Abdul Khalik , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta
An in-law of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was arrested Thursday, almost a month after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named him a suspect in a graft scandal involving lawmakers.
The KPK arrested Aulia Pohan — whose daughter, Annisa Pohan, is married to Yudhoyono’s eldest son Agus Harimurti — along with three other former deputy Bank Indonesia governors: Maman Sumantri, Bun Bunan Hutapea and Aslim Tadjuddin.
Yudhoyono has drawn praise from many activists and analysts for taking a hands-off approach to the scandal in which Rp 100 billion (US$9 million) was embezzled from the central bank.
The scandal centers on the disbursement of Rp 100 billion from the central bank to finance legal defense for five former BI senior officials implicated in a Bank Indonesia liquidity support graft case and to bribe legislators to expedite an amendment to the BI law.
Upon naming Aulia a suspect, the KPK came under immediate pressure to arrest him and all others implicated in the case.
The arrests came after the anti-graft body questioned the suspects for more than eight hours starting 9 a.m. Thursday.
Aulia and Maman were brought to the Police Mobile Brigade’s detention center in Kelapa Dua in Depok, West Java, while Bun Bunan and Aslim were taken to the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta.
“We are detaining them to make the investigation process easier,” KPK chairman Antasari Azhar told The Jakarta Post immediately after Aulia had been brought to the detention center.
Aulia smiled for reporters upon his arrival at the KPK office, saying he was ready to face the worst.
“How can I say I am not ready (for detention)?,” he said.
Lawyers for all the suspects said they would file a request for their clients’ detentions to be suspended.
Antasari said the KPK had sent officials to all the suspects’ residences to inform their families about the arrests, but vowed there would be no special treatment for the four suspects.
“It’s normal if they request their detentions be suspended but we have our own considerations. Remember, this is not the end of the case. There is the possibility that others are involved,” he said without elaborating.
The disbursement of the central bank funds was decided in a meeting of the then BI board of governors, chaired by Burhanuddin Abdullah.
Burhanuddin, a former BI chief, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the Corruption Court late last month, while two other former BI officials — former BI legal bureau chief Oey Hoey Tiong and former BI governor bureau chief Rusli Simanjuntak — were jailed for four years each for the same charges.
Many anti-graft activists have criticized the KPK for procrastinating naming Aulia a suspect and detaining him, pointing out that other suspects in the case were detained long ago and some have already been convicted.
Jumat, 28 November 2008
Kamis, 27 November 2008
Obama missing 'rambutan, bakso and nasi goreng'
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a telephone conversation with U.S. president-elect Barack Obama during his stopover in Seattle, and invited him to visit Indonesia, tempointeraktif.com reported on Wednesday.
When the presidential flight touched down at Nagoya airport in Japan on Tuesday, Yudhoyono made a statement to reporters over the airplane's intercom.
"He addressed me with, 'Apa Kabar Bapak President?' (How are you Mr. President?), with his fluent Indonesian language," Yudhoyono said.
Obama was missing several local delicacies such as nasi goreng (fried rice), rambutan and bakso (meatball soup), he added.
Yudhoyono had congratulated Obama's election as U.S. president and suggested he visit Indonesia after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Singapore next year.
Yudhoyono said they had both agreed to maintain good relations between the two countries.
"I felt his warmth and friendship in the conversation."
During one of his campaign speeches, Obama said he would visit Indonesia within the first 100 days of his presidency. Obama is due to take office on Jan 20, 2009.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a telephone conversation with U.S. president-elect Barack Obama during his stopover in Seattle, and invited him to visit Indonesia, tempointeraktif.com reported on Wednesday.
When the presidential flight touched down at Nagoya airport in Japan on Tuesday, Yudhoyono made a statement to reporters over the airplane's intercom.
"He addressed me with, 'Apa Kabar Bapak President?' (How are you Mr. President?), with his fluent Indonesian language," Yudhoyono said.
Obama was missing several local delicacies such as nasi goreng (fried rice), rambutan and bakso (meatball soup), he added.
Yudhoyono had congratulated Obama's election as U.S. president and suggested he visit Indonesia after attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Singapore next year.
Yudhoyono said they had both agreed to maintain good relations between the two countries.
"I felt his warmth and friendship in the conversation."
During one of his campaign speeches, Obama said he would visit Indonesia within the first 100 days of his presidency. Obama is due to take office on Jan 20, 2009.
Selasa, 25 November 2008
House, ulema push for anti-smoking laws
Adianto P. Simamora , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta
The continued might of Indonesia’s far-reaching tobacco industry is being questioned, with the House of Representatives and an influential ulema group calling for anti-smoking laws.
Legislator Atte Sugandi of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party said Monday a bill being pushed for deliberation by the House would curb tobacco-related advertising, promotions, sponsorships, production and sales.
“Once it is passed into law, there will be no retail cigarette sales for students,” he said on the sidelines of a seminar on tobacco farmers.
The House will set up a special committee before the year’s end to deliberate the bill, a move that has been delayed for three years.
“We expect to pass the bill before our term ends next year,” Atte said of the draft, which has 87 articles.
“We are extremely worried about the recent development as most activities ranging from sports to education are sponsored by tobacco companies. They also sponsor students who want to pursue master’s degrees at the University of Indonesia, which is extremely dangerous,” he said.
He blamed the government’s poor monitoring and law enforcement for the excessive cigarette advertising.
Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Ma’ruf Amin said ulema from across the country would gather in a West Sumatra town in January next year to discuss the issue of smoking.
“We have so far received many opinions from Muslims about smoking. Many ask the MUI to issue an edict banning Muslims from smoking, some others reject the idea,” said Ma’ruf, who heads the fatwa commission.
“It’s a tough issue to deal with, therefore we will handle it with care.”
Anti-smoking groups have repeatedly called on the government to take measures to reduce cigarette consumption in the country.
The government has rejected the request, citing the millions of jobs that would be at stake in the sector.
A recent survey by the University of Indonesia’s (UI) School of Economics shows that tobacco farmers earn Rp 413,347 on average per month, far lower than the average minimum monthly wage of Rp 883,693.
“We found that 65 percent of the surveyed tobacco farmers wanted to shift jobs to become (rice) paddy farmers or vendors. So, the government’s argument is wrong, only a few people benefit from tobacco,” UI researcher Abdillah Ahsan said.
The continued might of Indonesia’s far-reaching tobacco industry is being questioned, with the House of Representatives and an influential ulema group calling for anti-smoking laws.
Legislator Atte Sugandi of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party said Monday a bill being pushed for deliberation by the House would curb tobacco-related advertising, promotions, sponsorships, production and sales.
“Once it is passed into law, there will be no retail cigarette sales for students,” he said on the sidelines of a seminar on tobacco farmers.
The House will set up a special committee before the year’s end to deliberate the bill, a move that has been delayed for three years.
“We expect to pass the bill before our term ends next year,” Atte said of the draft, which has 87 articles.
“We are extremely worried about the recent development as most activities ranging from sports to education are sponsored by tobacco companies. They also sponsor students who want to pursue master’s degrees at the University of Indonesia, which is extremely dangerous,” he said.
He blamed the government’s poor monitoring and law enforcement for the excessive cigarette advertising.
Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Ma’ruf Amin said ulema from across the country would gather in a West Sumatra town in January next year to discuss the issue of smoking.
“We have so far received many opinions from Muslims about smoking. Many ask the MUI to issue an edict banning Muslims from smoking, some others reject the idea,” said Ma’ruf, who heads the fatwa commission.
“It’s a tough issue to deal with, therefore we will handle it with care.”
Anti-smoking groups have repeatedly called on the government to take measures to reduce cigarette consumption in the country.
The government has rejected the request, citing the millions of jobs that would be at stake in the sector.
A recent survey by the University of Indonesia’s (UI) School of Economics shows that tobacco farmers earn Rp 413,347 on average per month, far lower than the average minimum monthly wage of Rp 883,693.
“We found that 65 percent of the surveyed tobacco farmers wanted to shift jobs to become (rice) paddy farmers or vendors. So, the government’s argument is wrong, only a few people benefit from tobacco,” UI researcher Abdillah Ahsan said.
Sabtu, 22 November 2008
Papuans with HIV/AIDS to get microchips
Angel Flassy , The Jakarta Post , Papua
Amid protests from Papuans and NGOs, the Papua provincial legislative council is set to pass a bylaw on HIV/AIDS that includes a controversial article requiring certain people living with the disease to be implanted with a microchip.
