SYMPATHY FOR DETAINED ANTI-GRAFT BODY LEADERS RISING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 31 (ANTARA) - How strongly the Indonesian people wish to see corruption in their country rooted out can perhaps be seen in the growing public sympathy for Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah, two Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chiefs, who have been detained by police on bribery and abuse of authority charges.

        Regardless of whether or not the two anti-graft body commissioners are guilty, public sympathy for them is rising partly because of the performance of their institution, the KPK, which has become an icon of the war against corruption.

        Thus, its deputies are able to gain sympathy from the public when they are now in police custody, no matter who they actually are, wrong or right. In addition, the circulation of the transcript of a wiretapped telephone conversation suggesting the existence of a plot to frame the two anti-graft deputies and undermine the KPK itself, has helped to create public suspicion about why they arrested.

        On Thursday, police detained Bibit Samat and Chandra Hamzah who had been named suspects over alleged abuse of authority with regard to the issuance of a travel ban on businessman Anggoro Widjojo and also the issuance of a travel ban and later its revocation for businessman Djoko Tjandra.

        Anggoro Widjojo was previously investigated by the KPK over an alleged corruption in a forestry ministry project. Bibit and Chandra were suspected to have received a bribe of Rp7.6 billion from Anggodo Widjojo, a brother of Anggoro Widjojo.

        Up to Saturday, the tapped conversations had yet to be opened to the public although its transcript had been widely published by the media.

        In the meantime, expressions of public support for Bibit and Chandra continue to multiply. Even, former president Abdurrahman Wahid came to the KPK office to express readiness to vouch for the innocence of the two arrested KPK deputy chiefs.

        "I came to add more support for their release from detention. I am prepared to put my name on the line in this case," Abdurrahman Wahid who is popularly called 'Gus Dur' said after visiting the KPK office on Saturday.

        Gus Dur's action for the release of the suspended KPK deputy chiefs Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah came after several other national figures had also declared their conviction that the two KPK leaders' arrest was a mistake. Inside the anti graft body's office, Gus Dur met KPK Vice Chairmen Haryono Ahmad, Mas Ahmad Sentosa and Waluyo along with other KPK officials.

        Other reactions also came from the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), which regretted the arrest of Bibit and Chandra.

        "We regret the detention of the two KPK leaders at a time when they are submitting a judicial review over the KPK law to the Constitutional Court," ICW researcher Febri Diansyah, said.

        Golkar politician Yuddy Chrisnandi in the meantime visited the KPK office on Saturday to express his support to KPK. Chirsnandi said although the two suspended KPK deputy chiefs, Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto, were currently facing legal trouble, he would continue to support the Commission.

        "We come here to the KPK office to give our support for the Commission to continue eradicating systematic corruption," Chrisnandi said. "Let people give their support for the arrested KPK chairmen," he added expressing doubt about President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's commitment to supremacy of the law. He was certain that the president was just accepting every measure taken by the police, including an allegedly illegal effort to frame the KPK leaders as indicated in the alleged wiretapped telephone conversations.

        He also said he was sure the case involving the KPK leaders had something to do with "something of a larger scope" which was now beginning to be perceived by the public.

        "I personally am certain that their (Bibit and Chandra's) case has something to do with the Bank Century scandal," Chrisnandi said referring to the ailing bank which neglected their customers but has received a much-criticized bailout of Rp6.7 trillion.

        The president's special adviser for law affairs Denny Indrayana acknowledged that the charges the police had cited for detaining the KPK commissioners were not fixed and this had caused pros and cons.

        "So far the police have been uncertain in determining the charges for detaining them and therefore pros and cons emerged in the public," Denny Indrayana said.

        He said there were questions regarding the police's decision with regard to the development of the case of KPK commissioners. The police had mentioned bribery, attempt to bribe and power abuse as their charges but later they were changed into power abuse and now extortion was also included in it. "The uncertainty of the charges has created pros and cons among the public," he said.

        In this case, House Commission III will invite the national police chief to explain about the police's decision to detain the two suspended KPK vice chairmen.

        "We, in Commission III in the House of Representatives (DPR), think there is no strong argument for the police to detain the two KPK deputies," he said after a discussion on "Polemics: Drama over Bibit and Chandra's detention."

        Gayus said the meeting between the national police chief and the commission that deals with law, security and human rights affairs was a routine event because the police was the commission's working partner.

        On Friday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on the authorities concerned to investigate and uncover the parties behind the circulation of the transcript of a tapped phone conversation purporting to prove the framing of the two KPK commissioners.

        "Regarding the transcript, I have asked for a thorough investigation of the case and into those recorded to see if they lead to the case of KPK chairmen Bibit and Chandra. Open it, explain it and investigate it thoroughly," he said in a press conference.

        In the meantime, National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri has promised to investigate the case and had ordered the force's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) to carry out the investigation.

        "The police will investigate the case. I have ordered the Bareskrim to conduct a probe and investigation," he said.***4*** (T.014/A/HAJM/22:45/a014) (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 31-10-2009 23:00:15

SPECULATIONS ARISING ON POLICE MOTIVE IN ANTI-GRAFT COMMISSIONERS' ARREST

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 30 (ANTARA) - The detention of suspended Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputies Bibit Samat Riyanto and Chandra M Hamzah on Thursday has sparked speculations that police are trying to cover up a wire-tapped conversation which allegedly indicated a plot to fabricate a case that would bring down the two deputies and undermine the KPK.

        "We are afraid that the detention is an effort to cover up reports on the recordings which were allegedly a fabrication to get the two KPK deputies jailed," Zainal Arifin, coordinator of the Anti-Corruption Research Center (PuKat) of Gajah Mada Univsity, said on Friday.

        On Thursday, police detained Bibit Samad and Chandra Hamzah who had been named suspects over alleged abuse of authority with regard to the issuance of a travel ban on businessman Anggoro Widjojo and also the issuance of a travel ban and later its revocation for businessman Djoko Tjandra.

        The arrest has drawn mixed reactions. Many saw the case as the result of a rivalry between the KPK and Police. Earlier, over the investigation of its deputies, the KPK accused the National Police's chief detective, Commissioner General Susno Duaji, of carrying out nonprocedural examinations, and the police had thus acted against the two KPK vice chairmen on trumped-up charges.

        In order not to make the public confused, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono summoned National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri and other related ministers to discuss the matter on Friday.

        The president asked the police chief to give the public an explanation about the arrest of two suspended KPK (Corruption Eradication Commission) leaders. "Please explain the matter to the public to clear it up," President Yudhoyono said prior to a closed-door meeting .

        President Yudhoyono himself said the detention of Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra Hamzah was not due to an institutional conflict between police and the KPK. This must be explained to the public.

        "The president said that he kept on monitoring developments of the KPK case, where its deputies Bibit and Chandra have been detained. He stressed that it was not an institutional conflict. It was a legal matter being handled by police, KPK and the prosecutors that involved individuals," Minister of Communications and Informatics Tifatul Sembiring who attended the meeting said. "Therefore, the president stressed that the problem should be left to the legal procedure," the minister said.

        In the meantime, National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri said police decided to detain Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samat Riyanto because they had hindered investigations into their case. "Because they hindered the investigations, the police took them into custody as they are authorized to do under the law," Danuri said at a press conference.

        Danuri said police investigators remained confident that Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto had received a bribe from businessman Anggoro Widjojo, director of PT Masaro Radiokom who was allegedly involved in a corruption case in connection with an Integrated Radio Communication System (SKRT) project in the Ministry of Forestry. The case was handled by KPK.

        The Police chief admitted however it was difficult to charge a person in bribery case if she or he was not caught red-handed but (in this case) there were witnesses who supported the allegation.

        He admitted that up to now police did not yet have evidence of the alleged Rp6.7 billion bribe given to Chandra and Bibit in August and September last year. "The money reportedly did not reach both suspects but there was a suspicious effort, namely a travel ban," he said.

        Danuri said that even though the travel bans had been issued for businessmen Anggoro Widjoyo and Djoko Tjandra, the KPK did not follow up the bans with investigations until one year later. "Travel bans had been issued but the cases were not investigated. They began to investigate only when police began their own investigation," he said.

        The police chief said that police had submitted the dossiers of the two KPK deputies to the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

        Danuri also explained that police had also named Ari Muladi as a suspect, not in a bribery case but rather for fraud. Police released Ari four days before his detention period was completed because police found it difficult to complete his dossiers.

        In this case, Anggodo Wijdojo, younger brother of Anggoro Widjoyo, a KPK fugitive, had handed over bribe money several times amounting to Rp7.6 billion in August and September.

        The money was allegedly given to the KPK leaders in an attempt to persuade the KPK to lift the travel ban on Anggoro. However, Anggodo did not give the money directly to the KPK leaders but through Ari Muladi. Ari then gave the money to someone known only by the initial Y who up to now is still at large.

