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Freeport
accepts
govt terms
Fedina S. Sundaryani Freeport agrees to
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA convert its contract to
IUPK
In a move that is likely to re-
duce tensions over its future op- Govt to allow Freeport to
erations, major mining company resume exports
PT Freeport Indonesia has agreed
to convert its contract, paving the
way to a resolution in its pro- the vice president’s agenda
longed dispute with the govern- FCX is known to be politically
ment. connected as US billionaire Carl
Energy and Mineral Resources Icahn, special adviser on regula-
Minister Ignasius Jonan claims tory reform to US President Don-
that in a change to months of re- ald Trump, is the third major FCX
sistance, Freeport Indonesia, shareholder.
a subsidiary of United States- Previously, with strong sup-
based gold and copper mining gi- port from its parent company, JP/Seto Wardhana
ant Freeport-McMoRan (FCX), Freeport Indonesia had consis- Tight security: A visitor walks past an armored car at the National Monument in Jakarta on Thursday. Thousands of Muslims are expected
has agreed to allow its contract of tently rejected the government’s to participate in what they call the 313 Rally on Friday, calling for the removal of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama over his
work (CoW) to be converted into requirements, which the com- blasphemy case.
a special mining permit (IUPK). pany argued had violated the
“In principle, they have already investment certainty provided
agreed to convert to an IUPK. by the present CoW dating back BLASPHEMY CASE
Hopefully, they do not change their to 1991.
mind,” Jonan said during a hear-
ing with House of Representatives
Commission VII on Thursday.
The conflict between the two
As a result of the standstill, the
miner had been unable to sell its
copper concentrates overseas,
leading to a large pile up that put
Thousands to join another anti-Ahok rally
parties built up after the mineral a brake on its mining operations. Indra Budiari leader of the hard-line group gered conservative Muslim the edict,” Khaththath said.
export ban took effect in mid-Jan- Earlier this month, Freeport THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA Islam Defenders Front (FPI), are groups. The case triggered at least However, two of the country’s
uary in compliance with Govern- Indonesia, Indonesia’s biggest expected to join the rally. two rallies considered among the largest Islamic organizations,
ment Regulation (PP) No. 1/2017. oldest foreign investor, resumed The city is gearing up for an- The FUI ensures that the pro- largest protests the country had Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) and Mu-
Freeport Indonesia, the opera- production at 40 percent of its other large protest with Islamic test will not turn violent as the ever seen, on Nov. 4 and Dec. 2 hammadiyah, as well as the MUI
tor of the world’s largest gold and normal rate after securing an ex- conservative groups planning to participants have no intentions last year. itself, have denounced the rally,
second-largest copper mine in port permit for anode slime, a by- stage a rally on Friday to demand other than to ask Jokowi to dis- The rally is going to be held in with MUI chairman Maruf Amin
Grasberg, Papua, is required to di- product of copper processing. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo miss Ahok due to his status as a less than three weeks before the saying the rally is unnecessary.
vest 51 percent of its shares, build During the hearing, Jonan also unseat incumbent Jakarta Gover- defendant in a blasphemy case, Jakarta Gubernatorial Election Speaking after a meeting with
a smelter within five years and told legislators that the govern- nor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purna- according to the rally’s coordina- runoff voting day, in which Ahok Jokowi on Thursday, Maruf asked
convert its contract in exchange ment might allow the miner to ma from his post. tor and FUI secretary-general, is trying to keep his gubernatorial everyone to wait for the court to
for a permit to export copper con- ship its copper concentrate while Initiated by the Muslim People Muhammad Al Khaththath. seat from being taken by his rival, proceed with Ahok’s trial, expect-
centrate. negotiations on the other terms Forum (FUI), the rally will start “I am aware there are rumors Anies Baswedan. ed to end in May.
Freeport Indonesia spokesman continued so long as the latter from Istiqlal Grand Mosque in circulating, which say tomorrow’s While the police have called on To anticipate any violent
Riza Pratama separately con- officially agreed to the contract Central Jakarta right after Friday rally will turn chaotic. But this is the protest to not be politically- breakout during the rally, the Ja-
firmed that the firm had agreed conversion. prayer and will end in front of the a peaceful rally asking the Presi- motivated, Khaththath said that karta Police have coordinated
to convert its CoW into an IUPK, “As they have technically agreed State Palace. dent to comply with the law,” he after the rally ended, the protest- with the National Police and the
though it was still negotiating the to an IUPK, they will be able to ex- The rally will pass Jl. Merde- told reporters on Thursday. ers would gather at a mosque to Indonesian Military to secure the
terms with the government. port so long as they submit a pro- ka Timur, the US Embassy on Jl. Khaththath referred to Arti- show their support for a Muslim area around the State Palace.
“Freeport Indonesia is willing posal to build a smelter within the Merdeka Selatan, City Hall and cle 83 of Law No. 23/2014 on re- to be the next governor of Jakarta. “We will close the area around
to convert its CoW to an IUPK so next five years following govern- the Horse Statue. gional administration, which says Ahok is a Christian of Chinese- the palace within a 500 meter ra-
long as it is granted investment ment regulation [PP] No. 1/2017. The FUI claimed that at least that a regional head should be descent, while Anies is a Muslim dius to give the protesters more
stability, entailing legal and fiscal The government must be firm [in 100,000 people will join Friday’s temporarily dismissed if named of Arab descent, who has voiced space,” Jakarta Police chief Insp.
certainty, equal to the certainties this case]. The company must own protest. However, the police have a suspect of a crime with a prison his agreement of the belief that it Gen. Mochamad Iriawan said on
outlined in our [current] CoW,” an IUPK,” Jonan said. predicted the number would be sentence of at least five years, cor- is haram (forbidden) for a Muslim Thursday, adding that the pro-
he told The Jakarta Post. House Commission VII, mean- much smaller. ruption, terrorism, treason and/ to vote for non-Muslim leaders. testers would not be allowed to
Although Riza declined to dis- while, called on the central gov- A number of well-known fig- or other actions that could divide “[Having] a Muslim Jakarta divert to other routes, such as Jl.
close its proposed terms, Jonan ernment to seek input from the ures, including National Mandate the nation. governor is in accordance to the MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta,
revealed that the firm had asked Papuan people before making any Party (PAN) patron Amien Rais Ahok is currently being tried edict from the Indonesian Ulema as it would cause a public distur-
to pay the fixed tax as stipulated future policy about the miner. and Rizieq Shihab, the firebrand for alleged blasphemy that an- Council [MUI]. We just carry out bance. (dea)
in its CoW although it is higher “We ask the energy and min-
than the prevailing tax. Further- eral resources minister to in-
more, it also wants to continue volve Papuan locals in any deci-
talks on levies imposed in Papua, sion-making process pertaining DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
he added. to Freeport Indonesia in order to
The firm’s acquiescence marks
a milestone after weeks of tough
comply with the Regional Auton-
omy Law,” chairman Gus Irawan Survey finds widespread violence against women
negotiations to settle the dispute Pasaribu said.
out of court after both Freeport Separately, a coalition of civ- Margareth S. Aritonang them agreed to have intercourse The survey also revealed the start against the people accused
and the government have pledged il societies officially submitted a THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA because they were scared,” BPS difficulty of getting information of the crime.
to bring the dispute to the United proposal to the Supreme Court head Suhariyanto said in a press from the female respondents, In order to encourage more
Nation’s arbitration tribunal. to review PP No. 1/2017 and its A nationwide survey has re- briefing on Thursday. who had to answer questions women to report their cases, the
The progress in the negotia- subsequent regulations, claiming vealed that at least one third of As for single or unmarried from interviewers with spouses bill will also mandate the govern-
tions comes just before US Vice that they violated the 2009 Min- women in the country have ex- women, sexual abuse took the or partners closely watching. ment to pay for the medical costs
President Mike Pence’s visit to ing Law and offered excessive lee- perienced violence in their lives, form of groping, getting obscene The BPS survey appears to sup- needed as part of any investigation.
Indonesia next month. Indone- way for miners to continue selling inflicted mostly by their spouses messages, receiving pornograph- port findings from the National Lawmaker Ammy Amalia Fat-
sian officials have said the Free- raw and semi-processed minerals and those who are closest to them. ic pictures or videos and being Commission on Violence Against ma Surya, one of the initiators of
port dispute is likely to be high on abroad. The survey, commissioned by forced to have intercourse. Women (Komnas Perempuan), the bill, said it would also require
the Women’s Empowerment and “Ten percent of the respon- which reported an increase of the police to assign trained and cer-
Child Protection Ministry and dents said that they got lewd 8.5 percent of reports of violence tified investigators to handle sex
conducted by the Central Statis- messages, while 7.1 percent said against women last year. Komnas crimes. She said such investigators
Not just a play tics Agency (BPS), interviewed
9,000 women between the ages of
they were subjected to touching
and groping,” Suhariyanto said.
Perempuan registered 1,354 cases
throughout 2016.
are currently in short supply.
“We want to prevent victims
15 and 64 from various economic The survey also found that Responding to the growing from becoming subject to more
and educational backgrounds and sexual abuse happened more of- trend of violence against wom- abuse during investigations,”
found that 33.4 percent of the re- ten in urban areas, with 36 per- en, a number of female lawmak- Ammy told The Jakarta Post.
spondents had experienced vio- cent of reported abuse taking ers from across the political fac- The National Mandate Party
lence in their lifetimes. place in cities, while only 19.8 tions have taken the initiative to (PAN) politician, however, ac-
BPS also found that of the 33.4 percent happened in villages. propose a bill that would make knowledged that there was only
percent of respondents, 15.3 per- Respondents in the survey sexual violence against women a minor interest in the bill. There
cent had fallen victim to sexual also identified the perpetrators serious criminal offense. has been no progress in the de-
violence, while 9.1 percent had of abuse as neighbors, friends, The bill also includes stipula- liberation of the bill since the
been subjected to physical abuse. teachers, law enforcement of- tions that will encourage women House of Representatives agreed
Women interviewed for the ficers, partners outside of mar- to speak up about their experi- to include it in the National Leg-
survey revealed that the sexu- riage, sexual partners, parents, ences by setting up a sanctuary islation Program (Prolegnas) in
al violence ranged from people in-laws and other family mem- for victims of abuse where they early February.
groping women and making un- bers including grandfathers, un- could speak about the crimes “I thought it would take two
wanted sexual advances toward cles and cousins. without risking their safety. sitting sessions to complete the
them to husbands forcing their “We have to do more to make Legal counsel assigned to the deliberations. Unexpectedly, it is
spouses to have intercourse. violence against women an ex- sanctuary would be responsible harder than I thought to make it
“In the results for married traordinary crime,” said the BPS for making reports and making a priority of the House,” Ammy
women, at least 7.8 percent of head. sure that legal processes would told the Post.
JP/Tarko Sudiarno
Butet Kartaredjasa (seated) and Susilo Nugroho (right) perform in
Inside
Lakon Sarmin Hakim presented by Teater Gandrik in Yogyakarta on
Thursday. Carrying the theme of grim law enforcement in the coun- CITY | p4 SPORTS | p9 WORLD | p11
try, the play will continue in Jakarta on April 5 and April 6 at Taman KPUD, Bawaslu under Nadal into Miami semis, Malaysia releases victim
Ismail Marzuki. ethics probe Venus triumphant of North Korean murder
2 | HEADLINES FRIDAY March 31, 2017

Where’s the beef? Ask the cartel and (corrupt) politicians

COMMENTARY
I
ndonesians are slowly chang- Joko “Jokowi” Widodo always re- their jobs because of their role in ports only from countries that (KPPU). In 2015, the commis-
ing their eating habits as their sponds by allowing more imports at illegal arrangements. were totally free from the disease. sion punished 32 cattle feedlots
incomes rise. Still counted those particular times to ease prices. Then chairman of the Prosper- This virtually restricted imports and importers for hoarding beef,
among the biggest rice eaters in But in between these beef cri- ous Justice Party (PKS) Luthfi to Australia only. which forced prices to soar to as
the world, they are starting to ses, the government has been Hasan Ishaaq was convicted in Beef importers, which con- high as Rp 130,000 a kilogram.
put more beef on the table. Not struggling to increase local pro- 2013 for his part in using his office trolled the trade, were among Two of these companies are
steaks, burgers or roast beef, but duction and step up the fight to secure the quota of a large meat those that filed a petition at the PT Elders Indonesia, a local unit
beef dishes such as gulai (curry) against the cartel of powerful importer, obviously in return for Constitutional Court to revoke of Australian agribusiness giant
or semur (stew in soy sauce) and meat importers who conspire Linda Yulisman a huge commission. the 2014 law, a decision that was Elders, and PT Agro Giri Perka-
dendeng (jerky). with politicians in high places to THE JAKARTA POST/ A judge of the Constitutional in the hands of Patrialis Akbar. sa, which is 80 percent owned by
What prevents them from eat- keep imports out and prices high. JAKARTA Court, Patrialis Akbar, is current- In fact, Jokowi has indicated that another Australian giant Consoli-
ing even more beef is not so much This year, the price of a kilogram ly under detention awaiting trial Indonesia should source its beef dated Pastoral Company.
health concerns as the steep pric- of the best beef cut in Jakarta aver- the near and foreseeable future after the Corruption Eradication imports from more than one coun- The watchdog also found that
es they have to pay for the meat. aged Rp 110,000 (US$8.30), more Indonesia will continue to rely on Commission (KPK) nabbed him try, meaning Australia, and that im- these businesses were controlled
This is partly because of the supply than double what Malaysians and imports to meet the insatiable lo- on charges of taking bribes from ports from zones in India that are by six owners as these companies
and demand situation, the govern- Singaporeans are paying. Prices cal demand. This is because local Basuki Hariman, a key player in free from the foot and mouth dis- were affiliated with each other
ment’s rigid beef import policy, and tend to be higher the farther away beef production will only amount the local meat business, to ensure eases should be considered. and bound by family connections.
a conspiracy between some beef you are from Jakarta. to 354,770 tons this year, according a favorable ruling in a dispute Bulog, the state-owned food and The government is only starting
importers and corrupt politicians. Have sympathy for Agriculture to official statistics, far from the do- over beef import policy. logistics agency, is also looking at to bust the beef import cartel and
Indonesians trail behind their Minister Amran Sulaiman and mestic demand of 604,966 tons. To ease domestic supply, which Brazil, Mexico and Spain as new their powerful politician friends.
neighbors when it comes to meat Trade Minister Enggartiasto Luki- The government’s beef import in the past had relied solely on im- beef suppliers. Safety remains the An obvious solution to Indonesia’s
consumption, averaging 2.61 ki- ta for failing to deliver on Jokowi’s policy may have the best of inten- ported Australian beef, the 2014 chief concern of any beef import constant beef crisis is to create
logram per person each year, instruction to bring meat prices to tions to help both farmers and con- law on animal husbandry and policy and the government plans to a more transparent beef import
against 15 kg for Singaporeans below Rp 80,000. If anything, the sumers, but the beef import busi- health allowed the government to develop quarantine centers through policy and one that allows more
and 7 kg for Filipinos. trajectory is likely to be prices con- ness is just so lucrative that it has import cattle from zones within which cattle imports must pass. players to prevent any group from
But they are paying among the tinuing to rise on the back of ever- become easy prey for corruption. countries that are free from foot For too long, a strong alliance dominating the trade and there-
highest prices in the world. House- increasing demand. The import quota system, de- and mouth disease, regardless of of importers, mostly of Australian fore, the prices. Only once the car-
wives scream at the government The long-term solution obvious- signed to protect local farmers, whether the country as a whole is beef, has enjoyed the privilege of a tel’s strong grip is broken, will In-
whenever meat prices shoot up ly is to boost local production with opened up room for importers free of the disease. monopoly in the domestic market, donesians be able to enjoy more
around big national holidays like initiatives such as the expansion to collude with politicians. Two This is a departure from the according to the Business Com- beef at prices far lower than what
Idul Fitri and Christmas. President of the livestock population, but for powerful politicians have lost previous law that permitted im- petition Supervisory Commission they are currently paying.

LIGA 1

KPK flags attempts to block Chelsea-flavored Persib

to start season at full speed
justice in huge graft scandal Dicky Christanto
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA
soccer. The Chelsea Academy
graduate said he preferred to play
the game, rather than watch it.
Haeril Halim am had taken place but confirmed Indonesia’s top flight Persib It was Essien’s decision that
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA that she had tried to contact him. Bandung is setting up a full-throt- caught his eyes, said Cole as re-
“She wanted me to represent her tle kickoff in the Liga 1 as it plans ported by kompas.com. After
The implication of a number of in the case but I said no because I to deploy all four internation- thorough research, Cole, who will
high-profile figures in a graft case am very busy with other clients. It al players in the opening match wear jersey number 12, said he
revolving around e-ID card pro- is normal if she wanted to meet me, of the country’s premier soccer began to recognize Persib as an
curement has allegedly triggered but unfortunately the meeting did league on April 15. influential club with numerous
attempts to weaken the prosecu- not happen,” Rudy told the Post, Persib, nicknamed “Maung fans that supported the team with
tion of the biggest corruption case adding that he never suggested that Bandung” (Bandung Tigers), will their endless energy.
ever handled by the Corruption Miryam renounce her statements. play archrival Arema FC at home, Persib, established in 1933, is
Eradication Commission (KPK). Rudy further said that he was at the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api the champion of the 2015 Presi-
The third court hearing of the not Setya’s personal lawyer but stadium in the April 15 opener of dent’s Cup tournament and 2014
case on Thursday indicated that had accompanied Setya to the the league, named Go-Jek Trav- Indonesian Super League —
attempts to obstruct the investi- KPK for his questioning because eloka Liga 1 2017 after sponsors. which rebranded to Liga 1.
gation had taken place after KPK he was the head of Golkar’s legal “The club is considering send- Liga 1 is sanctioned by the
officials claimed that six politi- division. ing out all four foreign players in Soccer Association of Indonesia
cians and a lawyer had attempted During Thursday’s hearing, the opener against Arema FC,” (PSSI) and operated by PT Liga
to intimidate a key witness. JP/Seto Wardhana KPK investigator Novel told the Persib spokesman Irfan Sury- Indonesia Baru.
Former House of Representa- Graft trial: Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo (left), Golkar panel of judges that Miryam said adiredja told The Jakarta Post on The full-season competi-
tives member Miryam S. Haryani politician Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa (center) and Bank Indonesia to him during the questioning that Thursday. tion will feature 18 clubs. Each
of the Hanura Party was alleged- Governor Agus Martowardojo, who is a former finance minister, she was intimidated by a number Persib has been gearing up for club will receive Rp 7.5 billion
ly pressured to renounce all of the stand as witnesses in the trial of graft suspects Sugiharto and Irman of House lawmakers, who pres- its 2017 title campaign by hiring (US$563,069) in subsidy from the
statements she had given to the KPK at the Corruption Court in Jakarta on Thursday. sured her not to reveal the truth. two former players of English Pre- operator to run the team through-
on the alleged bribes paid to her and He said the five were Golkar Par- mier League’s Chelsea, striker Carl- out the season.
other legislators to help secure a to- Legislators accused Miryam admitted that she had ty politicians Bambang Soesatyo ton Cole of England and midfielder TVOne, a television station co-
tal of Rp 5.9 trillion (US$443 mil- of obstructing KPK gone to Rudy’s house, but denied and Aziz Syamsuddin, Desmond Michael Essien of Ghana. The two owned by the Bakrie family and
lion) for the project in 2011. ever meeting him there, saying Junaidi Mahesa of the Gerindra names are an addition to previously Mahaka Group boss Erick Thohir,
During a hearing last week, investigation that Rudy was away at the time. Party, Masinton Masaribu of the hired defender Vladimir Vujovic of has secured the league’s broad-
Miryam accused KPK investigators She also denied the claim that the Indonesian Democratic Party of Montenegro and midfielder Shohei casting rights. The April 15 open-
of forcing her to make a false state-
KPK stands its ground renouncement was due to any de- Struggle (PDI-P) and Hanura Party Matsunaga of Japan. er will be aired at 6:30 p.m.
ment to incriminate the politicians. despite lawmakers’ threat mands from the lawyers. politician Sarifuddin Sudding. Vujovic helped his nation- Erick, chairman and minority
Miryam appeared again as a of defamation report KPK prosecutor Irene Putri, KPK prosecutors request- al team win against Hungary in owner of Italy’s Inter Milan soc-
witness at the Jakarta Corruption however, insisted that the meeting ed that the judges slap criminal 2007, while Matsunaga, who has cer club, is also the president of
Court on Thursday to confront Basir said that Miryam also between Rudy and Miryam had in- charges on Miryam for giving been in Indonesia’s top league the Indonesian Olympic Com-
KPK investigators Novel Baswe- met with Rudy Alfonso, the law- deed taken place, but she refused false testimony. since 2011, played for Bundesli- mittee (IOC) and head of the In-
dan, Irwan Santoso and Ambarita yer of House Speaker and Golkar to suggest what the two discussed Bambang Soesatyo slammed ga’s Schalke 04 from 2008 to 2010. donesian Asian Games Organiz-
Damanik, who questioned Miry- Party chairman Setya Novanto, during the meeting. “We believe Novel for his accusations. “I will In Persib, which iss also known ing Committee (Inasgoc).
am in the case in December 2016. an important supporter of Presi- the meeting happened. We will ask for the recording of conversa- as “Pangeran Biru” (Blue
Blue Prince), official league
Liga 1 is the first official
The three investigators played dent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, at prove it in the next hearing.” tions between Miryam and KPK Cole reunited with Essien,
ssien, who he after Indonesia’s one-year ban by
a video of Miryam’s questioning Rudy’s house on Jl. Radio Dalam Irene argued that the “young investigators as evidence for us played with in Chelseaea from 2005 the Federation Internationale de
to counter her accusations. in South Jakarta before she re- lawyer” had asked Miryam to re- to report his [Novel’s] accusation to 2006. Football
Foot o ball Association
The video showed that Miry- nounced her statements. nounce all of her statements, but to the National Police for alleged The appointment of Essien and ((FIFA)
(F IFA) ended mid
am was interviewed in a friendly Since the case erupted early refused to disclose the identity of defamation.” Cole made headlines in n local media, llast
la st year. The sus-
manner by the investigators with- this year, allegations have been the lawyer. Masinton, Azis and Desmond as well as gained attention
ntion from in- ppension
ension was a re-
out any indication she was being rife that Setya was among the However, a source with deep have also denied intimidating ternational publications,
ns, including ssult
ult of a conflict be-
forced to make false statements. masterminds of the plot to em- knowledge about the meeting has Miryam. BBC, SkySports and The he Sun. ttween
tw een PSSI and the
KPK prosecutor Basir backed bezzle funds allocated for the claimed to The Jakarta Post that Thursday’s hearing was focused Cole was the latestst celebrated government.
gove
govern
rnme
ment
me n.
up the KPK investigators, saying e-ID card project. the young lawyer, who the source on the alleged roles of Irman, for- addition to Persib’s roster
oster as soon
that Miryam had met a “young The KPK has alleged that identified with the initials AT, was mer Home Ministry director gen- as the club announced d the for-
lawyer” at the office of high-pro- around 40 percent of the funds sent by Setya to convince Miryam eral for civil registration, and Sug- mer England striker’ss arrival
file lawyer Elza Syarief in Jakarta were siphoned off into the pock- to revoke all of her statements. iharto, former Home Ministry on Thursday.
two weeks before she renounced ets of politicians and Home Min- Contacted separately, Rudy de- director for civil registration in- Irfan, however, refused
fused d
her statements. istry officials. nied that any meeting with Miry- formation management. to unveil the value of
Cole’s deal.
Persib Bandung has as
secured 12 sponsors ors
IMMIGRATION for the season, with Jap-
Tribun Jabar/Deni Denaswara