“If the draft bylaw is passed, it will violate the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS because they will be implanted with microchips,” said Constan Karma, executive director of the Papua AIDS Commission (KPAD).
Councilor John Manangsang said the microchips would only be implanted in people living with HIV/AIDS who were deemed to be “aggressive”.
“Aggressive means actively seeking sexual intercourse. This is one way to protect healthy people,” he said.
“Do not misunderstand human rights; if we respect the rights of the people living with HIV/AIDS, then we must also respect the rights of healthy people.”
He said the public should judge the bylaw draft as a whole rather than by is constituent articles.
“The draft, for example, requires everyone to take HIV/AIDS tests so that preventative measures can be taken early on,” he said.
“I am a doctor, saving lives is my profession. If we want to save the only limited number of Papuans, we have to take real action because 47 percent of (the country’s) HIV/AIDS (cases) are in Papua.”
The 40-article-long bylaw also stipulates that the KPAD executive director should be a physician who understands epidemiology, the roles of religious institutions and audit the accreditation of NGOs working in the field of HIV/AIDS.
A liaison officer of the West Papua chapter of Save Papua, Gunawan, said he disagreed with the bylaw.
“People with HIV/AIDS do not always have sex, especially those with AIDS. They can no longer perform sexual intercourse,” he said, perhaps referring to the moral obligation of people living with HIV/AIDS to not risk spreading the disease.
“And how do you measure aggressiveness?” he added.
Indonesia would be the worst human rights violator if people living with HIV/AIDS in the country were implanted with microchips, Gunawan said.
“Let’s see how the Papuans respond to the bylaw. It will suffer the same fate as the pornography law,” he said.
Enita T. Rouw, coordinator of the Papua branch of the Indonesian Network of People Infected with HIV, said incidences of discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS had declined.
“However, the stigmatization is still there,” she said. “So please don’t use microchips. We’re humans, not animals.”
The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Papua is increasing, with 319 new cases reported so far this year as of October, taking the total to 4,114 reported cases, Constan said earlier this month.
Amid protests from Papuans and NGOs, the Papua provincial legislative council is set to pass a bylaw on HIV/AIDS that includes a controversial article requiring certain people living with the disease to be implanted with a microchip.
“If the draft bylaw is passed, it will violate the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS because they will be implanted with microchips,” said Constan Karma, executive director of the Papua AIDS Commission (KPAD).
Councilor John Manangsang said the microchips would only be implanted in people living with HIV/AIDS who were deemed to be “aggressive”.
“Aggressive means actively seeking sexual intercourse. This is one way to protect healthy people,” he said.
“Do not misunderstand human rights; if we respect the rights of the people living with HIV/AIDS, then we must also respect the rights of healthy people.”
He said the public should judge the bylaw draft as a whole rather than by is constituent articles.
“The draft, for example, requires everyone to take HIV/AIDS tests so that preventative measures can be taken early on,” he said.
“I am a doctor, saving lives is my profession. If we want to save the only limited number of Papuans, we have to take real action because 47 percent of (the country’s) HIV/AIDS (cases) are in Papua.”
The 40-article-long bylaw also stipulates that the KPAD executive director should be a physician who understands epidemiology, the roles of religious institutions and audit the accreditation of NGOs working in the field of HIV/AIDS.
A liaison officer of the West Papua chapter of Save Papua, Gunawan, said he disagreed with the bylaw.
“People with HIV/AIDS do not always have sex, especially those with AIDS. They can no longer perform sexual intercourse,” he said, perhaps referring to the moral obligation of people living with HIV/AIDS to not risk spreading the disease.
“And how do you measure aggressiveness?” he added.
Indonesia would be the worst human rights violator if people living with HIV/AIDS in the country were implanted with microchips, Gunawan said.
“Let’s see how the Papuans respond to the bylaw. It will suffer the same fate as the pornography law,” he said.
Enita T. Rouw, coordinator of the Papua branch of the Indonesian Network of People Infected with HIV, said incidences of discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS had declined.
“However, the stigmatization is still there,” she said. “So please don’t use microchips. We’re humans, not animals.”
The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Papua is increasing, with 319 new cases reported so far this year as of October, taking the total to 4,114 reported cases, Constan said earlier this month.
Rabu, 19 November 2008
Minister defends expansion of oil palm plantations
Hyginus Hardoyo , The Jakarta Post
Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono on Tuesday defended Indonesia’s drive to expand oil palm plantations, despite a demand by environmentalists for a moratorium on deforestation.
Speaking in his keynote address at the opening of the sixth annual meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, Apriyantono said any moratorium, including that recently called for by Greenpeace, was beyond the control of the Indonesian government.
The four-day meeting will discuss issues such as the certification program for members, palm oil small-scale growers, the RSPO and the government, and market standards for biofuel.
The RSPO was established by NGOs and business operators involved in the production, processing and sale of palm oil, in response to criticisms that oil palm plantations were causing rapid deforestation.
“The government has its own program of preserving our forests; we aim to keep 60 percent of our forests in addition to allocated protected forests,” the minister said.
He said Indonesia still had 23 million hectares of protected forest.
“Out of 133 million hectares of land, only 6.3 million hectares, or about 5 percent, have been planted with oil palms — arguably a very small area compared to what other countries have done with their natural forests,” Apriyantono said.
But data from independent monitor Sawit Watch shows that in addition to the land already planted, another 18 million hectares have been cleared for plantation expansions.
Sawit Watch deputy director Abetnego Tarigan said development programs by regional administrations were targeting oil palm plantation expansions — especially in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua — of up to 20 million hectares.
“Another new plan still under negotiation deals with the development of the world’s largest oil palm plantation, covering 1.8 million hectares in the heart of Kalimantan,” he said.
Tarigan suggested that instead of expanding plantations, it was time to intensify existing estates and improve current yields of only 10 to 15 tons of palm oil per hectare per year — far less than the 25 tons per hectare per year recorded in Malaysia.
In 2006, Indonesia became the world’s largest producer of palm oil. Last year, total production reached 16.9 million tons and is projected to reach almost 18 million tons this year, or 26.2 percent of the world’s vegetable oil production.
Of the 2006 figure, 5 million tons was sold domestically, with 11.8 million tons exported, Apriyantono said.
“In term of palm oil exports, Indonesia managed to substantially raise foreign exchange earnings from only US$745 million in 1998 to $7.9 billion in 2007,” he said.
He added some 5 million smallholders were employed in the industry.
“I challenge everyone — NGOs and stakeholders — to come up with positive news of benefits as well as successful and positive multi-stakeholder collaborative projects,” the minister said.
Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono on Tuesday defended Indonesia’s drive to expand oil palm plantations, despite a demand by environmentalists for a moratorium on deforestation.
Speaking in his keynote address at the opening of the sixth annual meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, Apriyantono said any moratorium, including that recently called for by Greenpeace, was beyond the control of the Indonesian government.
The four-day meeting will discuss issues such as the certification program for members, palm oil small-scale growers, the RSPO and the government, and market standards for biofuel.
The RSPO was established by NGOs and business operators involved in the production, processing and sale of palm oil, in response to criticisms that oil palm plantations were causing rapid deforestation.
“The government has its own program of preserving our forests; we aim to keep 60 percent of our forests in addition to allocated protected forests,” the minister said.
He said Indonesia still had 23 million hectares of protected forest.
“Out of 133 million hectares of land, only 6.3 million hectares, or about 5 percent, have been planted with oil palms — arguably a very small area compared to what other countries have done with their natural forests,” Apriyantono said.
But data from independent monitor Sawit Watch shows that in addition to the land already planted, another 18 million hectares have been cleared for plantation expansions.
Sawit Watch deputy director Abetnego Tarigan said development programs by regional administrations were targeting oil palm plantation expansions — especially in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua — of up to 20 million hectares.
“Another new plan still under negotiation deals with the development of the world’s largest oil palm plantation, covering 1.8 million hectares in the heart of Kalimantan,” he said.
Tarigan suggested that instead of expanding plantations, it was time to intensify existing estates and improve current yields of only 10 to 15 tons of palm oil per hectare per year — far less than the 25 tons per hectare per year recorded in Malaysia.
In 2006, Indonesia became the world’s largest producer of palm oil. Last year, total production reached 16.9 million tons and is projected to reach almost 18 million tons this year, or 26.2 percent of the world’s vegetable oil production.
Of the 2006 figure, 5 million tons was sold domestically, with 11.8 million tons exported, Apriyantono said.