        However, all this was based on an alleged wiretapped conversation which is a plot design to undermined the KPK and frame two of its deputies.

        Minister of Law and Human Rights Affairs Patrialis Akbar, therefore, called on the KPK leadership in whose possession the recording now was to open it to the public. "The recording had better be opened to the public so that the people will not speculate on the issue," the minister said.***4*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/23:45/H-YH) (T.A014/A/A014/A/H-YH) 31-10-2009 00:06:40

INQUIRY NEEDED TO PROBE BANK CENTURY CASE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 29 (ANTARA) - When ailing Bank Century was taken over by the Deposit Insurance Agency (LPS) in September last year and the government moved by providing bail-out funds totaling Rp6.7 trillion , the bank's customers hoped they would get their money back soon.

        However, the bank's customers had hoped in vain because until now, none of them has received refunds on his or her deposit. As a consequence, many of them suffered extreme stress while others attempted or committed suicide. Where did the Rp6.7 trillion in bailout funds go?

        These facts raised serious questions among the public. People then also questioned the legal basis of the decision to provide the bailout funds in such a huge amount. The initial bailout amount discussed with the House of Representatives (DPR) was only Rp360 billion - Rp1.3 trillion.

        The public discourse on the Bank Century case lately focused on the possibility of crimes having been committed in it. Moreover, former Vice President Jusuf Kalla early last month said that he had all along been against bailing out the bank as it would amount to "plain robbery."

        A preliminary report to the House by the State Audit Board (BPK) also indicated that crimes had been committed in the Bank Century case. However, the Attorney General's Office said there were no indications of potential crimes in the BPK's report.

        Therefore, an inquiry into the case by a DPR special committee was deemed necessary to assist the BPK in its investigation. "The use of the House's inquiry right can help BPK complete its probe into the matter," economic observer Dr Drajad Wibowo said.

        Wibowo said he had suggested that the DPR use its inquiry right because there was inconsistency between the BPK report and the statement by the Attorney General's Office. BPK's investigative audit results indicated there were crimes while the statement of the deputy attorney general for special crimes said there was no potential crime in the report.

        Indications of criminal offenses in the Bank Century case were revealed during a closed-door meeting of the DPR's Commission XI for financial affairs on Sept. 29, 2009 on the interim report of BPK. The House found that various banking crimes had taken place with the bank.

        "The banking crimes included misappropriation of promissory notes, fictitious credits, violation of the maximum limit of credit provision (BNPK), fictitious spending and violation of the foreign exchange reserves requirement," Commission XI chairman Achmad Hafiz Zawawi said after the meeting.

        The BPK's interim audit report also indicated that abuse of authority or error of judgment by Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank) and the Financial Sector Stability Committee (KSSK) had also occurred causing the state to suffer conisderable financial losses.

        Besides, there was an error of judgment at a meeting of the KSSK which had concluded that a collapse of Bank Century could have a systemic impact so that the injection funds which initially only amounted to Rp630 billion were increased to Rp6.76 trillion.

        After all, the funds were disbursed under Government Regulation in lieu of Law No. 4 / 2008 on Financial System Safety Net (JPSK) which basically was never approved by the House.

        With such a condition where the Attorney General's Office said there was no potential crimes involved, the DPR should form a special inquiry committee to help BPK complete its audit.

        "An inquiry committee by DPR could help BPK complete its investigation," Drajad Wibowo said on the sidelines of a discussion on the establishment of a special committee on Bank Century scandal.

        In order to bring light to the case, Megawati Soekarnoputri, leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) ordered her cadres in the House to use their inquiry rights to investigate the disbursement of the Rp6.7 trillion bailout.

        "The PDIP leader made the instruction in a leadership meeting today and it has been the party's decision," PDIP Secretary General Pramono Anung said on Wednesday (Oct 28, 2009).

        Besides, PDIP will also set up a fact-finding team with the party to gather information on the real case of Bank Century so that the public would have transparent information about the Bank Century problem.

        Pramono Anung said the PDIP faction in the House was serious with the formation of the inquiry committee but admitted this could not be done by the PDI faction alone. Therefore, Anung who is also a DPR deputy would lobby and hoped that other factions would support the initiative.

        In the meantime, the United Development Party (PPP) faction said it was ready to support the establishment of a House special inquiry committee to thoroughly investigate the Bank Century case.

        "We support efforts to probe into the Bank Century case and the efforts should be made as soon as possible ," Lukman Hakim Saefuddin, PPP Chairman, who is also a deputy of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), said.

        He said that the BPK auditors had said they had found irregularities in the disbursement of Rp6.7 trillion to bail out the bank. The bailout amount was far bigger than the Rp1.3 trillion previously agreed with the House.

        Lukman said the case must be followed up even if the BPK had not yet complete its investigation, and it was still facing difficulties in tracing the transfers of Bank Century customers' funds.

        PPP faction chairman in the House Hasrul Azwar said his faction was ready to sponsor the establishment of the inquiry committee.

        However, the faction chairman of the the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) in the House, Mustafa Kamal is of the view that the results of the BPK auditing should be waited for before an inquiry committee was established.

        He said there was a special mechanism that had to be met first such as deliberations in the DPR's Consultative Board and plenary sessions before the House could officially set up the committee.

        "The PKS faction calls on us all to wait for the investigative auditing results of the BPK. We have asked it to do it. So, let's give it a chance to accomplish its task," he said.***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/17:00/a014)

YOUTHS OBSERVE PLEDGE DAY WITH RALLIES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 28 (ANTARA) - Students and youth organization members took to the streets in different parts of the country on Wednesday to observe the 81st anniversary of the Youth Pledge. They called on the government to eliminate various kinds of deviations, create justice and equitable prosperity.

        "We are taking to the streets to organize a peaceful rally. We have to observe Youth Pledge Day because we consider it a scared declaration where youths have the obligation to remind the government of the many deviations that still take place in the country," said Melki AS, coordinator of a rally by Tamansiswa Sarjanawiyata University students in Yoyakarta on Wednesday.

        The students were of the view that they had to remind the government of the deviations now still taking place. On the occasion of Youth Pledge Day, youths had to reaffirm their role and continue to guard the nation and remind the government of the need to serve the people's interest. "For this, Indonesian youths must rise and abandon hedonistic and apathetic attitudes which dishonor the spirit of nationalism," Melki said.

        Instead, unity must continue to be reinforced so that the pledge that was declared 81 years ago on the need to build one country, one nation and one language would not remain a mere routine ritual.

        Therefore, the "Karang Taruna" youth organization of Bekasi, West Java, called on all layers of society to return to the youth pledge's basic meaning of unity.

        "We are calling on all of us to return to the pledge's basic meaning so that it will not be observed merely as a routine ritual," Hilaludin Yusri, secretary of the Bekasi Karang Taruna said.

        He said that of late people almost no longer felt the sacred meaning of the pledge so that its commemoration was felt as if it was only a meaningless and routine event. This is partly because of the country's failure to bring prosperity to the people. While in fact, the spirit of unity had ushered the nation into its independence.

        The pledge had united the people of various youth groups, races, religious faiths and political convictions to face the colonial regime. However, after independence was obtained, it seemed that the country had still failed to bring well-being to its people.

        Thereby, the government needs to heed the people's aspirations, and fight against deviations that are taking place which would hamper the country's progress to bring welfare.

        With regard to this, on the occasion of the Youth Pledge's anniversary, the Communications Forum of Central Sulawesi's Students Executive Board (Forkom), the People's Struggle Front, the Muhammadiyah Students Association (IMM) and the Democratic National Students League (LMND) of Central Sulawesi also took to the streets to voice their aspirations.

        They demanded that the government improve the welfare of the people. The people's struggle front raised the issue of fishermen and laborers. "With the declaration of the Youth Pledge and the country's journey after independence, the Indonesian people should by now have become prosperous but they have not," Iwan, an activist of the rally, said.

        Therefore, other students in Cilacap, Central Java, took up the pro-people theme in their rallies on Wednesday. Tens of students grouped in the Students Executive Board of the Ghazali Institute of Islamic Studies (BEM-IAIG) demonstrated outside the Hall of the Cilacap district head's office.

        They waved posters conveying various demands which in principle asked the government to adopt pro-people policies. "So far, many government policies have been implemnted that did not serve the people's interest," Agus Saeful Ujab, rally coordinator, said.

        Besides waving posters, they also held orations and sang different kinds of songs critical of the government.

        In Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI) carried a bier and demonstrated outside the building of the Regional Legislative Assembly (DPRD). "We carry a bier to symbolize that our representatives in the House have forgotten the youths' participation in freeing the nation from the colonizers in the past," a KAMMI representative said in his oration.