anese car maker Datsun tsun

More than 100 die in Malaysian camps and Indonesia’s largestrgest

food manufacturer Indofood
being the main sponsors.
ors.
Prior to signing with
o

ith Persib,
Persibi ,
A. Ananthalakshmi such as the United States, which calls seeking comment. centers but its budget was con- Cole revealed that he did not
REUTERS/KUALA LUMPUR in the last financial year recorded “The numbers are too high strained. know much about Indonesian
ndonesian
10 deaths in its immigration de- and are shocking and it calls for “I agree there is some over-
More than one hundred for- tention system, which has many the overhaul of the system,” said crowding and the conditions are
eigners died in the past two years
in Malaysia’s immigration deten-
more detainees than Malaysia’s.
More than half of the 118 dead
Jerald Joseph, one of eight com-
missioners at Suhakam, which
not ideal. We are always trying to
improve the procedures, health
THIS ODD WORLD
tion centers from various dis- are from Myanmar, the source for was established by the Malaysian conditions and management of
eases and unknown causes, ac- tens of thousands of refugees com- parliament through an act in 1999 these sites. The problem is we hit Thieves steal huge gold coin with wheelbarrow
cording to documents from the ing to Malaysia, including Rohing- and is due to publicly announce a budget brick wall,” said deputy
government–funded National ya Muslims escaping persecution the numbers next week in its an- home minister Nur Jazlan Mo- BERLIN: Berlin police say suspects used a wheelbarrow to make off with a
Human Rights Commission re- by Myanmar’s authorities and its nual report on human rights is- hamed in an interview. 100-kilogram gold coin worth millions.
viewed by Reuters. majority Buddhist population. The sues in Malaysia. He said there wasn’t enough Police said Tuesday at least two burglars broke into the Bode Museum
The toll, which has not been number of Rohingya fatalities in He described conditions at the funding to upgrade facilities, pro- early Monday morning using a ladder to climb up to a window from
previously disclosed, is based on the camps is unknown. centers, some of which he has vis- vide adequate healthcare and hire elevated railway tracks running alongside the building.
Malaysian immigration depart- Malaysian Prime Minister Na- ited, as “appalling” and said the and train enforcement officers. Ja- The thieves grabbed the “Big Maple Leaf” coin, on loan to the muse-
ment data provided to the com- jib Razak has been a harsh critic deaths should be investigated as a zlan blamed overcrowding on the um’s coin collection, loaded it onto the wheelbarrow, then carted it out of
mission, which is known by its of the Myanmar government and criminal matter. The illnesses that “never ending flow of people seek- the building and along the tracks across the Spree river before descending
Malay acronym Suhakam. There its de-facto leader Aung San Suu led to some of the deaths may have ing a better future in Malaysia.” into a park on a rope and fleeing in a getaway car.
were 83 deaths in 2015, and at Kyi after a crackdown in October been caused or exacerbated by poor The living conditions inside Police say the three-centimeter thick coin, with a diameter of 53
least 35 in 2016 up to Dec. 20. by Myanmar’s security forces led sanitation and food, physical abuse the Malaysian camps are grim centimeters and worth some US$4.5 million for the gold alone, was likely
It is unclear whether the death many Rohingya to flee across its and a lack of medical attention, said — overcrowded, unhygienic and damaged in the theft. — AP
rate is higher than in neighboring borders amid multiple allegations Joseph, who was speaking on be- brutal — according to interviews
countries. Government officials of mass killings and gang rapes by half of the commission. with 13 former detainees, and 12
in Indonesia and Thailand told troops. He has called for foreign Malaysia’s home ministry, others who have regularly visit- Driver runs out of gas after stealing car
Reuters they do not disclose such intervention to stop the “geno- which oversees the immigration ed the centers, including people
numbers. The rate is higher than cide” in Myanmar. department, said it was trying from government agencies and TULARE, S.D.: A driver who called for help after running out of gas is
in major industrialized nations Najib’s office did not return to improve the conditions in the rights groups. accused of stealing a deputy’s squad car in South Dakota and leading
authorities in a pursuit before once again running out of fuel.
WEATHER FORECAST: MARCH 31, 2017 Troy James is charged with felony grand theft. Officials say James called
for assistance early Monday on Highway 281 near the town of Tulare, say-
Sunny Banda Aceh Batam Semarang Denpasar Makassar Ternate ing his car had stopped and he apparently ran out of fuel.
22 - 28 °C 24 - 32 °C 25 - 29 °C 25 - 32 °C 24 - 32 °C 23 - 31 °C Sheriff Kevin Schurch tells the Aberdeen American News the responding
Rainy
deputy tried to detain James because he was acting bizarrely. Schurch says
Medan Jakarta Yogyakarta Samarinda Manado Ambon
Cloudy James pushed the officer out of the squad and took off. He says James was
24 - 32 °C 24 - 30 °C 23 - 31 °C 24 - 28 °C 22 - 32 °C 24 - 33 °C apparently armed.
Pekanbaru Bandung Surabaya Palangkaraya Gorontalo Jayapura The South Dakota Highway Patrol and other officers joined in pursuing James.
Source:
Meteorology, Climatology
24 - 29 °C 20 - 29 °C 24 - 33 °C 24 - 33 °C 24 - 31 °C 25 - 31 °C He was eventually caught about 225 kilometer away. — AP
And Geophysics Agency
FRIDAY March 31, 2017 NATIONAL | 3
TERRORISM
It’s all on the map NATIONAL SCENE
Victims of Reprimand shows cracks within KPK
terrorist JAKARTA: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) spokesperson Febri
Diansyah confirmed on Thursday that one of the antigraft body’s lead
attacks left investigators, Novel Baswedan, could be issued a second warning let-
ter by the commission’s leadership.
Refusing to elaborate on the details of Novel’s alleged violation,
out in the cold Febri said the process was not yet finalized given Novel’s important
duty in the investigation of the high-profile e-ID case. “Novel is the
head of one of the e-ID case investigation task-forces. We do not want
Marguerite Afra Sapiie to disrupt the ongoing case,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.
and Apriadi Gunawan The reprimand is reportedly related to the strong opinion issued
THE JAKARTA POST / JAKARTA, by Novel, who is also chairman of the KPK’s workers’ union, express-
MEDAN ing concerns about KPK director of investigation Aris Budiman’s policy
regarding investigator recruitment.
Mulyono Sutrisman began to Anti-corruption activists protested the reprimand, saying there were
tear up when he remembered un- people within the antigraft body disturbed by Novel’s brave moves in
dergoing repeated surgeries to probing graft cases.
mend his chin, which was severe- Novel has been hailed as one of the commission’s best investigators
ly injured by the terrorist bomb- for his success in leading many big yet sensitive cases.
ing outside the Australian Em- In 2012, Novel was targeted by the police after he led a graft
bassy in Jakarta, 13 years ago. investigation into then-National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) chief
Mulyono said he needed to wait Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo. Djoko was the first active police general to be
for hours in the hospital as the named a KPK suspect. — JP
staff refused to perform immedi-
ate surgery as he did not have in-
surance. He was finally treated Ombudsman summons Wiranto over council
when the company he worked for
agreed to cover the cost. JAKARTA: The Indonesian Ombudsman summoned Coordinating Politi-
Since his injury was severe, the JP/Dhoni Setiawan cal, Legal and Security Minister Wiranto on allegations of maladmin-
hospital in Jakarta sent him to Officials from the Geospatial Information Agency prepare on Thursday for their day’s work on the project istration regarding the government’s plan to establish the Council for
Singapore and then Australia to to map the nation’s coastlines and territorial waters. The government has prioritized the mapping of the National Harmony (DKN).
undergo chin reconstruction. outermost islands to update the country’s map passed down from the Dutch government in 1933. On Feb. 2, the Solidarity Network of Victims for Justice (JSKK) and
“The surgery cost exceeded the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras)
Rp 2 billion [US$150,172]. Every- reported Wiranto to the Ombudsman, accusing him of violating official
thing was covered by my compa- procedures in resolving past human rights cases by forming the council.
ny and the Australian Embassy, Ombudsman commissioner Ninik Rahayu said Wednesday that
while the government only pro-
vided Rp 5 million,” Mulyono said
in Medan, North Sumatra.
Sari Puspita, a victim of the 2003
House bullies KPU, based on the report, there had been alleged maladministration in
the establishment process of the DKN. “Victims said they were not
involved in the establishment of the council, even though the council’s
task was very relevant to them,” she said as quoted by kompas.com.
Ninik said the government’s policymaking should involve the
deadly JW Marriott Hotel bomb-
ing in Jakarta, said she spent 1.5
months for medical treatment. The
expenses were covered by her com-
pany. “The government has ne-
Bawaslu selection team concerned parties. She added that the alleged maladministration could
be proved if the government continued to create the body without
consulting victims and their families. — JP

glected victims of terrorist attacks.” Nurul Fitri Ramadhani Lawmakers call KPU, confidential, we can’t reveal all of NTB governor named breastfeeding envoy
Mulyono and Sari are just two THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA Bawaslu selection team the considerations as this relates
among hundreds of victims of ter- “incompetent” for to data from the PPATK and other MATARAM: Health Minister Nila Moeloek has named West Nusa
rorist attacks who struggle for ac- The government-sanctioned proposing “unwanted” institutions involved,” Betti said. Tenggara (NTB) Governor Muhammad Zainul Majdi a Special Envoy for
cess to medical services to have team tasked with selecting the candidates The House’s move was seen as Breastfeeding to honor his administration’s successful efforts in achiev-
their injuries treated. General Elections Commission an attempt to cripple the selec- ing a high rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the province.
Witness and Victim Protection (KPU) and Elections Supervisory House accused of buying tion process so the lawmakers The exclusive breastfeeding rate in NTB was 78.2 percent in 2015,
Agency (LPSK) chairman Abdul Agency (Bawaslu) commissioner time to make way for could insert people to accommo- data shows.
Haris Semendawai said compen- candidates came under fire from preferred candidates date their interests. “It’s higher than the average national rate, which is only 61.8
sation to victims relied on regula- lawmakers after they scrapped Titi Anggraini of the Associa- percent,” said Nila during the launch of the Healthy Lifestyle People’s
tion, which stipulates compensa- unqualified candidates preferred tion for Elections and Democracy Movement (Germas) in Mataram on Wednesday.
tion should be decided by the ruling by the politicians. (PPATK) and the KPK. (Perludem) warned it was better Majdi said the launch of Germas would provide motivation for both
of court. However, in some cases, During Thursday’s hearing, all “If the incumbents from the for the House to avoid controver- the NTB administration and the general public to support the govern-
including for the Jan. 2016 Jakarta factions at the House of Repre- KPU could pass, why didn’t the sy, especially given the imminent ment’s Healthy Indonesia program. “To secure health improvements,
bombing, the request of compen- sentatives’ Commission II lam- incumbents from Bawaslu? We 2019 legislative and presidential integrated cooperation is needed.”
sation in the total amount of Rp 1.3 basted the team’s work that re- [the lawmakers] are sure that the elections. Majdi said the percentage of budgets allocated to health care in NTB
billion submitted by the nine vic- sulted in 14 KPU commissioner current Bawaslu commissioners “If the preparation doesn’t go had been above 10 percent. “In fact, budgets and policy support alone
tims was not included by the pros- candidates and 10 Bawaslu mem- have worked well so far. They’ve well, it could affect the quality of cannot guarantee the success of the government’s work in the health
ecutors in the indictment, so the ber candidates. The politicians cooperated with us,” Yandri Su- the elections. As a consequence, sector. The most important thing is the participation and awareness of
judges ignored the request. blatantly accused the team of be- santo of the National Mandate the public may lose trust in the all of society’s members,” he said. — JP
The Attorney General subse- ing partial and said the candidates Party (PAN) said. election process,” Titi said.
quently issued a circular to pros- were not qualified. Tagore Abu Bakar of the ruling
ecutors across Indonesia for com- The team consists of notable Indonesian Democratic Party of
pensation for victims of terrorist figures known for their integrity Struggle (PDI-P) said, “the selec-
attacks. However, Abdul said, fur- and credibility, such as Andalas tion team was just playing around
ther compensation regulations University law expert Saldi Isra, hence why they’ve selected the
should be asserted in the law. former Constitutional Court jus- wrong people. They seem to pass
“The regulation is problematic. tice Harjono, Islamic scholar Ko- people who can accommodate
If the perpetrators of the terrorist maruddin Hidayat and former their interests.”
attack are dead and there’s no tri- member of the Corruption Eradi- “We want a balance, if there
al, the compensation for the vic- cation Commission (KPK) selec- are incumbents from the KPU
tims can’t be provided,” he said. tion team Betti Alisjahbana, yet then there should be incumbents
The UN Office on Drugs and the legislators accused them of from Bawaslu, too,” Commission
Crime (UNODC) and the Foreign being “incompetent.” II deputy chairman Riza Patria of
Ministry, held a workshop and Five of the 14 KPU commis- the Gerindra Party argued.
shared best practices of compensa- sioner candidates are incum- Seven of the 11 members of the
tion for victims of terrorist attacks bents, namely Ferry Kurnia Riz- team attended the hearing. They
from several countries, including kiyansyah, Idha Budhiati, Arief explained the selection process,
France, Spain, the United Kingdom Budiman, Sigit Pamungkas and which included comprehensive
and the United States. The work- Hasyim Asy’ari. screenings.
shop was to help the House of Rep- Meanwhile, out of the 10 candi- They evaluated the integrity,
resentative deliberate the revision dates for Bawaslu, no incumbents independence, leadership skills,
of the 2003 terrorism law. made it to the final stage. There health and competence of the
UNODC program officer Philip were three Bawaslu commission- candidates regarding their knowl-
Divett said the government would ers — Muhammad, Nelson Si- edge on elections. The methods
fulfill its humanitarian duty by manjuntak and Daniel Zuchron they used included written tests,
ensuring compensation and sup- — who applied for a second term. psychological tests, in-depth in-
porting deradicalization as victims Nelson and Daniel did not pass terviews and two parts of medical
and survivors of terrorist attacks the administrative selection phase, check-ups.
would have strong voices against while Muhammad could only make Betti said they also involved
violent extremism and radicalism. it into the top 36. He lost in the third parties, such as experts
“They are credible messengers third stage of selection, where the from the Indonesian Institute of
and people take notice of what process included data identifica- Science (LIPI) and lecturers from
they say. When victims who suf- tion from the National Intelligence several universities in scoring the
fered from terrorist attacks speak, Agency (BIN), Financial Transac- written tests.
people pay attention,” he said. tion Reports and Analysis Centre “The team’s scoring method is

MILITARY TRANSPORT

Govt agrees to purchase

Airbus A400M from France
Safrin La Batu Force’s Mobility Arm, a unit that find another suitable airlifter.
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA handles troop transport. In August last year, Airbus De-
Representing the government fense and Space represented by
The government has signed a in the signing of the contract was Alonso visited Indonesia to push
letter of intent with French air- air transport company Pelita Air the sales of its product.
craft manufacturer Airbus to pur- Service, which is a subsidiary of Indonesian Military (TNI)
chase A400M military transport state-owned oil and gas company spokesman Brig. Gen. Wuryan-
aircraft to replace the Indonesian Pertamina. to refused to comment on the
Military’s (TNI) aging Lockheed “Future discussions will ad- new contract when contacted on
Martin C-130 Hercules trans- dress, among other things, the Thursday.
porter planes. number of aircraft to be encom- The TNI currently operates
The agreement, which covered passed in an eventual contract and 28 different kinds of C-130s. The
an unspecified number of air- possible industrial cooperation ar- C-130 Hercules was first operated
craft, was made during the state rangements,” Airbus stated. in the country in 1954.
visit of French President Francois If the agreement materializ- Indonesia has long been look-
Hollande to Jakarta on Wednes- es, Indonesia would be the sec- ing for other air transporter
day, the French Presidential Of- ond country in Southeast Asia planes to replace the C-130 Her-
fice said as quoted by Reuters on to operate A400M after Malay- cules, which have been aging and
Thursday. sia, which has already purchased involved in several accidents.
Hollande’s visit was aimed at three of the aircraft. The most recent accident
strengthening bilateral coopera- The A400M is a four-engine was on Dec. 18, 2016, in Maima
tion between the two countries airlifter capable of transporting District, Jayawijaya regency,
in tourism, military, research and heavy loads and is considered Papua, in which a C-130 HS
technology, and urban develop- suitable to meet the needs of In- crashed into a mountain during a
ment sectors. donesia, the largest archipelagic bad weather.
Airbus Military Aircraft head country in the world. In June, 2015, a C-130 plane
Fernando Alonso said on Wednes- In January, reports surfaced plummeted shortly after taking
day that the agreement would be- that said the government planned off from the Soewondo Air Force
come a stepping stone for further to buy five A400M planes base in Medan, North Sumatra,
collaboration that could even- amounting to around US$2 killing around 100 people who
tually boost the Indonesian Air billion as it had been unable to were on board. — JP
4 | CITY FRIDAY March 31, 2017

JAKARTA RECLAMATION
GREATER JAKARTA That away
Commuter line to serve Rangkasbitung Reclamation
JAKARTA: Starting April 1, Jakarta’s commuter line train network will
extend its service to Rangkasbitung, Banten, West Java.
project on
By extending the route, commuter line operator KAI Commuter
Jabodetabek (KCJ) aims to serve 1.2 million passengers by 2019.
track to
With the new route, two more train stations in Citeras and Rangkas-
bitung, Banten, will also be opened, said KCJ head MN Fadhila. continue
“We have prepared all the necessary infrastructure to support the
extension of the route to the two new stations, such as ticketing ma- Fachrul Sidiq
chines, platforms and so on,” Fadhil said during a press conference at THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA
KCJ headquarters in Central Jakarta on Thursday.
All passengers on the extended route will be able to enjoy the Property developer PT Kapuk
same facilities that are available on other routes and stations. Naga Indah (KNI), a subsidiary
The commuter line’s progressive fare system will also be applied for of property giant Agung Seda-
passengers from Citeras and Rangkasbitung. yu Group, plans to proceed with
“Based on our calculation, passengers from both stations will only the construction of artificial is-
have to pay Rp 8,000 (60 US cents) for the trip of about 72.7 kilo- lets C and D in the controversial
meters to the other end of the line at Tanah Abang station in Central Jakarta Bay reclamation project
Jakarta,” Fadhila said. despite growing resistance from
Before the extension, Rangkasbitung residents were served by activists.
several local trains that only departed several times a day. On Thursday, KNI held a hear-
But with the new route, there will be 35 commuter train services ing to discuss the environmental
from Rangkasbitung to Tanah Abang and vice versa in a single day, impact analysis (Amdal) docu-
with the earliest train departing from Rangkasbitung station at 4 a.m. ment for islets C and D, whose
Besides that, KCJ also plans to redirect its Bekasi, West Java, to Ja- credibility and validity has been
karta’s Kota Station route through Pasar Senen Station from Manggarai questioned.
in April to reduce the density of passengers at Manggarai. Manggarai During the closed hearing,
JP/PJ Leo KNI solicited input from rele-
station is the biggest transit station for the KRL in Greater Jakarta. — JP
Two construction workers direct traffic on Jl. Jatinegara Barat, in East Jakarta on Thursday. The construc- vant parties in its bid to obtain a
tion of a double-track railway along the street has caused traffic jams. green light to continue with the
Pesanggrahan River to transform construction of the two man-
made islets.
JAKARTA: People visiting Pesanggrahan River in South Jakarta will The Environment and For-
soon enjoy water bicycling, among other things, as the city plans to estry Ministry suspended con-
turn a section of the river into a tourist attraction.
“We will transform the river into a water tourist spot and provide
water bicycles for visitors,” the Jakarta Environment Agency’s water
management division head, Junjungan Sihombing, said on Thursday.
He added that his side would solely use corporate social responsibil-
KPUD, Bawaslu struction last year because the
company failed to adhere to the
standards set forth by the gov-
ernment.

under ethics probe

The ministry required
ity (CSR) money to fund the project. the company to, among oth-
“We’ll start with the CNI River in West Jakarta first before rejuvenat- er things, ensure a supply of
ing the Pesanggrahan River. The cost for the plan will be fully covered sterile water as well as create a
by CSR funds,” he said. space between the two islets in
Junjungan said the agency would communicate with relevant agen- Callistasia Anggun Wijaya KPU Jakarta head and Ahok’s campaign team. order to pave the way for the flow
cies before proceeding with the plan, which was expected to start next Sumarno questioned over Regarding the “212” profile pic- of water and for fishermen to
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA
month. — JP alleged bias toward Anies ture, Sumarno said that he used catch fish.
Following public complaints that photo because it was beau- Speaking after the discus-
Govt to restrict app-based taxis alleging that official organizers KPU Jakarta, Bawaslu tiful and he believed the protest sion, KNI director Firman
lacked the necessary neutrality to commissioners was not related to the election. Todi said he promised the
JAKARTA: The number of app-based taxis in Greater Jakarta will be oversee a fair vote, the members confirm they received Meanwhile, Mimah explained company would follow the re-
limited to three to five per 1,000 residents starting April 1. of Jakarta’s General Elections honorariums from Ahok that she and the KPU commis- quirements set out by the gov-
Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) head Elly Adriana Commission (KPU Jakarta) and sioners attended the Ahok cam- ernment.
Sinaga said ride-hailing drivers had three months to get roadworthi- Elections Supervisory Agency paign team’s internal meeting be- For instance, in order to pro-
ness certificates for their cars and change the classification of their (Bawaslu Jakarta) were examined never had a personal relationship cause the team had invited them vide clean water, the company
vehicles on their vehicle registration document (STNK). by the Election Organization Eth- with Anies, although in the past to explain the rules about runoff plans to convert sea water into
“We have calculated three to five [online taxis] per 1,000 residents ics Council (DKPP) on Thursday both were members of the Islam- elections. fresh water.
as the proper number,” Elly said as quoted by tempo.co on Wednesday. over possible ethics violations. ic Students Association (HMI). Such meetings were common “The source for [clean] water
“In future, all online taxis will be distinguished from private vehicles Presiding judge Jimly As- He said he did not know Anies because the election organizers is limited. Our last resort is to
using a special sticker,” she added. shiddiqie questioned KPU Ja- before he registered as a guberna- had the responsibility to make take water from the sea. The wa-
Elly said the market for online-based transportation was growing karta head Sumarno regarding torial candidate, even though the sure people understand the rules, ter quality is good but it’s more
rapidly because the fares were lower than for conventional taxis. his alleged bias toward gover- two had met on some occasions. she said. costly. We are planning to create
However, Elly said, online taxis had no passenger insurance. “Should nor candidate Anies Baswedan “I became officially acquaint- When judge Saut Hamonangan a cross-subsidy scheme that will
anything happen to a passenger, the driver will be held responsible,” as reported by Jakarta Governor ed with Anies after he regis- Sirait asked whether she received also benefit residents of the Ka-
she said. — JP Basuki “Ahok” Purnama’s volun- tered [with KPU Jakarta] and we an honorarium from Ahok’s team mal Muara,” Firman said.
teer group, Cinta Ahok (Cinhok), named him [and Sandiaga Uno] for attending the meeting, Mimah The company will be given two
and another organization called as gubernatorial and deputy gu- affirmed it. weeks to fulfill the requirements,
Hitting the bull’s-eye the Islamic Students Association
Alumni Forum (FSA HMI).
bernatorial candidates,” Sumar-
no told the judges.
“We received about Rp 3 mil-
lion [US$225] for the two-hour
said Andono Warih of the Jakar-
ta Environment and Forestry
The court questioned him He added that he had never event,” Mimah said. Agency.
about his meeting with Anies at a made personal calls to Anies, or to Sumarno also admitted that During the hearing, Indone-
polling station in Kalibata, South any other candidates. he had received about the same sian Forum for the Environment
Jakarta, on Feb. 19 and about the Sumarno also responded to amount for attending the meeting. (WALHI) representatives decid-
reasons he delayed starting the the accusations of volunteers Jimly said that the law had yet ed to walk out.
plenary meeting on March 4 to who claimed he had intentionally to regulated about honorariums, WALHI legal division head
announce the runoff election. set out to meet Anies during the especially when the amounts were Afif Waldi said the decision had
The delay upset Ahok and his run- revote in Kalibata and that the small. However, he added that the been made to clarify the orga-
ning mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat. meeting had contributed to Anies practice of accepting honorariums nization’s stance on the project,
Sumarno was also asked about winning that polling station. could lead to trouble. which he said had brought more
a photo of the “212 protest”, a Sumarno said the meeting was “Election organizers should harm than good. The presence
large protest held on Dec. 2 to de- an accident as he had not know serve participants. How could of the organization at similar
mand the prosecution of Ahok for Anies would be there. they accept honorariums from events in the past had been false-
blasphemy. The photo was dis- To show courtesy, Sumarno the people they serve? For peo- ly reported as a form of support
played on Sumarno’s WhatsApp said he greeted Anies, shook his ple who uphold appropriateness, for the controversial mega proj-
profile page in early December. hand and exchanged kisses on the they wouldn’t accept the money ect, Afif added.
The judges then asked Sumar- cheeks. even if it is allowed,” he said. “We don’t want to get in-
no, another KPU commissioner, The meeting had not been con- Reflecting on this case, Jimly volved in any activities that vio-
Dahlia Umar and Bawaslu Ja- ducted in secret as there had been said election organizers should late the law. The company start-
karta head Mimah Susanti about a lot of journalists and residents in make more regulations about ed construction even before
their presence at an internal the polling station, Sumarno said. honoraria. possessing an Amdal,” he said,
JP/PJ Leo meeting of Ahok’s campaign team Sumarno then clarified the inci- The judges adjourned the hear- adding that this was proof that
Two construction workers renovate the archery stadium at the on March 9, as reported by an or- dent of the delayed plenary meet- ing until Monday, during which the company held greater influ-
Gelora Bung Karno sports complex (GBK) in Senayan, Central Ja- ganization called Advokat Cinta ing, saying the event started late they expected to hear from the ence in determining the direc-
karta, on Wednesday. The renovation is part of the city’s prepara- Tanah Air (ACTA). because of a miscommunication heads of Ahok’s and Anies’ cam- tion of the project than the gov-
tion for the upcoming 2018 Asian Games. Sumarno testified that he had between the commission’s officials paign teams. ernment.