“In term of palm oil exports, Indonesia managed to substantially raise foreign exchange earnings from only US$745 million in 1998 to $7.9 billion in 2007,” he said.
He added some 5 million smallholders were employed in the industry.
“I challenge everyone — NGOs and stakeholders — to come up with positive news of benefits as well as successful and positive multi-stakeholder collaborative projects,” the minister said.
Yahoo's fate riding on Yang's successor as CEO
The Associated Press , San Francisco
Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang listens to a question at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. Yahoo said Monday Nov. 17, 2008 that Yang will step down as the Internet company's CEO as soon as a successor is found. (AP/Paul Sakuma)
With Jerry Yang quitting as Yahoo Inc.'s chief executive, the Internet company's board will confront pivotal questions as it looks for a new leader.
Should Yahoo swallow its pride and try to strike a buyout deal with Microsoft Corp. at a price far below Microsoft's $47.5 billion offer from 6 1/2 months ago? Or should Yahoo still pursue a long-awaited turnaround that's becoming more difficult to achieve as the economy tanks?
If Yahoo plays it safe and hires someone from within or someone friendly with Microsoft, it could signal the board merely wants an interim captain who can steer the ship until Microsoft, or possibly another buyer, comes to the rescue.
But should Yahoo recruit a CEO with a prestigious resume or pluck an up-and-coming technology star, it will be seen as a sign that the company is digging in to remain independent for the long haul.
"It's time for Yahoo to decide if they are going to keep entertaining offers or really start to focus on a business strategy," said Mike Leo, a veteran online ad executive who now runs Operative Inc. "Yahoo still has some great assets. They have just been mismanaged."
Most analysts and investors have interpreted Yang's departure as precursor to Microsoft's acquisition of Yahoo in its entirety or at least its search engine, which ranks a distant second in usage behind Google Inc.'s.
Yahoo shares gained 92 cents, or more than 8 percent, to close Tuesday at $11.55. That's a fraction of the $33 per share that Microsoft offered in early May before Yang's request for more money prompted the Redmond, Wash.-based software maker to withdraw its bid.
The negotiating breakdown infuriated shareholders and their fury intensified as Yahoo's stock plunged to its lowest levels since early 2003.
Yang, Yahoo's co-founder, clung to the hope that he could still engineer a comeback, but his plans went awry yet again this month when Google backed out of a proposed ad partnership to avoid an antitrust battle with the federal government.
The loss of Google's help, which was supposed to boost Yahoo's sagging profits, evidently prompted Yang and Yahoo's board to conclude they needed to announce a change in command even before a successor had been found. Yang, 40, will remain CEO until his replacement is hired and then revert to his former advisory role of "Chief Yahoo."
Yahoo so far has given few clues on the leadership skills it's seeking, saying only that it wants a CEO "who can take the company to the next level." The company has hired Heidrick & Struggles, an headhunting firm, to recruit its next CEO.
Although Yahoo's profits and stock price have been crumbling for nearly three years, analysts say the company's huge audience of about 500 million Internet users and leadership positions in e-mail and news could still attract a big-name executive. "Yahoo can still be salvaged," said Forrester Research analyst David Card.
The names of possible successors include obvious ones like Yahoo's current president and Yang confidant, Susan Decker, as well as its former chief operating officer, Dan Rosensweig, who left last year after a management shake-up diminished his authority.
Other candidates offer more intrigue, like former eBay Inc. CEO Meg Whitman or media mogul Rupert Murdoch's top lieutenant at News Corp., Peter Chernin, who just so happens to be getting ready to negotiate another contract.
Whitman appears to be a long shot because she has indicated she's more interested in pursuing a political career than returning to the executive suite.
Jonathan Miller, the former CEO of AOL, has been mentioned as another possibility. But when he left AOL in 2006, his severance agreement included a noncompete clause that prevents him from working from rivals like Yahoo until March 2009. Time Warner Inc., AOL's corporate parent, enforced the provision to block Miller from joining Yahoo's board last summer.
Gartner Inc. analyst Allen Weiner believes Yahoo should recruit a turnaround specialist or a "young Turk" in the mold of Jason Kilar, who was lured from Amazon.com Inc. last year to run the online video site Hulu.com. If Yahoo takes that kind of a step, Weiner said the deep pools of talent at Silicon Valley neighbors Google and Apple Inc. might yield a savvy new leader.
Other names being bandied about include the former head of Microsoft's online operation, Kevin Johnson, who helped persuade the software maker to bid for Yahoo. Johnson left Microsoft during the summer to become CEO of computer gear maker Juniper Networks Inc., which is located a half-mile from Yahoo's headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Whoever Yahoo selects needs to have charisma and vision if the company is to have any hope of bouncing back, said Todd Dagres, founder of the venture capital firm Spark Capital. "Yahoo is like a wounded animal right now. They need an Obama-like leader," he said.
Microsoft might make a move on Yahoo before the board even has a chance to hire a new CEO, Jefferies & Co. analyst Youssef Squali suggests. He estimates Microsoft could buy Yahoo in its entirety for $20.50 to $22 per share or perhaps just snap up Yahoo's search operations for $8 per share.
Microsoft declined to comment Tuesday on its interest in Yahoo.
Yahoo's most outspoken director, Carl Icahn, has been lobbying for a search deal with Microsoft since he became one of the company's largest shareholders in May.
Icahn waged a campaign to fire Yang during the summer before reaching a truce that gave him and two allies seats on Yahoo's board. Those allies, former Viacom Inc. CEO Frank Biondi and former Nextel CEO John Chapple, also could vie for Yang's job.
Even if Icahn finally gets his wish, a Microsoft deal might not be enough to make him whole. He acquired his 5 percent stake in Yahoo for around $25 a share.
Sanford Bernstein & Co. analyst Jeffrey Lindsay doubts Microsoft will renew its pursuit of Yahoo until early next year. He reasons Microsoft has little to lose by waiting, since Yahoo's stock is unlikely to rise much higher, and the extra time will give the software maker more time to assess how its own efforts to improve its Internet operations are panning out.
Waiting also would help Microsoft get a better understanding of the antitrust hurdles a Yahoo bid might face under a new presidential administration.
Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang listens to a question at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. Yahoo said Monday Nov. 17, 2008 that Yang will step down as the Internet company's CEO as soon as a successor is found. (AP/Paul Sakuma)
With Jerry Yang quitting as Yahoo Inc.'s chief executive, the Internet company's board will confront pivotal questions as it looks for a new leader.
Should Yahoo swallow its pride and try to strike a buyout deal with Microsoft Corp. at a price far below Microsoft's $47.5 billion offer from 6 1/2 months ago? Or should Yahoo still pursue a long-awaited turnaround that's becoming more difficult to achieve as the economy tanks?
If Yahoo plays it safe and hires someone from within or someone friendly with Microsoft, it could signal the board merely wants an interim captain who can steer the ship until Microsoft, or possibly another buyer, comes to the rescue.
But should Yahoo recruit a CEO with a prestigious resume or pluck an up-and-coming technology star, it will be seen as a sign that the company is digging in to remain independent for the long haul.
"It's time for Yahoo to decide if they are going to keep entertaining offers or really start to focus on a business strategy," said Mike Leo, a veteran online ad executive who now runs Operative Inc. "Yahoo still has some great assets. They have just been mismanaged."
Most analysts and investors have interpreted Yang's departure as precursor to Microsoft's acquisition of Yahoo in its entirety or at least its search engine, which ranks a distant second in usage behind Google Inc.'s.
Yahoo shares gained 92 cents, or more than 8 percent, to close Tuesday at $11.55. That's a fraction of the $33 per share that Microsoft offered in early May before Yang's request for more money prompted the Redmond, Wash.-based software maker to withdraw its bid.
The negotiating breakdown infuriated shareholders and their fury intensified as Yahoo's stock plunged to its lowest levels since early 2003.
Yang, Yahoo's co-founder, clung to the hope that he could still engineer a comeback, but his plans went awry yet again this month when Google backed out of a proposed ad partnership to avoid an antitrust battle with the federal government.
The loss of Google's help, which was supposed to boost Yahoo's sagging profits, evidently prompted Yang and Yahoo's board to conclude they needed to announce a change in command even before a successor had been found. Yang, 40, will remain CEO until his replacement is hired and then revert to his former advisory role of "Chief Yahoo."
Yahoo so far has given few clues on the leadership skills it's seeking, saying only that it wants a CEO "who can take the company to the next level." The company has hired Heidrick & Struggles, an headhunting firm, to recruit its next CEO.