        In its declaration, the KAMMI among others called on youths and students in the country to work hand-in-hand in developing the country and to fight against liberalism and capitalism. It also called on students to take the side of the opposition . Opposition is needed in an effort to exercise the check-and-balances principle.

        According to Ali Akbar, coordinator of a student rally in Bandarlampung, Lampung province, an opposition was needed nowadays because democracy was under threat.

        "There is a serious threat to democracy at present because the government has embraced an 'elite opposition' so that what happens now is the concentration power in one person. This is not good in a democratic state," he said.

        He said that youths should refer to the basic principle of the Youth Pledge in giving answers to the nation's problems in an effort to create sovereignty in politics, economy and culture.

        The nation's culture must be nurtured and protected. The nation should not be robbed of its cultural heritage.

        "The youths should be united in fighting against capitalism, imperialism and oppression. We have to condemn outsiders who claim our cultural heritage and try to seize Indonesian territory," said Andri Firman Alamsyah, field coordinator of a student rally conducted by the Al-Musaddadiyah Institute of Islamic Studies (STAI) in Garut, West Java.***4*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/S012) 18:05/.... ) (T.A014/A/A014/A/S012) 28-10-2009 19:02:49

ENERGY CAN BE A TIME BOMB

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 27 (ANTARA) - Indonesia has to prepare a program so that it would not depend too much on other countries for its energy needs in the future.

        Once an oil exporting country, Indonesia is now facing the problem of oil reserves depletion. With a daily production of only about 1 million barrels against its consumption of 1.4 million, the energy sector could serve as a time bomb ahead if a solution is not worked out, an oil businessman says.

        Therefore, newly appointed Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Darwin Sahedy Saleh must work out an oil self-sufficiency program so that the country would not stay dependent on other countries.

        "The new minister needs to find a solution to the energy problem. The preparations for the energy self-sufficiency program should be completed soon while the implementation of the existing programs should be accelerated," Effendi Siradjuddin, chairman of the National Oil and Gas Company Association (Aspermigas), said.

        After all the current domestic oil consumption has reached 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd), while 70 percent of which is absorbed by the transportation sector. Indonesia's oil production is only 1 million barrels per day, and half of the production belongs to foreign companies.

        "This means that Indonesia has to import almost 900 thousand tons of fuel oils and crude per day," he said.

        Indonesia, once one of the most important oil exporters in the world, has become a net oil importer in recent years due to the continued decline in its crude production.

        The country is in dire need of private investment to boost oil and gas output at its aging fields. Its oil production reached a first peak in 1977 at approximately 1.6 million barrels per day, rising from 500,000 barrels per day in only 10 years. Production peaked a second time in 1995, again just over 1.6 million barrels a day.

        Since 1995, production has steadily declined and in 2006 was down to just 1 million barrels per day, or roughly a 37.5 percent decline, making the country a net oil importer.

        Natural gas has fared better, with production averaging approximately 8.3 billion cubic feet per day, down just 3.44 percent from its peak of 8.7 billion cubic feet per day in 1996.

        Early in 2007, the government announced a target of increasing oil and gas production by 30 percent to 1.3 million barrels per day and 8.5 billion cubic feet per day, respectively by 2009.

        According to Effendi Siradjuddin, however, Indonesia's present production is only 1 million barrels per day while its consumption reaches 1.4 millions.

        The challenge being faced becomes heavier and heavier because each year Indonesia is also facing a 'crazy' growth of motor vehicles. Based on Aspermigas data, new motorcycle sales reaches one million units per annum. In the meantime, car sales reaches 500 thousand units annually.

        The increase in the number of motor vehicles will automatically increase fuel oil consumption which at present had reached 1.4 million bpd amid the threat of crude price increases to about US$100 per barrels in the coming one to two years.

        Unluckily, the Indonesian people, for tens of years, have been so absorbed because they could obtain energy so easily. What then happened was that the growing habit of wasting energy which should have been stopped years ago. "There must be a bold step to break this vicious circle," Effindi said.

        Looking at the complexities of the problems Indonesia is facing with regard to the energy sector, Effendi is of the view that a national agenda should be worked out in order to create self-efficiency in the energy sector.

        The national agenda should involve multi-sectors and parties as well as inter-departmental agencies and in cooperation with businesses and academicians.

        With the energy sector becoming a main national agenda, it would no longer become the responsibility of the Ministry of Eenergy and Mineral Resources alone. "By making it a national agenda, the program must be supported by the president," Effendi who is also chairman of the National Oil and Gas Caucus, said.

        He said that with the growth of cars reaching 500 thousands and motorcycle 1 million units per annum the fuel oil consumption will also increase.

        "In this case, the ministry of trade and the ministry of transportation need to cooperate to convert fuel-generated vehicles into electric vehicles. They also need to accelerate the creation of a mass transportation system and prepare fuel-free roads for bicycles and electric- or gas-vehicles in all cities in the country," he said.

        In the meantime, coordination with the ministry of finance is also needed to provide fiscal incentives. And what is more important is that the minister for energy and mineral resources should refer the management of the country's mineral resources to the message of the 1945 Constitution, particularly article 33. This is because most of the oil mining activities in the upstream areas are now dominated by foreigners.

        In this case, the energy and mineral resources minister should take a clear stand in taking sides with the national interest and it should be supported by all stake-holders so that the management of oil and gas wells will in stages be taken over from foreigners.

        "This will have extra-ordinary multiplier effects. Not to mention if the take-over from foreigners is done in the down stream areas, including supportive industries," he said.***2*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/a014)

GOVT EXPECTED TO FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE OUTSIDE JAVA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 23 (ANTARA) - The government in the past five years has focused its infrastructure development in Java, while infrastructure in disadvantaged regions outside Java has yet to be developed maximally so that people's prosperity could not yet be developed evenly.         Therefore, the next government must give serious attention to the development of infrastructure outside Java in order to stimulate economic activities in the regions which in fact have big economic potentials.         "I hope the next government will give serious attention to development of infrastructure networks in an effort to galvanize economic activities in the regions," former industry minister Fahmi Idris said.         The same expectation was raised by Revrisond Baswir, economic observer of Gajah Mada University (UGM), who said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Second United Indonesia Cabinet (UIC) which was inaugurated on Thursday for the 2009 - 2014 term should be serious in developing infrastructure in disadvantaged regions outside Java so that the people's prosperity would be developed evenly.         According to Baswir, the development of infrastructure so far has been focused on certain regions without being based on approaches to the problems. That's why the efforts were less effective.         "Infrastructure development must be given particular attention by the Second United Indonesia Cabinet in its 2009 - 2014 term because the First United Indonesia Cabinet has not yet maximally handled this sector in the last five years," Bawsir said.         Another perspective is needed in developing the infrastructure problem such as the application of the concept of equitable distribution of development in disadvantaged regions. And this must be discussed with the relevant agencies, such as the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Disadvantaged Regions.         However, the First UIC for the 2004 -2009 period ignored this matter. The infrastructures it was handling were only those in big cities such as Jakarta while those in the regions were ignored.         If the infrastructure networks in least developed regions are developed, the prosperity of the people in these regions would be improved and economic development would spread evenly.         "I am basically pessimistic about the Second UIC for the 2009-2014 term. I wonder whether it will be able to make changes for the better. I think the conditions ahead will not be different from those exisitng in the past five years," he said.         The lack of infrastructure development outside Java is also acknowledged by former industry minister Fahmi Idris. He said that the lack of infrastructures outside Java was the main reason for the government's inability to optimize the development of natural resources in regions outside Java.         "Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua are rich in natural resources but these regions could not develop because of lack of infrastructure," Fahmi Idris said.         He said that even though Sumatra already had the Eastern and Western Trans-highways, those in Java were much better. The same thing was also true in Kalimantan, where economic potentials could not be maximally tapped due to the lack of infrastructure.         "Because Kalimantan's infrastructures are not yet developed well, its economy could not yet be developed well either," Fahmi said.         That's why, the industrial sector outside Java is facing difficulties to be progressive. It lacks infrastructures. "Infrastructure is one of the main constraints faced in boosting the growth of industries," he said.         Virtually, the government is determined to develop infrastructures in an effort to boost the country's economic growth.         Based on the estimate of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Indonesia will need a fund of Rp2,855 - Rp2,910 trillion to finance its infrastructure development in the 2010 - 2014 period.         According to former minister of national development planning/former head of Bappenas, Paskah Suzetta, the government will stimulate investment in infrastructure development in order to boost economic growth to about 6-7 percent in the coming five years.         "We hope for a total investment of Rp2,000 trillion while actually we will have an investment of about Rp1,600 trillion in the coming five years in order to achieve this growth," he said.         Owing to the big investment needed to develop infrastructure, the government has to promote its infrastructure development to the private sector as it could only finance 30 percent of the total funds needed for the projects.         About 70 percent of the infrastructure projects are expected to be financed by private companies, among others through a private public placement (PPP) scheme.         "The government will support the PPP scheme by providing a good regulation. It is revising its regulation No. 67 on the government's guarantee," Suzetta said.***2*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/A/S012) 21:15/.... ) (T.A014/A/A014/A/S012) 23-10-2009 21:19:38

STUDENTS HOLD RALLIES DURING PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 20 (ANTARA) - Many parties have opposed the nomination of Boediono as vice president even though the former Bank Indonesia governor has tried several times to explain he is not what his critics say about him.