MRT

City Hall flip-flops

over terminus station plan
Winda A. Charmila Bandan instead of East Ancol, which tween the administration and PT
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA was proposed earlier as another op- MRT on the matter,” he said.
tion for the terminus station. William added that he hoped
Amid lingering uncertainty on The plan to move the terminus that within a week, PT MRT would
the availability of space for the station to East Ancol emerged af- obtain an assurance on a precise
terminus station of the second ter PT MRT found that acquir- location for the terminus station.
phase of the MRT project, the city ing land in Kampung Bandan was Meanwhile, Endro Yulianto of
is revisiting the initial plan to use problematic. PT KAI, who also attended the
a plot of land in Kampung Ban- East Ancol was thought to be meeting, refused to comment on
dan, North Jakarta. an ideal location as the proposed the status of the Kampung Ban-
According to the initial plan, plot of land is owned by the city’s dan plot.
the terminus station would oc- property firm Pembangunan Jaya Scheduled to commence after
cupy a plot of land owned by rail- Ancol. However, the plot is only 4 the first phase of the MRT project
way operator Kereta Api Indone- hectares in size, while the termi- connects Lebak Bulus in South Ja-
sia (KAI). However, the Jakarta nus station needs around six ha. karta with the Hotel Indonesia traf-
administration and PT MRT Ja- The administration then consid- fic circle (Bundaran HI), the second
karta have failed to secure the ered relocating the terminus sta- phase of the project will connect
necessary land. KAI announced tion to another plot of land on is- Bundaran HI and Kampung Ban-
earlier that the land was bound let K of the controversial Jakarta dan. The first phase of the route is
up in contracts with third parties. Bay reclamation project. The islet 15.7 kilometers and costs Rp 14 tril-
In a meeting held at City Hall is currently being developed by lion (US$1.05 billion) while the sec-
on Thursday, KAI was quoted in Pembangunan Jaya Ancol. ond phase is 8.5 km and requires
a written statement as supporting Following in the footsteps of funds of Rp 17 trillion. Around 90
the plan to construct the termi- the East Ancol proposal, the plan percent of the first-phase construc-
nus station in Kampung Bandan. also fell apart following the Jakar- tion is complete and it targeted to
“The letter clearly states that in ta State Administrative Court’s finish before the Asian Games in
principle, they (KAI) support the verdict that annulled the permit August 2018 and operational by
construction of the terminus in to develop on the islet. March 2019.
Kampung Bandan. With the letter, Furthermore, the agreement to Jakarta secretary Saefullah
we’ll try to proceed [with the con- use KAI land for the terminus sta- said that all related parties should
struction] and continue to discuss tion left an unresolved question on support the MRT development as
the technical matters,” MRT presi- how to free the contracted land. it is a national strategic project.
dent director William P. Sabandar, “They have to handle the issue “This [MRT] is for the bene-
said on the sidelines of the meeting. immediately because we have de- fit of the people hence everyone
According to him, at the meeting, cided on the location of the ter- needs to respect that objective
PT MRT, KAI and the city admin- minus station and KAI has given because national strategic proj-
istration agreed that the terminus its approval […]. KAI then asked ects are carried out in the public
should be developed in Kampung to have a technical discussion be- interest,” he said.
FRIDAY March 31, 2017 ARCHIPELAGO | 5
PUBLIC SERVICE
Traditional ritual ISLAND FOCUS
Deputy mayor Medan

skips work
to play concert Makassar

Ruslan Sangadji
THE JAKARTA POST/PALU

Sigit Purnomo Said, better

known as Pasha, the lead singer of
local pop band Ungu, performed Money allegedly behind journalist’s murder
at a concert in Singapore to com-
memorate his band’s 20th anni- MEDAN: North Sumatra Police’s violent crime unit arrested the alleged
versary last week. As a singer and murderer of journalist Amran Parulian Simanjuntak whose motive is
celebrity, no one has questioned suspected to be personal grudge and not a reaction to Amran’s articles.
Pasha’s right to celebrate his A team of investigators arrested Timbul Sihombing, 39, on Wednes-
band’s important milestone. day evening, 10 hours after Amran was found dead at Jl. Medan-Binjai,
However, Pasha is not only a Deli Serdang regency, earlier that day.
celebrity. He is also the deputy North Sumatra Police chief Inps. Gen. Rycko Amelza Dahniel said
mayor of Palu, the capital of Cen- personal issues are suspected as the motives.
tral Sulawesi, which has led to his “The murder did not have any relation to journalism. This was a
appearance at the concert on Sat- purely personal matter between the victim and the suspect,” he told
urday becoming an issue raised journalists on Thursday.
not only by local councilors but JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi
General Crimes Investigation Director at the North Sumatra Police
also the Home Ministry. Several residents perform a ritual called Laku Tirto Tujuh in Umbul Sri Gedang, Klaten, Central Java, on Sr. Comr. Nurfallah said the case started when Timbul’s parents asked
The Palu legislative council Thursday. In the ritual, water from seven springs is collected as a symbol of hope that the soil and waters in Amran to bring Timbul to a drug rehabilitation center, as the latter
(DPRD) is now collecting evi- Koripan Village will stay protected and sustainable. allegedly had been using drugs since 2015.
dence on his departure to Singa- “The victim agreed to help and asked for Rp 3 million (US$225).
pore, Palu DPRD head Moham- Timbul’s parent gave him Rp 4 million. However, it was found later
mad Iqbal Andi Magga said on that Amran did not take Timbul to a center but instead took him to an
Thursday. empty house, cuffed and beat him,” Nurfallah said.
“We want to know if his trip
was a business trip as deputy
mayor or whether he paid for the
trip from his own pocket,” he said.
Papua in unsettled Timbul then allegedly escaped from the house and with his parents,
asked Amran to return the money. Amran initially promised to return
the money but after a while, he avoided paying them back and in-
stead hit and chastised Timbul.

state after election

Iqbal said Pasha could also He claimed that he went to meet Amran on Wednesday to ask
face temporary dismissal if he did about the money, but Amran got mad and hit him until he fell. He
not acquire permission from the then allegedly stabbed Amran with a knife.
home minister to travel overseas, Nurfallah said Timbul could be charged with article 340 on the
in accordance with the 2014 law Criminal Code with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. — JP
on regional administration. Nethy Dharma Somba 19 district heads named General Elections Commis-
Regional autonomy director and Jon Afrizal suspects for election sion (KPU) Papua member Tar-
general at the Home Ministry THE JAKARTA POST/JAYAPURA/JAMBI violations winto said the re-vote was sched- Suspected drug kingpin shot dead
Sumarsono said on Wednesday uled for April 12 and would cost
that he had not yet received a let- Conflict triggered by alleged- Rp 5.9 billion (US$443,000). MAKASSAR: Narcotics officers from the South Sulawesi Police shot
Re-run of election at 299 dead Ruslan aka Cullang, who was believed to be the biggest drug
ter from Pasha asking for tempo- ly unfair practices during recent polling stations at stake as “But up to the present, the funds
rary leave from his duties. regional elections in Papua has have not been disbursed by the Jay- dealer in Makassar, South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Muktiono
funds yet to be disbursed said in the provincial capital on Wednesday.
“I think that no permission has worsened after the police named apura regency administration,”
been granted yet. I have not been all 19 district heads in Jayapu- Tarwinto said, slightly puzzled. The 28-year-old man was shot because he retaliated when the po-
called in relation to that [his de- ra regency, Papua, suspects for Of the 101 cities, regencies and On Wednesday, KPU Papua lice tried to arrest him in Pasangkayu, North Mamuju, West Sulawesi,
parture],” said the current acting violating the 2016 Law on Region- provinces that simultaneously reported Jayapura Regent Ma- on Tuesday, Muktiono said.
Jakarta governor at City Hall on al Elections. conducted regional elections on tius Awoitauw to Home Minister “The suspect had been on our wanted list and had been a fugitive
Wednesday as reported by kom- The police have charged them Feb. 15, 10 were in Papua. Tjahjo Kumolo for his alleged fail- for a long time. He changed locations frequently,” he said.
pas.com. with intentionally rejecting a re- Allegations of unfair practic- ure to process the funds needed Ruslan had allegedly cooperated with an international drug ring that
Central Sulawesi Governor run of the vote as recommended es, cheating and partiality on the for the second vote. supplied crystal methamphetamine, he claimed.
Longki Djanggola says he regrets by the local elections supervisory part of election and government Matius said previously that “The drugs were smuggled via Tarakan in North Kalimantan and
that Pasha left without permis- committee (Panwaslu). If found officials, including security offi- his administration was still wait- then shipped to Makassar through the Soekarno-Hatta and Parepare
sion, especially as a letter from guilty, the district heads could cers, have led to political and se- ing for a financial report on the ports,” Muktiono added.
the governor is also required for face six months in prison. curity disturbances in the coun- Rp 38 billion it had given to the The head of the narcotics unit, Sr. Comr. Eka Yudha Satriawan,
regents or mayors to apply for “Under a group named the Dis- try’s easternmost province. KPU Jayapura to organize the claimed the deceased suspect had smuggled an average of 10 kilo-
leave from the Home Ministry. tricts Head Forum, [the suspects] In Jayapura regency, for ex- election on Feb. 15. grams of crystal meth each month to Makassar.
“Doing so clearly violates the made public statements that they ample, election officials at the 299 Previously, the National Police Previously, the police had arrested five alleged drug dealers who
regulation,” he said Wednesday. rejected a re-vote and said they polling stations in the 17 districts sent an investigative team to Pap- were supposedly part of Ruslan’s network, Eka said.
Pasha has refused to give com- would not be held responsible in the regency were not the ones ua to investigate allegations made “We will continue to expand this investigation,” Eka said. — JP
ment on the issue and instead should there be conflicts due to an officially appointed by the local by Papua Governor Lukas Enem-
has criticized Iqbal for suggesting
that he must step down for the al-
election re-run,” Jayapura Police
chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Gustav Urbi-
polling administrators (KPPS).
Thus, Panwaslu concluded that
be that the police had not acted in a
neutral manner during the recent
Moroccan singer awes Medan
leged violation. nas said on Thursday. there were election violations and local elections in the province. MEDAN: Moroccan singer-songwriter Meryem Aboulouafa and Italian
“We are equal partners, but why Gustav said, as state officials, the election should be conducted Security disturbances follow- musicians awed people at a performance in Medan, North Sumatra, on
did he give make such a negative district heads had the responsi- all over again. ing the elections also occurred Wednesday evening.
comment,” he said on Thursday. bility to support the government’s “With such a blatant viola- in other regions throughout the She was in Indonesia to promote her first album Magic Galaxy and
Pasha was the running mate of programs, including elections that tion, a re-vote has to be conduct- country. to commemorate Francophonie Day. Meryem and other musicians held
Hidayat in his successful bid in were part of a national agenda. ed,” Jacobus Sineri, a member In Jambi, the house of Riance performances in other cities, such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.
the Palu municipal election in the “The fact that they have also of the Papua Elections Supervi- Juskal, a member of KPU Tebo, She said she was excited to perform and promote her album in
first simultaneous regional elec- been proven to have sided with a sory Agency (Bawaslu), told The was set ablaze for the second time Indonesia.
tions in December 2015. Pasha is particular candidate pair means Jakarta Post, adding that two out by unidentified perpetrators on The performance in Medan was held in affiliation with Alliance
among a growing number of ce- that they have also violated a law of the 19 suspects had been de- Wednesday. Francaise Medan (AF), the French language and cultural center in the
lebrities who have changed direc- on state officials and government tained by the Jayapura Police as The Tebo Police are investigat- city. — JP
tion and entered politics. bodies,” Gustav added. of Thursday. ing the case.

MARITIME SECURITY

Navy operates new RI-made PERUSAHAAN PERSEROAN (PERSERO)

PT TELEKOMUNIKASI INDONESIA Tbk
patrol boats in Malacca Strait INVITATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS FINANCIAL YEAR 2016
(No.TEL 45/PR000/COP-I5000000/2017)

Fadli The Board of Directors of Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk domiciled in Bandung City (hereinafter referred to as the
“Company”), hereby invites shareholders of the Company to attend the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meetings’) of the Company to be held on:
THE JAKARTA POST/BATAM
Day / Date : Friday, April 21, 2017
Time : 13.30 Jakarta Time
In order to enhance security in Venue : Ballroom - Pullman Hotel Jakarta
Jl. M.H Thamrin No. 59, Jakarta 10350
the Strait of Malacca, one of the The Meeting will discuss and decide on the following agenda:
busiest trade routes in the world, 1. Approval of the Company’s Annual Report for the 2016 Financial Year, including the Board of Commissioners’ Supervisory Report.
the Indonesian Navy launched 2. Ratification of the Company’s Financial Statements and Partnership and Community Development Program (Program Kemitraan dan Bina lingkungan)
Annual Report for the 2016 Financial Year, and acquittal and discharge of all members of the Board of Directors and the Board of Commissioners
two new fast patrol boats at the 3. Appropriation of the Company’s Net Income for the 2016 Financial Year
Batu Ampar seaport on Batam 4. Determination of tantiem for year 2016, salary and honorarium including Facility and other allowence for Board of Directors and Board of Commissioners of
The Company for year 2017.
Island, Riau Islands province, on 5. Appointment of a Public Accounting Firm to audit the Company’s Financial Statements for the 2017 Financial Year, including audit of internal control over
Thursday. financial reporting and appointment of a Public Accounting Firm to audit the Financial Statement of the Partnership and Community Development Program for
the 2017 financial year
Navy chief of staff Adm. Ade 6. Ratification of Minister of State-Owned Enterprise Regulation Number PER-03/MBU/12/2016 about Changes in PER-09/MBU/07/2015 about Partnership
Supandi led the inauguration Program and Community Development Program in State-Owned Enterprise
7. Changes in Company’s Article of Association
of the 40-meter patrol boats 8. Changes in Composition of the Board of the Company
equipped with cannons with cali- Explanation:
bers of 20 mm and 12.7 mm pur- 1. The 1st and 2nd Agenda are based on Article 11 Paragraph (3) of the Company’s Articles of Association and Article 17 and Article 18 of Regulation of
Minister of State-Owned Enterprises No. PER-07/MBU/05/2015 regarding Partnership Program for State-Owned Enterprises with Small Business and
chased from Italian defense com- Community Development Program as amended by Regulation of Minister of State-Owned Enterprises No. PER-03/MBU/12/2016 on Amendment to
pany OTO Melara. Regulation of Minister of State-Owned Enterprises No. PER-09/MBU/07/2015 regarding Partnership Program and Community Development Program
JP/Fadli of State-Owned Enterprises, and Regulation of Financial Services Authority No. 30/POJK.04/2015 on Report on Proceeds Use from Public Offering, in
The two boats were built by the case of all proceeds from the public offering has all been used, accountability of the last realization of the use of proceeds must be submitted in the nearest
the private Batam-based ship Made in Indonesia: A member of the Navy stands in front of the KRI Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.
2. The 3rd Agenda is based on Article 70 and Article 71 of the Company Law the distribution of the Company’s net profit shall be decided at a GMS.
manufacturer PT Karimun Anu- Lepu 861 at the Batu Ampar port in Batam, Riau Islands, on Thurs- 3. The 4th Agenda is based on Article 96 and Article 113 of the Company Law; and Regulation of the Minister of SOE No.04/MBU/2014 as amended by
grah Sejati and were named the day. The boat is one of two military vessels made by a Batam-based Regulation of Minister of SOE No.PER-02/MBU/06/2016 on the Guidelines for the Determination of the Income of the Board of Directors, the Board of
Commissioners, and the Supervisory Board of SOE, the income of the Board of Directors and Board of Commissioners shall be determined by a GMS
KRI Torani 860 and the KRI shipyard, that were inaugurated by Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Ade 4. The 5th Agenda, Appointment of a Public Accounting Firm to audit the Company’s Financial Statements for the 2017 Financial Year, including audit of internal
Lepu 861. Supandi on Thursday. control over financial reporting and appointment of a Public Accounting Firm to audit the Financial Statement of the Partnership and Community Development
Program for the 2017 financial year appointed by GMS.
The two boats are to patrol 5. The 6th Agenda “Ratification of Minister of State-Owned Enterprise Regulation Number PER-03/MBU/12/2016 about Changes in PER-09/MBU/07/2015 about
around the Navy’s Western Fleet, Almost half of the world’s to- billion (US$4.9 million) each. The Partnership Program and Community Development Program in State-Owned Enterprise” is to accomodate changes regarding Partnership and Community
Development Regulation
especially in the Strait of Malacca, tal seaborne trade passes through boats are 45.5 meters long, 7.9 6. The 7th Agenda “changes in Company’s Article of Association” is to accomodate the State Owned Ministry’s Article of Association Standardization for Public
to minimize rampant smuggling the strait, which borders Indone- meters in width, have a maximum Company.
7. The 8th Agenda “Changes in Composition of he Board of The Company” based on The Company’s Article of Association, Article 16 paragraph (6) and article
and piracy, as instructed by Presi- sia, Malaysia and Singapore, each speed of 29 knots and are able to 19 paragraph (7), which has the meaning that the Board of The Company are appointed and dismissed by GMS and in that GMS the A Serie Dwiwarna Share
holder should be present and approve.
dent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. year. sail for six days before refueling.
“The situation in the Strait of Intensified maritime patrols President Director of PT Notes:
1. This notice shall be deemed as an invitation to the Meetings for the Company’s shareholders. The Board of Directors will not send separate invitations to the
Malacca is much safer now, as and crackdowns against pirates Karimun Anugrah Sejati Batam Shareholders;
observed by the Western Fleet had helped decrease the number Franky Sucipto told The Jakarta 2. Those who are eligible to attend the Meetings are the Shareholders (or their proxies) whose names are registered in the Company’s Share Register at 16.15
hours Western Indonesian Time on March 29, 2017 or the registered owners of the security sub account in the depository of PT Kustodian Sentral Efek
Quick Response [WFQR] team, of hijackings and thus made the Post that his company had fin- Indonesia at the closing of trading on the Indonesian Stock Exchange on March 29, 2017;
but there are still smuggling at- seas around the strait safer. ished creating the platform for 3. The Shareholders or their proxies who will attend the Meetings are required to bring a copy of their Collective Share Certificates (“CSC”) and Kartu Tanda
Penduduk (“KTP”) or another personal identification document to be presented and submitted to Officer of the Meetings before entering the Meeting room.
tempts,” Ade said on Thursday. Ade explained further that the boats and equipped them Institutional shareholders are required to bring a copy of their Articles of Association and any amendments, together with the latest composition of the board
The Navy hoped that the saf- the Navy would continue to add with the 20 mm caliber gun on of Directors;
4. Shareholders who can not attend the Meetings may be represented by their proxy by presenting a signed copy of the legal proxy letters and a copy of the
er situation in the strait would more 40-meter and 60-meter pa- the prow and a 12.7 mm caliber Shareholder’s identification provided that any members of the Board of Directors or the Board of Commissioners or employees of the Company may act as
a proxy in the Meetings, however the votes that they cast as a proxy in the Meeting shall not be taken into account in the voting. The form of the proxy letter
improve the economic activities trol boats to its fleet to replace old gun on the stern. is available at the addresses listed in item 5 below during our business hours;
there, as well as attract investors. ones. The Navy has already pro- “The weapons were imported 5. Materials for the Meetings (“Meeting Materials”) are available on the Company’s website at www.telkom.co.id, starting the date hereof. If needed, material for
the Meetings are available to be examined during our business hours and can be obtained from the Company by submitting a copy of Collective Share
“Smuggling is the most ram- cured half the number of patrol from an Italian producer. We fin- Certificates and the personal identification to our Investor Relations team at the address bellow:
pant crime in the Strait of Malac- boats it planned. ished making the ships within 22
PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk PT Datindo Entrycom
ca. It has happened for hundreds The Navy wants 42 40-meter months,” Franky said. Investor Relation Jl. Hayam Wuruk No.28
Gedung Graha Merah Putih 5th floor Jakarta 10120
of years since the Dutch colonial boats stationed in 14 of its bases The commander of the Tan- Jl. Jend.Gatot Subroto Kav. 52 Phone. (021) 350 8077, Fax. (021)350 8078
era. Locals call it lanun,” he added. nationwide. Currently, it only has jung Pinang Navy base, First Ad- Jakarta 12710
Phone. (021) 521 5109, Fax. (021) 522 0500
The latest known piracy inci- 19 in operation. miral S. Irawan, said that security
dent in the Strait of Malacca was “I have instructed that all the in the Strait of Malacca had been 6. To help us conduct the Meeting in an orderly and timely manner, the Shareholders or their proxies are kindly requested to be present 30 (thirty) minutes prior
to the time of the Meeting.
in late December last year when patrol boats be assigned in every better.
the Navy arrested six people who base,” he said. “Singapore has appreciated In- Bandung, March 31, 2017
PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
were allegedly attempting to hi- The two newly launched pa- donesia’s efforts in this situation,” Board of Directors
jack a foreign tanker. trol boats in Batam had cost Rp 65 Irawan said.
6 | OPINION FRIDAY March 31, 2017

Land for the poor: What next?

he administration of President Joko Use of Blasphemy Law
T “Jokowi” Widodo is starting to redistribute
state land to farmers as part of poverty al-
leviation measures.
The measure is part of an agrarian reform criminalizes minorities
program Jokowi publicly announced in his 2014 presiden-
tial inauguration speech that involves the redistribution

T
he argument that the Similarly, civil servants are re- Kutai Timur, East Kalimantan,
of roughly 22 million hectares of undisputed state land — Blasphemy Law is nec- luctant to provide IDs to mem- and Guru Bantil, an alleged “fake
13 million hectares to indigenous people and the remain- essary to mediate par- bers of the Ahmadiyah minority prophet”.
ing 9 million to impoverished farmers. ties and decrease vio- such as those in Kuningan, West Though Guru Bantil was al-
As part of the realization of the President’s commit- lence is at best unproven and at Java, due to their legally shunned ready convicted under the law
worst, the complete opposite of Alif Satria status, based on a 2008 decree on in 2013, the official, Ardiansyah
ment, the Environment and Forestry Ministry trans- what is occurring in reality. Re- JAKARTA the Ahmadiyah. Sulaiman, still used the law as a
ferred land to 11 indigenous groups in December. The ports of violence from institu- The decree bans anyone from bargaining tool. Ardiansyah stat-
granted property was largely expropriated from forestry tions such the Wahid Foundation On the other hand, whereas “unlawful actions” against the ed that if Guru Bantil did not re-
businesses whose concessions had expired. The next and studies such as the Nation- criminalization only amounts to Ahmadiyah but also bans the mi- pent, he would be sued again af-
crucial agenda is the arduous distribution of 9 million hec- al Violence Monitoring Sys- 9.7 percent of religious violence nority from propagating its be- ter he served his time.
tares in 33 provinces, where idle land starkly differs in size tem (NVMS) indicate a steady in 2014, it reached 16.2 percent liefs that are deemed against the A more common form of “me-
and in agricultural suitability while the provinces’ popula- and constant rise of religious of religious violence last year. main teachings of mainstream diation” is portrayed in the me-
violence in the past decade. Not only has criminalization Islam. diation between religious or-
tions are no less complex in terms of size and needs. Data from the NVMS shows an increased but for the first time, Administratively, IDs are es- ganizations such as between
Jokowi has announced that land redistribution will average 31.7 percent increase of acts of religious criminalization sential to attain state services, the Indonesian Ulema Coun-
start as soon as this year, with Coordinating Economic religious violence in Indonesia surpassed acts of direct religious including healthcare, a driver’s cil (MUI), the Islam Defenders
Minister Darmin Nasution saying the land will be granted per year since 2003 until 2014, violence. license, bank loans, food subsi- Front (FPI) and Mukmin Sadi-
to farmer associations instead of to individuals so as to even when the usage of the Blas- Though a decrease in direct dies; all vital primary needs that min. Mukmin led a religious sect
minimize cases of illegal sales. Sizes of land to be redistrib- phemy Law within the same year violence would mean fewer ca- should be provided by the state in Cilacap, Central Java, deemed
uted will vary by region: On large but scarcely populated range also increases. sualties among religious minor- regardless of background. deviant; he was urged to repent
What further solidifies the ar- ities and a good indicator of an Another impact of the law on and to promise not to spread his
islands, each farmer group consisting of 30-40 families gument against the correlation increasingly peaceful state of religious violence is in the way teachings again.
may receive about 50 hectares, while it could be much less of the law and decreasing vio- Indonesian Muslims, criminal- it skews what should be fair me- After a meeting he agreed to
in densely inhabited areas like Java. lence is the fact that the bulk of ization of religious minorities diation between conflicting reli- the terms proposed and even
Land redistribution is undoubtedly a bold program religious violence (76.5 percent) carries several harmful ramifi- gious parties. agreed to tear down his house of
that eluded the nation in the past. If materialized, the pro- actually occurred in 2011 to 2014, cations, mainly the cost of their Local incidents have actually worship himself. Yet before the
gram will benefit at least 26 million impoverished families after the law attained nationwide rights as citizens. shown various methods of reli- meeting, the house of worship
notoriety on account of its judi- Examples are vivid in the re- gious conflict resolution, such as was sealed and torn down by the
— 56 percent of whom have less than 0.3 ha of land in this cial review in 2010. The Consti- location in East Java of the Shia the Sunni-Shia mediation by Is- FPI, and Mukmin himself was
agricultural country. tutional Court rejected requests community of Sampang in Mad- lamic organizations in Pasuruan, threatened and told that if he re-
The problem, however, is the fact that the 1960 Basic to have it annulled and instead ura to Sidoardjo. East Java, in 2013. jected the mediation efforts he
Agrarian Law, the legal foundation for the land redistri- upheld the 1965 law. Politicians and law enforcers Such methods, though small, would be “handed over to the re-
bution program, is half a century old and has been poorly However, the law does not were restrained to prioritize the persistently occur; last year local sponsible authorities”.
enforced and often abused, leading to widespread agrarian just increase religious violence; protection of the community’s ulema managed to mediate a con- Therefore the law has made
conflicts. In many areas, indigenous people have been evict- it also contributes to transform- civil rights in the instance of a flict between local Islamic stu- religious violence more elusive
ing its nature. Owing its vaguely clash between them and violent dents and youth in Pamekasan, to prevent. As religious coer-
ed from their ancestral land to make way for large-scale worded state and wrongly pur- radical actors. East Java, who had protested the cions are now being seen as more
plantations, with state representatives, such as military posed nature, the law has al- As a result, the path of achiev- presence of a controversial reli- “just” as it is done by state insti-
and police personnel, oftentimes siding with the investors. lowed people to cloak their acts ing peace comes at the price of gious figure who was said to be tutions and/or more peaceful as
In many cases, land disputes have escalated into violence of violence under an elusive, the basic rights of the Shia com- a “wahabi” who hated the local it is conducted under the veil of
resulting in murder, forced disappearance and torture. seemingly just, form. munity, as opposed to the prose- mainstream Muslim community. mediation, arguments against
To support the law, many pieces of legislation will This is done in two ways; chang- cution of the perpetrators. However, such mediations are them becomes less and less
need to be made and more detailed execution technicali- ing direct violence into seemingly This relocation separates mostly skewed against the re- persuasive.
more just structural violence, and them from whatever livelihood ligious minority due to the law. If one truly believes in the
ties defined in order to make the program enforceable. skewing interreligious mediation, they had in Sampang, forcing With the threat of being sued equal religious rights of Indo-
The program simply needs fundamental change in legal in which one expects fair results them to scramble for any precar- and jailed, religious minorities nesia’s diverse population, it is
certainty concerning ownership and settlement of land for both parties, with the threat of ious vocation to survive. are forced to mediate on unequal important to keep these chang-
conflicts across the archipelago. prosecution. For the past five years, the terms and ultimately accept the es in check and call them out ac-
It will certainly take a long time to complete the Last year’s data from Wahid’s Shia community in Sidoardjo demands of the majority even cordingly.
much-needed laws. They perhaps will be passed only after religious freedom report shows a has been forced to live in insuf- when they still feel the conces- But more importantly now, it
clear indicator of this first trans- ficient government apartments sions are unfair. is vital to check and call out the
Jokowi ends his five-year term in 2019. formation. In 2014, direct vio- (approximately 70 houses for 84 In practice, this results in a root causes of these changes —
The current government’s initiative may account for lence, such as demolitions, ex- families, and in many instances myriad of cases in which “de- Indonesia’s law itself.
only a basic form of agrarian reform, yet it deserves the pulsions, intimidation/threats, four families sharing one house), viant religions” end up being
thumbs-up given the fact that the 1960 Basic Agrarian and coercions encompass 33.5 experience the occasional week- forced to “convert back” to the
Law has been systematically abused in favor of economic percent of state and non-state long water crisis (one lasted “correct way”. The writer is a project assistant
considerations and political elites. The question now is, religious violence. In 2016, more than four days in August A clear example is the at- researcher at the Centre for
after starting the agrarian reform, which millions of farm- this number dwindled to 14.6 2015) and even face difficulties in tempted mediation in April 2015 Strategic and International
percent. acquiring IDs. between the deputy regent of Studies, Jakarta.
ers have been longing for, what’s next?