Although Yahoo's profits and stock price have been crumbling for nearly three years, analysts say the company's huge audience of about 500 million Internet users and leadership positions in e-mail and news could still attract a big-name executive. "Yahoo can still be salvaged," said Forrester Research analyst David Card.
The names of possible successors include obvious ones like Yahoo's current president and Yang confidant, Susan Decker, as well as its former chief operating officer, Dan Rosensweig, who left last year after a management shake-up diminished his authority.
Other candidates offer more intrigue, like former eBay Inc. CEO Meg Whitman or media mogul Rupert Murdoch's top lieutenant at News Corp., Peter Chernin, who just so happens to be getting ready to negotiate another contract.
Whitman appears to be a long shot because she has indicated she's more interested in pursuing a political career than returning to the executive suite.
Jonathan Miller, the former CEO of AOL, has been mentioned as another possibility. But when he left AOL in 2006, his severance agreement included a noncompete clause that prevents him from working from rivals like Yahoo until March 2009. Time Warner Inc., AOL's corporate parent, enforced the provision to block Miller from joining Yahoo's board last summer.
Gartner Inc. analyst Allen Weiner believes Yahoo should recruit a turnaround specialist or a "young Turk" in the mold of Jason Kilar, who was lured from Amazon.com Inc. last year to run the online video site Hulu.com. If Yahoo takes that kind of a step, Weiner said the deep pools of talent at Silicon Valley neighbors Google and Apple Inc. might yield a savvy new leader.
Other names being bandied about include the former head of Microsoft's online operation, Kevin Johnson, who helped persuade the software maker to bid for Yahoo. Johnson left Microsoft during the summer to become CEO of computer gear maker Juniper Networks Inc., which is located a half-mile from Yahoo's headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Whoever Yahoo selects needs to have charisma and vision if the company is to have any hope of bouncing back, said Todd Dagres, founder of the venture capital firm Spark Capital. "Yahoo is like a wounded animal right now. They need an Obama-like leader," he said.
Microsoft might make a move on Yahoo before the board even has a chance to hire a new CEO, Jefferies & Co. analyst Youssef Squali suggests. He estimates Microsoft could buy Yahoo in its entirety for $20.50 to $22 per share or perhaps just snap up Yahoo's search operations for $8 per share.
Microsoft declined to comment Tuesday on its interest in Yahoo.
Yahoo's most outspoken director, Carl Icahn, has been lobbying for a search deal with Microsoft since he became one of the company's largest shareholders in May.
Icahn waged a campaign to fire Yang during the summer before reaching a truce that gave him and two allies seats on Yahoo's board. Those allies, former Viacom Inc. CEO Frank Biondi and former Nextel CEO John Chapple, also could vie for Yang's job.
Even if Icahn finally gets his wish, a Microsoft deal might not be enough to make him whole. He acquired his 5 percent stake in Yahoo for around $25 a share.
Sanford Bernstein & Co. analyst Jeffrey Lindsay doubts Microsoft will renew its pursuit of Yahoo until early next year. He reasons Microsoft has little to lose by waiting, since Yahoo's stock is unlikely to rise much higher, and the extra time will give the software maker more time to assess how its own efforts to improve its Internet operations are panning out.
Waiting also would help Microsoft get a better understanding of the antitrust hurdles a Yahoo bid might face under a new presidential administration.
Senin, 17 November 2008
Police detain suspect in bank rumor case
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta
The National Police announced Sunday the detention of a stock market broker for allegedly spreading rumors by email about a deposit run on certain banks, which led to brief panic and put the country’s banking health into question.
The trader, Erick Jazier Adriansjah of PT Bahana Securities, has been declared a suspect for defamation and spreading false information, and was taken into custody on Sunday, said Sr. Comr. Petrus Golose, head of the National Police’s cyber crime unit.
“The suspect spread the rumor after receiving information from another broker,” Petrus said at a press conference, adding the police were still investigating the case.
Erick, 38, was arrested after police found evidence that the e-mail in question originated from a computer in his office.
The email read, “Market news stated that several Indo banks are having a liquidity problem and failed to complete interbank transactions. These banks include: Bank Panin, Bank Bukopin, Bank Artha Graha, Bank CIC, and Bank Victoria. We will keep you updated.”
It was sent by Erick on Thursday at 4:59 p.m. to his clients, eventually spreading to local and overseas investors.
“This misleading information is dangerous to the economy because it could lead to a run on banks and other unexpected outcomes,” said National Police director of special economy Brig. Gen. Edmon Ilyas.
The rumors came shortly after it was revealed that Bank Century had missed a deadline to settle an obligation of Rp 5 billion to the central bank’s clearing system.
While the central bank later confirmed this was due mostly to a “technical problem” rather than a liquidity shortage, it still triggered concern over the stability of the nation’s banking sector.
The concerns were exacerbated by the fact the government only guarantees bank deposits of up to Rp 2 billion, at a time when neighboring countries — including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong — already cover all deposits in full.
Many economists suggest such a rumor would not have caused so much panic had the government applied full protection for bank deposits, regardless of the amount.
The business players, spearheaded by the Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), have openly asked for a full deposit guarantee, arguing it was necessary to avoid capital flight amid the current global financial crunch.
The central bank is said to favor such a policy.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, however, has repeatedly played down the urgency of such a move, saying it would create “moral hazards” and claiming the current scheme already covered more than 99 percent of deposit account holders.
Critics accuse Kalla of forgetting to mention that the remaining less-than 1 percent of accounts make up, in value, nearly 40 percent of all third party funds in the Indonesian banking sector, which totals around Rp 1,520 trillion.
The National Police announced Sunday the detention of a stock market broker for allegedly spreading rumors by email about a deposit run on certain banks, which led to brief panic and put the country’s banking health into question.
The trader, Erick Jazier Adriansjah of PT Bahana Securities, has been declared a suspect for defamation and spreading false information, and was taken into custody on Sunday, said Sr. Comr. Petrus Golose, head of the National Police’s cyber crime unit.
“The suspect spread the rumor after receiving information from another broker,” Petrus said at a press conference, adding the police were still investigating the case.
Erick, 38, was arrested after police found evidence that the e-mail in question originated from a computer in his office.
The email read, “Market news stated that several Indo banks are having a liquidity problem and failed to complete interbank transactions. These banks include: Bank Panin, Bank Bukopin, Bank Artha Graha, Bank CIC, and Bank Victoria. We will keep you updated.”
It was sent by Erick on Thursday at 4:59 p.m. to his clients, eventually spreading to local and overseas investors.
“This misleading information is dangerous to the economy because it could lead to a run on banks and other unexpected outcomes,” said National Police director of special economy Brig. Gen. Edmon Ilyas.
The rumors came shortly after it was revealed that Bank Century had missed a deadline to settle an obligation of Rp 5 billion to the central bank’s clearing system.
While the central bank later confirmed this was due mostly to a “technical problem” rather than a liquidity shortage, it still triggered concern over the stability of the nation’s banking sector.
The concerns were exacerbated by the fact the government only guarantees bank deposits of up to Rp 2 billion, at a time when neighboring countries — including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong — already cover all deposits in full.
Many economists suggest such a rumor would not have caused so much panic had the government applied full protection for bank deposits, regardless of the amount.
The business players, spearheaded by the Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), have openly asked for a full deposit guarantee, arguing it was necessary to avoid capital flight amid the current global financial crunch.
The central bank is said to favor such a policy.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, however, has repeatedly played down the urgency of such a move, saying it would create “moral hazards” and claiming the current scheme already covered more than 99 percent of deposit account holders.
Critics accuse Kalla of forgetting to mention that the remaining less-than 1 percent of accounts make up, in value, nearly 40 percent of all third party funds in the Indonesian banking sector, which totals around Rp 1,520 trillion.
Jumat, 14 November 2008
'Ketupat' more than just a tradition
Suherdjoko , The Jakarta Post , Kudus
Each day, hundreds of people climb Mount Muria, not simply to enjoy the scenery and its natural beauty, but to visit the grave of Sunan Muria, located on its slope.
Sunan Muria was one of the Wali Sanga, the nine propagators of Islam in Java, who spread the religion in the 15th century.
At the grave, which is located around 18 kilometers north of the Central Javan town of Kudus, the pilgrims took turns paying their respects.
Near the grave they chanted prayers. They prayed for the soul of Sunan Muria and asked for God's blessings.