        The opposition seems to still exist as shown by the rallies by students and activists in a number of regions when President-elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President-elect Boediono were officially installed on Tuesday.

        Initially, at least 14 groups of students from various elements would hold rallies outside the Parliament building where the presidential inauguration was held. However, about 17,000 security personnel from the police and the military were deployed to safeguard the event. They managed to prevent demonstrators from coming closer to the Parliament building.

        According to the Jakarta Police's Traffic Management Center (TMC), at least 15 groups of various elements had given notice of their plans to stage rallies, of which 14 would be held in front of the Parliament building.

        The demonstrators among others held rallies in Jl HR Rasuna Said and in front of the ministry of manpower and transmigration on Jalan Gatot Subroto, both in South Jakarta.

        Rallies also took place in other regions such as West Nusa Tenggra (NTT), several cities in East Java and in West Kalimantan.

        In Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, a group of 100 students representing various campus elements demonstrated on Jalan Udayana criticizing the performance of Yudhoyono's government in the past five years.

        Field coordinator L Joni Suryadi said Yudhoyono's leadership had failed to bring prosperity to the people. There were still groups of people who were suffering from poverty. Seizure of people's land often happened while big companies were given a chance to monopolize vast expanses of land.

        In Bandung, West Java, about 400 demonstrators from the Bandung Students Executive Board (BEM) Bandung had planed to launch a rally in Jakarta during the inauguration but they were foiled by police.

        "Police blocked 10 buses which we had planned to use to go to Jakarta and thet sent the buses back to their owners" coordinator of the All-Bandung BEM, Mei Susnato, said. He said that some students had already gotten on the buses but police asked them to get down again.

        Bandung Police Headquarters' chief Senior Commissioner Imam Budi Supeno said his side had not forbidden the students to travel to Jakarta. "We did not forbid then to go to Jakarta but why should they go at a time like this," Supeno said.

        He said his side had deployed over 1,000 personnel to maintain security during the installation of Yudhoyono as president.

        Similar rallies were also held by students and activists in East Java. About 150 poor people who were grouped in the People's Front for the Indonesian Poor (FSRMI) demonstrated around the Submarine Monument (Monkasel) in Jalan Pemuda to express their objections to what they called "neo-liberalist" programs.

        "We are calling on SBY and Boediono not to continue neo-liberalist programs. Neoliberalist polices have brought hardship to the people," rally spokesman Hendraven said.

        On the sidelines of the rally --attended by activists from Malang, Mojokerto, Jombang, Ngawi, Madiun and other districts in East Java-- Hendraven accused Yudhoyono and Boediono of having implemented the concept of neo-liberalism. He mentioned that some state assets had been sold through foreign capital investment. Likewise, the Bank Century case had also caused a loss of Rp6.7 trillion to the state, he said.

        Other sectors such as employment and health had also been liberalized. Employment was liberalized through the legalization of the work contract system while liberalization of the health sector had caused the health care service to become expensive.

        "Therefore, we are calling on Yudhoyono's government to stop its programs which are neolib in nature by lifting pro-neolib laws such as Law No. 12 / 2003 on Manpower, Law No. 22 / 2001 on Oil and Gas, Law No. 25 / 2007 on Capital Investment, Law No. 9 / 2009 on BHP (legal entity status of education) and other laws on special economic zones," he said

        Rallies also took place in the East Java town of Malang. About 500 students demonstrated in front of the local Legislative Assembly (DPRD) and of the office of the Malang city mayor.

        "We are not rejecting the inauguration but we are calling on the next government to adopt a firmer stance. We have to guard the government in the next five years," Hendra Wibisono, one of the demonstrators, said.

        He said that the government in the next five years would face a steep road because it was not balanced where the opposition strength was almost meaningless. "The grand coalition being built by the Democrat Party is not balanced with the strength of an opposition," he said.

        Therefore, the only power that could balance the government in the next five years is the extra-parliamentary power or street parliament, he said.

        In the meantime, in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, tens of students held a rally around the University of Tanjung Pura (Untan) to warn the people of neo-liberalist concepts.

        The students were grouped in the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI) for West Kalimantan. KAMMI field coordinator Rohsyandi Sandika said the victory of the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - Boediono pair (SBY-Boediono) happened amid the crisis that occurred due to imperialism.

        The students said they rejected any intervention into the efforts made by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to fight corruption. So, they were against the scrapping of the KPK rules by the issuance of a new law on corruption crimes which had the potential to give a chance to the rebirth of corrupters.

        "We are holding this rally without any intention to oppose the government but to guard the new administration so that it will be free from corruption, collusion and nepotism," he said. ***1*** (T.014/A/HAJM/22:30/a014)

        (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 20-10-2009 22:39:30

YUDHOYONO AWAITING COALITION STAND OF PDIP

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 18 (ANTARA) - Though he has begun on Saturday fit-and-proper tests on some prospective ministers for his second edition United Indonesia Cabinet, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is still waiting for the decision of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) whether or not it will joint his Democratic Party (PD) coalition.

        "If PDIP decides to join the coalition a ministerial post will be made available for it but if it takes the opposition stance the ministerial post will go to other party," PD Deputy General Chairman Achmad Mubarok said.

        He said Yudhoyono who is the chief patron of PD, would wait PDIP's decision until Tuesday evening (October 20, 2009), the last minutes before he finally announces the composition of his cabinet for the 2009-2014 term.

        Mubarok said the president was likely to provide one or two ministerial posts for PDIP in the second edition United Indonesia Cabinet if it decided to join the coalition, but the decision must be made by PDIP leader Megawati Soekarnoputri, not by its cadres.

        Earlier, an SMS tax message circulated among journalists from Arisa Junaedi, a staffer of Megawati. Megawati, through the SMS message sent on her behalf, stressed that the aim of a political party was to fight for the people's aspirations not for a temporary interest. "Therefore, I call on the 94 PDIP cadres in the House of Representatives (DPR) to remain independent."

        The problem now being faced by PDIP is a division with regard its opposition stand against the government. While PDIP is willing to maintain its opposition, there is an idea to ask PDIP Secretary General Pramono Anung (now a DPR deputy), associate chairwoman Puan Maharani, daughter of Megawati, and PDIP senior figure Tjahyo Kumolo to join Yudhoyono's cabinet.

        "There are many PDIP cadres who are qualified for a ministerial post. But Megawai has made such a statement, I could not reject it. But if the cadres are asked to fill in a post in the cabinet, Megawati may not either reject it," Taufik Kiemas who has been named chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) and who is also Megawati's own husband, said.

        Yudhoyono's offer to PDIP to join his government's coalition is basically an attempt to control the majority votes in the DPR. He wants to make sure he can run the country over the next five years without political trouble.

        "To ensure that his administration in the next five years will be stable and secure, political support in the executive as well as legislative branches must be made dominant," observer Muhammad Qodari, executive director of Indo Barometer, said.

        Virtually, with its coalition formed before the presidential elections, PD has controlled 56.07 percent (314 seats) of the House of Representatives. But this is not yet considered safe. That is why PD is keen on coalescing with Golkar Party (with 107 seats in the House) and PDIP (95 seats).

        Golkar has officially declared its decision to join Yudhoyono's coalition. The coalition was the result of Golkar's first meeting led by its new general chairman, Aburizal Bakrie Thursday after the party held its national congress in Pekanbaru, Riau province recently.

        According to Qodari, the PD-led coalition without Golkar and PDIP will have only 314 votes in the DPR or 56.07 percent of the House membership and this is still unsafe for the stability of Yudhoyono's administration in the coming five years. If one of the supporting parties reneged on its commitment to support him, Yudhoyono's power base in the parliament could drop to less than 50 percent and this was not safe.

        Therefore, Qodari said, Yudhoyono was still making efforts to include the Golkar Party and PDIP in his coalition. Golkar with 107 seats in the parliament had already agreed to support him but he still had yet to get the support of PDIP that had 95 seats in the parliament.

        However, considering that PDIP's chief Megawati Soekarnoputri had remained silent over Yudhoyono's overtures, Qodari predicted PDIP would choose to stay out of the next administration.