Helping Aung San Suu Kyi Is Trump the ideologue?

yanmar’s democracy icon Aung San Suu

M Kyi has been in power for a year, but disap-

pointment with her leadership’s impact on
people’s well-being remains.
Mark Leonard
PROJECT SYNDICATE/LONDON
But the fact that Trump is no ideo-
logue does not mean he cannot be
a conduit for a new ideology.
hological and institutional,” he
said. With its focus on “the per-
formance of political parties,” he
told me, “Bannon wants to radi-
calize the anti-Trump liberals
into fighting for causes which

H
Indonesia bears a moral and constitu- istorians may come to see The British political estab- explained, it missed “the deeper alienate them from mainstream
the American actor Alec lishment learned this lesson the changes across society.” America.”
tional obligation to help Myanmar during its transition Baldwin as United States hard way. For years, conserva- There are powerful parallels Every time Trump’s opponents
from a military dictatorship to democracy. In such a President Donald Trump’s most tives and liberals alike under- between the late 1970s and the march for women, Muslims, or
difficult period, Myanmar has to tackle severe problems useful ally. Baldwin’s frequent estimated Thatcherism. They present. Just as Thatcher rec- sexual minorities, they fortify
including the globally sensitive issue of discrimination and widely viewed imperson- failed to see that behind Marga- ognized growing dissatisfaction Trump’s core support base.
and oppression against Rohingya Muslims. ations of Trump on the comedy ret Thatcher’s blonde hair and with the old order and gave voice Jacques argues that the British
Indonesia has convinced its ASEAN neighbor that it is show “Saturday Night Live” turn shrill voice was a revolutionary to ideas that had been languish- Labor Party’s failure fully to come
Trumpism into a farce, blind- politics that reflected and accel- ing on the margins, Trump has to terms with Thatcherism is the
on the right path to democratization despite the hurdles. ing the president’s political op- erated fundamental social and acknowledged and, to some ex- main reason it spent almost two
Myanmar can trust Indonesia because the two have much ponents to the seriousness of his economic changes. tent, vindicated the anguish and decades in the political wilderness.
in common, including a history of military rule in politics, ideology. anger of a large segment of the He believes that Prime Minis-
extreme economic difficulties and rebellions. Of course, politicians are paro- working class who are fed up ter Tony Blair was the first lead-
Indonesia has gone through the bumpy road Myanmar died all the time. But with Trump, It might be cathartic with long-established systems. er to recognize Thatcherism for
is now on. there is already a tendency not
to take his politics seriously. The
to call Trump an idiot, Also like Thatcher, Trump
has attracted ideologues ready
what it was: A new ideology that
upended long-held rules and as-
International media outlets and UN organizations
have jointly given a red mark to Suu Kyi’s achievements,
form of those politics — unhinged ...but the implications and willing to define Trumpism sumptions. But, Jacques asserts,
tweet-storms, bald-faced lies, rac- for him. Front and center is Ste- Blair merely adjusted to the new
especially in ending the long-standing and massive perse- ist and misogynistic pronounce- of his presidency are phen Bannon, the former execu- ideology, rather than attempting
cution of minority groups. ments, and blatant nepotism — tive chairman of Breitbart News, to change it.
Since her appointment as Myanmar’s de facto head of is so bizarre and repugnant to
serious. the ultra-nationalist home of the None of this bodes well for
government and head of state on April 5 last year, she has the bureaucratic class that it can racist alt-right, who now serves Trump’s opponents, who are still
clearly refrained from making drastic policy changes that overshadow the substance. Thatcher, like Trump, was as Trump’s chief strategist. a long way from recognizing the
could anger the Buddhist majority and the still mighty Even those who seem to take no philosopher. But she didn’t Speaking at the Conserva- ideological implications of his
Trump seriously are failing to get have to be. She merely had to at- tive Political Action Conference, presidency.
military. to the root of Trumpism. Demo- tract people capable of refining Bannon defined Trumpism in Indeed, they remain so dis-
The Rohingya dilemma is a very complex problem that crats are so infuriated by his mi- the ideology and policy program terms of national security and tracted by Trump’s apparent lack
has forced Suu Kyi to be extra cautious. She is negotiat- sogyny and xenophobia that they that would eventually bear her sovereignty, economic national- of leadership skill and even men-
ing with international pressures to treat the Muslims as fail to understand how he con- name. And that is precisely what ism, and the “deconstruction of tal capacity — which, to be sure,
an integral part of Myanmar, while recognizing that the nects with many of their former she did. the administrative state.” As he cannot compare to that displayed
Rohingyas pose risks to her political credentials at home. supporters. Apart from those ideologues, put it, “[W]e’re a nation with an by Thatcher — that they have yet
As for establishment Repub- the first to grasp the significance economy. Not an economy just to grasp the depth of the divisions
The plight of the Rohingya is also a sensitive issue in licans, they are so keen to have of Thatcher’s political project in some global marketplace with and neuroses that Trump has ex-
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. a “Republican” in office imple- were on the far left: The magazine open borders.” posed. It might be cathartic to
Many Indonesians have demanded that President Joko menting traditional conservative Marxism Today coined the term This reflects a fundamental call Trump an idiot, to laugh at
“Jokowi” Widodo put pressure on the Myanmar govern- policies — such as deregulation “Thatcherism” in 1979. conflict between Thatcherism his misspelled tweets and taped-
ment to uphold the rights of the Rohingya Muslims. and tax cuts — that they overlook These left-wing figures saw and Trumpism: The latter aims up tie, but the implications of his
The President has rightly acted by offering assistance the elements of his agenda that what those in the mainstream to sweep away the neoliberal con- presidency are serious.
to the Myanmar government to settle the conflict once upend their orthodoxies. didn’t: Thatcher’s fundamen- sensus of unregulated markets, If Trump’s progressive oppo-
Part of the problem may be tal challenge to the economic privatization, free trade, and im- nents fail to engage seriously with
and for all. that Trump has come out on and social structures that had migration that comprised the for- the forces that Trump’s victory
It was much easier for Suu Kyi to act as opposition both sides of most major debates, been widely accepted since World mer. But, even if the ideas are dif- reflected and reinforced — in par-
leader, which she was for decades, than as a real leader in championing a brand of politics War II. ferent, the tactics are the same. ticular, the backlash against neo-
the government. Being part of the ruling elite, she has to that privileges intensity over An editor of that magazine, To consolidate support, Thatch- liberalism — not even impeach-
deliver her promises to her nation. consistency. Martin Jacques, who did as much er would go head-to-head with ment will be enough to put the
Indonesia’s experience has shown how painful the This may cause Trump-watch- as anyone at the time to provide carefully selected enemies — from Trumpian genie back in its bottle.
process of embracing democracy can be. Myanmar is in ers to dismiss attempts to estab- a theoretical understanding of British miners to Argentina’s pres-
lish an ideological foundation Thatcherism, recently explained ident, General Leopoldo Galtieri,
need of assistance and encouragement from friends to for Trumpism — such as Julius to me why its significance was so to the bureaucrats in Brussels. The writer is director of the
finish the journey safely. As a friend, Indonesia must play Krein’s new journal American Af- often overlooked. “Political anal- Similarly, as the Hudson In- European Council
a role. fairs — as hopelessly oxymoronic. ysis at that time was very psep- stitute’s Craig Kennedy recently on Foreign Relations.

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FRIDAY March 31, 2017 OPINION | 7

Responding to religiously inspired attacks

Paul Hedges following days, concerning the re- ognized that such incidents were and Jews during his lifetime, as trust one part of the community, Second, when the question of
RSIS COMMENTARIES/SINGAPORE lationship of Islam to the situa- not based in what he termed well as friendships across reli- or singling them out for what are Islam was raised he directly ad-
tion. That it was a ‘war on terror’ “real Islam”. gious boundaries from his date widely seen as unfair and intru- dressed problematic narratives

O
n March 22, a lone wolf and not a war on Islam was reit- He reiterated that in London until today, show that a differ- sive measures is the kind of thing about that tradition, but brought
attacker drove into erated, but some of the language people of all religions lived in ent stance is not just possible but which is likely to make radicaliza- it back to wider community rela-
pedestrians on West- used had muddied this water. peace and harmony, and explicitly in accord with Islam needs to be tion more likely, and feed into ex- tions. As noted though he could
minster Bridge before In his interview, Khan did not spoke against those who took the shown and promoted. tremist narratives. have corrected the interviewer’s
attempting to enter the British raise the issue about this being views that Muslims should not be Young Muslims need such pos- Working with the communities, false stance that all terror attacks
parliament. He was shot dead potentially an act of terrorism in friends with Christians, or that itive examples, while they will however, undermines such narra- are about Islam.
while three pedestrians were which the attacker would seek they should be antagonistic to counter the often distorted vision tives, and as Mayor Khan noted, in Third, he spoke about the need
killed on the bridge, and one po- to claim legitimacy by an appeal Jews; such notions are not found offered by some populist politi- situations of trust and mutual re- for counter narratives, which is of
lice officer was stabbed and died. to some form of radical ideology in the example of Islam’s prophet cians and the anti-Islam rhetoric spect, intelligence can be passed course part of a much wider proj-
For London, like many major claiming foundations in Islam. nor in the tradition. of activists who distort for their from the public to the authorities. ect and one that should also ad-
cities, the question had been when, Rather, he spoke about the However, he could have gone own agenda. Communities and One-sided securitization is cer- dress right-wing racist extrem-
not if, such an attack occurred; se- need for citizens of all religions, further and noted that many ter- politicians need to voice this open- tainly not the way forward. ism, which many now see as the
curity procedures were quickly and those of none, to live togeth- ror attacks are enacted by right- ly, forcefully, and repeatedly to The voices and actions of poli- West’s greatest threat.
initiated with increased police pa- er and stand united shoulder to wing actors, often linked to racism, counter extremisms of all shades. ticians alone cannot stop terror Fourth, the need for communi-
trols including armed officers. shoulder against those who try anti-Semitism, or Islamophobia. Another challenge that the in- attacks, however, the way that ty cohesion and trust is more im-
However, the immediate hard and spread discord. The media discourse that terviewer put to Khan was that politicians speak in public and portant than securitization in pre-
defense procedures, while essen- That Khan did not make this links terrorism, or even the ma- his directives to cut back on the way that their policies are venting such attacks, and certainly
tial, are not what reduces the risk about Islam as he spoke is very jority of terror attacks, to Islam the very controversial stop and seen and received in public are is essential for long-term develop-
of attacks. Mayor Saddiq Khan in positive, because this takes the fo- tends to give a very distorted pic- search police powers should now a very significant aspect of wid- ments. These four points are cer-
his interview on BBC Radio 4’s To- cus away from any sense that the ture. The number of attacks and be reversed. Indeed, she suggest- er narratives and discourses in tainly not comprehensive of ev-
day program the following morn- problem lies there, which would deaths from terror in most, if not ed that we needed more not less this area. erything that needs to be done, but
ing stressed resilience and har- be the case even if he singled it out all, Western countries have not of this to stop future attacks. As noted, the mayor of London are some key foundations.
mony, as well as the need for the for defense and support. occurred from those who claim a The mayor did not reply direct- showed an extremely effective
police and security forces to work While Khan did not raise the motivation in Islam. ly, but very correctly spoke about way that such voices come across.
in partnership with the public. issue about Islam being used as The mayor also noted, impor- the importance of good relations Four factors can be applied both The writer is associate profes-
Such attacks have become a motivation, his interviewer di- tantly, that it was not enough to with all communities in his city, to specific statements or inter- sor in interreligious studies for the
part of life in many places, and rectly asked him about the con- simply offer negative rebuttals of and noted that many potential views, as well as wider policy ini- Studies in Inter-Religious
politicians are becoming more nection to Islam, even stating the extremists who promote ter- attacks in the last few years have tiatives and actions: Relations in Plural Societies
adept at responding. After 9/11 that all the terror attacks which ror. Rather, a positive narrative been thwarted by information First, addressing unity across (SRP) program, S. Rajaratnam
2001, Western politicians gave were occurring were done in its is needed that can inspire people. from the public. traditions and communities rath- School of International Studies
out a slightly confused message, name. Khan responded by noting The protection that Prophet Mu- Giving the message that the er than speaking about or naming (RSIS), Nanyang Technological
which needed clarification in the that as a Muslim himself he rec- hammad offered to Christians government and police do not a specific community. University, Singapore.

From the haze

to sustainability
Simon Tay While financing rules seem far
and Chen Chen Lee removed from fires on the ground,
SINGAPORE such measures can and will likely
have ripple effects. Companies

S
outheast Asia’s skies over in the agro-forestry sector al-
the last twelve months have ready face considerable pressure
mostly been free of haze to adopt more environmentally-
pollution. This is a relief for the friendly practices and, going for-
warming planet as forest fires, ward, those who claim to do so
particularly on peatlands, typical- will have to have their practices
ly release huge amounts of carbon independently verified. A broader
dioxide and cause acrid smog. and important shift is underway.
Efforts by the Jokowi adminis- Different actors in the value
tration in Indonesia to tackle the chains who were previously part
fires at source are one reason for of the problem are now becoming
the improvement. Wetter weath- part of the solution. A central pil-
er conditions have also played a lar of this will be information and
major part in the good results. transparency. Banks and inves-
But the weather is changing, and tors are increasingly integrating
not all for the better. environmental, social and gover-
This year, experts predict the nance considerations in their due
conditions will be drier than nor- diligence, making corporate dis-
mal and fear that the extreme dry closure on sustainability issues
weather phenomenon called El more critical than ever to build
Niño will return as early as July. trust and confidence.
Concerns arise, therefore, that Frameworks to facilitate
severe fires will break out across such information disclosure are
plantation and forestry conces- emerging. Last year, the Task
sions across Indonesia, causing a Force on Climate-related Finan-
return of the haze. cial Disclosures (TCFD) outlined
Efforts to prevent that are be-
ing made. On Dec. 1, Indonesian
President Joko “Jokowi” Wido-
do signed into law a blanket ban
a set of recommendations for vol-
untary and consistent climate-re-
lated disclosures, thereby helping
companies to better align with in-
‘The French Connection’: A cultural
on the cultivation of carbon-rich
peatland across the country.
In anticipation of the dry con-
vestors’ expectations.
Similarly, a growing number of
companies in the agro-forestry
response to business and terrorism?
ditions this year, Indonesia’s sector are placing more empha-

N
Peatland Restoration Agency sis on “traceability” so they can o, I am not referring to wife, who was a dear friend of my ton, the US naval officer who she
(BRG) is already doubling up ef- prove how they source their prod- the 1971 American crime mother-in-law. Her children, As- married, returned to take away
forts to support the prevention ucts to prefer the growers who thriller about the largest moro and Adjie, who were at the their son, to be brought up by his
of fires at the local and provin- adopt more sustainable practices. heroin-smuggling syndicate in event, were also pals with Ami new American wife. What a cad!
cial level. Such on the ground and Technology is a key enabler for the world at the time. Sure, there’s Julia Priyono, my late husband. Francois Hollande was in Indo-
industry-specific efforts deserve better information. a “cultural exchange” in that the Suryakusuma So that evening I was engulfed nesian this week – a historic visit
recognition and support. Increasingly, high tech drones heroin was smuggled from Mar- JAKARTA not just with delight from the type as the last time a French presi-
More broadly, the need is to have been used to map and moni- seilles to New York, but normally of cultural exchange that has been dent came was in 1986. As to be
help steer the value chain of agro- tor land use and support the in- smuggling is considered a crime, as Jelekong is also a village of an integral part of my upbringing, expected, he and President Joko
forestry products towards great- tensification of crop yields, es- not a cultural event. painters. They practiced pencak but also by a wave of nostalgia Widodo agreed to strengthen bi-
er sustainability. It is not just dry pecially in remote areas. Mobile I am referring to my own silat and jaipong, played interac- from my family’s French connec- lateral relations.
weather that causes the haze. The applications to collect farmer French connection, memories tive games with local students, tions. What a night! It is hoped that Hollande will
haze is a terrible manifestation of data are another innovation, al- of which were evoked when, on ate Sundanese food while sitting The first time I attended a cul- bring US$2.6 in investment in
various unsustainable practices lowing small scale growers to March 24, I attended an event at on the floor, the traditional Sun- tural event at the LFJ was last the fields of energy, defense in-
that plague the plantation sectors make more informed decisions the French International School danese way. How more immersed year. The theme then was way- frastructure, urban develop-
across the region. about their use of fertilizer and (LJF), called “La Grande Journ- can you get? ang which of course I have known ment, maritime affairs, retail
Small scale growers are of- pesticide so that they too can ee de la Danse” (the big day of On the evening of “La Grande about since I was little. Howev- business, agriculture, rubber
ten reported to use fires for land move to both greater sustainabil- dance), the third of a series of Danse” Gabriel himself acted as er, I am ashamed to say, the first processing, scientific and tech-
clearance because they see lit- ity and productivity.      yearly cultural events held at the a co-dalang (puppeteer) for the time I really appreciated it was nological research, innovation,
tle other choice. Many suffer low To help promote transparency school. wayang golek show, which was at the performance at the French tourism, creative economy, cos-
productivity and small margins and the adoption of best practic- Were they presenting French interspersed as commentary be- School. metics and others.
and also lack of access to the right es, non-governmental organiza- dances? Surprise, surprise, no, tween the dances. The dialogue Why was that? Well, because Terrorism was also something
machinery and financing. tions and research institutions they weren’t. The show consisted was a mix of Sundanese, Indone- the story and the dialogue spoken the two presidents discussed as
On top of this, concerns are can play a critical role. Dialogue of Sundanese dances like the dy- sian, French and English. I was by the dalang (master puppeteer) it’s one of the common challenges
surfacing about labor and social across sectors is essential during namic jaipong, the famous Cire- probably one of the few in the which is in Javanese, was trans- both France and Indonesia face.
violations suffered by workers this time of change in the policy bon mask dance as well as pencak audience who understands all of lated into English. The translator As Paris is one of centers of
in the plantations. Beyond small and the priorities of the sector. silat, the traditional Indonesian these languages. Lucky me! was Kitsie Emerson, an American fashion, the two countries will also
scale growers, larger agribusi- Governments, large growers and martial art. Another thing which touched woman trained as a pesinden, fe- work together in the field of fash-
nesses too face allegations — even their key customers and finan- Some of the performances me was the fact that the school male solo singer who sings with a ion, as well as cinematography.
if some are unproven — which can ciers need to be brought to the ta- were done by professionals but was named after Louis-Charles gamelan. Sindens (as they are in- Okay, it’s already a long “shop-
impact their standing and busi- ble together. the majority of the dancers were Damais (1911-1966). In 1937 he formally known) can perform to ping list”, but what about other
ness. A number of Indonesian- Equally important, gaps in the the pupils of the school - nearly came to Java to study the culture, unaccompanied music, dance or aspects of cultural cooperation?
based companies continue to be value chain need to be identified 60 of them - clad in colorful tra- and in 1952 he opened the École wayang performances. Bringing in Catherine Deneuve,
questioned by Singaporean offi- so that small scale growers can ditional costumes. The older fe- Française d’Extrême-Orient Having been brought up as a one of the icons of French cin-
cials for possible fires from 2015. participate and collaborate in male pupils also wore make-up, (EFEO) in Jakarta, married Soe- diplomat’s daughter, I am thor- ema, added a touch of glamor to
Singapore-based companies too the move towards sustainability, beautiful headdresses and looked jatoen Poespokoesoemo, a Java- oughly cross-culturally pollinat- the visit. Hopefully it will stimu-
have faced criticism — with in- rather than oppose it. gorgeous, while the younger ones nese woman, and remained in In- ed. I grew up in Europe and stud- late other forms of art and cul-
stances of alleged clearing of Achieving sustainable value looked adorable. donesia for the rest of his life. ied French, German and Italian tural exchanges during another
rainforests in Gabon and human chains is clearly not the sole re- Who was behind this amazing He was bosom buddies with in an American high-school Printemps Francais, a wonderful
rights abuses in Indonesia. sponsibility of any stakeholder event? Gabriel Laufer, the mu- my late father-in-law, Prof. Pri- in Rome. Nevertheless, I still festival that used to be the ven-
The global value chain links and neither should it be. Instead, sic teacher at the LJF who does yono (1907-1969), who was the shook my head laughing at my- ue  for lots of Indonesian-French
back to the financial sector and a concerted, collaborative ef- a lot more than simply teach mu- dean of the faculty of letters at self, that my wayang-awakening collaborations.
the financiers behind some agro- fort founded on access to qual- sic. He’s a man with a vision, who the University of Indonesia be- happened through an American Pity Hollande arrived only on
forestry companies have not ity information is needed to pre- thinks that cultural immersion fore he became the minister of sinden performing in a French March 29, and missed the won-
been spared the spotlight. The vent haze and other crises from serves not just to broaden the culture and education for nine school in Jakarta! derful event at LJF. If he had been
non-governmental organization, returning to the region. students’ knowledge, but also to years (1957-1966) in President Not that I wasn’t exposed to there, I think it would have real-
Greenpeace, has accused HSBC touch their minds and hearts. He Sukarno’s cabinet. culture. I was, but it was classi- ly inspired him. This kind of cul-
bank of financing companies that believes the cultural exposure Like Damais, Pak Priyono was cal western culture. I saw my first tural exchange and understand-
are allegedly responsible for for- Simon Tay and Chen Chen Lee they get now will stay with them also a polyglot, as well as being opera at age 8. It happened to be ing could not just be beneficial for
est destruction. are respectively, chairman and for life. a Francophile. His book of Java- Italian: Puccini’s “Madame But- business, but could even be one
In response, the bank in Feb- director (policy programs) at the In preparation for the event, nese fables has been translated terfly,” which I saw at the Hungar- of the ways to combat terrorism.
ruary issued a new “No Defores- Singapore Institute of International the pupils were taken to Jelekong into French – one of the very few ian State Opera House in Buda- Qui sait (who knows)?
tation, No Peat, No Exploitation” Affairs (SIIA). The SIIA is holding (near Bandung), the village of the Javanese-French translations, I pest. I remember being so moved
policy to re-emphasize the strict the 4th Singapore Dialogue on Sus- famous wayang golek dalang Asep imagine. by it, and heart-broken when Cio-
conditions attached to financing tainable World Resources on April Sunarya Sunandar’s legacy, and I never knew Monsieur Da- cio san (aka Madame Butterfly) The writer is the author of
of palm oil companies. 6, 2017 at the St Regis Singapore. learnt some painting techniques mais, but I very often met his committed suicide after Pinker- Julia’s Jihad.

Please send your articles to [email protected].

8 | SPORTS FRIDAY March 31, 2017

PUTTING IT BRIEFLY
Ronaldo statue sparks social media laughs
MID-SEASON INT’L FRIENDLIES
don’t make sense to Mourinho
Reuters “So we lose four [players] and would leave it isolated in seventh win over its arch-rival, a 2-0 vic-
LONDON I think Paul Pogba is also out. So and struggling to catch the teams tory at Goodison.
we lose five,” Mourinho told the above it. Its last win at Anfield came in
Scheduling mid-season in- club’s website, manutd.com. Everton was beaten 1-0 at a feisty affair in 1999 when Kevin
ternational friendlies alongside The Portuguese manager will Goodison Park earlier this sea- Campbell scored the winner and
qualification matches makes no make a late call on whether to in- son when Sadio Mane’s stoppage- three players, including Liver-
sense, says Manchester United clude right back Antonio Valen- time goal ensured bragging rights pool’s Steven Gerrard, were sent
manager Jose Mourinho, after cia, defender Marcos Rojo and remained in the red half of Mer- off.
defenders Phil Jones and Chris goalkeeper Sergio Romero in his seyside. Hardly the kind of run to in-
Smalling picked up injuries on squad as the trio are yet to return Liverpool won the correspond- spire much hope but Koeman’s
England duty last week. from international duty in South ing fixture 4-0 last season and side have lost only one of its last
Reuters/Rafael Marchante Smalling started in England’s America. Everton has to rewind all the way 12 Premier League games com-
Beautiful in person: Cristiano Ronaldo attends the ceremony friendly defeat in Germany but With 13 United players in- back to October 2010 for its last pared to Liverpool’s rather up-
to rename Funchal airport as Cristiano Ronaldo Airport in Fun- then had to pull out of the squad volved in international games and-down form which has seen
chal, Portugal, on Wednesday. with a leg injury, while Jones suf- over the past week, eek, Mourinho Jose Mourinho them win only tthree of its last 10.
fered a toe injury in training. said his side was att a disadvantage Both sides w were dealt blows in
FUNCHAL: When the island of Madeira on Wednesday renamed its With both players missing against eighth-placedaced West Brom. the build-up to the 228th Mersey-
airport in honour of its hometown hero Cristiano Ronaldo, all eyes England’s 2-0 World Cup qualifier “If you compare re our situation side derby with Everton defender
were expected to be on the four-time world player of the year who is victory over Lithuania, Mourinho with our opponents, nts, West Brom- Seamus Coleman
Colema breaking his leg
adored not only for his soccer skills but also his model looks. But grab- questioned the need for friendlies wich Albion, onlyy one player on during Ireland’s World Cup quali-
bing attention instead was a bronze bust of the player with a toothy during the domestic season. international duty,” y,” he added. fier against Wal
Wales.
grin and bulging eyes that instantly created a laugh on social media “I am totally against the friend- “They had timee to work, time Liverpool wi will also be missing
because of its debatable likeness. ly matches,” he told Sky Sports. “I to rest and prepare. re. It’s going to Adam Lallana after a he suffered a
“I defy you not to feel better after viewing this picture of Cristiano think friendly matches for the na- be hard.” thigh injury playing
pl for England
Ronaldo alongside his portrait bust,” wrote one Twitter user, Tom tional team only make sense be- United is fifth in the league, and manager
manage Juergen Klopp
Sutcliffe, on @tds153. fore the final phases.’’ four points behind hind fourth- will be sweating
swe on the re-
“That hideous Ronaldo statue is going to be a meme in 5,4,3...,” “But mid-season friendly placed Liverpooll with two turn of Rob
Roberto Firmino and
posted @Agave310. matches mixed with qualification games in hand. Philippe Coutinho
Cou from inter-
Another Twitter user deemed the statue “the most gloriously awful matches, I don’t think that makes Meanwhile, Everton national duty with Brazil.
bust” of Ronaldo. sense.” will target a first victory Fourth-placed Liverpool is
Fourth-pla
The 32-year-old Real Madrid player’s girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, United will be without both de- over Liverpool in near- six points above
ab Everton, hav-
and his mother, Maria, both attended the renaming ceremony of Por- fenders for Saturday’s Premier ly seven years on Sat- ing both played
playe 29 games — two
tugal’s Aeroporto da Madeira, now known as Cristiano Ronaldo Airport. League clash against West Brom- urday knowing that more than the th sides separating
The newly revealed statue holds the distinction of being the second wich Albion, while midfielder Paul if they succeed an it are Arsenal and United.
bust of the soccer star and occasional model that has been the subject Pogba and captain Wayne Rooney unlikely pursuit of Arsenal levels
lev on 50 points
of online ridicule. are also on the treatment table. a top-four finish h with Everton after four defeats
Another statue, also in Ronaldo’s hometown, was picked apart Leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahi- might start to be in five games host third-placed
for what some saw as glaring obscurities and differences in likeness movic and midfielder Ander Her- taken seriously. Manchester City on Sunday
between the player and his bronzed counterpart. — Reuters rera will miss the weekend’s game Spurred by Rom- m- with its hopes
hop of a 21st consec-
as they serve the final game of elu Lukaku’s goals, oals, utive top-f
top-four finish in peril.
their suspensions. Ronald Koeman’s ’s side While thet teams below it
Ibra happy as contract talks continue Smalling, who withdrew from have closed steadily ly on the bat- jostle for
fo positions, Chel-
the England squad last week, was tle for Championss and Europa sea’s title
titl march has been
photographed by British media League qualification on and victo- relentless
relentle and the Blues
wearing a leg brace on Monday ry in Saturday’s earlyarly kickoff at can tickt off another
after suffering his third injury Anfield would, temporarily
mporarily at three points with victo-
of the campaign. Jones has a toe least, lift it into fifth
th spot. ry over
ov Crystal Palace.
problem. Defeat, on the other hand,
Reuters/Lee Smith