Visitors can get close to and pray beside the grave thanks to a caretaker who has arranged a tight prayer schedule, which was put in place to cope with the 5,000 odd people who visit the grave every day.
Even more visitors come on important days, including those considered sacred by the Javanese calendar such as Thursday Wage, Friday Kliwon, Thursday Legi and Friday Pahing.
The busiest days, however, are when ketupat rituals are organized during the week after Idul Fitri. A ketupat is a rice cake boiled in a packet of woven young coconut leaves.
At the ritual, a jodhang -- a two-square meter basket -- is placed, holding hundreds of ketupat and lepet (snacks made of sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves) while people pray.
Muhammad Sochib, caretaker of the graveyard, told The Jakarta Post the ritual is a tradition dating back many years.
"Ketupat in the Javanese language is called kupat, meaning to admit a wrongdoing.
"So the tradition is to confess one's sins to other people and in general, its a tradition of mutual forgiveness," he said.
Residents in Kudus, as well as those in other regions on the northern coastal areas of Central Java also observe the ketupat tradition, only there it is mostly done in the comfort of ones home.
But since 2007 the tradition has been turned into a larger event in the hopes of attracting tourists.
"With the ritual, we ask God for blessings, good health and safety. We also pray for Sunan Muria," said resident Affandi, who was accompanied by his wife Nurhayati and their child to the grave.
Those wanting to visit the grave can take a mini bus from Kudus to the Colo tourist attraction. From the parking area they can reach the grave by climbing a 700-step stairways.
Visitors who don't feel up to the climb can use an ojek (motorcycle taxi) to reach the site. However, only ojek riders familiar with the terrain are brave enough to venture to the grave because of the steep road.
During the ketupat celebration last month, two jodhang were taken on a one-kilometer procession from the Colo tourist attraction to Sunan Muria's grave.
The people carrying the ketupat wore customary Javanese dress: black bell-bottom trousers and black shirts.
The procession was preceded by many santri (students of Islamic schools) dressed in white, playing music on tambourines.
They also carried a bedug, a large drum suspended horizontally at mosques, used to summon the faithful to prayer. The drum was hit continuously while the procession moved along the road.
Bringing up the rear of the group were students from junior high schools and elementary schools around Colo, who escorted the ketupat.
After prayers were held beside the grave, the ketupat were returned to the Colo tourist attraction. There the head of the Kudus Regency, Musthofa Wardoyo, waited to lead the ketupat party. He expressed hope that the tradition could continue.
Previously, the event was called the Parade of 1,000 ketupat Sunan Muria, but its now known as the Sewu Kupat Kanjeng Sunan Muria.
"The Kudus Regency head may change, but this tradition has to be preserved. This tradition, at the same time, can become a tourist attraction in Kudus," said Musthofa.
The ketupat janur (coconut leaf) package is full of symbolism and meaning.
The word janur comes from the words "jaan" and "nur" which means the coming of light. While lepet, a sticky rice that is covered by young coconut leaves, means quickly. At the celebration residents also consume lontong (rice cake), derived from the word kothong, meaning empty.
So the overall meaning of the ketupat celebration is to confess wrong in order to quickly become empty so that people can welcome the coming of God's light.
Before the ketupat party starts, a person from Colo village sings Sinom Parijatha, a song from the late Sunan Muria containing religious advice to the residents of the Muria mountain range.
Finsihed with the solom ceremony, the visitors immediatly decendend on the jodhan, trying to get as close as they could to the ketupat. Mere moments later the food had vanished.
Not all of the ketupat was consumed, however, as many residents took their portion home to be used as a charm to bring blessings and to ward off disasters.
Each day, hundreds of people climb Mount Muria, not simply to enjoy the scenery and its natural beauty, but to visit the grave of Sunan Muria, located on its slope.
Sunan Muria was one of the Wali Sanga, the nine propagators of Islam in Java, who spread the religion in the 15th century.
At the grave, which is located around 18 kilometers north of the Central Javan town of Kudus, the pilgrims took turns paying their respects.
Near the grave they chanted prayers. They prayed for the soul of Sunan Muria and asked for God's blessings.
Visitors can get close to and pray beside the grave thanks to a caretaker who has arranged a tight prayer schedule, which was put in place to cope with the 5,000 odd people who visit the grave every day.
Even more visitors come on important days, including those considered sacred by the Javanese calendar such as Thursday Wage, Friday Kliwon, Thursday Legi and Friday Pahing.
The busiest days, however, are when ketupat rituals are organized during the week after Idul Fitri. A ketupat is a rice cake boiled in a packet of woven young coconut leaves.
At the ritual, a jodhang -- a two-square meter basket -- is placed, holding hundreds of ketupat and lepet (snacks made of sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves) while people pray.
Muhammad Sochib, caretaker of the graveyard, told The Jakarta Post the ritual is a tradition dating back many years.
"Ketupat in the Javanese language is called kupat, meaning to admit a wrongdoing.
"So the tradition is to confess one's sins to other people and in general, its a tradition of mutual forgiveness," he said.
Residents in Kudus, as well as those in other regions on the northern coastal areas of Central Java also observe the ketupat tradition, only there it is mostly done in the comfort of ones home.
But since 2007 the tradition has been turned into a larger event in the hopes of attracting tourists.
"With the ritual, we ask God for blessings, good health and safety. We also pray for Sunan Muria," said resident Affandi, who was accompanied by his wife Nurhayati and their child to the grave.
Those wanting to visit the grave can take a mini bus from Kudus to the Colo tourist attraction. From the parking area they can reach the grave by climbing a 700-step stairways.
Visitors who don't feel up to the climb can use an ojek (motorcycle taxi) to reach the site. However, only ojek riders familiar with the terrain are brave enough to venture to the grave because of the steep road.
During the ketupat celebration last month, two jodhang were taken on a one-kilometer procession from the Colo tourist attraction to Sunan Muria's grave.
The people carrying the ketupat wore customary Javanese dress: black bell-bottom trousers and black shirts.
The procession was preceded by many santri (students of Islamic schools) dressed in white, playing music on tambourines.
They also carried a bedug, a large drum suspended horizontally at mosques, used to summon the faithful to prayer. The drum was hit continuously while the procession moved along the road.
Bringing up the rear of the group were students from junior high schools and elementary schools around Colo, who escorted the ketupat.
After prayers were held beside the grave, the ketupat were returned to the Colo tourist attraction. There the head of the Kudus Regency, Musthofa Wardoyo, waited to lead the ketupat party. He expressed hope that the tradition could continue.
Previously, the event was called the Parade of 1,000 ketupat Sunan Muria, but its now known as the Sewu Kupat Kanjeng Sunan Muria.
"The Kudus Regency head may change, but this tradition has to be preserved. This tradition, at the same time, can become a tourist attraction in Kudus," said Musthofa.
The ketupat janur (coconut leaf) package is full of symbolism and meaning.
The word janur comes from the words "jaan" and "nur" which means the coming of light. While lepet, a sticky rice that is covered by young coconut leaves, means quickly. At the celebration residents also consume lontong (rice cake), derived from the word kothong, meaning empty.
So the overall meaning of the ketupat celebration is to confess wrong in order to quickly become empty so that people can welcome the coming of God's light.
Before the ketupat party starts, a person from Colo village sings Sinom Parijatha, a song from the late Sunan Muria containing religious advice to the residents of the Muria mountain range.
Finsihed with the solom ceremony, the visitors immediatly decendend on the jodhan, trying to get as close as they could to the ketupat. Mere moments later the food had vanished.
Not all of the ketupat was consumed, however, as many residents took their portion home to be used as a charm to bring blessings and to ward off disasters.
Jombang police nab student over porn video
The Jakarta Post
The Jombang Police arrested a high-school boy Thursday for having a digital video deemed pornographic in his mobile phone, Antara newswire reported.
The boy was taken into custody at his school, SMA Negeri 3, during class hours and later taken to the police station. The police were in the school conducting a raid after receiving public complaints about a digital pornographic video making the rounds on mobile phones at the school.
During the raid, police asked students to leave their classes and assemble in the school's playing field, where police told them to submit their phones for inspection. The whole process was fully assisted by the teachers.
Some students said that individuals recorded in the digital video were students of a local Muslim high school, Madrasah Aliyah Negeri.
Jombang Police public order head Sugeng Widodo said the raid was necessary to curb public outcry over the distribution of the video.
"We conducted raids in this school and others so this problem would not hamper school activities," he said
The Jombang Police arrested a high-school boy Thursday for having a digital video deemed pornographic in his mobile phone, Antara newswire reported.