        He said if PDIP stayed out of the government while Golkar coalesced with the government, the votes that would support the next government in the parliament could reach 421 or 75.17 percent while the votes outside the coalition, namely from PDIP, Gerindra and Hanura would total 139.

        "With this equation, Yudhoyono's government in the next five years will be safe and stable," he said. However, in practical politics communications among the supporting parties could not be guaranteed to be always harmonious but could be dynamic in line with their respective interests.

        Supposed that PDIP in last minutes decides to join his coalition government, President Yudhoyono will practically face no major opposition in running his government. With a parliament mostly consisting of representatives of pro-government parties, parliamentary control over the government would never be strong enough because it was not likely that these parties would be able to exercise effective supervision over their own cadres in the government.

        Therefore, extra-parliamentary forces like academics, the press and non-governmental organizations should play a greater role in watching over the new government as Yudhoyono is to have "single majority" clout in the parliament, political observer Mikael Tommy Susu of the Political and Social Sciences of the Unika Widya Mandira University, said.

        "Therefore, the only parties that are expected to be able to watch over the conduct of the government are academics who are still neutral, non-governmental organization activists and the press. Only these forces will be free to counter-balance the big parties coalescing with the Yudhoyono government over the next five years," Mikael said.***1*** (T.A014/A/f001) (T.A014/A/A014/A/F001) 18-10-2009 11:46:4

STOCKS THINNING AS HOUSEWIVES SHIFT TO 3-KG GAS

By Andi Abdusslam

     Jakarta, Oct 13 (ANTARA) - Many housewives who had been regular users of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in 12-kg cylinders have switched to the fuel in subsidized 3-kg cylinders following state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina's  decision to raise the price of  12-kg cylinder LPG over the weekend.
    "We decided to buy a package of stove and a 3-kg gas cylinder because the price of LPG in 3-kg cylinders is not raised," Maruroh, a housewife in Jember, East Java, said.
     On Saturday, October 10, Pertamina raised the price of 12-kg cylinder LPG by Rp100 per kg or Rp1,200 per cylinder on the ground  that it was suffering losses with  the old price.
     With Peramina's decision,  the price of 12-kg cylinder LPG at  distributor's level would increase from Rp5,750 to Rp5,850 per kg or from Rp69,000 to Rp70,200 per cylinder.  While at the retailer's level, the price would increase to between Rp75,000 and Rp78,000 per cylinder because retailers still had to bear transportation and margin costs.
     "I have switched to  3-kg cylinder gas because I can then save between Rp21,000 and Rp24,000 on  each 12-kg cylinder gas," Mimin, a housewife at Pamulang Villa, Tangerang, Banten,  said.
     As many housewives --including those economically well-off -- switch to the subsidized gas, stocks of  the 3-kg canister gas (designed for low-income people have begun to run low  in the markets of certain regions.
     In Madiun, East Java, for example, a number of distributors have begun to feel the scarcity of 3-kg cylinder gas stocks.
     "Since the increase in the prices of 6-kg, 12-kg and 50-kg cylinder gas, demand for 3-kg canister gas whose price was not raised has drastically increased. Many consumers of the 12-kg have switched to the 3-kg gas," Saptono, an LPG distributor in Madiun, said.
     In the meantime, he said, sales of 12-kg gas had dropped 50 percent. He used to sell between 50 to 75 cylinders per day. After the price rise, the sales were only between 25 to 30 cylinders per day.
     The Yogyakarta Consumers Institute (LKY) therefore called on the government to review the price increase policy because it put a burden on the people. "Considering  the consumers' purchasing power, it appears that the increase  in the 12-kg cylinder gas price has put an economic burden on the people," LKY chairman Widjantoro said.
     He said that restrictions on who might by allowed to buy 3-kg gas should be imposed because otherwise the increase in the 12-kg gas price would cause turmoil in consumers' demand for the 3-kg gas.
     "The problem that we have to solve is how to enable consumers in the lower income bracket  to use most of the subsidized 3-kg canister gas," he said. In terms of access to cheap energy, he said, economically weak consumers often find it difficult to obtain  cheap  energy.
     Therefore, as energy is a basic necessary, the government should maintain its subsidy for low-income people. It is the government's responsibility to provide cheap basic necessaries for the people.
    "The government should not use market law in deciding prices for basic necessaries. If it does so, prices would continue to increase," Widjantoro said adding that if the prices of non-basic necessaries were left to the market mechanism, probably it would not cause problems.
     Therefore, he said, the government should review the price increase of 12-kg cylinder LPG because it would have impact on the people. After all, many upper class consumers have also switched to the 3-kg gas, causing its stocks to run short.
     However, Vice President Jusuf Kalla expressed his confidence that the switch in the use of 3-kg gas by consumers who so far had used 12-kg gas would not last longer because it would not be efficient for them to use the smaller canister size.
     "I think that would be temporary because those who usually use 12-kg gas are large families. If they use 3-kg gas they will purchase one once in three days and that would not be efficient," the vice president said.
     In the meantime, Pertamina has appealed to the public, particularly those of the middle and upper classes not to use 3-kg cylinder LPG because LPG in that canister size was subsidized and was designed for people of the lower income bracket.
     It said that Pertamina had suffered losses due to substandard prices of LPG it sold to the  public. After all, Pertamina has the right to decide prices of gas, particularly that in larger canisters or 6 kg and above.
     In spite of that however, the  government will continue to supervise the price of LPG which was raised by Pertamina.  Director General of Oil and Gas of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM), Evita Legowo, said that the government would not abdicate its  responsibility with regard to the price increase, even though Pertamina had the full authority to raise it.
     "We will continue to supervise it," she said adding that the government had issued three conditions before Pertamina could increase the price of 12-kg cylinder LPG.
     She said that the three conditions were the increase should be based on the reference price, the purchasing power of consumers and the continual availability and distribution of stocks.
     The director general said that an LPG price which was adjusted to the international market would have the consequences where price would fluctuate.  "If the international price declines, the price at home should also be lowered," she said.
     The government has issued a ministerial decree on LPG trade regulation. Based on the trade regulation, the prices of 12-kg, 50-kg cylinder LPG or of that without cylinders should be adjusted to the market mechanism or be decided by the corporate body.
     However, the corporate body should also gain the government's approval before it could raise prices. The price of subsidized 3-kg cylinder LPG meanwhile is decided by the government.***2***

(A014/A/HAJM/15:45/f001)  (T.A014/A/A014/A/F001) 13-10-2009 15:59:46

RAMLAN CUTS OFF HIS OWN LEG TO SURVIVE QUAKE

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 11 (ANTARA) - Amid falling debris and trembling constructions as well as  screams for help of thousands outside, a young man inside a building groaned with pain as the teeth of a saw sliced inch by inch his leg.

         While dying of being trapped, Ramlan (18) was forced to saw off his own leg stuck under a piece of six-ton concrete rubble. He risked sawing his own leg to escape the greater peril of a 7.9 magnitude earthquake that devastated Padang city in Sumatra.

         Losing his right leg from knee down had never crossed Ramlan's mind when he left West Java's Purwakarta a month earlier to eke out  a living by working as a construction laborer in West Sumatra.

         In his mind, jobs are hard to find nowadays. Working in a construction renovation project in Padang city, provincial capital of West Sumatra, was an inevitable choice for him to make both end meet. But fate tells him a different story. There, a quake 'robbed' him of his right leg.

         He was still lucky indeed for over 800 were killed by the earthquake. Unofficial estimates put the death toll at thousands as many could not be lifted out of the remains of collapsed buildings.

         When the earthquake struck at 5.16 pm on September 30, 2009, Ramlan was working on the sixth floor of a Telkom building which was undergoing a renovation, in Jalan Khatib Sulaeman, Padang city.

         Ramlan and his co-workers had no unusual feelings at all at that time. They were busy working in the renovation project. As the sun was slowly approaching the horizon while their tired faces had begun tenderly feeling a puff of evening zephyr, the earth trembled all of a sudden, palm trees gyrated, electric poles danced, buildings rocked and collapsed.

         In the first trembler, people on the first floor of the Telkom building panicked and rushed out of the building. Within seconds, another strong tremor rocked the earth that was felt in all parts of the city. Cars in the parking lot swayed back and forth.

         Ramlan and friends were in an unlucky storey on the sixth floor. A collapsed piece of concrete rubble almost buried Ramlan alive, but still, the piece, weighing about six tons and measuring 4x4 sq m, squeezed his right leg. He was stuck there, while his friends succeeded in running down the stairs.

         "As I felt the second tremor, I tried to pull out but I can't as my right leg was stuck under the rubble," Ramlan told RCTI television station on his bed in a hospital on Sunday.