SOCCER

New AFA president vows to get Messi ban reduced

Rex Gowar tral, who plays in the Primera Juniors and was a key figure in sit down and see what’s best [for
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff B Metropolitana division, was promoting Tapia’s candidacy. the team]. We must find the way
REUTERS/BUENOS AIRES
Zlatan Ibrahimovic the sole candidate in the elec- Tapia, who is also known as to recover our confidence so our
The Argentine FA, lacking tion but still needed the support “Chiqui”, or little one, said one of beloved Argentine national team
BENGALURU: Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is relish- proper leadership since 2015 and of a majority of delegates, which his first tasks would be to get Mes- represents us in Russia and does
ing his time at the Premier League club and is in talks to extend his fearful its national team might he achieved by scooping 40 of 43 si’s four-match suspension re- its best possible.”
contract, saying he “never leaves a job unfinished”. not reach the World Cup finals votes cast. duced and said it was imperative The AFA has been under the ad-
In November, manager Jose Mourinho said United planned to without banned captain Lionel He will serve a four-year term, everyone got behind beleaguered ministration of a FIFA-appointed
extend his initial one-season deal by another year but according to Messi, elected a third-tier club but some of the power behind the coach Edgardo Bauza. Regularizing Committee, head-
media reports Ibrahimovic wants a two-year contract. chairman and former roadsweep- scenes is expected to be wield- Messi was suspended on Tues- ed by Argentine Armando Perez,
Ahead of the league game against West Bromwich Albion on Satur- er as its president on Wednesday. ed by his deputy Daniel Angelici, day after FIFA said he had “di- since last June after a presidential
day, the Swede told reporters: “I enjoy [...] I go in, I go for the kill and Claudio Tapia of Barracas Cen- who is president of top flight Boca rected insulting words at an as- election in 2015 ended in a 38-38
I go out. And when I go out there are no complaints, that’s what I do. I sistant referee” during their 1-0 tie between two candidates when
never leave a job unfinished. World Cup qualifying win over only 75 delegates had a vote.
“Let’s see what happens, we are talking. I have an option for an- Chile on Thursday. Tapia is the first man to win
other year, I want to do great as long as I’m here, so let us see, there is The match officials did not in- the AFA presidency in an elec-
a lot of time,” he added. clude the incident in their reports tion since Julio Grondona in 1979.
The 35-year-old Ibrahimovic has scored 26 goals in 41 appearances but FIFA acted on video evidence Grondona ran the AFA as his per-
for United since joining on a free transfer from Paris St Germain last and Messi missed Tuesday’s 2-0 sonal fiefdom for 35 years until
year, helping them to lift the League Cup in February and reach the last defeat to Bolivia in La Paz. his death in 2014.
eight of the Europa League. “[We] will make the necessary The 49-year-old Tapia, who
United, which is fifth in the table, faces a challenging April with nine efforts before FIFA for the sanc- came to Buenos Aires from San
games on the schedule including the Manchester derby and hosting tion to be [...] reduced because it Juan province with his family
runaway league leaders Chelsea. — Reuters is unjust,” Tapia said. when he was a boy, spent nine
Messi will miss games away to years working for the capital’s
Uruguay and at home to Peru and refuse collection company while
SCOREBOARD Venezuela, before returning for playing for Barracas and became a
their final match in Ecuador in trade union leader and president
Tennis (home team in CAPS)
St. Louis 3 ARIZONA 1 October. of his club aged 35.
Miami Open Washington 5 COLORADO 3 Tapia said it was crucial to give Tapia has been close to the
Results from the Miami Open quarterfinal Los Angeles 4 CALGARY 1 Bauza backing if he was to help Argentina team since 2015 and
matches on Wednesday Chicago 5 PITTSBURGH 1
Argentina rise from fifth place in headed the delegation that took
Men’s singles
5-Rafael Nadal (Esp) beat 13-Jack Sock (US) Basketball the South American qualifying them to the Copa America Cen-
6-2 6-3 campaign. tenario in the US last year where
Fabio Fognini (Ita) beat 2-Kei Nishikori (Jpn) NBA Only the top four teams qualify they lost the final on penalties to
6-4 6-2 Results from the NBA games on Wednesday
Women’s singles (home team in CAPS) automatically for Russia in 2018 Chile.
11-Venus Williams (US) beat 1-Angelique LA CLIPPERS 133 Washington 124 while the fifth-placed team must The AFA will hope to draw a
Kerber (Ger) 7-5 6-3 Utah 112 SACRAMENTO 82 go into an intercontinental play- line under the 35-year reign of
10-Johanna Konta (Gbr) beat 3-Simona Golden State 110 SAN ANTONIO 98 Reuters/Daniel Rodrigo
Halep (Rou) 3-6 7-6(7) 6-2 MEMPHIS 110 Indiana 97 off against a side from the Ocea- Grondona, who died a month af-
NEW ORLEANS 121 Dallas 118 Off-pitch support: Argentina’s Lionel Messi arrives at the Hern- nia zone. ter Argentina reached the World
Milwaukee 103 BOSTON 100 ando Siles stadium ahead of the Bolivia versus Argentina clash for “We must back him [...] as well Cup final in Brazil. During his
Ice hockey Charlotte 110 TORONTO 106
Miami 105 NY KNICKS 88 a World Cup 2018 qualifier in La Paz, Bolivia, on Tuesday. Messi is as all the players,” he told a news tenure the team also won the tro-
NHL Atlanta 99 PHILADELPHIA 92 under FIFA’s four-match ban, including in Tuesday’s match, where conference. phy in 1986 and reached the 1990
Results from the NHL games on Wednesday Oklahoma City 114 ORLANDO 106 (OT) Argentina lost 2-0. “We must meet with him to final.

Why the white-knuckle Aussies could surprise at Confederations Cup

Australia’s cavalier approach end of his team’s campaign. zenly pushing for an equalizer after the win. The versatile Irvine, who’s with
may have contributed to its pre- After his players struggled to SOCCER FRIDAY in added time before substitute “I expect to be held account- Burton Albion in the English sec-
carious position in 2018 World adapt in last Thursday’s 1-1 draw Jean Beausejour struck Chile’s able for what I say and the kind ond tier, was once better known
Cup qualifying, but it could help against Iraq on neutral soil in third in the 92nd minute. of football we want to play. But as a defensive midfielder or even a
it spring an upset or two in June’s Tehran, Australia looked more It’s this sort of fearless approach it seems I’ve been held account- center-back. But the 24-year-old
Confederations Cup. comfortable with Postecoglou’s under Postecoglou that has some able for doing what I said I’d do was full of confidence with a more
The Socceroos remain out new system, as goals from Jack- nervous Aussie fans wondering if this week — that’s the bit I strug- attacking mindset as he gave Aus-
Asia’s automatic qualification son Irvine and Mathew Leckie the dull and conservative style of gle with. tralia the comfort of a seventh-
places despite a crucial 2-0 vic- saw off the dangerous Emiratis at his predecessors Pim Verbeek and “Maybe if it was a foreign coach minute lead.
tory over the United Arab Emir- the Sydney Football Stadium. wasn t so dire after
Holger Osieck wasn’t we’d
we d all sit back
b and say, ‘what a Of course, the bar will be raised
ates in Sydney on Tuesday night. The tactic allows pacey wide all. Verbeek’s qualification for the genius he is, is he’s coming up with much higher when Australia face
They’re third in Group B, three players like Leckie and Brad 2010 World Cup new ways to challenge these up to the giants of world soccer in
points behind joint leaders Japan Smith to push forward, giving the Jason Dasey under Lucas guys.’” the Confederations Cup, starting
and Saudi Arabia. team width and multiple attack- Neill was a What wil will please Postecoglou with a June 19 meeting with the
And by the time the Asian ing outlets, with two No. 10’s in It means that in Russia the lot smooth- most about the victory over the Germans in Sochi. It’s a tourna-
champions head to Russia in mid- the middle, sitting behind target- Aussies will be more than capa- er than the UAE will be the way that fringe ment where the Socceroos have
June to face up to Germany, Cam- man Tomi Juric up top. Against ble of finding the net against the wild ride for stepped up in the absence
players step performed well, finishing run-
eroon and Chile, their hopes of the UAE, Irvine and James Troisi Germans — they held the reigning 2018 with As- of missing regulars
re like Rogic and ners up behind Brazil in 1997, and
playing in a fourth consecutive filled in admirably for the absent world champions to a 2-2 draw in Mooy, and how new stars have coming third in 2001.
World Cup could be on life sup- Tom Rogic and Aaron Mooy in at- Kaiserslautern in 2015 5 — but the Tim Cahill emerged sin since Australia won the The Class of 2017 will be hard
port — after a June 8 qualifier at tacking midfield, with Tim Cahill scoreline could well end
nd up 5-4. Asian Cup on home soil in Janu- pressed to match that, with Por-
home to the fearless Saudis. With used as an impact substitute for “The job [is] to playy a style ary 2015. tugal, Mexico and host Russia
an away game in Japan to come, a in-form striker Juric. that’s going to stand uss in Smith has rarely featured among the other teams in the
loss, or even a draw in Adelaide, The attacking philosophy looks good stead heading into nto Bournemouth at left-back
for Bour tournament. But it should be an
would be disastrous. as though it could soon pay divi- Confederations Cup,” Ca- this season,
se but was argu- entertaining couple of weeks as
Watching an Australian team dends, but playing three at the hill explained this week.k. ton Villa’s Mile Jedi- ably ththe Socceroos’ best in Ange’s Aussies throw caution to
coached by Ange Postecoglou is back is a risky proposition — par- The mini-World Cup nak as captain. tthee more advanced role
th the wind.
always a white-knuckle ride. The ticularly because Australia wasn’t will also see the Socceroos
ceroos play “I’ve sat here for where Brendan Rodgers
whe
former national full-back lives strong defensively to begin with. a rematch with South h American three-and-a-half years gave him his Liverpool
ga Jason Dasey is Senior Editor of
and breathes attacking soccer, Tuesday night was only the third champions Chile, to which they and I haven’t changed in debut off the bench as
d ESPN FC, Indonesia’s most popular
and wasn’t afraid to introduce a clean sheet of its third-round lost 3-1 at Brazil 2014. 14. In that anything I’ve said I was go- a 19-year-old against English language soccer
bold 3-2-4-1 system at the pointy campaign. game in Cuiba, Australia lia was bra- ing to do,” Postecoglou said Reuters/Jason Reed C Chelsea in 2013. website. @JasonDasey
FRIDAY March 31, 2017 SPORTS | 9
Reuters/Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports PUTTING IT BRIEFLY
2018 Games needs $150m in sponsorships
Williams,
Wi
W illlia
i mss, playing JAKARTA: The organizers of the 2018 Asian Games have said they are
in
in front
fro
froontt of
ront o a crowd
crowd that looking for at least Rp 2 trillion (US$150 million) in sponsorships to
iincluded
inncl
clu
clud
ud dedd h her
err popcorn- help roll out the multisport event in August next year.
munching
mu
m uncnchi
hingng father Richard, “We’re aiming for Rp 1.5 trillion to Rp 2 trillion in sponsorships,”
took
to
toook nearly
ook nea e rlyy an
a hour to take the Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani
firsrrstt se
sett from
om Kerber,
from Ker
erbeb r, but made
be said in a statement.
qquicker
qu
quic
uicick
cke
ker wo
ker work
w orkk of
of th
the
h second. On Thursday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla held a meeting on the Asian
Halep,p meanwhile,
m
mea
eanwnwh
nw hile, got down on Games that was attended by Puan, Youth and Sports Minister Imam
hherself
he rself afterr losing
rs lo the second set Nahrawi, Energy and Mineral Resources deputy minister Arcandra

NADAL INTO
Rafael ttiebreak
tiieb
ebrreak to Konta. Tahar, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara and Indo-
Nadal “It was a really tough match, nesian Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASGOC) deputy II Games
very high level,” Halep told the administration Francis Wanandi.

MIAMI SEMIS,
WTA. “I was so close to winning, The meeting focused on getting sponsorships from the state, private
10 years to make the Miami semis. I was two points away in the tie- firms and international companies.
“This is a big, big tournament break, but she played very strong Puan said the government could only disburse Rp 4.5 trillion from the
for me. I’m happy about my per- and deserved to win.” state budget to organize the biggest quadrennial event in the region.
formance. I’m just trying to be fo- Despite the result, Halep took So far, Indonesia has spent nearly Rp 30 trillion on infrastructure,

VENUS TRIUMPHANT cused on my game and do my best.”

In the women’s side, Venus
Williams beat top seed Angelique
comfort from a solid tournament
as she works her way back from a
knee injury.
supporting facilities and the light rapid transit (LRT) construction proj-
ect, said Puan.
“The final disbursement from the state budget may vary — it is still
Kerber on Wednesday to advance being studied. We may reduce it if we can collect more money from
Reuters I saved that game and got the to a Miami Open semifinal al against targeted sponsorships,” she added.
target
NORTH CAROLINA break back [in the next game]. Britain’s Johanna Konta. After the meeting, Puan said she hoped the participating ministries
Aft
th
The match was much closer than American 11 seed Williams, would help persuade companies to participate in funding the Games. — JP
Rafael Nadal moved into the Mi- the result says.” who is seeking her fourth h Miami
ami Open semifinals with a straight Nadal could face his long-time title, survived a long firstt set be-
sets win over American Jack Sock nemesis Federer in the final, with fore she completed a 7-5,, 6-3 vic- Venus Timberlake is 2017 F1 Austin crowd-puller
Tim
on Wednesday, while second seed the Swiss, who has a Thursday quar- tory over Germany’s Kerber rber on a Williams
Kei Nishikori was sent packing af- terfinal against Tomas Berdych, on calm evening in south Florida.
orida. LONDON:
LOND Singer Justin Timberlake has been confirmed as the headline
ter going down 6-4 6-2 to unseeded the other side of the draw. th
Konta, the 10 seed, had ad earlier act at this year’s US Formula One Grand Prix as organizers seek to
Italian Fabio Fognini. Federer and Nadal have met recovered from the brink of defeat build on the crowd-pulling success of Taylor Swift’s appearance at the
Nadal staved off four break twice this year, with Federer win- to edge third seed Simona Halep in 2016 race.w
points to avoid going down a dou- ning both times, in a memorable a three-set encounter that at lasted Timberlake,
Tim whose Oscar-nominated song ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’
ble-break early in the second set, five-set final at the Australian two hours, 30 minutes. won h him a 10th Grammy Award, will appear on stage on Saturday Oct.
a pivotal game that set the stage Open and in a one-sided straight- Halep was only two points
ints from 21 at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas (COTA) after qualifying.
for his 6-2 6-3 victory on the sets fourth-round thumping at victory in the second set, but could Last
Las year’s race ended a trend of declining audiences and drew a
Crandon Park hardcourt. Indian Wells two weeks ago. not put away her opponent, ent, who record crowd of 269,000 with Swift’s first concert of the year watched
Nadal’s poise and shotmaking But Nadal is not looking ahead pounced on the Romanian’s ian’s evi- by some
som 80,000 people.
came to the fore when 13th seed to Federer, because his semifinal dent emotional fragility too prevail “Last
“La year did what we hoped it would do, which is not only
Sock threatened to take a stran- opponent Fognini presents a po- 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2. enhance
enhan an already great event but also give us the chance to expose
glehold on the second set. tential banana skin. Nadal has a 7-3 Williams, 36, whose previ- a lot o
of new people to the sport,” COTA chairman Bobby Epstein told
“That was the key of the second career record but is mindful he lost ous Miami titles came in n 1998, Reuters.
Reute “And it worked.
set, two-love [down], 15-40,” Nadal to the Italian in a five-set thriller on 1999 and 2001, will meet Konta “I think
t where we saw a big change was in the average number of
said in a courtside interview. “With the US Open hardcourt in 2015. in the semifinal, while Czech tickets
ticket sold per transaction, which told me that families were buying.
three-zero a player like Jack, you’ll “It’s like a dream maybe,” said second seek Karolina Pliskova
iskova And sso I think we’ll see that continue.”
probably be thinking third set. the 29-year-old Fognini after be- faces Danish 12th seed Carolina
rolina The 2017 F1 season, which began in Melbourne last weekend, is
“It was a double positive thing. coming the first unseeded player in Wozniacki. the first
r with the sport being run by American company Liberty Media,
which took control of Formula One in January.
Reuters/Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports F1 has long struggled to get a foothold in the American market, so
hopes are high that Timberlake’s performance can build on last year’s
MOTOR RACING successful race weekend. — Reuters

F1 should own some circuits: US GP boss PGA

Alan Baldwin Johnson favorite at Augusta,

REUTERS/LONDON

United States Grand Prix pro-

rookie Rahm up for Houston
moter Bobby Epstein says it
would make sense for Formula Reuters pionships have huge weight and
One’s new American owners Lib- LONDON/TORONTO I’m not focused on trying to win
erty Media to buy some circuits as majors to get to number one any
part of their long-term strategic World number one Dustin John- more,” the 23-year-old added.
plans for the sport. son is playing the “best golf in the “So, that side of things, getting
The Circuit of the Americas world” and will start as the favor- number one isn’t the pressure
(COTA) co-founder and chair- ite to win the Masters next month, that I feel, but that’s the only way
man whose Austin, Texas, track Jordan Spieth has said ahead of to really take big strides towards
is the country’s sole purpose- Thursday’s Houston Open. him because I don’t think he’s let-
built F1 facility, told Reuters he Johnson maintained his im- ting up any time soon.”
would be happy to do a deal “at pressive form by winning the Meanwhile, Jon Rahm may
the right price”. WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin have been too tired to play a full
Speaking ahead of tickets for last weekend to mark his third practice round this week but
the Oct. 22 race going on sale on victory in as many starts in 2017. there was no chance the red-hot
Friday, he added, however, that Spieth, who has a victory and Spanish rookie was going to skip
there had been no discussions two runner-up finishes at Augus- the final pre-Masters tune-up at
with Liberty. ta in the last three years, said he this week’s Shell Houston Open.
“I do think it makes a lot of would have to be on top form to Rahm, who will make his Mas-
sense for them to own some cir- defeat Johnson at the first major ters debut next week, played 108
cuits. It would have to be part of Circuit of the Americas of year, which starts on April 6. holes in seven rounds over five
any long-term strategy for them,” “I think Dustin Johnson is days during his run to the WGC-
said Epstein, whose race is the AP/Eric Gay the guy to beat in golf no matter Dell Match Play final, and fatigue
only US round on the current cal- This year’s race has Justin replacing him with Chase Carey, “Watch parties”, where fans where you are,” Spieth said at a forced him to end Tuesday’s prac-
endar, in a telephone interview. Timberlake lined up as the head- who has appointed Sean Bratch- gathered for broadcasts of other news conference on Wednesday. tice round after nine holes.
“I see a lot of logic and busi- line act. es as managing director for com- grands prix, and track tours were “If I play my best golf, I believe “I was tired yesterday. I am tired
ness reasons for them to own “I think all of the circuits mercial matters. also popular. that I can take down anybody, and today. That’s just things that hap-
some circuits.” struggle under the current envi- Asked directly about the pos- Epstein suggested COTA could you have to believe that. pen, right?” said Rahm. “Luckily,
Formula One’s previous busi- ronment,” said Epstein. “If they sibility of Liberty buying circuits, become the “brand-building lding “But I think that he is the guy I’m 22 and I’m pretty sure I’ll be
ness model, which the new [Liberty] change it and help the Bratches said only that there were headquarters for F1” in North that everyone is say- able to get one good night [of rest]
ab
owners have said they want to circuits survive, are they better “a number of different models America and a permanent ent ing he’s playing and be ready to play on Thursday.”
an
change, has been based on tele- off owning the circuits than mak- that can be pursued”. home while other races came me the best golf in the Rahm, who fought back after
vision revenues and circuits pay- ing concessions? Formula One is seeking to ex- and went. world right now. losing five holes during a six-hole
los
ing significant hosting fees with “Are they actually giving up pand in the Americas, with talk of “Since you can’t move thiss “Major cham- stretch on the front nine to push
str
an annual escalator. profitability by not owning the adding street races in US “destina- circuit, and you can’t du- Johnson to the 18th hole on Sun-
Jo
Austin’s annual fee has been re- circuits? If they [the circuits] are tion cities” like Las Vegas, Miami, plicate it, it can always be day,
da has been hot all year.
ported at around US$33 million, going to make money from an F1 Los Angeles and New York and counted on to be there,” he In his last five starts, Rahm has
with $25 million coming from race, then F1 might as well own treating each race like a Super Bowl said. “I think the goal would d fou
four top-five finishes, including
state subsidies based on a formu- that profit.” with events through the week. be ‘Let’s get the show on thee his first PGA Tour win at Janu-
la for calculating how much eco- Several of Europe’s oldest cir- Epstein said Austin had pio- road’. ary’s Farmers Insurance Open and
ary
nomic activity the grand prix gen- cuits, such as Silverstone which neered that formula since the de- “You can rotate it [Formulaa ba
back-to-back top-three placings in
erates for Texas. has been looking for a buyer, but race in 2012. One] through different citiess World Golf Championships events
W
COTA drew a record three-day struggle to make money while He said the circuit now want- so that you are continuing to in Mexico City and Austin.
crowd of 269,889 last year, thanks Germany is off the calendar this ed to establish an all-year For- expose the sport. The tournament, which begins
mainly to singer Taylor Swift year for financial reasons. mula One presence and estimat- “It’s not likely that anyone else on Thursday, is the final chance for
holding her long-awaited first Liberty completed its takeover ed 50,000 people a year could be is going to build and spend that Jon PGA Tour players to secure a last-
PG
concert of the year on the Satur- in January, ousting 86-year-old drawn to the circuit by an interac- kind of money on a permanent anent Rahm minute invitation to the Masters.
mi
day night. supremo Bernie Ecclestone and tive garage experience. course in the United States.”
Reuters/Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Long way to go: Austin Ernst hits her LPGA

second shot on the 10th hole during the final
round of the Kia Classic LPGA golf tourna-
ment in Carlsbad, the US, on March 26. Commissioner Whan sees women’s gains in game
Larry Fine the 2017 season. or players,” said Whan. Globe last year were all under 21.
REUTERS/CALIFORNIA Whan said he told the report- Whan said Lydia Ko, a South Whan said the trend is fueled
ers he would be the commission- Korean-born New Zealand- from the introductory levels,
Golf is getting younger, more er of a new kind of tour. er who took the LPGA Tour by and that the growth of interest
global and more female, all to the “Where players come from all storm after winning as a 15-year- among young girls was the thing
delight of LPGA Commissioner over the world, and sponsors are old, was “a game-changer.” he is proudest of.
Mike Whan. calling us from all over the world Ko became the youngest win- “When I joined back in 2008
Rather than cringe at the Asian and fans want to watch us in sev- ner on the LPGA Tour, the young- we, together with the USGA,
dominance of the largely US tour en different website languages,” est player to win a major, and the were running a program called
a decade ago, Whan embraced he said, adding that the global ap- youngest world number one. Girls Golf, where we introduced
the global appeal of the game and proach was challenging but with “I think when somebody young girls to the game in an
now revels in the growth during an upside 10 times higher. breaks a barrier, all of a sudden all-girls environment. We were
his eight-year reign. There are 34 official events everybody realizes that wasn’t a introducing about 4,500 girls a
“My first day on this job, I was on the 2017 LPGA Tour sched- barrier anymore. year.
introduced at Madison Square ule with four new events this “And a bunch of 14-year-olds “So we set a goal of trying to
Garden in 2009 as the new com- year including one in Scotland are standing on tees all around get to 50,000 girls a year by the
missioner and when we went to and one in New Zealand. More the world.” time we got to Rio [Olympics].
the Q&A session, the first ques- than US$67 million in total prize The youth movement is in full When we got to Rio, we were in-
tion I got was: ‘Commissioner money is there for the taking. swing in women’s golf. troducing 60,000 girls a year.
Whan, what are you going to do Six years ago, there were 23 The average age of winners in Whan predicted that “by the
about all the international influ- events on the schedule with an 2016 was 22.3, and more than 70 time we get to Japan [Tokyo
ences on the tour?’ overall purse of $41.5 million. percent of winners last year were 2020 Olympics] we’ll be intro-
“I said, ‘embrace it,’” Whan “It’s a borderless game and as under the age of 24. ducing 100,000 girls a year and
told Reuters in an interview this a result people from all over the The top three finishers in the right now girls under the age of
week ahead of the ANA Inspira- world are finding it interesting Player of the Year award and the 18 is the fastest growing segment
AP/Gregory Bull tion, the first women’s major of whether they’re fans or sponsors top three in the Race to the CME of golf in America.”
10 | SPECIAL REPORT FRIDAY March 31, 2017

Piecemeal land reform heralds justice

The administration of President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi,
is starting to redistribute state land to poor people in rural areas as part
of his poverty alleviation efforts. Although it may only constitute a basic
form of agrarian reform, the initiative has been hailed as a courageous
move to enforce the 1960 Basic Agrarian Law, which has been systemati-
cally abused in favor of the economic and political elites. The Jakarta Post’s
Nani Afrida in Jakarta analyzes the scheme and Apriadi Gunawan in
Medan reports on a raging land conflict on the resort island of Samosir.

