said.
Iman said the military aircraft had to be replaced soon because the Air Force had used the existing planes for more than 30 years.
Imam said further that the Indonesian Military had also planned to replace the old F-5E Tiger II jets.
“We expect to replace them by 2013,” he told The Jakarta Post.
Imam declined to mention the prices of the new aircraft, saying he had not yet discussed it with the government.
“They are expensive,” he said, adding the aircraft would be purchased using foreign aid.
Indonesia bought three Sukhoi fighter jets in February this year to strengthen aerial defense following a series of deadly accidents caused by outdated military aircraft.
The country now has seven Sukhoi-type fighters, all of which were purchased from Russia through a credit scheme. Three more are expected later this year.
Indonesia purchased the seven fighter jets from Russia through the seven-year credit scheme at a total price of US$335 million, but does not have to start making payments for five years.
TNI chief Gen. Djoko Santoso said the Air Force would focus on increasing the operational quality of its basic equipment and maintenance.
“That includes the improvement of the Air Force’s radar systems and air control power,” he said.
Sagom said the Air Force would also focus on improving personnel welfare, despite its limited budget, in addition to increasing safety standards for its primary weaponry defense system.
Sagom added that 70 percent of the Air Force’s budget was geared toward the welfare of personnel. The other 30 percent was for the maintenance of equipment and spare parts.
He said the Air Force budget was expected to increase to between Rp 5 trillion ($531.6 million) and Rp 7 trillion next year, up from Rp 4 trillion this year. (nia)
Calling all budding Indonesian novelists
Have you ever planned on writing a novel? Or are you already a seasoned novelist looking for your next challenge? Well, there could be no better time to put pen to paper. November is the 11th annual National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a free worldwide challenge in which both professional and amateur writers attempt to complete a 50,000-word novel by midnight, local time, on Nov. 30.
Sound impossible? It really isn't, as the hundreds of thousands of previous NaNoWriMo winners, i.e. all those who achieved 50,000 words of fiction within the month, can testify.
Because it's not about quality, its all about quantity. So perfectionist writers out there can just this once forget about obsessively re-editing every single word. Just charge on and tell your story, in any language you like, with "literary abandon", as NaNoWriMo's tagline encourages. There are no judges and no prizes, just the magical motivation of a demanding yet achievable deadline.
"The 50,000-word challenge has a wonderful way of opening up your imagination and unleashing creative potential like nothing else," NaNoWriMo's founder and program director, Chris Baty, said.
"When you write for quantity instead of quality, you end up getting both. Also, it's a great excuse for not doing any dishes for a month."
NaNoWriMo, the largest writing contest in the world, was founded in 1999 in the San Francisco Bay area, with 21 participants. The rate of participation has dramatically increased every year and spread around the world.
In 2008, more than 120,000 people competed, with more than 30 NaNoWriMo novelists getting their novels published, including Sarah Gruen, whose New York Times *1 Best Seller, Water for Elephants began as a NaNoWriMo novel.
This year there are 213 Nano-novelists representing Indonesia, both locally and overseas, who have so far collectively written 281,921 words.
This Saturday, Nov. 14, Jakarta-based NaNoWriMos are invited to join a write-in at Caf* Gramedia, Grand Indonesia, Jl. MH Thamrin, from 1 p.m. onwards.
"It's exciting this year because we have lots of new young members," said the write-in's organizer Dini, 40, a secretary who has participated in NaNoWriMo since 2004.
To be an official NaNoWriMo winner, the rules are: write a 50,000-word (or longer) novel, between November 1 and Nov. 30; start from scratch (although outlines, character sketches, and research are all fine, as are citations from other people's works); be the sole author of your novel; and finally, upload your novel for word-count validation to the Nanowrimo site between Nov. 25 and Nov. 30.
If you haven't joined in yet, fear not, because it's still not too late to be in with a winning chance. If you start today, you have 20 days, and should aim for 2,500 words a day - a piece of cake for wordaholics!
PLN may face punishment over blackouts
Executives at state power firm PT PLN, under fire for implementing rotating blackouts across Greater Jakarta, risk demotion if they fail to address the problem in less than a month, warns a minister.
The threat was made Thursday by State Minister for State Enterprises Mustafa Abubakar in response to blackouts in many parts of the city carried out by PLN amid a power shortage triggered in part by damaged substations.