         What he had in mind was how to escape from the building and to survive the second tremor. But how, his leg was squeezed under the rubble. He looked around where he found a sand scoop and a hoe. The heroic young laborer reached them and decided to cut his leg off with the scoop.

         Crying in pain under the rubble alone --as every body outside the building and everywhere in the city was also busy safeguarding him or herself--, Ramlan was trying to slice his leg with the scoop. It was too blunt. It did not work. Fresh blood continued to ooze out of his injured and crushed tiny leg. He took the hoe and chopped it up. He felt he was being stabbed with pain from head to toe.  Still, he failed.

         After half-an hour in the struggle, he found his cellular phone. "With the hoe I still can't cut my leg. Then I found my cellular phone, I called my co-workers for help," he said.

         His friends came up a moment later to help. They tried to lift the rubble. The heavy concrete slab even could not be shaken, let alone be removed. Amid their confusion, Ramlan asked for a saw and told them to saw his leg. But none of his friends was able to perform the job.

         "I have no choice so that I did it myself. I felt some how a regret in my heart to cut my leg, but I have no other choice," he told Ruanghati.com online portal over the weekend.

         While groaning in pain, Ramlan continued to saw his leg. The teeth of the saw sliced it inch by inch until he almost fell unconscious. Fresh blood rolled down on the floor. The ill-fated construction worker was unable to continue. Herman, one of his friends,  forced himself to take over the job.

         "I was surprised and sad to see him bathe in blood," Herman told VivaNews.com. He decided to accomplish the job as he could not stand to see Ramlan scream in pain. Ramlan's request for Herman to cut off his leg forced him to act speedily.

         "If we stay longer not to act, I am afraid Ramlan would lose his blood too much which could threaten his life," Herman said. After cutting off his leg, Herman carried poor Ramlan on his back and rushed him to the Selasih Hospital about 500 meters away from the Telkom building.

         At the hospital, Ramlan did not immediately received medical treatment because the hospital was also heavily damaged by the earthquake, which also smashed hundred thousands of other buildings, including Ambacang hotel where hundreds of people were buried alive.

         In the emergency condition, a doctor of the hospital gave Ramlan a first help. The wound on the tip of his cut-off leg was bandaged to avoid infection. He was admitted to the  Dr M Djamil hospital before he was finally sent to the Yos Sudarso hospital for a proper medical treatment.

         Now, Ramlan's condition is gradually improving. But he was still traumatized with the nightmare when he remembered he sawed his own leg. Although he is now permanently invalid, he did not regret the event. He is resigned to his fate.

         "What I want now is an artificial leg and to return home to met my mother immediately," he said.

         A non-governmental organization in Jakarta, Patriot Nasional (Patron) according to Metrotvnews.com, has promised to  bear all medical cost of Ramlan in the hospital and provided him with an artificial leg as well as financing his education if he wants to continue his study.***3***
(T.A014/A/f001)
    
    

(T.A014/A/A014/A/F001) 11-10-2009 16:25:41

BODY OF NOORDIN'S 'SUCCESOR' STILL BEING EXAMINED

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 10 (ANTARA) - The bodies of two suspected terrorists -- one believed to be Noordin M Top's successor, an expert in recruiting suicide bombers -- are still being examined by forensic experts at Kramat Jati Police hospital. Police will announce on Monday the identities of the two dead terror suspects.
However, police believe that the two bodies are those of Syaifudin Zuhri bin Djaelani alias Udin alias Soleh (believed to be the successor of Noordin M Top) and Mohamad Syahrir alis Aing. Both were killed in an anti-terror police raid on their hideout, in Ciputat, South Tangerang, a western suburb of Jakarta, at almost noon on Friday.
The two bodies underwent identification process at the Indonesian Automatic Finger Print Identification System (Inafis) at the hospital on Friday but none of the Inafis team members would provide information when they left the hospital at 4.45 pm.
Spokesman of the National Police Heaquarters Insp. General Nanan Soekarna said police could not yet ascertain the identities of the two terror suspects who were shot dead by the Densus-88 anti-terror police unit in Ciputat on Friday.
But he believed that the two bodies were those of Syaifudin Zuhri and Mohamad Syahrir. However, Nanan said the police would only officially confirm their identities after receiving the outcome of forensic tests conducted by the Disaster Victim Investigation (DVI) Team of the Kramat Jati Police Hospital.
He said police were forced to shoot the two because they had tried to resist arrest by throwing three small bombs at police officers approaching their room in a students' boarding house.
Syaifudin himself is so far known as being a resident of Telaga Kahuripan housing complex in Parung, Bogor, West Java.
After the raid at 11.15 am, police found seven bombs in the room they had occupied.
Before the raid, members of the police's Special Detachment 88 anti-terror unit had arrested a man known by his initials FR who was believed to have served as a courier for the two terror suspects. On the chronology of the raid, Nanan said police would give the media a detailed account on Monday, after obtaining the result of the forensic examinations.
Syaifudin Zuhri and Mohamad Syahrir who were involved in the twin bombing at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels that killed 9 people and injured more than 50 others on July 17, 2009, are brothers.
They are also bothers-in-law of Ibrohim or Boim, a florist at JW Marriott who played a role in the bombing of the hotel. Ibrohim died in an-anti terror police raid in Temanggung, Solo, Central Java, on August 8, 2009.
Syaifudin Zuhri was known to have the ability to recruit suicide bombers while Mohammad Syahrir had expertise in assembling bombs. Syahrir once worked as a mechanic at an airline company.
Following the success of the Densus-88 anti-terror unit in its raid on Syaifudin Zuhri's hideout, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who following the JW Marriot bombing claimed he himself had also become a target of the terrorists, expressed his appreciation.
"The national police chief has reported about the finding of terrorist suspects and the raid that followed that led to the deaths of two suspects. Two were dead but for details it would be better wait for the national police chief's explanation. The national police chief just now had reported another success in anti-terrorism operations. He however said that two more were still wanted," the president was quoted by his spokesman Andi Mallarangeng as saying.
He said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had expressed his appreciation to the police on Friday for their performance in eradicating terrorism while calling for complete eradication of terrorist networks.
Andi said the president had called for complete eradication of terrorism so that no terrorists would disturb the peace of minds of the people.
"The President thanked the police for their performance and would continue to give encouragement to the police to seize the others and rid the country of terrorist networks. We wish to develop the country and therefore none must be allowed to conduct damages with actions that would harm the economy, the innocent," he said.
Since the terror attacks on JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels which killed nine people and injured over 50 others in Jakarta on July 17, 2009, the Densus-88 anti-terror police unit has been able to launch at least four raids on terrorists hideouts and killed several terrorists, one of whom was the most wanted Noordin M Top.
Noordin M Top was killed along with three others in a raid on a house in Solo, Central Java, on September 17, 2009. Police also arrested three suspects.
The police attack on Noordin M Top hideout was carried out less than a month after it had successfully raided on a terror hideout in a housing complex in Jatiasih, Bekasi, West Java, on August 7, 2009, where two terror suspects, Eko Joko Suprianto and Air Setiawan were killed. Both had planned to launch a bomb attack within the next three weeks.
The following day of August 8, 2009, police raided a house where Noordin M Top was suspected to be hiding in Beji village, Temanggung district, Central Java. Police killed a terrorist suspect who was initially believed to be Noordin but DNA tests later proved that he was Ibrohim, the florist who was wanted in the JW Marriott boming.***4***

(T.A014/A/HAJM/B003) (T.A014/A/A014/B003) 10-10-2009 13:29:02

GOLKAR LIKELY TO FACE TOUGHER TIMES

By Andi Abdussalam

 

     Jakarta, Oct 9 (ANTARA) - The Golkar Party is likely to face tougher times ahead as its popular support is unlikely to increase drastically after the party's chairmanship was won by Aburizal Bakrie who is expected to make the party a government supporter, observers say.

        "With the election of Aburizal Bakrie as Golkar chairman for the 2009-2014 period, Golkar is unlikely to undergo a fundamental change," Prof Dr AB Tangdililing of Pontianak's Tanjungpura University said.

        Under the leadership of Aburizal Bakrie, Golkar will likely maintain its present position in the government. Thus, popular support will not increase drastically despite personnel changes in the party's central executive board.

        "Maybe, Golkar voter support in the future will increase but only slightly. Or maybe it will be stagnant or even drop," Tandililing said.

        He said the fact that Aburizal Bakrie, popularly called 'Ical was personally a part (minister) of the government was one of the factors contributing to his victory in Golkar's chairmanship race on Thursday.

        "This is one of the assets for him to win the contest," Tangkililing said. The other factor is the support of certain Golkar's senior cadres such as Akbar Tanjung, Theo Sambuaga, Fadel Muhammad and Agung Laksono.