In his 2014 inauguration Darmin Nasution says the land

speech as the republic’s seventh will be granted to farmers associ-
president, Jokowi made yet an- ations instead of individuals so as
other big populist promise. He to minimize cases of illegal sales.
vowed to free millions of poor The amount of land to be redis-
people in rural areas from the tributed will vary by region. In big
jaws of poverty by providing them but scarcely populated outer is-
with farmland. lands, each farmer group consist-
The agrarian reform scheme ing of 30-40 families may receive
he had in mind was to give out about 50 hectares but it could be
roughly 22 million hectares of un- much less in densely inhabited
disputed state land. Of the total regions like Java.
disused land across the country, Central Kalimantan and Riau
13 million ha would go to indige- are touted as provinces that will
nous people and the remaining 9 contribute the most land suit-
million hectares to impoverished able for farming. To start with, 1.5
farmers. million ha will be distributed to
Without much fanfare, the poor farmers this year and the area
Environment and Forestry Min- will increase to 4.5 million ha by
istry transferred the 13 million the time Jokowi ends his tenure.
hectares to 11 indigenous groups And the remaining half? Maybe it
mostly in North Sumatra, Jam- would be good to maintain his le-
bi and Banten provinces in De- verage for a re-election bid.
cember. Did you know that? The But Jokowi swears that he just
hot property was largely expro- wants to implement the Consti-
priated from forestry businesses tution, which requires that the
whose license to exploit the re- land and the waters as well as the
sources had expired. natural riches therein shall be
Throughout Indonesia, there controlled by the state for the up- ists, middlemen, scalpers, govern- ares of land and poor farmers who known target was to redistribute tion will undermine Jokowi’s pro-
are about 2,000 indigenous groups most benefit of the people. It is an ment bureaucrats and law enforc- own less than 0.3 hectares for 1 million hectares of farmland, 8 gram. Proponents of land reform
with a total of 20 million members ideal that remains elusive. ers. And this bunch of crooks that their whole family to survive. million hectares of forest land and have called on Jokowi to issue a
under the umbrella organization The Basic Agrarian Law work together like a mafia will Whether redistributing 9 mil- 7 million hectares of idle land. decree that serves as a guideline.
the Indigenous People’s Alliance (UUPA) No. 5/1960 may be half likely get in the way of Jokowi’s lion hectares of land really counts The Jokowi administration’s The costly certification
of the Archipelago (AMAN). a century old but it is poorly en- agrarian reform program. as “agrarian reform” is of course promise to give away 9 million scheme, critics say, stems from
Now, the burning issue is the forced and often abused leading The hastily made plans and debatable. However small the hectares of land may sound pret- the misconception that agrarian
planned complex distribution to widespread agrarian conflict. the formidable scale of existing step may be, Jokowi’s initiative ty impressive but it turns out that reform is synonymous to giving
of 9 million hectares in all of the So Jokowi’s biggest challenge is to agrarian problems have left many has been widely celebrated. the policy consists of “legalizing” land legal status although Jokowi
34 provinces, where disused land properly implement the law. skeptical about Jokowi’s land re- “We need to act quickly,” said the 4.5 million hectares of land has asked his aides to focus more
starkly differs in size and in ag- Agrarian Reform Consortium belonging to participants of the on distributing land. Last week,
ricultural suitability while their (KPA) chief Dewi Kartika. “It has transmigration program and the he ordered Sofyan to start the job.
populations are no less complex Currently, only 44 percent of the total land assets been three years [since Jokowi remaining half is state land, the Resolving common conflicts
in terms of size and needs.
It is undoubtedly a “daring”
in Indonesia have been certified. was sworn in] and we can’t wait
for the program to commence.”
specifics of which are yet to be
made available.
over land ownership may be land
reform’s biggest challenge ahead.
program the likes of which none But the KPA supports it with “Legalization”, or issuing cer- They happen not only among in-
of his predecessors so openly There have been countless form ambition. The 1960 agrar- reservations, too. To begin with, tificates of property ownership, is dividuals but also between indig-
promised. If materialized, the cases of indigenous people being ian law requires much more than the government needs to make it part of the government’s rigorous enous communities and corpora-
scheme will benefit at least 26 evicted from their ancestral land just the land redistribution that clear who qualifies as beneficia- agrarian reform effort. tions. A Constitutional Court ruling
million families — 56 percent of to make way for large-scale plan- Jokowi has initiated. ries and decide on the legal sta- Agrarian and Spatial Plan- that the indigenous should regain
whom have less than 0.3 ha of tation projects, particularly in It’s apparent that Jokowi’s tus, locality and size of the plots of ning Minister Sofyan Djalil said their customary land has gone un-
land in this agricultural country. Sumatra and Kalimantan. Often, scheme is meant to merely re- land to be redistributed. Besides, his ministry had allocated Rp 2 heeded and continuing disputes
Even though much legislation state institutions such as the mili- duce the acute poverty among it notes that local farmers should trillion (US$150 million) this year have placed them in a predicament.
is yet to be made and details and tary and police side with capital- poor small-scale farmers and ag- be involved more in decision to issue 5 million land certificates. “We want the state to relin-
technicalities of the program’s ex- ists. In many areas, land disputes ricultural laborers, a far cry from making so that the scheme bet- The target will be increased to 7 quish our property,” AMAN sec-
ecution are yet to be defined, the have developed into violence re- the fundamental state policy de- ter suits their needs. For exam- million certificates next year and retary-general Rukka Somboling-
scheme heralds a fundamental sulting in murder, forced disap- signed to overhaul the unjust sys- ple, both parties should together 9 million in 2019. gi said.
change in legal certainty concern- pearance and torture. tem. The end goal should be to al- determine how to make the most “Currently, only 44 percent of While there has been no open
ing ownership and settlement of In 2015, a dispute over sand leviate poverty, create jobs, settle of the land and make sure that no the total land assets in Indonesia political resistance so far, it will
the ubiquitous land conflicts. quarrying in Lumajang, East Java, the ubiquitous land conflicts and granted land is put up for sale. have been certified. There’s still a require strong legislation and
Jokowi, whose term will end in led to the murder of a farmer ac- eventually enable national food In fact, the ongoing program is long way to go,” he said. comprehensive plans for the par-
2019, has announced that the land tivist, Salim Kancil, putting agrar- self-sufficiency. not solely a Jokowi initiative. His It is feared that a lack of com- tial agrarian reform scheme to
redistribution program will start ian disputes in the spotlight. Over the decades, state policies predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yud- mon understanding among Cabi- succeed. After then, the scheme
as soon as this year. Yet little has The corrupt system has given have created land ownership gulf hoyono, also embarked on a land net ministers and regional govern- can be expanded to include sys-
been made known to the public. rise to the so-called “land mafia”, between the fabulously wealthy redistribution plan but it was only ment leaders resulting from the tematic solutions to land conflicts
Coordinating Economic Minister an intricate web involving capital- few who control millions of hect- partially accomplished. His less absence of more detailed legisla- and more equal land distribution.

Centuries of futile efforts

While other countries have ad- Land conflicts in figures
dressed problems of land reform
and land titling, Indonesia is still Number of cases: Most conflict-ridden provinces (2016)
struggling with these issues. From 2015 — 252 cases 1. Riau 44 cases
the colonial era until the current 2016 — 450 cases 2. East Java 43 cases
3. West Java 38 cases
reform period, it has been trying Total area of conflict 4. North Sumatra 36 cases
to find the best way to eradicate 2015 — 400,430 ha 5. Aceh 24 cases
poverty by means of land policy, 2016 — 1,265,027 ha 6. South Sumatra 22 cases
which has proven to be tricky. 2004 — 2015 (in total) — 6,942,381 ha
Below is a summary of land re- Casualties (2016)
form dynamics in Indonesia. Sectors (2016): Killed: 13
1. Plantation 163 cases Tortured: 66
2. Property 117 cases Abused: 177
Colonial era
The Dutch implemented a 3. Infrastructure 100 cases Actors in land conflicts
4. Forestry 25 cases 1. Private companies
land-lease system in Indonesia 5. Mining 21 cases
during the colonial period to ex- 2. State companies
6. Coastal and maritime 10 cases 3. Government
ploit its fertile soil. The state was 7. Oil and gas 7 cases 4. Local communities
owner of the land, while people 8. Agriculture 7 cases 5. Police/Military
were the tenants and therefore
required to pay taxes. Source: The Consortium of Agrarian Reform (KPA)
In 1830, the Dutch colonial ad-
Antara/MN Kanwa ministration imposed  cultuurst- presidency farmers had a good agrarian resources in the country.
Like a war zone: Equipped with heavy machinery, authorities tear down squatters’ shanties in Tanjung elsel or the enforced planting sys- bargaining position and were able The government also declared
Uma, Batam, Riau Islands, on Jan. 17. Angry residents of the 3 hectare shantytown put up resistance, tem, which required every farmer to establish farmer associations, over 70 percent of Indonesia’s
hurling stones at police, soldiers and public order officers and barricading access routes to the disputed to dedicate 20 percent of their some of which had affiliations land area as “forestry estate”,
areas. land to certain plants — such as with political parties. which was exempted from indi-
sugarcane, coffee, or tea — and The Old Order government of vidual ownership.
then sell them to the Dutch with Sukarno issued the Basic Agrar- Then, big companies started to
Land disputes jeopardize Indonesia’s prices set by the rulers.
However, in 1870, there was a
ian Law No. 5/1960, following a
recommendation by the land re-
occupy large plots of land without
paying proper taxes and obtain-
‘Monaco of Asia’ dream change in the Netherlands’ po-
litical system, when the Dutch
form committee. One core issue
in this law is to limit land owner-
ing permits. The big companies’
activities created land conflicts in
issued a ruling package — ship by preventing accumulation many areas.
Apriadi Gunawan they initially began in 1986. A in an interview with The Jakarta Agrarische Wet (Agrarian law) and monopoly of land possession.
THE JAKARTA POST/TOBA SAMOSIR fresh conflict is brewing after Post. “People are losing more and and  Agrarische Besluit (Agrar- The law is claimed as a transla- Reform era
the customary community of more of their property to devel- ian regulation) — to protect eco- tion of Article 33 (3) of the 1945 The implementation of agrar-
The central government’s plan Naerasahon accused the authori- opment projects.” nomic freedom for private com- Constitution: “The land and ian law is still obscure, while land
to turn the famed Lake Toba in ties of grabbing 600 hectares of its Sharing Roganda’s concern is panies and therefore revoked the the waters as well as the natural reform promises have been an ef-
North Sumatra into an Asian ver- ancestral land. Saurlin Siagian, a researcher with enforced planting system. riches therein are to be controlled fective strategy to gain more votes
sion of Monaco will not be easy. It is a typical conflict arising People’s Forest Institute (HARI). In fact neither regulations by the state and to be exploited to for state leaders after the end of
The resort area, which attracts from legal uncertainty where the The big plan to develop Toba is brought any change for landown- the upmost benefit of the people.” the New Order era. Meanwhile,
holidaymakers from across the government refuses to recognize adding pressure to the local com- ers’ prosperity. Still, any plots of The agrarian law is expected to the number of land conflicts and
world, is riddled with customary the legality of customary land. munity and the environment, land that had no proof of ownership address any land dispute, as well casualties has been increasing.
land disputes. This sort of conflict remains com- which has suffered decades of would be claimed as a state asset. as to force customary laws to obey There have been small chang-
Toba is home to dozens of na- mon outside of Java despite a Con- overexploitation. Farmers’ land was specified as non- the national laws. es on land issue in this period, in-
tive groups, each laying claim to stitutional Court ruling acknowl- North Sumatra is one of the free state land, while no man’s land cluding the establishment of the
their own land. The nonprofit In- edging indigenous land rights. provinces with the most land and was claimed as the free-state land. Soeharto’s ‘New Order’ National Land Agency (BPN) as
digenous Peoples Alliance of the As one of Indonesia’s main forestry conflicts. There was a dramatic change the only authority that can man-
Archipelago (AMAN) lists at least tourist destinations, Toba is a “The government should help Sukarno’s ‘Old Order’ in development focus during Soe- age land matters in the national
25 different communities. magnet for land-hungry inves- resolve the disputes, which tend Indonesia was  still struggling harto’s presidency.  The govern- or provincial domain.
The main customary groups are tors. Jakarta’s plan to turn it into a to escalate in the Toba Lake area,” with the land issue after gaining in- ment was concentrating more on Elected presidents tried in
the Matio, Pandumaan-Sipituhu- world-class destination has exac- Saurlin said. dependence. Farmers occupied economic growth and attracting their own way to address the land
ta, Nagahulambu, Pagar Batu/Di- erbated land disputes there. The To calm the waters, the govern- plantation lands, which had been foreign investment, therefore un- issue in the country. During the
harbangan Pardede, Raja Pang- most sought-after is waterfront ment helped the customary com- handed over by the colonial admin- dermining the importance of con- 10-year presidency of Susilo Bam-
umban Bosi Simanjuntak, Tukko property and concern is growing munity of Pandumaan-Sipituhuta istration. The colonial administra- tinuing unfinished land reform. bang Yudhoyono, for instance, In-
Nisolu, Naga Tonga-tonga, Sitak- that unless the government in- regain 5,000 hectares of commu- tion’s agrarian laws were also anoth- The government issued vari- donesia had programs to revital-
kubak, Gordongan, Simarigung tervenes, locals will eventually be nal land from PT Toba Pulp Les- er problem for the new government. ous sectoral regulations and in- ize farming, fishery and forestry
and Raja Patik Sirambe clans. displaced from their land of birth. tari in December last year. The government issued Emer- troduced various land rights, sectors. On the contrary, Yudhoy-
According to the chairman of “We support the plan to make “We hope the government does gency Law No. 8/1954 on planta- for instance cultivation permits ono also allowed foreign farming
the local chapter of AMAN, Ro- Toba the ‘Monaco of Asia’ so long the same for the people of Toba, tion land use for farmers in order (HGU), or forest concession hold- products without sufficient pro-
ganda Simanjuntak, disputes as the government respects indig- who struggle to regain their lost to address chaos and disputes. ers (HPH). Those rights allowed tection for local products.
have increased in number since enous land rights,” Roganda said communal land,” Saurlin said. Thanks to Sukarno, during his investors to more easily exploit — JP/NANI AFRIDA
FRIDAY March 31, 2017 WORLD | 11
BILATERAL TIES
Spotted AROUND THE WORLD
Xi to meet S’pore blogger remains in custody
Trump UNITED STATES: A teenage blogger from Singapore who was granted
US asylum remains detained in a Wisconsin facility with few clues of
in Florida when he’ll be released.
A Chicago immigration judge granted Amos Yee’s asylum request
Friday. The 18-year-old came to the US after blog posts criticizing his
soon government landed him in jail.
The judge ruled there was evidence showing Yee suffered persecu-
tion in Singapore and had a “well-founded fear” of being persecuted
Associated Press upon return.
BEIJING Attorney Sandra Grossman initially said Yee could be released Mon-
day. Her office said Wednesday it appears Yee will stay detained while
President Donald Trump will federal authorities consider appealing. Some immigration experts say
meet with his Chinese counter- that’s unusual.
part Xi Jinping for the first time Department of Homeland Security attorneys have 30 days to file an
on April 6-7 at Trump’s Florida appeal. They declined comment.
resort, China’s foreign minis- Immigration and Customs Enforcement says the agency doesn’t
try announced Thursday, amid comment on pending cases. — AP
a range of pressing issues from
trade, to North Korea and territo-
rial claims in the South China Sea. New forum looks at RI’s geopolitics
The future relationship be-
tween the world’s first and second JAKARTA: Where does Indonesia fit in the ever-changing geopoliti-
biggest economies has been un- cal environment? How is tension in the South China Sea affecting its
certain following the election of national interests? How will Indonesia be affected by Brexit, the new
Trump, who accused China dur- administration in the US, or the rise of China?
ing his campaign of unfair trade These are just some of the questions that the Jakarta Geopolitical
practices and threatened to raise Forum hopes to tackle when it makes its debut with a conference
import taxes on Chinese goods titled “Geopolitics in a Changing World” in Jakarta on May 18 to 20.
and declare Beijing a currency The forum is an initiative from the National Resilience Institute
manipulator. Reuters/Toru Hanai (Lemhanas) to bring together Indonesian scholars to help identify how
It is unclear whether Trump A cat is seen on a cherry blossom tree at a park in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday. Indonesia can best cope with the changing geopolitical environment.
will follow through with either Lemhanas officials say Indonesia is not paying enough attention
threat. He is now seeking Bei- to the changing geopolitical environment. “We have become more
jing’s help in pressuring North inward looking as a nation,” Rosita Noor, a senior staffer at Lemha-
Korea over its nuclear weapons nas who heads the organizing committee for the conference, said on
and missiles programs. China
is the North’s most important
source of diplomatic support and
economic assistance.
M’sia releases victim Thursday.
The event will feature speakers from the US, Australia, Europe, China
and India, among others, as well as Indonesian scholars.
Led by Lt. Gen. (ret.) Agus Widjojo who reports to President Joko
Widodo, Lemhanas runs leadership training programs and carries out

of N. Korean murder
In February, Trump reaffirmed
Washington’s long-standing “One research on strategic national defense and national values. — JP
China” policy in a call with Xi, in
an apparent move to ease con-
cerns in China that he might use
Israel to cut another $2 million from UN
Taiwan as leverage in negotia- ISRAEL: In a protest at resolutions taken against it at the United Na-
tions over trade, security and oth- Reuters Police have wrongly that the body was that of Kim tions’ various forums, Israel said on Wednesday it would cut a further
er sensitive issues. The policy in KUALA LUMPUR identified victim’s North Chol as stated in his passport, and US$2 million from its already reduced contribution this year to the UN.
place since 1979 requires Wash- Malaysian Prime Minister Na- Korea passport for South not Kim Jong-nam. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also holds the post of
ington to maintain only unofficial jib Razak said on Thursday that Korea Malaysia also expelled the foreign minister, instructed the ministry to cut the funds and use the
ties with Taiwan, which China the body of Kim Jong-nam, half- North Korean ambassador for be- money as aid for developing countries who support Israel at interna-
claims as its own territory. brother of North Korean leader Pyongyang continues to ing “diplomatically rude”, though tional organizations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Kim Jong-un, has been released refer to him as Kim Chol, Najib later said that ties with It is the second such cut this year after Israel said in January it was
spokesman Lu Kang told re- to North Korea, bringing an end as stated in his passport, Pyongyang would not be severed reducing its contribution by $6 million.
porters that Xi would meet with to a diplomatic spat that escalated and not Kim Jong-nam in a bid to calm relations. Wednesday’s further cut means that of its planned commitment
Trump at Mar-a-Lago, without over nearly seven weeks. Malaysian authorities have of $11.7 million for 2017 Israel will pay the UN only $3.7 million, the
providing any more details. Najib said nine Malaysians wrongly identified the slain half- foreign ministry said. The decision was made because of the “hostile
It is the same Florida resort barred from leaving North Ko- tional” in Malaysia at a meeting in brother of North Korea’s leader as resolutions adopted a few days ago by the UN’s Human Rights Coun-
where Trump hosted and played rea had been allowed to board a Kuala Lumpur. a South Korean national and first cil,” part of the Foreign Ministry’s statement said.
golf with Japanese Prime Minis- plane to leave Pyongyang, adding DPRK stands for North Korea’s alerted Seoul’s embassy in Kua- Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump’s administration said
ter Shinzo Abe in February. Xi, a on Twitter that the plane was ex- official name, the Democratic la Lumpur soon after his death, it was reviewing its participation in the Geneva-based UN Human
fan of soccer and other sports, is pected to reach Kuala Lumpur at People’s Republic of Korea. sources familiar with the incident Rights Council, seeking reform of its agenda and an end to its “obses-
not known to play golf. 5 a.m. Malaysian time. “The importance of bilateral told Reuters. sion with Israel”. — Reuters
Before arriving in the United The Malaysians left Pyongyang relations was reaffirmed. In this The police error did have a sil-
States, Xi will pay a state visit to in a Royal Malaysian Air Force connection, both countries agreed ver lining: It enabled Seoul to
Finland from April 4-6, Lu said. business jet, which headed imme- to positively discuss the re-intro- quickly inform Kuala Lumpur VN labels Taiwan drills ‘serious violation’
Relations between China and diately west out of North Korean duction of the visa-free system the dead man was probably Kim
the US under President Barack airspace before turning south to- and work towards bringing the re- Jong-nam. VIETNAM: Vietnam on Thursday denounced Taiwan’s military drills on
Obama were strained by issues in- wards Malaysia, according to flight lations to a higher level,” read the After examining the victim’s and around a disputed South China Sea island, labelling them a seri-
cluding China’s island-building in tracking website planefinder.net. statement from North Korea. passport, Malaysian authorities ous violation of its sovereignty and a threat to maritime security.
waters surrounding international “Following the completion of Malaysia imposed a travel ban confused the Democratic Peo- China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about
shipping lanes in the South China the autopsy on the deceased and on North Koreans leaving the ple’s Republic of Korea, the for- US$5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei,
Sea, allegations of cyber hacking receipt of a letter from his fam- Southeast Asian country in a tit- mal name of North Korea, with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
and a US policy rebalance to Asia. ily requesting the remains be re- for-tat move after Pyongyang the Republic of Korea, the official Taiwan’s claim to Itu Aba is complicated by the fact that China
Despite that, cooperation be- turned to North Korea, the coro- barred Malaysians from leaving name of its estranged southern considers Taiwan sovereign territory. Taiwan and China both claim
tween their militaries expanded ner has approved the release of the its borders. neighbor, the sources said. the South China Sea using old maps that date back to the late 1940s
tentatively and China’s defense body,” Najib said in a statement. Najib said on Thursday that Malaysian authorities contacted when the Nationalists ruled China.
ministry on Thursday hailed fur- The statement did not mention North Koreans will now be al- the South Korean embassy, send- The defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing to
ther growth, while warning of po- Kim by name. Kim was assassi- lowed to leave Malaysia. ing along copies of documents Mao Zedong’s Communists. Taiwan has been self-ruled ever since.
tential frictions ahead. nated at Kuala Lumpur airport on North Korea were angered by found on Kim’s body. After the Taiwan’s coast guard said that the live-fire drills around Itu Aba were
“We are willing to make joint Feb. 13. Malaysian authorities, who iden- mix-up was realized, North Korea’s routine. The scheduled drills began on Wednesday and end on Friday.
efforts with the US side [...] so as A joint statement by the North tified North Korean suspects and diplomatic mission in Kuala Lum- Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said the drills
to maintain a stable military-to- Korean government released si- wanted to question others, in- pur was informed on the day of the were “a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the [Spratly]
military relationship while striv- multaneously said both countries cluding a diplomat at their em- murder, the sources said. archipelago, threatening peace, stability, and maritime safety and se-
ing to make new gains,” spokes- managed to “resolve issues aris- bassy in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian police did not re- curity, stressing and complicating the situation in the East Sea [South
man Col. Wu Qian said. ing from the death of a DPRK na- Pyongyang has maintained spond to requests for comment. China Sea].” — Reuters
WORLD FRIDAY March 31, 2017 | 12
BREXIT
Heating up
UK not blackmailing EU
on security: Davis
Danica Kirka Senior European leaders re-
and Jill Lawless sponded positively to the warm
ASSOCIATED PRESS/LONDON overall tone of May’s letter — but
they could not miss the steely un-
Britain’s chief negotiator in the dertone.
country’s divorce from the Euro- “I find the letter of Mrs. May
pean Union on Thursday rejected very constructive generally, but
suggestions the United Kingdom there is also one threat in it,” said
has threatened to end security European Parliament Brexit co-
cooperation unless it gets a good ordinator Guy Verhoftstadt, say-
trade deal, as the UK announced ing May seemed to be demanding
plans for the huge task of replac- a good trade deal in exchange for
ing thousands of EU laws and reg- continued security cooperation.
ulations with domestic law. “It doesn’t work like that,” he
Brexit Secretary David Da- told Sky News. “You cannot abuse
vis said Prime Minister Theresa the security of citizens to have then
May’s letter triggering talks on a good deal on something else.”
Britain’s departure made clear A day after triggering its EU
Britain wants to continue to work exit process, the British govern-
with the EU on a range of issues, ment began outlining Thursday
including security, for both sides. how it intends to convert thou-
“We want a deal, and she was sands of EU rules into British law
making the point that it’s bad when it leaves the bloc in 2019.
for both of us if we don’t have a The government published
deal,” Davis told the BBC. “Now plans for a Great Repeal Bill that AP/Francois Mori
that, I think, is a perfectly reason- will transform more than 12,000 Tourists take the sun on a lawn with the Invalides War Museum in background on a sunny day in Paris on Thursday. France is experiencing a
able point to make and not in any EU laws in force in Britain into heat wave condition with temperatures crossing 22 degrees Celsius in several areas, according to news reports.
sense a threat.” UK statute so that “the same rules
May’s six-page letter trigger- will apply after exit day” as before.
ing two years of divorce negotia- The bill is designed to prevent
tions makes 11 references to se- Britain plunging into a legislative
curity and said that without a
good deal, “our cooperation in the
fight against crime and terrorism
would be weakened.” The tabloid
black hole once it extricates itself
from the EU.
Davis told lawmakers it would
ensure that British laws are made
Indonesia to share expertise
with Afghanistan
Sun was in no doubt about what not in Brussels but “in London,
May meant: “Your money or your Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.”
lives,” was its front-page headline But opposition lawmakers are
Thursday, along with the words unhappy at plans to give govern-
“PM’s Brexit threat to EU.” ment ministers power to change
Britain is a European security some laws without votes in Par- Tama Salim Afghanistan’s President is keen on taking a page out of In- stan is considered a non-tradi-
powerhouse — one of only two liament. They fear the Conser- THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA Ashraf Ghani to visit donesia’s past successes in man- tional market for Southeast Asia’s
nuclear powers in the bloc and vative government will use it as Jakarta in April aging internal conflict in hopes of largest economy, with relatively
with some of the world’s most ca- a chance to water down workers’ Indonesia will soon host the supporting reconciliation. low two-way trade volume, Ar-
pable intelligence services. rights and environmental protec- leader of Afghanistan, the latest Afghanistan the latest “Afghanistan is really keen on rmanatha said.
May said Wednesday that Brit- tions introduced in Britain during in a string of state visits that will in a series of visits from learning from Indonesia’s experi- According to the Trade Ministry,
ain will probably have to leave the four decades of EU membership. help solidify Indonesia’s inter- ences and using them as best prac- the volume of bilateral trade has
EU police agency, Europol, after Labor Party Brexit spokesman national standing as an influen-
leaders of countries tices to be implemented in the more than halved, from US$36.6
Brexit but wants to “maintain the Keir Starmer said the proposed tial middle power and major eco- seeking assistance from RI country,” Ferdy told reporters. million in 2015 to $16.25 million in
degree of cooperation on these bill “gives sweeping powers to the nomic player. After the fall of the Taliban re- 2016 — even as Jakarta has mostly
matters that we have currently.” executive” and lacks “rigorous Afghan President Ashraf Ghani “This visit is historic as it is the gime in 2001, Afghan leaders have benefited from the trade surplus.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd, safeguards” on their abuse. is expected to embark on a two- first time that an Afghan presi- been in protracted talks to restore Ferdy said the low trade vol-
whose responsibilities include in- The government insists exec- day state visit to Indonesia in dent will conduct a state visit to governance to the country and ume is caused by various impedi-
telligence and security, also denied utive powers will be time-limit- April for talks that encompass a Indonesia, as well as being [Pres- create a durable peace. ments, including untrustworthy
there was a threat, but told Sky ed and will only be used to make range of issues, but with particu- ident] Ghani’s first destination in Predictably, counterterrorism trade transaction channels and a
News: “If we left Europol, then we “mechanical changes” so laws can lar focus on Indonesia’s role as Southeast Asia,” ministry spokes- will be another focus of the bilat- lack of direct access to the Afghan
would take our information ... with be applied smoothly. It says it is a development partner for the person Arrmanatha Nasir told a eral meeting next month. “As we market — Pakistan and Iran have
us. The fact is, the European part- trying to balance “the need for conflict-ridden country, Foreign press briefing on Thursday. know, extremism is quite salient often been beneficiaries of Indo-
ners want to keep our information.” scrutiny and the need for speed.” Ministry officials say. The former World Bank econ- in Afghanistan, so Indonesia’s de- nesian products re-exported into
omist’s predecessor, Hamid Kar- radicalization programs are likely Afghanistan.
zai, visited Indonesia to attend play a vital role,” Ferdy said. Ghani will attend a business
the Bali Democracy Forum in Indonesia also considers the matching forum alongside the
Nusa Dua in 2012. landlocked South Asian country Afghan business delegation on
Ghani will be in Jakarta from as an important partner in peace- April 6.
April 5-6, before departing for building efforts, particularly when He is also slated to meet Indone-
Singapore as part of his mini-tour it comes to disseminating the val- sia’s ulemas at Istiqlal Mosque, in-
of the Asia-Pacific region. ues of moderate Islam as rah- cluding those from Muhammadi-
The ministry’s director for matan lil alamin (a blessing for the yah and Nahdlatul Ulama as well as
South and Central Asian affairs, universe), Arrmanatha said. other prominent religious figures.
Ferdy Piay, said that Ghani would Categorized as a least devel- Ghani’s tour of Indonesia fol-
meet President Joko “Jokowi” oped country, Afghanistan stands lows a string of visits made by
Widodo for talks on a range of is- to benefit from Indonesia, a mem- leaders from developing coun-
sues, particularly conflict resolu- ber of the G20, which is expected tries like Bangladesh, Yemen,
tion. to provide development assis- Mozambique and Sri Lanka, all of
Leading efforts to push reform tance to other countries in need. whom have technical cooperation
in the Afghan government, Ghani In economic terms, Afghani- in place with Indonesia.