"I will take disciplinary action against those who fail to meet the electricity crisis improvement deadline," he said during a visit to the fire-gutted Cawang Baru electricity substation in Cililitan, East Jakarta.
"However, I will reward - including a bonus in the form of promotion - those who meet the target.
"The bait is their positions. I demand no more power outages in West Jakarta by Dec. 1."
Mustafa said the disciplinary actions would vary, with the harshest being demotion.
Supply of electricity to the greater Jakarta area has since Sept. 29 been disrupted after fires broke out at the Cawang Baru and Kembangan, West Jakarta, substations.
This eventually led to PLN forcing scheduled, rotating blackouts that are expected to continue until the end of the year.
In addition, Mustafa also set a target of reducing the level of electricity leaks from the current 8.6 percent to 8 percent by year-end.
The Cawang Baru electricity substation exploded on Sept. 29 after fire razed two output transformers. Police are still investigating the cause of the fire.
PLN has tried to make up for the power shortage by purchasing 100 megawatts of electricity from PT Cikarang Listrikindo and redirecting power from the Tanjung Priok and Muara Karang substations in North Jakarta.
PLN Greater Jakarta general manager Purnomo Willy said he would try his best to resolve the problem and meet the target set by Mustafa.
"We'll try to guarantee there will be no more power outages in West Jakarta by the start of December, in line with the restoration of the Kembangan electricity substation," he said.
Purnomo added other efforts PLN was undertaking were the planned installation by Nov. 22 of 200 electricity load controllers at luxury homes with power connections of more than 30 kilovolt-amperes.
"We expect *the load controllers* will save to 2 to 3 megawatts of power," he said, adding that for the first step, the controllers would be installed in the upmarket neighborhoods of Pondok Indah and Menteng.
The installations would be carried out at PLN's cost, he confirmed.
The controllers will cap the electricity consumption at those houses, Purnomo said.
The electricity will be automatically shut off if the consumption reaches a certain level.
Besides luxury homes, PLN will also limit power consumption at malls and shopping centersSurvives from Bear Attack
A member of the Anak Dalam indigenous tribe in Jambi is receiving medical treatment at Muara Bulian Hospital in Batanghari regency after being mauled by a bear Wednesday.
Solai, 30, lost an eye and suffered from bites and scratches all over his body following the attack in the forest where he was setting up a wild boar trap.
“He fought off the bear, as you can see from the injuries he sustained,” Ida, a relative, said Friday.
Solai managed to escape from the forest despite his wounds and seek help from his neighbor Winanto, who, along with other residents, rushed Solai to a community health center. Solai was transferred to the hospital due to the severity of his injuries.
Hospital official Rozi said Solai was recovering and in a stable condition. “His medical costs will be covered by the social services agency,” Rozi said.
Is this for sale???
Is it really an antique?
Thu, 11/12/2009 7:53 PM | National
Bomb hits Pakistan's spy agency in northwest
The Associated Press , Peshawar, Pakistan | Fri, 11/13/2009 9:36 AM | World
Terror Attack: A view of destruction after a suicide bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan on Friday. A suicide car bomb devastated Pakistan's main spy agency building in the northwest Friday, killing at least 7 people and striking at the heart of the institution overseeing much of the country's anti-terror campaign. AP/Mohammad Sajjad
A powerful bomb targeted the offices of Pakistan's main spy agency in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Friday, tearing down much of the building and causing several casualties, witnesses said.
The blast struck at the heart of the agency overseeing much of the anti-terror campaign in the border regions with Afghanistan, where al-Qaida and Taliban leaders are believed to be hiding out.
It was the latest in a string of attacks on security forces, civilian and Western targets since the government launched an offensive in mid-October against the Taliban's main stronghold in the border region of South Waziristan.
An Associated Press reporter on the scene within minutes of the explosion saw at least eight dead or badly wounded bodies being taken away. The blast destroyed much of the three-story building belonging to the Inter-Services Intelligence agency and many cars on the street outside.
The reporter said it was the loudest explosion in recent years in the city, which is a militant hub and has seen at least four major attacks in the last month.
The government has said the militant attacks will not dent the country's resolve to pursue the offensive in South Waziristan, where officials say the most deadly insurgent network in Pakistan is based.
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