        However the observer reminded that Ical's camp should not sink in the victory euphoria. "This maybe a temporary victory while in the long run, it would virtually be the victory of the Democratic Party," he said referring to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's party which won the recent legislative and presidential elections.

        The Democratic Party itself immediately welcomed the victory of Aburizal Bakrie as the new chairman of the Golkar Party on Thursday. Democrat Party associate chairman Anas Urbaningrum said with Aburizal's election, his party would feel "more comfortable" in its political cooperation with Golkar.

        "We believe it will be easier to develop communications and understanding (with Aburizal at Golkar's helm) regarding future development of the country. So far, the Democrat Party feels comfortable communicating with Golkar and Ical (Aburizal). We also believe Golkar will remain on friendly terms with the Democrat Party," Anas said.

        The chairman of human resources of the Democrat Party, Andi Mallarangeng, meanwhile said the Democrat Party hoped Golkar under the leadership of Aburizal would continue to be able to cooperate with the next government.

        "Aburizal has so far been in the cabinet with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and so they are already used to cooperation. Therefore, we hope the cooperation will continue," he said.

        However, Tandililing said that Ical was not the appropriate figure to lead Golkar at present. "If it is led by Surya Paloh, Golkar may undergo a different condition because he is not part of the government so that he will make different efforts to advance Golkar," he said.

        In Thursday's Golkar chairmanship race, Ical, who was a member of the Golkar Advisory Board, faced tough competition from Surya Paloh who was the party's chief patron. Ical won 296 of the votes while Paloh garnered 240 votes.

        Therefore, in order to advance Golkar in the future, Ical should embrace all senior cadres. "Aburizal Bakrie must embrace them so that Golkar will grow and shine in this country again," political observer Prof Dr Suwardi in Medan, North Sumatra, said.

        Aburizal Bakri should involve senior cadres if he wants to realize his ideas of making Golkar an independent party loved by its supporters.

        Besides, the new Golkar chairman should also embrace all components in the party to remove internal differences so that the party would remain solid. "Golkar is a big party and this should be reflected in the 2014 general elections," Suwardi said.

        In the meantime, Golkar Party Advisory Board member Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X expressed hope that Ical would be able to consolidate all the party's potentials.

        "I personally congratulate Ical on his election as chairman of the Golkar Party, but I hope he will be able to consolidate all the party's potentials, including cadres at regional and central levels," Sri Sultan.

        The Yogyakarta governor said whatever the decision made at the Golkar National Congress in Pekanbaru, Riau, should be respected and implemented. "I hope Ical will be able to implement what was decided at the congress and make a difference in the party," Sri Sultan said.

        He said Ical had no significant problem in his leadership and therefore he was expected to lead the party into a better direction.

        "There is no problem with Ical's leadership because he has a lot of experience in Golkar organizational affairs," Sri Sultan said.

        Meanwhile, political observer of the University of Indonesia Andrinof Chaniago said the victory of Aburizal Bakrie over his rival Surya Paloh will not create internal frictions within Golkar.

        "Golkar is a senior party and its politicians have mature mentality in the organization. That's why the possibility of the emergence of internal frictions is small," Chaniago said.

        He said that Golkar's cadres have mature mentality so that they were able to control excessive personal or group pressures in the internal political affairs.

        "Maybe there will be an awkward situation in the coming several days after the elections due to disappointment but this situation will improve soon," he said. ***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/18:30/a014)

        (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 09-10-2009 19:01:05

WEST SUMATRA NEEDS TO REHABILITATE ITS TOURISM IMAGE

By Andi Abdussalam

 

 Jakarta, Oct 5 (ANTARA) - West Sumatra's tourism industry which was crippled by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake last week, does not only need to reconstruct its physical infrastructures but also to rehabilitate its image to restore its normal life.

        "Image rehabilitation is not less important than physical reconstruction of damaged hotels and restaurants," Tourism Marketing Director General Sapta Nirwandar said.

        For this reason, hotels in West Sumatra, particularly those who suffered from minor damage, are expected to operate immediately. Therefore, in the current emergency response efforts, tourism industry should give priority to saving the lives of hotels' and restaurants' employees and clean them from rubble so that they can operate soon.

        "Hotels with minor damage are expected to operate soon and receive guests. This is part of a step to improve the image," the director general was quoted as saying in Padang by daily Kompas.

        He said that image rehabilitation was an important effort to eliminate tourists' fear and to convince them that earthquake was a natural disaster which could happen any time in any place.

        In an effort to restore West Sumatra's tourism image, hotels and restaurants need to operate immediately and the government needs to be encouraged to hold its meeting activities in Padang.

        Besides, West Sumatra also need to intensively promote its tourism, including tourist destinations in areas other than in Padang and Pariaman.

        On Wednesday last week, a powerful earthquake devastated West Sumtran provincial capital of Padang, and jolted neighboring provinces of Bengkulu, Jambi, Riau and North Sumatra. The tremors were also felt as far Singapore.

        The earthquake killed at least 603, based on the latest data released in West Sumatra on Sunday, and left over 300 missing. But unofficial estimate put thousands of victims.

        It also destroyed 21,732 units of houses, caused damage to 6,721 homes and minor damage to 9,572 others.

        No official data has been made on the material losses suffered by the tourism industry in the province. But Head of West Sumatra's tourism Service Edi Hasmy said the earthquake has incurred tens of billions of rupiah in losses.

        The value of damage does not yet include losses suffered from damaged roads and infrastructures in the tourism locations in Padang City.

        "We can only a take stock of damage to star-rated hotels. We have not yet taken into account losses on damaged infrastructures in tourism object locations," Edi Hasmy said.

        Previously, Director for Domestic Tourism Promotion, Fathul Bahri said that West Sumatra's tourism was paralyzed by the earthquake. "The quake has paralyzed West Sumatra's tourism because many facilities and road access to the tourism sites were destroyed," he said.

        A number of hotels, restaurants and their supporting facilities were destroyed. According to Edy Hasmy, of the 47 hotels in West Sumatra, 24 hotels were damaged, of which 11 were destroyed and could no longer be used. Among those destroyed are Ambacang, Rocky Plaza, Mariani, Nuasa and Hayam Wuruk hotels.

        "Up to now we can only take stocks of damaged star-rated hotels. We have not yet done so on other tourism objects. Not all of our staff members are already able to make inventory of damaged tourism facilities as many of them are still in traumatic conditions," he said.

        In the meantime, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has established a crisis center in an effort to face the earthquake calamity that destroyed tourism facilities in West Java.

        "The crisis center is established to provide services and information for the public in the post-earthquake period in West Sumatra," the Crisis Center Coordinator for culture and tourism Surya Dharma, said.

        He said that the center would provide various information with regard to the quake and tourism, including providing accommodation for tourists which become victims of the earthquake. It also offers cooperation with various travel bureaus and all tourist stakeholders in West Sumatra.

        "We have prepared a media center and telecommunications means," he said. It also observe the post-quake conditions to carry out restoration efforts in the tourism sector.

        Meanwhile, tourism stakeholders outside West Sumatra are also involved in assisting the earth quake victims. Tourism businesses and the tourism association boards in Jakarta have been raising funds and collecting emergency supplies for the earthquake victims.

        Tourism stakeholders involved in the effort include PHRI (Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association), ASITA (Association of Indonesian Tours and Travel), INCCA (Indonesian Association of Congresses and Conventions), and INACA (Indonesian Air Carriers Association).

        The tourism association board also opened a West Sumatra quake aid center at practically every major hotel, restaurant, and travel agencies. "We will also open special boxes at the West Sumatra quake exhibition, the Indonesian Tourism and Travel Fair (ITTF), and the Jakarta Convention Center where people can put financial aid," PHRI chairperson Yanti Sukamdani said.

        Marketing Director General of the Culture and Tourism Ministry Sapta Nirwandar said raising funds for earthquake victims has become a priority. "Hopefully, the financial and material assistance from tourism businesses and others would help the civtims," Nirwandar said.***2*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/a014) (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 05-10-2009 14:42:23

GOLKAR NEEDS REPOSITIONING FOR ITS FUTURE

By Andi Abdussalam

 

   Jakarta, Oct 7 (ANTARA) - The Golkar Party which is now holding its Eighth Congress in Riau province needs to reposition itself in order to win critical voters ahead and to regain its past glory.

        "Golkar has to use the congress as a good momentum to reposition itself because it needs a new position to avoid an impression of being identical with the New Order," Burhanuddin Muhtadi, a political scientist of Paramadina University, said.

        It seems however that Golkar in the current congress spends much time and energy concentrating on who it will elect general chairman for the 2009-2014 term of office, succeeding Jusuf Kalla.

        In the current congress there are four aspirants which are racing for the Golkar top post, namely Golkar Chief Patron Surya Paloh, Supervisory Board member Aburizal Bakrie, Golkar young cadre Yuddy Chrisnandi and Hutomo Mandala Putra or Tommy Soeharto, the late president Soeharto's youngest son.