BILATERAL TIES

Indonesia, Brazil sign defense agreement

Travel
Novan Iman Santosa The cooperation agreement is laboration in equipment and ser-
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA based on principles of equality, re- vices, logistics support, defense
specting each other’s sovereignty sector exports, transfer of tech-
Indonesia expects to increase and territorial integrity, non-in- nology, joint research, joint pro-
defense cooperation with Brazil tervention in domestic issues and duction and joint marketing.
and expand defense industry col- mutual trust, especially in main- The signing of the agreement

WRITING
laboration in the near future fol- taining peace, stability and in- is a follow up to a joint declara-
lowing the signing of an agreement ternational security, the Defense tion on strategic partnership be-
on defense cooperation in Jakarta. Ministry said in a statement. tween Indonesia and Brazil that
Defense Minister Ryamizard The agreement covers various was signed by the foreign minis-
Ryacudu signed the agreement at aspects including exchange of ters of both countries on Oct. 15,
A CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP the Defense Ministry on Thurs- high-level delegations from both 2008, in Brazil.
day witnessed by Brazilian Am- civil and military authorities, Indonesia has acquired a num-
bassador to Indonesia Rubem meetings of defense and military ber of Brazilian-made weapons
Ever wonder what it takes to write a great Antonio Correa Barbosa. institutions and human resource systems including the EMB-314
The agreement will also be development through education Super Tucano counter-insurgen-
travel story? Learn from the best and ignite signed by Brazilian Defense Min- and training. cy aircraft and the self-propelled
your passion for people, places and culture. ister Raul Belens Jungmann Pin- Both countries also agreed to Astros multiple launch rocket
to in Brazil. increase defense industry col- system (MLRS).

Rediscover yourself. Explore. COUNTER TERRORISM

Tillerson seeks to keep focus on IS

6 SESSIONS REGISTER TODAY!
APRIL 9 - MAY 14 2017 MONA
Lesley Wroughton Washington’s readiness to work powers, a move which his oppo-
SUNDAYS 2-6PM 0812 1953 3519 with the Kurdish YPG militia in nents and some European allies
REUTERS/ANKARA
(021) 5300 476 EXT. 4017 the fight against IS. Ankara sees fear will bring increasing authori-
United States Secretary of State the YPG as an extension of PKK tarianism.
WE [email protected] Rex Tillerson held talks with Tur- militants who have fought a three- Senior US officials have said Til-
OFFER TJPCREATIVEWRITING.COM key’s leaders on Thursday in a one- decade insurgency inside Turkey lerson will not meet the Turkish
A 10% day visit to a NATO ally crucial and are deemed a terrorist group opposition during the visit, a sign
DISCOUNT to the fight against Islamic State by the US and European Union. that he will seek to avoid discus-
FOR ALL (IS) but increasingly at odds with US-Turkish relations have also sion of domestic issues while try-
STUDENTS Washington and its European been strained by the continued ing to keep the focus on the fight
partners. presence in the US of Turkish cler- against IS.
Tillerson held a closed-door ic Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Er- But his trip has been further
INVESTMENT INSTRUCTOR meeting with President Tayyip Er- dogan for a failed coup last July clouded by the arrest in New York
VALUE:
IDR 5,500,000 AGUSTINUS dogan at which he was expected
to discuss the US-led fight against
and whom Ankara wants extra-
dited.
on Monday of an executive of Tur-
key’s state-run Halkbank, who is
(INCL.
TAX) WIBOWO
writer of Selimut Debu,
IS, including the planned offen-
sive against its Syrian stronghold
of Raqqa, where Turkey has been
Ties soured under former US
President Barack Obama and offi-
cials in Ankara have been hoping
accused of conspiring in a multi-
year scheme to evade US sanctions
on Iran.
angered by US support for Kurd- for a reset under President Donald Shortly after Tillerson’s arrival
Garis Batas and Titik Nol ish militia fighters. Trump. But there have been few in Ankara, Justice Minister Bekir
He earlier met Prime Minister signs of improvement. Bozdag told broadcaster A Haber
Binali Yildirim and discussed ef- Tillerson’s visit comes less than that the arrest was a “completely
forts to defeat IS in Syria and Iraq, three weeks ahead of a referen- political move” designed to tarnish
Yildirim’s office said. dum at which Erdogan is seeking Turkey and Erdogan and ques-
Erdogan has been incensed by constitutional change to boost his tioned the evidence in the case.
BUSINESS FRIDAY March 31, 2017 | 13
BUREAUCRACY STOCK EXCHANGE CULINARY
Red tape continues to block SGX looks to mull tie-ups as A homey meal steeped in
investment p14 deals grow harder p16 culture at The Argentine p22

FINTECH
Solid teamwork
Banks urged to build
digital services
Dylan Amirio mobile transactions compared
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA to overall transactions has been
steadily increasing over the past
With the impending conquest years. In 2013, it stood at nearly
of digital services through finan- 10 percent and increased to 27.65
cial technology (fintech), banks percent two years later. The in-
must gradually shift their main creasing popularity of mobile
transaction methods toward dig- transactions is also correlated
ital to survive new competition with the rise of fintech services,
landscapes in the sector, experts which eliminates much of the
and analysts have suggested. hassle of bank-based transac-
Currently, conventional finan- tions.
cial methods dominate the way a Eddi added that the popularity
majority of Indonesians conduct of third party peer-to-peer (P2P)
transactions, but with the appear- lending services with the public is
ance of many fintech firms dis- due to both convenience and clar-
rupting the system, the trend is ity on how a customer’s money is
changing. However, it is also up handled.
to the fintech firms themselves to To make sure that fintech com-
sustain their services so they can panies are able to build them- Antara/Audy Alwi
act as effective players in the in- selves sustainably to become the President director of private lender PT Bank JTrust Indonesia Tbk., known also as JTrust Bank, Ritsuo Ando (center), poses with the board of
dustry. alternative solution, observers, directors (left to right) Helmi A. Hidayat, Haryanto B. Purnomo, Budi T. Halim, Felix I. Hartadi Tiono, Yosuke Tanaka, and Rio Lanasier before
Mandiri Capital Indonesia such as IBM Indonesia’s general its annual shareholders’ meeting in Jakarta on Thursday. During the meeting, shareholders of the bank agreed on a plan to add Rp 1 trillion
(MCI) president director Eddi manager in banking and financial (US$ 75.1 million) of capital without a preemptive rights issuance, which will be wholly absorbed by Jtrust Co. Ltd.
Danusaputro explained that cur- markets Inge Halim underlined
rently, ATM transactions are still the importance of startups in ca-
the dominant method of bank pacity and content building as
transactions for the Indonesian well as making sure the founders
public, but the trend is declin-
ing due to the increasing shift to-
ward mobile banking and the high
maintenance costs that banks
have adequate knowledge of the
industry.
“A majority of fintech company
founders are either ex-vendors or
New electricity plan lowers
expansion expectations
have to deal with regarding ATMs. ex-bankers,” she said.
Thus, he urged banks to grad- “They cut their teeth in the
ually treat the e-channel as the financial industry before they
main platform when the time started on their own. For those
comes, as transactions through starting without that experience,
bank branches have been effec- it might be harder for them, but Fedina S. Sundaryani President’s project Highlights of electricity procurement business plan (RUPTL)
tively on the decline since 2010. what is needed is the knowledge THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA only producting 1.8% of
“Maintenance costs for ATMs to solve problems.” No. Description 2016-2025 2017-2026
35,000 MW target RUPTL RUPTL
are also very expensive as they Adding to that, Bina Nusan- The government has agreed to
1. Reference General Plan for National RUKN draft, General Plan
have to take into account the fac- tara University lecturer and se- lower its expectations for additional New RUPTL sets Electricity (RUKN) draft for National Energy
tors surrounding upkeep, such as nior advisor at financial risk con- electricity supply in 2019 based on economic growth (RUEN) draft
ACs and security guards,” Eddi sulting company PT VaRiskindo, more modest forecasts of economic assumption at 6% annually 2. Capacity targets
said Thursday at the Centre of Mohammad Hamsal, noted that growth and domestic demand.
(PLN and independent
Strategic and International Stud- the government itself must also Energy and Mineral Resourc-
power producers):
ies (CSIS) conference on Digital anticipate, build and guarantee es Minister Ignasius Jonan con- 56.8 percent, have been signed.
- 2019 90.5 gigawatt 79.2 gigawatt
Diplomacy in Fintech. the role of fintech in the future as firmed on Thursday that he had Agreements for the rest, about
- 2025 128.3 gigawatt 125.7 gigawatt
“In essence, banks are also doable, feasible and beneficial for signed off on state-owned elec- 14,000 MW, have not been signed
3. Energy mix 2025:
profiting relatively little from Indonesia. tricity firm PLN’s electricity pro- and the projects are only in the
- Renewable energy (%) 19.7 22.6
ATMs and are basically losing Indonesia’s financial litera- curement business plan (RUPTL) planning and procurement stages.
- Coal (%) 50.3 50.4
money every day.” cy and penetration is still seen for 2017 to 2026. Jonan claimed that the change
- Gas (%) 29.4 26.6
MCI is a corporate Venture as relatively weak compared to Although the official RUPTL is in electricity supply target for
- Oil (%) 0.6 0.4
Capital firm operated by the neighboring countries. The coun- only expected to be issued within 2019 was based on the govern-
4. 35,000 megawatt program Exists Exists
country’s largest financial institu- try’s credit card penetration is at the next few weeks, the minister ment’s calculations that Indone-
5. Stipulated in Energy and Mineral
tion, Bank Mandiri, which is also 4 percent while its bank account has confirmed that the national sia’s economic growth would ex-
Resources Minister Decree
a state-owned lender. penetration is only at 36 percent, electricity capacity target for 2019 pand by a maximum of 6 percent
No. 5899 K/20/MEM/2016
According to data from MCI, despite a loan deposit ratio of 90 has been lowered to 79.2 gigawatts annually, lower than the initial
the proportion of the volume of percent. (GW), down from the 90.5 GW tar- growth estimate of 7 to 8 percent. Source: Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry
get stipulated in last year’s RUPTL. The new lower target is also
“I have already signed the aimed at preventing an oversupply smallest addition of only 2.1 GW “The gas portion has decreased
RUPTL,” Jonan told reporters of electricity that may not be used from new power plants by 2026. slightly, but we are hopeful it can
Traveller following a hearing at the House
of Representatives’ Commission
domestically, which would cost
PLN. PLN corporate planning di-
On the other hand, the govern-
ment has set a higher target for
increase again to gradually re-
place coal,” Jonan said, referring
VII overseeing energy. rector Nicke Widyawati confirmed the amount of electricity to be to coal’s 50.4 percent portion.
Electricity is a large priority for that the latest RUPTL contained procured from renewable sourc- Meanwhile, Institute for Es-
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s an economic growth assump- es by 2026. Jonan confirmed that sential Services Reform (IESR)
administration, which launched an tion of 5.2 percent to 5.4 percent the RUPTL’s projected target for executive director Fabby Tumiwa
ambitious program to procure an until 2019. electricity from renewable sourc- said that it was not a surprise that
additional 35,000 megawatts (MW) “The 35,000 MW program will es has been set at 22.6 percent, up the 2019 electricity supply target
at the beginning of his tenure. continue to be implemented. How- from the 19.7 percent in the previ- was changed as PLN would have
The goal is to establish a 30 per- ever, [generating capacity for] only ous plan. calculated it based on the coun-
cent surplus in the national elec- about 26,000 MW will be complet- The Energy and Mineral Re- try’s projected demand.
tricity reserve margin through ed by 2019, with 7,000 MW in the sources Ministry is optimistic it Fabby warned that the gov-
more cost-efficient operations. pipeline. We have adjusted it based can reach the higher target fol- ernment and PLN should not pat
There is currently a national power on demand,” she said. lowing its decision to issue Min- themselves on the back just yet
supply capacity of about 56 GW. The newest RUPTL has low- isterial Decree No. 12/2017, which for increasing its projection for
The program started off slow ered the expectations for electric- caps electricity feed-in tariffs electricity produced from renew-
and the government has acknowl- ity supply targets in 2026 as well, from renewable sources at lower able sources.
edged that it is unlikely to reach which has been set to 125.7 GW, or equal levels with national elec- “The portion is smaller than
its initial target by 2019. Official down from last year’s target of tricity costs. the target written in the National
Antara/Audy Alwi data shows that only an addition- 128.3 GW. As the renewable energy target Energy Plan [RUEN], which stip-
A visitor orders a tourism package during the Mega Travel Fair al 639 MW, 1.8 percent of the pro- A whopping 39.1 GW will be add- rises, the portions of gas- and oil- ulates that 23 percent of all elec-
in Jakarta on Thursday. Private lender Bank Mega together with travel gram, is not being produced. ed onto the Java-Bali electricity powered electricity generation fall tricity must be procured from re-
agency Anta Vaya is running the event that will run until April 2 and Contracts or power purchase system, followed closely by 21 GW to 26.6 percent and 0.4 percent, re- newable energy by 2025. This is
offer a number of tourism deals to local as well as overseas destina- agreements (PPA) for projects in the Sumatra system. The Ma- spectively, down from 29.4 percent equal to around 45 GW,” he told
tions at competitive prices. that would supply 19,877 MW, luku-Papua system will have the and 0.6 percent. The Jakarta Post. (ecn)

BANKING SPOTLIGHT
House warns state banks to protect profits
Grace D. Amianti struction sector,” he said. firmly by working together with
and Anton Hermansyah The lawmakers also pointed out the AGO [Attorney General’s Of-
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA that the geopolitical situations and fice] to help us with legal charg-
rising protectionism in Europe es,” said Bank Mandiri president
As if research teams and risk and the United States could trig- director Kartika Wirjoatmodjo.
management divisions are no- ger currency volatility and in turn The gross NPL of Bank Nega-
where to be found in state-owned also affect the banks’ NPL. ra Indonesia (BNI) and BRI also
banks, the House of Representa- Among four state-owned lend- climbed last year. BNI ended 2016
tives summoned these politically ers, Bank Mandiri was the most with a gross NPL of 3 percent, while
obedient lenders on Thursday to heavily affected in terms of a surg- BRI reported a gross NPL of 2.1 per-
convey a message: be extra cau- ing number of bad loans last year cent. An NPL ratio of 5 percent is
tious against fraud. caused by plunging commodity considered the maximum safe limit.
In a hearing that the two big- prices. Its gross NPL ratio, the ra- BRI president director Supra-
gest state-owned lenders, Bank tio between bad debts and total jarto said he would try to maintain
Mandiri and Bank Rakyat Indo- loans, soared to 4 percent last year its gross NPL level at 2.4 percent
nesia (BRI) attended, the House’s from only 2.6 percent in 2015. this year, while also maintaining
Commission XI, which oversees The bad loans forced the bank its coverage ratio at 160 percent to
the fiscal and financial sector, to double its loan loss provision to 170 percent. Last year BRI set aside
highlighted the necessity of pre- Rp 24.6 trillion (US$1.84 billion), Rp 22.18 trillion as a consolidated
venting fraud and slashing non- causing its net profits to nose- loan-loss provision. The figure was
performing loans (NPL) in a bid dive by 32.1 percent year-on-year equivalent to 170 percent of its non-
to maintain their profitability. (yoy) to Rp 13.81 trillion last year. performing loans (NPL).
Commission XI lawmaker An- The bank restructured Rp 40 “We will keep the NPL at 3 per- Courtesy of Siloam International Hospitals
dreas Eddy Susetyo of the Indo- trillion worth of credit by mid- cent while continuing to restruc- Marking the achievement: PT Siloam International Hospitals general manager for public relations
nesian Democratic Party of Strug- March and is upbeat commodity ture the loans,” BNI president di- and media relations Jimmy Rambing (left) receives a gold medal from Indonesian Public Relations
gle (PDI-P) said NPL were among prices will continue an upward rector Achmad Baiquni said. Association vice chairman Silli Agung Wasesa during the Public Relations Indonesia Awards 2017
many indicators banks could find trend, thus giving greater ease to Meanwhile, Bank Tabungan ceremony on March 24 in Bali. Jimmy won the award in the Internal Corporate Magazine category.
difficult to manage if global risks its debt restructuring program. Negara (BTN) aims for its NPL In this year’s PRIA awards, Siloam successfully took home three awards: a gold medal in the Private
badly affected the country’s econ- “We treat NPL coming from to be between 2 and 2.5 percent Internal Corporate Magazine category, silver medal in the Private Corporate Website category and a
omy. “Going forward, there are business risk through regular this year, after having slashed it media relations award in the Local Private Corporation category.
still many industry players who measures such as a restructur- to 2.84 percent in 2016 from 3.42
complain [about the economic ing program. However, if there is percent in 2015, president direc- This column is available for messages. For further information, please contact:
Endang at ph. (021) 530 0476, fax. (021) 536 0009 or e-mail address: [email protected]
situation], particularly in the con- an indication of fraud, we will act tor Maryono said. (dra)
14 | BUSINESS FRIDAY March 31, 2017

Banknote rates Weighing future prospects GLOBAL VENTURE

Banknote rates Selling Rp Buying Rp
US dollar 1 13,383.00 13,249.00 Summit to
Australian dollar 1 10,254.05 10,150.06
Swiss franc
Euro
1
1
13,416.54
14,386.73
13,279.54
14,237.38
bring Silicon
British pound
Hong Kong dollar 1
1 16,649.79
1,722.24
16,481.76
1,704.97
Valley capital
Japanese yen
Korean won
100
1
12,022.10
11.99
11,896.38
11.87
to Indonesia
Malaysian ringgit 1 3,029.20 2,995.48
Philippine peso 1 266.60 263.90 Dylan Amirio
Singaporean dollar 1 9,588.05 9,486.61 THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA
Thai baht 1 388.03 383.92
Prominent startup investors
Source: BI from Silicon Valley, in the Unit-
ed States and from other parts of
World benchmarks the world will soon gather in Bali
Daily Change for a summit that will bring fund-
Country Index Points % ing and networking opportunities
Indonesia (JCI) 5,592.95 0.44 0.01 to boost Indonesia’s startup eco-
system.
S. Korea (Kospi) 2,164.64 -2.34 -0.11
The first-ever annual Global
Thailand (SET Index) 1,583.44 8.47 0.54 Ventures Summit (GVS) will be
Malaysia (FTSE BM) 1,749.25 -1.16 -0.07 held in on April 19 to 21, bringing
Antara/Audy Alwi about 30 venture capital firms,
Singapore (FTSE ST) 3,173.24 -11.33 -0.36
Japan (Nikkei 225) 19,063.22 -154.26 -0.80 Local cement maker PT Semen Padang president director Benny Wendry (second left) converses with pro- 50 angel investors and hundreds
Hong Kong (Hang Seng) 24,301.09 -90.96 -0.37
duction director Indrieffouny Indra (left), commercial director Pudjo Suseno (second right) and finance of corporate figures and startups
director Tri Hartono Rianto after its annual shareholders’ meeting in Jakarta on Thursday. The firm saw its from various corners of the world,
China (SSE Comp.) 3,210.24 -31.08 -0.96
business performance improve in the past year compared to 2015 as its margin of earnings before interest, but mainly from the US.
Philippines (PSE Index) 7,332.59 8.59 0.12 taxes, depreciation and amortization rose by 20.64 percent, up from 19.31 percent. Among the key guests will be
India (S&P Sensex) 29,623.80 92.37 0.31 several Silicon Valley venture
USA (DJIA) 20,659.32 -42.18 -0.20 capital (VC) firms, such as 500
UK (FTSE) 7,367.73 -5.99 -0.08
Startups, Intel Capital and Fenox
Venture Capital.
Australia (All Ordinaries)

ECONOMY IN BRIEF
5,931.84 21.14 0.36
Source: IDX
Red tape continues The event’s main organizer US-
based medical tech venture capi-
tal ParkPine Capital will partner
with local VC firms Kejora Ven-

to block investment
tures and Convergence Ventures
to carry out the event.
Govt to issue integrated card prototype GVS founder and lead at Park-
Pine Capital Ahmed Shabana said
JAKARTA: The Directorate General of Taxation will launch a prototype smart that Indonesian startups would
card for tax identification numbers (NPWPs) that will be integrated with Fedina S. Sundaryani tion contracts last 30 years. How- As many as 289 permits make up around 40 percent of GVS
other identity cards as part of its effort to improve the taxpayer database. THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA ever, official data shows that the are needed to invest in oil participants. The event, he added,
The tax office has partnered with state-owned Bank Mandiri for the time between discovery and first and gas sector was primarily aimed to connect
NPWP smart card, called “One Indonesia Card” ( Kartin1 ), which will The hassle of long-winded bu- production averages around 15 US major players with promising
include taxpayer numbers. reaucracy coupled with the ne- years, much higher than the aver- Complicated procedures startups in the region with a glob-
“We will launch the prototype on Friday,” said the tax office’s direc- cessity of applying for nearly 300 age of 10 years in neighboring Ma- reduce production period al flair as well as to explore the po-
tor for information and communications technology transformation, permits remains a major bane to laysia and Brunei Darussalam. by half to 15 years tential and opportunities of fast-
Iwan Djuniardi, after a press conference on Wednesday. investors wishing to funnel in- This is attributed not only to surging markets like Indonesia.
The tax office plans to officially launch the smart card in July and vestment into the country’s oil lackluster infrastructure develop- “I think that this event can
expects more banks and other institutions, such as the Healthcare and and gas sector. ment, but also to the large number ic procedures. A gross-split sliding benefit [the Indonesian startup
Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) and the Workers Social Secu- Investment in the upstream of permits investors must secure scale was introduced earlier this ecosystem] by potentially rais-
rity Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan), to join the system. sector has continued to decline from various ministries and insti- year, which nixes the government’s ing its funding and valuation,”
The NPWP smart card will include various identity numbers, such as despite the government’s efforts tutions to commence production, need to reimburse investors’ ex- Ahmed said. “It’s a good oppor-
those of national ID cards, driver’s licenses and credit cards. However, to make it more enticing for busi- which altogether total 289 per- ploitation activities and therefore, tunity for these startups to ask
banks should apply for a permit from Bank Indonesia for the NPWP ness players, indirectly causing a mits according to IPA’s data. exempts investors from long nego- the advice and help of the visiting
smart card to include credit card numbers. fall in production and retarding The current situation contrasts tiations on the value of its activi- VC firmss. Indonesia is the right
The tax office will ensure that each taxpayer obtains one NPWP new discoveries vital to fulfilling starkly with the country’s heyday ties with the Upstream and Oil Gas place because despite the quick
smart card, which has a concept similar to the e-ID card. — JP skyrocketing domestic demand. of oil in the 1970s when the time Regulatory Special Task Force. expansion of startups, there is in-
Indonesian Petroleum Asso- between discovery and first pro- Convincing oil and gas busi- sufficient funding needed.”
ciation (IPA) director Ronald Gu- duction averaged only five years ness players to pour more mon- In terms of the ecosystem,
HappyFresh offers personalized app nawan claims the sizeable num- due to reduced red tape and regu- ey into the country is crucial to Ahmed said that Indonesia pre-
ber of permits that need to be lations governing the sector. meeting the government’s ambi- sented a huge opportunity for
JAKARTA: Online grocery startup HappyFresh has introduced a more secured by investors to work in Acknowledging the present dif- tion to meet domestic demand monetization. However, local
personalized app in a bid to strengthen its presence in Indonesia, one the upstream oil and gas sector ficulties, the Energy and Mineral from local supply and minimize startups still had a long way to
of its key markets. was a major turn-off for many, as Resources Ministry has sought to future imports. be able to sell their products on a
The upgraded app provides new features, such as a list of customers’ it significantly cut down on pro- streamline permits in order to ap- Upstream oil and gas invest- global scale, primarily because the
frequently bought products and a tracker of orders, to allow easier and duction periods, which meant pease investors in the industry. ment has continued to decrease, level of knowledge-sharing among
more convenient shopping with delivery in less than one hour. In addition, less time to obtain profits. Oil and gas director general with last year dropping by 24.5 them was still very low, he added.
it also offers notifications about the latest promotion and voucher codes. “Those of us who operate on- IGN Wiratmaja Puja said Ener- percent to US$12.01 billion from Describing this situation as
HappyFresh Group CEO Guillem Segarra Lopez said that the im- shore have to deal with so many gy and Mineral Resources Min- $15.9 billion in 2015. ironic, Ahmed said that domestic
proved app was part of its efforts to better understand what customers permits and it makes the process ister Ignasius Jonan had already Similarly, the figure of oil and startups had to learn from their US
wanted. It was made based on feedback gained from a direct survey difficult. We hope the bureaucracy signed off on a reduction of the gas fields in operation has con- peers in terms of knowledge-shar-
of its customers, he added. can be more efficient as that will al- ministry’s permits to six from 42. tinued to slide, totaling 288 fields ing, which was key to their success.
“We believe that grocery shopping is a quite complex journey. It low a longer time of production,” Prior to 2016, it required 104 in the past year from 321 fields in Kejora Ventures figurehead
doesn’t start by what you pick and what we deliver,” Segarra recently said Ronald, who is also the chief permits. 2013. and founding partner Sebastian
said. “It really starts from a trigger that you think you are missing operating officer of oil and gas firm “We want the process to be Separately, ReforMiner Insi- Togelang noted that the event
something, when you ask your husband or wife what to buy, make the PT Medco Energi Internasional. much faster and we are trying to tute researcher Komaidi Notone- would bring big markets and nec-
list and actually purchase.” Complicated procedures convince other institutions to do goro said the changes the govern- essary partners together. While
In its second year of operation, HappyFresh now aims to focus on reduced the production period by the same,” he said. ment had implemented in order local startups could learn from
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, after it halted operations in the half to 15 years and this strongly The government also recent- to boost interest in the oil and gas Silicon Valley business players,
Philippines and Taiwan last year. affected the economic feasibility ly issued a new product-sharing sector were severely short-sighted the event would also provide the
Customers in the three Southeast Asian markets total 60,000, half of of fields, he added. contract (PSC) scheme in order to as they mostly targeted enhanced opportunity for the latter to un-
which are from Indonesia. — JP/dra Indonesia’s oil and gas coopera- cut down on lengthy bureaucrat- efficiencies in the state budget. derstand the Indonesian market.