The boy was taken into custody at his school, SMA Negeri 3, during class hours and later taken to the police station. The police were in the school conducting a raid after receiving public complaints about a digital pornographic video making the rounds on mobile phones at the school.
During the raid, police asked students to leave their classes and assemble in the school's playing field, where police told them to submit their phones for inspection. The whole process was fully assisted by the teachers.
Some students said that individuals recorded in the digital video were students of a local Muslim high school, Madrasah Aliyah Negeri.
Jombang Police public order head Sugeng Widodo said the raid was necessary to curb public outcry over the distribution of the video.
"We conducted raids in this school and others so this problem would not hamper school activities," he said
Rabu, 12 November 2008
Soekarwo wins by slim margin in E. Java gov race
The Jakarta Post , Surabaya
East Java gubernatorial candidate Soekarwo and his running mate Saifullah Yusuf on Tuesday defied all quick count results to win the vote by a narrow margin over the pre-election favorites.
They defeated Khofifah Indar Parawansa and her running mate Mudjiono by a mere 60,000 votes.
Khofifah, whom quick count polls had unanimously declared the winner, protested the final tally by the East Java General Elections Commission (KPUD), saying she would bring the case to the Constitutional Court after citing alleged vote rigging.
The KPUD’s final tally gave Soekarwo 50.2 percent, or 7,729,944 votes, and Khofifah only 49.8 percent, or 7,669,7212 votes.
Soekarwo dominated in 22 regencies and municipalities, while Khofifah won in only 16. Almost 50 percent, or 13 million, of the province’s 29.2 million eligible voters did not vote.
On Nov. 4, polling day, five pollsters showed Khofifah winning 50 percent of votes and Soekarwo trailing with 49 percent.
The KPUD’s final vote count took place under tight security at the Mercure Hotel. Thousands of supporters from both camps rallied outside the hotel, each claiming victory in the neck-and-neck race.
KPUD chairman Wahyudi Purnomo announced the final tally on Tuesday, and gave each camp three days to contest the results.
Khofifah’s camp refused to sign off on the result and said it would complain to the Constitutional Court of alleged vote rigging, including in a number of polling stations in Madura.
Soekarwo, an influential former provincial administration secretary, called on his supporters to remain calm and maintain political stability following the KPUD’s announcement.
Soekarwo and Saifullah were nominated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN). Soekarwo also had the backing of influential clerics and the bureaucracy.
Khofifah expressed her disappointment in regency KPUDs on Madura Island, accusing them of turning a blind eye to blatant vote rigging on the staunchly pro-Soekarwo island.
Khofifah and Mudjiono were nominated by the United Development Party (PPP) and had the backing of Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama, its women’s wing Fatayat, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and several minor parties.
Airlangga University political analyst Kacung Maridjan played down the discrepancy between the official count and the quick counts, and urged both camps to take legal steps to address alleged vote rigging, rather than resort to violence.
“The next governor’s legitimacy lies not in the slim victory but in the way they make changes during their tenure.”
Sabtu, 08 November 2008
Honda shows wearable device that helps you walk
ASSISTED MOBILITY: A researcher displays Honda Motor Co.'s experimental walking assist device with bodyweight support system as the device is unveiled in Tokyo Friday. (AP/Katsumi Kasahara)
Yuri Kageyama , The Associated Press , Tokyo
Imagine a bicycle seat connected by mechanical frames to a pair of shoes for an idea of how the new wearable assisted-walking gadget from Honda work.
The experimental device, unveiled Friday, is designed to support bodyweight, reduce stress on the knees and help people get up steps and stay in crouching positions.
Honda envisions the device being used by workers at auto or other factories. It showed a video of Honda employees wearing the device ad bending to peer underneath vehicles on an assembly line.
Engineer Jun Ashihara also said the machine is useful for people standing in long lines and r people who run around to make deliveries.
"This should be as easy to use as a bicycle," Ashihara said at Honda's Tokyo headquarters. "It reduces stress, and you should feel less tired."
To wear it, you put the seat between your legs, put on the shoes and push the on button. Then just start walkg around.
In a test-run for media, this reporter found it does take some getting used to. But I could sense how it supported my moves, pushing up on my bottom when I squatted and pushing at my soles to help lift my legs when I walked.
The system has a computer, motor, gears, battery and sensors embeded in it so it responds to a person's movements, according to Honda Motor Co.
Pricing and commercial product plans are still undecided. Japan's No. 2 automaker will begin testing a prototype with its assembly line workers later this month for feedback.
The need for such mechanical help is expected to grow in Japan, which has one of the most rapidly aging societies in the world.
Other companies are also eyeing the potentially lucrative market of helping the weak and old get around. Japan is among the world's leading nations in robotics technology, not only for industrial use but also for entertainment and companionship.
Earlier this year, Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp. showed a Segway-like ride it said was meant for old people.
Japanese robot company Cyberdyne has begun renting out in Japan a belted device called HAL, for "hybrid assistive limb," that reads brain signals to help people move about with mechanical leg braces that strap to the legs.
Honda has shown a similar but simpler belted device. It has motors on the left and right, which hook up to frames that strap at the thighs, helping the walker maintain a proper stride.
That device, being tested at one Japanese facility, helps rehabilitation programs for the disabled, encouraging them to take steps, said Honda official Kiyoshi Aikawa.
Honda has been carrying out research into mobility for more than a decade, introducing the Asimo humanoid in 2000.
Kamis, 06 November 2008
Jakarta celebrates the Menteng Kid’s victory
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta
Jakarta shared the anxiety and the joy of the U.S presidential election won by new Indonesian darling Barack Hussein Obama on Wednesday.
It was a special day for students of Obama’s former school SDN Menteng 01, Central Jakarta, who gathered at the school’s hall to watch the final results pour in. Several pictures of Obama during his school years there were prominently displayed.
A 15-minute silence has been held here every day since Monday to allow the students to pray for Obama’s victory.
“Every day we have something different to pray for, but since Monday we have prayed for him,” said principal Kuwadiyanto.
Obama, or Barry as he was affectionately called during his time in Indonesia, enrolled in the school — then named SD Besuki — as a third-grader in 1968. He previously attended the Fransiskus Asisi Catholic School, also in Central Jakarta.
Obama’s historic election as the next U.S. president was a dream come true for his supporters in Indonesia.
“I think it’s good motivation for the children to study hard and set their dreams high,” Kuwadiyanto said.
Israella Dharmawan, Barry’s former teacher at Fransiskus Asisi and an avid follower of the U.S. election, said she was proud and touched by Barry’s win.
“I hope to see him become a good president and keep his campaign promises,” she said, adding he was good, cheerful and easygoing as a young boy.
“I remember he once wrote two stories titled ‘My mother, my idol’ and ‘I want to be a president’,” she said.
Obama’s former classmates at SDN Menteng 01 also recalled the times they spent at Café Pisa, Menteng, with the now U.S. president-elect.
Obama moved to Indonesia at the age of six with his mother Ann Dunham and his Indonesian stepfather Lolo Soetoro. He lived in Jakarta from 1967 to 1971.
In the rest of the capital, Jakartans cheered the election of Anak Menteng (the Menteng Kid) as America’s first black president.
“Though I am not an American, I am very happy to hear that a child who studied in Menteng will be the next U.S. president,” Sugiyono, a taxi driver, said after hearing radio reports of Obama’s win.
The U.S. Embassy and USINDO organized a U.S. Election Day event at the InterContinental Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Most of the guests were non-Americans.
“It’s no longer a U.S. election,” one guest said. “It looks like an international election. People all over the world are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the election.”
Among U.S. Ambassador Cameron R. Hume’s invited guests were presidential spokesmen Dino Patti Djalal and Andi Mallarangeng, former ministers Emil Salim and Alwi Shihab, members of the House of Representatives, scholars, journalists and diplomats.
Despite their busy schedules, the British, Swiss, German, Austrian, Brazilian, Mexican, Jordanian, Tunisian, Palestinian and Singaporean ambassadors turned up to witness the historic moment.
Enda Nasution, who chairs the Obama for Indonesia society, celebrated Obama’s victory with 300 members of the group, which was founded over the Internet.
“It’s great to be part of history. No one thought Obama would win the U.S. presidency,” Enda said.
Jakarta shared the anxiety and the joy of the U.S presidential election won by new Indonesian darling Barack Hussein Obama on Wednesday.
It was a special day for students of Obama’s former school SDN Menteng 01, Central Jakarta, who gathered at the school’s hall to watch the final results pour in. Several pictures of Obama during his school years there were prominently displayed.