        "The congress should serve as a starting point for Golkar to discuss strategies on how to rise again ahead. But it seems that provincial and district executive boards (DPD I and II) are using the forum to nurture transactional politics to decide who is most proper to chair the party," Muhtadi said.

        Virtually, the four candidates have their respective visions and missions on how to develop Golkar, but the visions and missions are being swallowed by hustle and bustle of money offers and ads.

        "It seems that Golkar has not changed yet as reflected in the high nuance of transactional politics. It is too busy talking about who would be named chairman, while the chairmanship matter is only one of the many issues that the congress has to discuss," Muhtadi said.

        On the second day of the congress on Tuesday rivalries among aspirants looked sharpening, particularly between the camp of Aburizal Bakrie and that of Surya Paloh.

        Bakrie even happened to accuse outgoing general chairman Jusuf Kalla of being on the sides of one of his rivals. Kalla in his opening address of the congress said that Golkar was not used to staying outside the government. "But neither is it used to begging for (executive) power," he said.

        Surya Paloh has campaigned that if he was elected chairman he would make Golkar an independent party and lead it outside the government in the next 2009-2014 term of office. "If elected, Surya Paloh will lead Golkar to be independent and stay outside the government to ensure the proper functioning of democracy in the country, a member of Paloh's success team, Sugeng Suprawoto, said.

        On Kalla's statement, Aburizal Bakrie's supporters, including Akbar Tanjung (a former Golkar chairman) strongly criticized Kalla's remarks, saying that Kalla was inconsistent and was trying to bring the party into the opposition side.

        But to the press, Aburizal Bakrie also said that Kalla's statement was a personal statement. "For me Golkar should be independent, and independent to think about its cadres and independent in its acts," he said.

        Akbar Tanjung was of the opinion that Kalla should not have made such a statement in his opening address, saying Kalla was inconsistent with the Golkar congress in Bali in 2004.

        Tanjung said that in 2004 he proposed that Golkar should stay outside the government but Kalla, when elected as general chairman, brought the party to support the government.

        "But why now Kalla wants Golkar to stay outside the government. His statement was a personal opinion, not of the party. If the government asks Golkar cadres to fill cabinet posts, why not," Tanjung, who now also seemed to be inconsistent with his position in 2004, said.

        Kalla told reporters later that his statement in his opening address was not a personal opinion but in his capacity as a general chairman of a political party. "As the general chairman, that is my views for Golkar's future," Kalla told reporters.

        He said Golkar should supervise the government in the sense that it should provide a critical, objective, proportional and constructive criticism for the need for a check and balance. "This is important to prevent the recurrence of a new order government style," Kalla said.

        Kalla's position became a top issue among 1,600 congress participants and over 10,000 sympathizers who came from throughout Indonesia to Riau to listen to his opening address on Monday night.

        Bakrie responded to Kalla's position accusing him of taking sides with one his rivals. "Kalla seems to have taken sides. But I heard and I asked him, he said he had not. So, I consider the matter to be his personal opinion," Aburizal Bakrie said.

        In the meantime, Surya Paloh said if he was elected Golkar Party chairman he would not prohibit party cadres from being appointed as cabinet ministers or filling other government posts although Golkar was independent.

        "If elected, Surya Paloh will not prohibit cadres from being appointed to certain posts in the government, including in the cabinet. But he will not beg for government posts for Golkar cadres," Sugeng Suprawoto, said.

        He said Golkar would appreciate it if a Golkar cadre was appointed for a cabinet post. But if the cadre concerned was a party board member, he or she would have to resign from the board.

        Rivalry in the Golkar chairmanship race is not the only important issue in the current Golkar congress. More importantly, the congress should look into how to develop a strong Golkar to regain its past glory in the future.

        For this, according to Burhanudddin Muhtadi, besides repositioning, the Golkar congress should also re-evaluate its defeat in the recent legislative and presidential elections. It needs to find out why its vote turnout dropped drastically.

        Muhtadi also suggested that Golkar should turn its congress as a forum to formulate reconciliation and regeneration steps to build consolidation. "Golkar must be strong and rise to regain its past glory," he said.***1*** (T.A014/a/H-NG/a014) (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 07-10-2009 12:19:17

WEST SUMATRA EXPECTED TO RECOVER SOON AFTER QUAKE

By Andi Abdussalam

    Jakarta, Oct 3 (ANTARA) - As the emergency response has been running well, economic and social activities in West Sumatra particularly its provincial capital Padang City, and other regions which were shattered by a strong earthquake last Wednesday are expected to recover soon.

        On Saturday, public activities and distribution of basic needs began to show their dynamism. "With this condition, the second phase of the emergency response could already be commenced," Vice President Jusuf Kalla said after observing quake-hit locations in West Sumatra on Saturday.

        The government has set aside Rp100 billion in emergency response funds for the handling of the impact of the magnitude-7.6 earthquake which crippled Padang City and killed at least 600 people and caused over 300 others missing.

        According to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Rp100 billion funds should be used to finance activities in safeguarding victims' lives and assist them over a two-month period.

        "But if the emergency response could be finished in less than two months, the rehabilitation and reconstruction phases could be started soon with more funds the amount of which would be decided later," the president said.

        Therefore, President Yudhoyono said he had ordered the bureaucracy not to hamper the disbursement of the emergency response. "The Rp100 billion funds should flow smoothly. There should be no bureaucratic hindrance. Expedience is important as this is an emergency situation," he said.

        The earthquake has destroyed infrastructures and other public facilities. Data released on Saturday showed that a total of 15,159 building structures were destroyed, 3,980 damaged and 6,737 others were affected.

        Communications were disrupted, electricity supplies were cut off and water for public consumption ran short. Price of gasoline was sky-rocketing as supplies were scarce due to damage to gasoline stations or due to the fact they were left unattended by employees who were evacuated.

        On Saturday, according to Vice President Jusuf Kalla, water and power, fuel oil supplies began to run well again, although not all regions could already been provided with the services.

        The vice president said that economic activities had also begun to show their dynamism as indicated by the trade activities on the basic needs in a number of places.

        "The same thing also happened with the dispatch of fuel oils to fuel stations so that the long lines of consumers have been reduced," the vice president said.

        Disrupted communications services are also returning to normal, including cellular phone services, he said.

        Most of PT Telkom's telecommunication services such as fixed telephone and fixed wireless access (FWA) TelkomFlexi in quake-devastated West Sumatra are now functioning again.

        "TelkomFlexi services are back to normal, subscribers can call other people in or outside West Sumatra, or receive calls from inside or outside West Sumatra," PT Telkom's public communication and marketing director, Eddy Kurnia, said on Saturday.

        The restoration of Telkom's communication services was at least facilitating the processes of evacuating and further handling earthquake victims.

        At present, 48 of Telkom's 85 Flexi Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) in West Sumatra were functioning normally again. Of the 48 BTS, 9 were serving the 0751 area code, 18 the 0752, 3 the 0753, 9 of the 0754 and 9 of the 0755. Most of the Automatic Telephone Exchange Terminals (STOs) were working again with electricity from generators.

        In the meantime, state-owned oil firm Pertamina said about 50 percent of gasoline stations in Padang are now back in operation after being shut down because of the tectonic earthquake.

        The company's vice president for communications, Basuki Trikora Putra, said here on Friday, a total of 14 gasoline stations were operating in Padang city on Thursday night.

        "On Thursday morning only six stations were operating but by night 14 gas stations were in business again and this is 50 percent of the total number of gasoline stations in Padang," he said.

        He said Pertamina would do its best to help gasoline refueling stations in the quake-battered city to open again so that fuel oil supply in city could return to normal as soon as possible.

        On the emergency response efforts, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that they had been running well. "I have checked the emergency response activity in the worst hit areas and I found things running well," the vice president said.

        The evacuation process was primarily for survivors, and also for previously missing people and dead bodies. Rescue workers were being assisted by police and military personnel, as well as domestic and foreign volunteers. Food stocks and medical supplies are enough to support the emergency response process. In addition, hospital services also are functioning well with the support of medical teams from overseas.

        With the emergency response efforts, assistance from outside the province, including one coming from overseas, the economic conditions and social activities of West Sumatra are expected to recover.

        "We are optimistic that in the coming three months, West Sumatra would be restored and rise againt," Padang City Deputy Mayor Marlis Rahman said.

        He said that West Sumatra which received assistance from many parties, including from the central government and foreign countries would continue to make efforts to restore its economy.

        "We have instructed that next Monday regional government apparatuses would begin providing services for the people again, even it in the emergency situation," the deputy mayor said. (T.A014/A/HAJM/19:30/.... )