A 15-minute silence has been held here every day since Monday to allow the students to pray for Obama’s victory.
“Every day we have something different to pray for, but since Monday we have prayed for him,” said principal Kuwadiyanto.
Obama, or Barry as he was affectionately called during his time in Indonesia, enrolled in the school — then named SD Besuki — as a third-grader in 1968. He previously attended the Fransiskus Asisi Catholic School, also in Central Jakarta.
Obama’s historic election as the next U.S. president was a dream come true for his supporters in Indonesia.
“I think it’s good motivation for the children to study hard and set their dreams high,” Kuwadiyanto said.
Israella Dharmawan, Barry’s former teacher at Fransiskus Asisi and an avid follower of the U.S. election, said she was proud and touched by Barry’s win.
“I hope to see him become a good president and keep his campaign promises,” she said, adding he was good, cheerful and easygoing as a young boy.
“I remember he once wrote two stories titled ‘My mother, my idol’ and ‘I want to be a president’,” she said.
Obama’s former classmates at SDN Menteng 01 also recalled the times they spent at Café Pisa, Menteng, with the now U.S. president-elect.
Obama moved to Indonesia at the age of six with his mother Ann Dunham and his Indonesian stepfather Lolo Soetoro. He lived in Jakarta from 1967 to 1971.
In the rest of the capital, Jakartans cheered the election of Anak Menteng (the Menteng Kid) as America’s first black president.
“Though I am not an American, I am very happy to hear that a child who studied in Menteng will be the next U.S. president,” Sugiyono, a taxi driver, said after hearing radio reports of Obama’s win.
The U.S. Embassy and USINDO organized a U.S. Election Day event at the InterContinental Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Most of the guests were non-Americans.
“It’s no longer a U.S. election,” one guest said. “It looks like an international election. People all over the world are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the election.”
Among U.S. Ambassador Cameron R. Hume’s invited guests were presidential spokesmen Dino Patti Djalal and Andi Mallarangeng, former ministers Emil Salim and Alwi Shihab, members of the House of Representatives, scholars, journalists and diplomats.
Despite their busy schedules, the British, Swiss, German, Austrian, Brazilian, Mexican, Jordanian, Tunisian, Palestinian and Singaporean ambassadors turned up to witness the historic moment.
Enda Nasution, who chairs the Obama for Indonesia society, celebrated Obama’s victory with 300 members of the group, which was founded over the Internet.
“It’s great to be part of history. No one thought Obama would win the U.S. presidency,” Enda said.
Rabu, 05 November 2008
Tana Toraja
Stephanie Brookes , Contributor , Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi
The valley of the butterflies seemed a nice place to spend a Sunday. The valley is nestled in a deep limestone gorge, just an hour from the hustle and bustle of Makassar, and I was looking forward to some peace and reflective solitude with the butterflies.
However, I had forgotten that Sunday means family picnic day everywhere in Indonesia.
By 10:00 a.m., there were already loads of people spreading rugs, juggling rice cookers and playing loud music from speakers.
Luckily the portable speakers (all playing different music) remained stationary and I found an escape route. I followed a small trail along the river, which led to a series of waterfalls, and to my delight I found plenty of brightly colored giant butterflies, which are attracted to this scenic valley.
My journey continued on the long highway leading north out of Makassar — the road that takes you on the timeless journey into Tana Toraja.
The Torajan culture, with its elaborate sacrificial funeral rites and sacred burial cave sites guarded by effigies, has fascinated people for centuries. The colorful hand-painted houses called Tongkonans are beautifully decorated in tribal motifs and buffalo horns from past sacrifices.
Torajan culture is said to date back to celestial time as the Torajan people believe they descended from the stars and arrived in starships. It is believed the shapes of their houses resemble those very starships.
I stayed overnight in the town of Pare Pare overlooking the magnificent Makassar Strait, in a hotel perched on top of a hill that offered fantastic views. I was up bright and early the next day for the long, slow drive into the highlands. About five hours later I arrived in Rantepao, the heartland of Toraja country.
At the summit is a place called Buntu Kabobong, which means “erotic mountain”. Why erotic mountain? Well, laid out before you, welcoming you to Toraja, are two enormous geological landmarks that resemble genitalia. To the local people they are known as “Most Holy Penis” and “Most Sacred Vagina”.
This is the place to where the Torajan people claim their first ancestors descended from the Pleiades in starships. Another belief is that the Tongkonan houses resemble a boat-shaped design to allow the soul of a dead person to be launched back to the stars.
The Tongkonans are built without nails and are slotted together with precision, making them strong enough to last a lifetime. The houses stand on stilts enabling a cooling air to circulate; the stilts double as a shelter for the family water buffalo. The slatted floors allow the animal droppings to be collected and reused for crop fertilizer.
The next day my local Indonesian (English-speaking) guide Sada called into an Internet café to check his email. He appeared five minutes later with a big smile on his face.
“We are lucky, Miss,” he said. “Even though the funeral season is usually June and July there is a funeral in progress only 30 kilometers from here.
“It is day three of the funeral and will be the most interesting day: the day of the animal sacrifice.”
Torajan funerals are held only when the families have saved enough money to host the elaborate event. It is necessary to build a complete village to house hundreds of guests over the five-day period. The temporary village is dismantled afterward. The other major cost involves buying animals for sacrifice.
A buffalo about to be sacrificed, with the traditional Tongkonan houses in the background. (JP)
One healthy buffalo can cost up to Rp 40 million (US$4,370) and a pig can cost up to Rp 3 million. It is not uncommon for more than 50 pigs and several buffalo to be sacrificed. For this reason, the dead body may end up being kept in the house for five years or more to await the accumulation of finances.
One of the traditional villages I visited actually had a five-year-old mummified body in the family lounge. The corpse was that of an elderly woman; her husband’s death preceded her own and the family was unable to pay for a second funeral even five years later.
Some of the preserved bodies are stored in ornately decorated sarcophaguses and if you are a man of royal descent, then your royal widow must stay in the same room as the body until the time of burial. It is also not uncommon for a widow to stay there for five years or more.
The widow must stay with the disintegrating corpse and sympathetically “rot” herself, living on a special diet for the entire period, excluding rice products. She must become symbolically dead and is not permitted to leave her husband’s side. Lesser widows and slaves tend to her needs.
To make sure the soul is not neglected, a bowl of food is replenished daily and palm wine poured plus an offering of betel nut or chewing tobacco is made at regular intervals. The Torajans believe it is only through this intense rich ritual that the deceased will always be “a free soul” and become richer in their next life.
It was already 35 degrees when I arrived at the funeral at 10.00 a.m. Sada escorted me along the 1 km trail to reach the temporary bamboo village, which had been erected for the sole purpose of this burial.
If foreign tourists come to a traditional Torajan funeral it is seen as a sign of good luck. In the hierarchical order of status, a foreign tourist is seen as a dignitary, and therefore treated as an honored guest. I had many offers of coffee (homegrown Torajan coffee), for which the area is well known, local cakes and other sweets.
The Torajan society is a highly structured one, with four classes of people, from the nobility down to the peasant class.
Depending on your ranking in the village, you must offer a certain number of pigs or buffalo, which are then slaughtered and the meat distributed evenly among the guests, depending on their ranking in the village society.
A government official records in triplicate every animal given for slaughter and a tax is imposed accordingly.
When a funeral is in process, family members come from all corners of Indonesia; many of the local guests spoke fluent English. In Toraja a nobleman’s son or daughter will have an assistant assigned from birth to accompany him or her throughout early childhood and into young adulthood.
The animal sacrifice had already begun when I arrived. It took place in a specially designed area where pigs and other animals were hauled in to the “circle of death” and killed with great speed and efficiency.
Blood flowed through the middle of the common area and huge chunks of meat were weighed and divided throughout the day according to the ranking and status of the recipients.
A few bamboo pipes went past me, filled with animal blood, but I didn’t dare ask what they were for, or where they were going. I checked my tea was actually tea.
I felt very privileged to attend this ceremonial funeral. In the afternoon I returned to the luxury of the Toraja Heritage Hotel, a magnificent 160-room 4-star property featuring villas designed in the shape of Tongkonan houses.
The hotel had all the finishing touches including a welcoming meet-and-greet service with cold towels and a relaxing head-and-shoulders massage.
Next on the agenda was a visit to several of the death cliffs in the area. This is another fascinating aspect of Torajan culture. The dead are placed in chiseled coffin slots in hillsides, rocks or cliffs.
Some have effigies placed in the open doorways to guard the spirit of the dead body. Others are left open, exposing the bones for all to see.
On day five I decided to take a two-hour drive to a traditional village and experience a homestay with a local family.
Sada made a couple of phone calls and organized an overnight stay in a “real” Tongkonan longhouse in a small village perched high in the mountains.
It was late afternoon when I reached the high road that would lead me to this village.
As it was a school day, a procession of children dotted the side of road. It is not unusual for children to walk between 8 and 12 km to and from school each day.
The children were friendly and inquisitive and tried out their schoolbook English with me. It was a very lively and humorous exchange, which led to a series of fantastic photos.
Though these rural people have very basic standards of living with scarce resources, they are always happy and relaxed, seemingly without a care in the world.
In terms of materialistic acquisition, which many of us in the West aspire to, the Torajans seem happy to live simply, not wanting for much. Their most important asset is a large healthy buffalo.
When I arrived at the Tongkonan house for the night, I had a choice of which attic I wanted to sleep in. I was told the room rate would be a grand total of $4 including a pancake breakfast.
The owners of the homestay cooked a delicious dinner, and I dined that night overlooking the beautiful mountains of Toraja with an exquisite view of the valley below. To enhance the scene, the full moon appeared, bathing the landscape in its light.
It was more than enough to make up for the slight discomfort of sleeping on a simple mattress on the floor and taking a traditional stand-up cold mandi (bath).
The next morning I awoke to find I was above the clouds. I descended down into the misty valley where the next adventure awaited me — white-water rafting.
It was a one-hour walk through a series of rice fields and a small village to the “put-in” on the riverbank. As we paddled downstream, I lost myself in nature.
Only the occasional swooping of eagles soaring above interrupted the quiet serenity of the deep gorge.
As the river narrowed, its energy changed as we passed by a series of large waterfalls cascading from the steep mountainous terrain. The rapids appeared in small bursts, but mostly it was a trip down a lazy river — just the remedy for finishing a spectacular seven-day trip into Torajaland.
For anyone who wants to experience a fascinating culture, set in an exquisite mountain environment, then Tana Toraja is a gem worth exploring.
Sabtu, 01 November 2008
Belitung: A Sumatra Neverland
Kuntarini Rahsilawati , Contributor , Belitung, Sumatra | Sun, 06/08/2008 10:06 AM | Travel
We touched down in Belitung with a thud, followed by cheers.
I looked out the window of the plane, it was raining really hard. It didn't seem like the right time to be in Belitung.
Bangka Belitung is a province in southern Sumatra that comprises two main islands separated by a five-hour ferry ride, and a number of smaller islands.
We were waiting for friends to arrive from Bangka. They'd booked their tickets to Belitung through a travel agent in Jakarta who'd apparently thought Belitung and Bangka were the same place.
So, when they'd arrived in Bangka the night before and confidently asked for directions to our hotel, the locals told them there was no hotel called that in Bangka. My friends showed them the scrap of paper with the hotel's address on it, and the locals answered in unison, "Oh, it says here that the hotel is in Belitung, Pak -- this is Bangka! It's a five-hour ferry ride to Belitung." Oh yeah? Very good.
Andrea and Belitung
We'd developed a sudden craving for gangan or fish-head casserole, a Tanjung Tinggi speciality, and by the time our friends arrived we were starving. There's a word in Belitung, kempungan, which is used to describe the bad luck that follows indulging in a "guilty" pleasure. But still we went in search of gangan
Tanjung Tinggi is a popular place for swimming, relaxing or simply admiring its white sand beach, turquoise water and granite rock formations.
We quickly found a restaurant, watching kids dive into a granite pool while we waited for our food. When it finally arrived, it was a sight to behold. The casserole, it's sauce a perfect blend of curry paste and pineapple, was big enough for the seven of us -- with leftovers assured.
After lunch, my friends and I scattered like soldiers fighting for the control of strategic spots from which to take photos.
I kept thinking of the book Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors), which is about the children of poor fishermen in Belitung, who played, joked and encouraged one another in their studies. I was keen to travel on to East Belitung, where the book is set. Instead of taking pictures I returned to the restaurant. A friend asked, "Do you want to meet Andrea Hirata?" Andrea is the book's author.
"Sure," I said. "There he is now, said my friend, "strolling along the beach". Without thinking twice I rushed over to greet Andrea. He is well-known in Jakarta and yet seemed liked a "nobody" in Belitung.
Andrea asked me to climb across the otherworldly rock formations with him. We sat high up, overlooking the open sea. It was clear from Laksar Pelangi that Andrea really loves Belitung, his hometown. I could imagine the part in the book when he gazed at the rooftop of his sweetheart's house from Selumar hill in East Belitung. I even fancied I could see the dragons of the South China Sea wrestling from afar.
Ah, gangan, Tanjung Tinggi and Andrea in one day -- welcome to Belitung!
Lengkuas Island
The next day, the golden morning sun filtered through the canopies of leaves and branches along the road to the Tanjung Layar coast. It was the perfect day to sail to Lengkuas Island, or so we thought.
No sooner had we arrived in Tanjung Layar than a chilly wind whipped up and the sun all but disappeared. Boats were tossed about like toys. A fisherman approached us. "Are you sure you still want to sail to Lengkuas Island?", he said, making his reluctance clear. A fisherman I'd met earlier told me that from May to August the sea around Belitung is calm and flat like a mirror, but in December, few fishermen have the courage to go out to sea.
"Just give it a try, Pak," my friend said.
We decided to try our luck, and away we sailed. The small islands scattered in the vicinity seemed within reach, but I knew they were not that close. Halfway to our destination, the water surface was choppier. Our small boat was tossed up and down like an amusement park ride and I regretted our snap decision to sail to Lengkuas.
There was no turning back, the only way was forward. Our boat was a lone warrior on the sea. There was nothing to do but to hold onto the bench. There was not even a rubber ring, let alone life jackets.
So, for more than an hour, we held tightly to the bench, prayed and kept our eyes on the waves that threatened to swallow up our boat.
As we drew closer to Lengkuas, the sea was calmer. The sun reflected off the whitewashed lighthouse that stood out against the island's green forest. It was a relief to know that we were close to dry land.
The only problem was the water was too shallow for the boat to get any closer. We'd have to wade through waist-deep water. Fortunately, the kindhearted fisherman placed a chair below the deck so we didn't have to jump right in.
Lengkuas Island is surrounded by granite boulders that have a surface pattern of horizontal lines. So straight are they that they look like they were drawn with a ruler.
The lighthouse engineer, Komaruddin, approached us, smiling broadly. He lives there with his family. They receive food supplies only once in three months and are completely reliant on tank water.
If there is no more water in the tank, Komaruddin must call his superior in Jakarta and ask for a container of water to be delivered to the island.
No wonder the sign in the toilet says "Use water wisely".
The white lighthouse was built in 1882 and still functions as an active aide to navigation for ships going to Tanjung Pandan Port or entering the Gaspar Straits, which separate Bangka and Belitung islands. Komarudin is assisted by two men who keep watch at night.
It is rather eerie inside the lighthouse. One room, which has bars over the windows, used to be a cell. From every window there is a magnificent view of the sea. On the way back down the lighthouse stairs, I was struck by the glow of the afternoon sun through the old, broken windows. It was a privilege to have spent the afternoon on this beautiful island.
Prince Charles arrives in Jakarta
The Prince of Wales arrives at Halim Perdanakusumah Airport, East Jakarta, by Royal Air Force plane, Saturday. The prince is on a four-day visit to Indonesia to promote understanding on interfaith matters and to give a presidential lecture on forestry issues
The Jakarta Post | Sat, 11/01/2008 4:54 PM | National
Heir to the British throne Prince Charles has arrived in Jakarta and greeted by chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council Din Syamsudin at the Istiqlal Mosque.
British Embassy spokesperson Faye Belnis said as quoted by kompas.com on Sunday afternoon that the prince went straight from the Halim Perdana Kusuma airport to Istiqlal and discussed inter-faith matters with Din.
During his visit to Indonesia, the prince is scheduled to meet with the head of state and visit an Eco-Tourism Restoration project to be developed in Bungku village, Kuang Jaya, Batanghari district, Jambi.
Covering 49,000 hectares of land in Jambi (and another 52,000 hectares in South Sumatra), the restoration project site has been handed over from a private firm to the government to be converted into an ecosystem restoration location.
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