ANALYSIS

Regional performance and how to move forward

Romauli Panggabean Map: Regional GDP Growth Class growth in Babel. opment projects using its own
JAKARTA Meanwhile, North Kaliman- sources.
Regional GDP during Commodity Boom (2011) tan, as the newest province in Last year, even with the tax am-
Indonesia’s regional econom- Indonesia, needs various invest- nesty, the government was forced
ic growth has not fully recovered ment and support to grow. to cut or delay regional transfer
compared to when the commod- such as the development of the We can conclude that there are funds.
ity boom occurred in the 2010 to Keureuto dam, road upgrades and two main reasons why regions in Meanwhile, investments in
2013 period. bridge development. Indonesia grow higher or lower several manufacturing industries
The maps accompanying this West Java also received posi- — government policy and slightly have significant growth, for exam-
analysis present our thesis, which tive impact growth because of the higher commodity prices. ple, investments in the paper and
postulates as follows. government policy to increase > 7,01 (3)
As commodity prices fluctuate printing industry, food manufac-
Almost all regions experienc- food sufficiency. 5,50 to 7 (12) out of our control, it is a very risky turing, wood manufacturing and
ing high economic growth in 2011 The regional administration 4 to 5,49 (15) policy to pin regional income and chemical and pharmaceutical in-
(presented by the darker col- gave various subsidies and sup- < 3,99 (4) growth hopes on the commodity dustry.
or) suffered from low economic port for the agriculture sector in Regional GDP during Low Commodity Price (2016) sector. However, most of these indus-
growth after commodity prices West Java. The sector may help in the cur- tries are concentrated on Java.
dropped. However, in 2016, some As a result, paddy production rent and short-term, but not in The only province with a sig-
provinces showed they were able increased significantly and boost- the next five to 10 years. nificant share of investments is
to achieve significant economic ed economic growth in West Java. Accordingly, we should trans- South Sumatra, but most of them
growth. Three other provinces with form our economy and move for- are for mining and plantations.
The question is: what are the high economic growth are those ward to develop strong manufac- Not many investors come to
factors behind the significant eco- related to commodity. turing and services sectors. Indonesia and invest in the man-
nomic growth in these regions? Riau is home to oil mining and As we learn from the regional ufacturing sector, especially out-
To complete the analysis, we manufacturing and crude palm growth pattern, government pol- side of Java.
included a discussion contrasting oil in Sumatra. As oil prices grew icy is one of the main keys for the Lack of infrastructure is one
some provinces with the highest higher, the mining and manu- regions to transform their eco- of the important reasons why in-
decline in economic growth and facturing sectors also improved nomic structures to become more vestments in manufacturing are
some provinces with no signifi- compared to 2015. A similar case were still higher compared to the tung (Babel) and North Kaliman- manufacturing based. concentrated on Java.
cant progress. could be made for crude palm oil. national economic growth rate. tan. The policy to boost private in- Continuity of government in-
In 2016, there were five prov- In Papua, an extension of raw In Central Sulawesi, the main In 2016, Babel’s economic vestment is key. frastructure projects is required
inces with the highest progress in mineral concentrate exports reason behind the economic growth stood at 4.11 percent and One of the options is to invite to attract investments outside of
terms of economic growth, name- helped the local economy grow in growth decline was nickel pric- North Kalimantan’s reached ap- more investment into various Java, specifically for the manufac-
ly Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam 2016. es that hit the lowest level since proximately 3.75 percent. productive sectors, such as manu- turing sector.
(NAD), Riau, Papua, East Kali- As for East Kalimantan, oil and 2008, which eventually lowered Both provinces are known as facturing and infrastructure sec- Budget constraints will always
mantan and West Java. coal mining activities increased, export value. regions abundant with tin and tors, especially with high value be an obstacle.
Interestingly, all of these re- driven by higher prices. There was also a significant coal. creation. Therefore, cooperation with
gions have a high dependency on Contrasting the best perform- slowdown in the growth of con- In Babel, which is known as a In 2016, investment grew suf- other countries or firms as inves-
commodity exports. The highest ers, there were two provinces struction with the conclusion of tin producer, there are only small ficiently high, approximately 12.4 tors is a must for infrastructure
growth came from NAD in the whose growth declined signifi- smelter construction projects. and individual miners and many percent. with high return.
northern part of Sumatra. cantly, namely West Nusa Teng- Meanwhile, in NTB, the gov- of them operate illegally. The highest growth was re- We can allocate the govern-
It suffered from negative gara (NTB) and Central Sulawesi. ernment set an export quota for The production cannot provide ported in domestic direct invest- ment budget to build infrastruc-
growth of minus 0.73 percent, the In 2015, those provinces grew miner PT Newmont Nusa Teng- sustainable support for the econ- ment (DDI) at 20.5 percent, while ture with low return, but it is es-
second lowest growth after East marvelously at 21.7 percent and gara, which pushed down the omy. foreign direct investment (FDI) sential to boost manufacturing
Kalimantan, in 2015. 15.5 percent, respectively. mining industry’s export perfor- Nonetheless, Babel is also grew modestly at 8.4 percent. investment to that specific region.
However, its growth recov- However, in 2016, NTB’s mance. known for its beautiful beaches. Private investment is most im-
ered remarkably to 3.31 percent growth slowed to 5.82 percent Last but not least, there were Note that the government has portant in a situation where the
in 2016. and that of Central Sulawesi fell provinces that grew lower than chosen Babel as one of the top 10 government is constrained by a
The main reason for this re- to 9.98 percent. the national growth rate and have emerging tourist destinations, limited budget. The writer is an industry and
covery is a government policy Although the growth declined not shown significant progress but it seems tourism is not pow- Obviously, it is difficult for the regional analyst at Bank Mandiri’s
to build infrastructure projects, significantly, the growth rates since 2015, namely Bangka Beli- erful enough to boost economic government to tackle all devel- Office of Chief Economist.
FRIDAY March 31, 2017 BUSINESS | 15
CORPORATE STRATEGY

Bank Permata to conduct Indonesia eyes fairness

rights issue, cut NPLs
Winny Tang
THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA
loan repayment abilities.
The bank does not consider a
specific sector as carrying a signif-
in ride-hailing regulation
Publicly listed lender Bank icant threat, saying its high NPL Farida Susanty
Permata will conduct a rights is- ratio came from various sectors. THE JAKARTA POST/JAKARTA
sue in the first half of this year Data from the bank shows that
to boost capital and restructure it reaped net profits of Rp 214 Less than 48 hours before the
its business to reduce mounting billion in the first two months of implementation of a regulation
non-performing loans. 2017 and Permata claims that its that stipulates a fleet quota and
With the rights issue planned gross NPL has dropped to around price floor for ride-hailing servic-
in June, Permata is aiming to 6 percent at present. Meanwhile, es, the government gave its public
raise Rp 3 trillion (US$225.29 Permata’s shareholders approved reassurance on Thursday that the
million) in fresh funds. several changes to the lineup of new rule was intended to accom-
The two main shareholders of its board of commissioners. modate the interests of all stake-
Permata, diversified conglomerate Commissioner Sebastian Ra- holders in the industry, including
PT Astra International and British mon Ancuri took over Cheng Teck price-concious customers.
lender Standard Chartered Bank, Lim’s position as president com- In a proposed revision to Trans-
will be the standby buyers. missioner, while Astra director portation Ministerial Regulation
“Both of them [Astra and Stan- Suparno Djasmin replaced fellow No. 32/2016 on taxi businesses,
dard Chartered] have confirmed Astra director Gunawan Geniusa- set to become effective on April 1,
that they will take their portions hardja as deputy commissioner. the government seeks to replace
[44.56 percent stakes],” Bank Ian Charles Anderson, Standard the current pricing mechanism
Permata president director Ridha Chartered Bank Singapore’s re- employed by ride-hailing applica-
DM Wirakusumah said after the gional chief risk officer for ASEAN tion providers with minimum and JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
firm’s annual and extraordinary and South Asia, replaced Ancuri’s maximum fares determined by re- Only one touch away: Sharing a light moment during the launch of the Go-Bluebird app in Jakarta
general shareholders’ meetings position. Changes also occurred in gional administrations. on Thursday are ( from left to right) taxi operator PT Blue Bird president director Purnomo Prawiro,
on Wednesday. Permata’s board of directors. The government also seeks to Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar and
After the rights issue, Permata’s Lea Setianti Kusumawijaya put a limit on the number of driv- ride-hailing app Go-Jek Indonesia chief executive officer Nadiem Makarim. The app made by Blue Bird
capital adequacy ratio (CAR) is ex- was appointed finance director, ers partnering with the app com- and Go-Jek allows customers to order Blue Bird taxis with the Go-Jek app.
pected to rise slightly to between replacing Sandeep Kumar Jain, panies.
16 percent and 17 percent from 15.6 and Darwin Wibowo was in- The measures will be intro- New rules expected to tional taxi drivers whose incomes channel expansion.
percent in 2016. It held a rights is- stalled as wholesale director, re- duced in response to mount- protect interests of taxi have dwindled because of tighter In the new cooperation, Go-Jek
sue last year worth Rp 5.5 trillion. placing Anita Siswadi. ing protests from operators and users competition. will provide a Blue Bird booking
The rights issue to improve In February, Bloomberg report- drivers of formal public trans- However, the ministry later service through the app, which is
capital is needed because the ed that Indonesian business ty- portation, such as taxis and pub- Taxi operators hit hard postponed the implementation called Go-Blue Bird.
lender was badly hit by non-per- coon Tahir was keen to gain con- lic minivans, who blame popular by robust ride-hailing of the regulation twice until April Previously, both companies
forming loans (NPLs) in 2016. trol of Permata, a larger rival to ride-hailing apps, such as Go-Jek, business due to mounting complaints, in- have cooperated in the Go-Jek car
Its gross NPL ratio jumped to 8.8 his Bank Mayapada International, Grab and Uber, for creating unfair cluding those related to the com- charter service, Go-Car, where
percent from 2.7 percent in 2015 as he seeks to put his lender in the price mechanisms as they can of- pulsory roadworthiness tests and the app’s consumers can also en-
and its net NPL ratio climbed to ranks of the nation’s biggest banks. fer cheaper services to customers ment expects similar standards vehicle licensing. joy the Blue Bird fleet as part of
2.2 percent from 1.4 percent. Tahir’s Mayapada Group wants through subsidized pricing. from one province to another. The ministry has also repeat- the service.
The bad loans forced Perma- to buy the 90 percent of Permata Transportation Minister Budi Transportation Ministry direc- edly showed concern for the taxi “Go-Jek has their own custom-
ta to allocate a higher amount of that is owned by Standard Char- Karya Sumadi said the new regu- tor general for land transporta- business which has been hit hard er base. For Blue Bird, this is ad-
impairment at Rp 11.68 trillion, tered and Astra and merge it with lation represented the govern- tion Pudji Hartanto Iskandar said by ride-hailing apps. ditional multichannel access for
an almost fourfold increase com- Mayapada to create Indonesia’s ment’s efforts to accommodate that the government expected the The country’s largest taxi op- the consumers,” Blue Bird direc-
pared to 2015, and to swallow the largest private bank by assets after the interests of both parties. regional administration to set the erator, PT Blue Bird, for example, tor Adirnato Djokosoetono said.
bitter pill of net losses amounting Bank Central Asia (BCA), he said. “We keep mentioning fairness. fares for ride hailing services at has to swallow a 12.9 percent drop In the first phase, the service
to Rp 6.49 trillion. A spokesman for Standard […] There is no such thing as mak- similar rates to taxis. in its revenue to Rp 4.7 trillion in will be available in Jakarta; Band-
Permata claims it is now work- Chartered declined to comment ing one party lose against the oth- “The fare will still be cheaper 2016 compared to the 2015 figure. ung, West Java; Semarang, Cen-
ing to improve its financial per- on Tahir’s interest in Permata and er,” he said on Thursday. [than conventional taxis]. The Its profit also dropped by 38.4 tral Java; Surabaya, East Java; and
formance by restructuring the said the bank was committed to Under the new regulation, the [difference] will range between 10 percent to Rp 510.2 billion. Medan, North Sumatra.
bad loans. “We aim for a 5 percent Indonesia, a market that it consid- new fare will be measured by each percent to 20 percent,” he said. The company recently stated Go-Jek CEO and founder Na-
gross NPL ratio,” Ridha said. ers to be strategically important. kilometer of trip distance, like The Transportation Minis- that the drop was due to tighten- diem Makarim lauded the coop-
To reduce future risks of bad Tira Ardianti, Astra Interna- conventional taxi services. Even try issued a decree last May that ing competition with the ride- eration, adding that so far, there
loans, it will conduct stricter as- tional investor relations head, though the exact fare rate will served as a legal basis for the op- hailing apps. has been a significant surge in Go-
sessments on borrowers’ finan- said his firm would continue to later be decided by each regional eration of ride-hailing apps amid Blue Bird has turned to major Car users since the cooperation
cial credibility to ensure their support Permata. administration head, the govern- massive protests from conven- ride-hailing app Go-Jek for its with Blue Bird.

PROFILE

Second-chance finance minister tackles reform to boost Indonesia

Enda Curran, Yudith Ho in Southeast Asia’s largest econ- that several student protesters such ambitions, she hasn’t sig-
and Karlis Salna omy last July, Indrawati has been had been shot and killed. naled them publicly.
BLOOMBERG/JAKARTA the president’s chief instrument “It was televised,” she says. “I Tax reform, meanwhile, is at
in a push to get millions of Indo- was in a TV interview, crying.” the heart of what she does. A pop-
The mood at the meeting should nesians to take part in a tax am- At the height of the global fi- ular meme lit up social media af-
have been tense. Seventy bank an- nesty. nancial crisis in October 2008, ter Indrawati returned to Jakarta
alysts gathered in January at the The tax reprieve, which will midway through her half-decade last year. It showed her gripping a
Indonesian Ministry of Finance, a end on March 31, is a key plank in as finance minister, Sri Mulyani pistol and taking aim at an imag-
sprawling stylistic mix of art deco Jokowi’s reform agenda. It levied was in Jakarta drafting an emer- ined tax dodger, with the words
and 19th century East Indies colo- generous penalty rates as low as gency economic response to the “Who hasn’t joined the tax am-
nial, and made their way to a tower 2 percent to allow those who’ve meltdown when she learned that nesty?”
dubbed “the devil’s building” for been hiding their true wealth to her mother had died. She stepped The tax program, which Jokowi
the hexagram formed by its blue- clear up their affairs, no questions out of the room to hear the news, introduced before Sri Mulyani
tinted windows. asked. then immediately went back in left Washington, had raised Rp
Hostile questions for the fi- It’s already prompted busi- to continue working. Just before 116 trillion by late March. The
nance minister, Sri Mulyani In- nesses and individuals who’d midnight she flew home for the compliance record of Indone-
drawati, seemed inevitable; some stashed money at home and funeral in Semarang. sians is notoriously poor. Even so,
of the attendees might even stage abroad — including Aburizal Bak- The next day she returned to the amnesty — under which tax-
a protest. JPMorgan Chase & Co. rie, former chairman of Golkar, a JP/Suherdjoko Jakarta to announce the emer- avoiding individuals and compa-
analysts had, following the United major political party, and Tommy Remarkable accomplishment: Semarang State University (Unnes) gency measures she’d drawn up. nies pay as much as 10 percent
States presidential election, put a Suharto, son of the country’s for- rector professor Fathur Rokhman (left) awards the Upakarti Three years earlier then-Pres- in penalties, or about a third of
sell order on Indonesia’s equities. mer dictator — to bring more than Artheswara Adhikarana to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati ident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyo- the top income tax rate — has its
The Finance Ministry’s re- US$330 billion to the attention of (right) in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday. The award is given no had persuaded Sri Mulyani to critics. The Organization for Eco-
sponse was swift, decisive, and the tax office. because of Sri Mulyani’s management of the Indonesian fiscal sys- take over the finance ministry. His nomic Cooperation and Devel-
resolute: the immediate termina- A former university academ- tem with innovation, honesty and integrity. charge to her: Cool inflation, al- opment says the program favors
tion of all business partnerships ic, Indrawati fought graft dur- most 18 percent at the time, with- those who cheat and penalizes
with the bank. ing her first spell as finance min- about Indonesia.’ But it’s a little a clique of students surrounding out choking the wider economy. those who don’t.
Now two weeks had passed, ister from 2005 to 2010. She was bit distant on your mental map. a privileged student, Siti Hediati Having risen well beyond the To no one’s surprise, Indrawati
and JPMorgan had reversed its forced out after making enemies Indonesia is vulnerable to this, Hariyadi, known as Titiek, daugh- bank teller’s job her parents once was embarrassed and indignant
bearish call, but the shiver was of powerful Indonesians, includ- because people don’t really un- ter of then-president Soeharto. worried she’d have to settle for, last year when a midranking tax
still reverberating through the ing Bakrie. Before returning last derstand it that well.” It was then that she knew Sri Mulyani lost her lofty position official was arrested in connec-
research arms of global banks as year, she won praise during six Sri Mulyani grew up in Sema- what she wanted to pursue in life. in 2010. tion with an alleged scheme to
the ministry considered prevent- years as managing director of the rang, Central Java, in a home “That feeling of exclusion was She’d been under fire for some help a businessman avoid a $5.8
ing them from issuing negative World Bank in Washington. where books and research papers very strong,” Sri Muyani says. time. In the aftermath of the cri- million bill.
reports. (JPMorgan declined to Back in her old job, Indrawati were the family’s main sources of “If you’re not a friend of those sis, opposition politicians claimed She sent copies of a handwrit-
comment.) has also vowed to clean up the tax entertainment. She was one of 10 people, then your career path is that she abused her authority ten note around to tax office staff,
Sri Mulyani — a stylish, 54-year- office itself, an institution long children born to education pro- going to be very different, and in granting a 6.7 trillion-rupiah saying she was “devastated by
old economist who combines Indo- beset by corruption. It was a chal- fessors who, in turn, coaxed their that is exactly what influenc- (US$503 million) bailout of PT those unfaithful acts, which be-
nesian batik with Anne Klein kitten lenge she took up with mixed suc- offspring into careers as academ- es very strongly the way I think Bank Century in 2008 to prevent tray the values and integrity we all
heels — has earned a reputation for cess the first time around. She’s ics, doctors, and engineers. about economics and the econo- the collapse of 23 other banks. hold. Still, we should vent our dis-
toughness. She’d been finance min- confronting it again: In a coun- Sri Mulyani and her siblings my in Indonesia.” Also that year, she clashed with appointment by working even bet-
ister in the 2000s and returned to try of 260 million people, only still return home during the Idul Sri Mulyani pursued a doctor- Bakrie, the ex-Golkar Party chair- ter, even harder, to achieve even
the job last year, charged with a re- about 10 million filed a tax return Fitri holiday to a peach-and- ate degree in economics on schol- man, when she opposed closing higher. We will, together, sanitize
form agenda that’s so ambitious it in 2015. Now Sri Mulyani plans to green house so frequently flooded arship at the University of Illinois the Jakarta bourse as shares in our Ministry of Finance from such
seems audacious. revamp the overall taxation sys- by a nearby river that the children at Urbana-Champaign from 1988 companies linked to him plunged. individuals who bring down the
As she addressed the quarterly tem and double the number of au- pooled funds to build a second to 1992 before returning to Indo- “They had a difference of opin- reputation of our institution.”
meeting of analysts, she likened ditors to widen the tax base. floor for their parents. nesia to teach at her alma mater. ion,” says Lalu Mara Satriawang- In January she brought her
those who are impatient with the The world’s fourth-most pop- When Ani, as she’s known to She became the head of the uni- sa, a spokesman for Bakrie, “but it message in person to the tax of-
government to her three-year- ulous nation and most popu- her family, was growing up, mon- versity’s economics research arm was never personal.” fice. She addressed more than 500
old grandson when he got restless lous Muslim nation, Indonesia ey was tight. Her mother, to sup- in 1998, just in time to witness After her resignation, Sri Mu- mostly male tax officials dressed
during car journeys. is blessed with some of the rich- plement what she made at Sema- students taking to the streets in lyani flew off to Washington to in sky blue shirts and navy ties
Although such behavior might est reserves of natural resources rang State University, ran a food May of that year. work for the World Bank. She had following a rousing rendition of
be expected of a toddler, she on the planet, and, crucially, it’s a co-op and sold an inexpensive They rose up to protest the been making good money at the the tax agency’s official song.
said, it was uncalled for from in- near neighbor to China and its vo- traditional fabric, lurik, com- government’s response to the World Bank: $409,950 in 2015. “From my house,” she told
vestors who wished the govern- racious consumer demand. And monly worn by Javanese farm- devastating impact of the Asian As finance minister in Indonesia, them solemnly, “whenever I look
ment would just hurry up, jump yet its promise has been heralded ers. Splurging on birthdays meant financial crisis the year before: her base salary would now fall to over I can see the lights still on
through the necessary hoops, and for decades — and fallen short. a whole chicken to share at the widespread layoffs and bankrupt- about Rp 220 million a year, or at the tax office building, and I
get on with the reform agenda. “Indonesia has suffered from crowded family table. cies, with more than half the pop- about $16,500. know you are all working hard.
“I don’t want you to ask me, its reliance on commodities, and “Well, we weren’t poor, we had ulation slipping below the pover- Coming home to serve her So if someone calls you lazy, you
‘Are we there yet?’” she said. “If that’s still the case,” says Rajeev just enough to get by,” says one ty line. country was what her parents wouldn’t be offended; it’s not
you ask me that, I would think de Mello, Singapore-based head of Indrawati’s sisters, Nining In- Most other faculty members would have wanted Indrawati to true. But if someone calls you in-
you’re unprofessional or you’re of Asian fixed income at Schrod- droyono Soesilo. “The joy is in the at the state-owned UI refrained do, Nining says: “We knew her competent or unprofessional, you
not competent.” er Investment Management Ltd. solidarity of sharing one chicken.” from joining the demonstrations, reason for coming back was sim- would be offended because it’s
Sri Mulyani was clearly back “But there are signs of efforts to When Sri Mulyani announced but the research center Sri Muly- ple.” partly true.”
in town, and the message was diversify.” that she was going to study eco- ani ran was independent, so she Sri Mulyani lives behind the She lightened the mood with
coded but simple: her ministry, Indrawati wants to be part of nomics — her way of stepping out went along to the manifestations Indonesia tax office building in some humor. She told the sea of
her rules. She was going to clean her country’s turnaround. of the shadow of her academically at the Parliament building. an official residence that’s part of blue that her title might as well be
house — and, if she had to, break “Indonesia is a bit of an outlier,” gifted older siblings — her parents Indrawati recalls those days a complex of ministerial houses. “minister for tax” given how large
some glassware in the process. she says. She’s sitting in her outer thought she would end up a bank with bittersweet nostalgia. “I was She’s married to Tonny Sumar- the issue looms in the govern-
And the bankers? Rather than office, where she prays five times a teller. an activist at that time,” she says. tono, an economist; they have two ment’s agenda.
protest or hurl hostile questions day, surrounded by thick volumes Getting as far as she has was “I was very active in really ad- sons and a married daughter. “It’s always about tax, tax, and
at Indrawati, they mobbed her for on economic policy and coffee ta- “an accident,” she says. Attending vocating against what we saw as In Jakarta political circles, tax,” she said. “Last night even
selfies. ble books depicting the riches of economics classes at the Univer- the wrong policy, the wrong ap- there’s periodic speculation that my husband told me, ‘Ani, you
Since joining Joko “Jokowi” the Indonesian archipelago. sity of Indonesia (UI), she saw the proach.” She also remembers the Indrawati might one day run for were talking in your sleep again
Widodo’s “dream team” cabinet “People say, ‘Oh yeah, I know unequal opportunities afforded to anguish she felt when she learned elected office. But if she harbors about tax.’”
16 | FRIDAY March 31, 2017

State sponsored
SGX looks to
mull tie-ups
as deals grow
harder
Annie Massa, Matthew Singapore bourse already
Leising, Andrea Tan and has existing relationship
Matthew Monks with New York-based
BLOOMBERG/NEW YORK/SINGAPORE Nasdaq
Even as regulators crack down Partnering with or
on yet another round of consoli- acquiring stake in SGX
dation among exchange opera- will give investor stronger
tors, at least one major bourse is footing in Asia
still keen to pursue deals.
Singapore Exchange Ltd.,
which runs Southeast Asia’s larg- scrutinize cross-border mergers
est stock and derivatives mar- of exchanges, Nasdaq was able
ket, has in recent months held to buy Nordic exchange operator
exploratory talks about possible OMX in 2007.
tie-ups with overseas exchange Adena Friedman, Nasdaq
operators, people familiar with chief executive officer, said on a
the matter said. panel discussion at an industry
Discussions with parties in- conference earlier this month
cluding Nasdaq Inc. and CME that although cross-border ex-
Group Inc. have ranged from change mergers come with ad-
potential collaborations to the ditional scrutiny, they can ulti-
sale of a stake in the company mately benefit markets.
or even a full merger, the people “When they do work, I think
said, asking not to be identified they can work really well,” Fried-
as the details aren’t public. man said.
SGX, with a market value of Partnering with or acquiring
about US$6 billion, has been a stake in SGX would give a US
weighing its options as rivals at- or European exchange a stron-
Reuters/Karen Lema tempt to consolidate across the ger footing in Asia as the fight for
Lamont Siller, the legal attache at the US embassy in the Philippines, speaks during a cyber-security forum in Manila, on Wednesday. An offi- industry. An outright sale would global capital escalates. The com-
cial briefed on the probe told Reuters in Washington last week that the FBI believes North Korea was responsible for the heist of US$81 million be complicated as cross-border pany, based in Singapore with of-
from the Bangladesh central bank’s account at the New York Federal Reserve last year. deals between exchange oper- fices in mainland China, Hong
ators attract intense scrutiny Kong, India, London and Japan,
from regulators, the people said. reported net income of S$349
European Union regulators million in 2016, little changed
CORPORATE ACTION on Wednesday blocked Deutsche from a year earlier, on total rev-
Boerse AG’s $14 billion take- enue of S$818 million.
over of London Stock Exchange The average daily value of
Cemex unit, Chinese firm ink plant deal Group Plc, adding to a long his-
tory of failed merger attempts
between bourses.
shares traded on SGX this year
was about $847 million, up 11
percent from $763 million in
SGX has not hired any advis- 2016, according to data compiled
Doris Dumlao-Abadilla cement plant’s kiln and convert “We are pleased to This technology is expected to ers and no formal decisions have by Bloomberg. Still, that’s down
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/MANILA it into usable energy. This is ex- generate 25,000 MW hours an- been made about how to pro- from $1.12 billion a day in 2013.
pected to generate 25,000 mega- be working with nually. ceed, the people said. It’s unclear The Singapore bourse already
A unit of cement-maker Ce-
mex Holdings Philippines Inc
watt-hours annually.
“We are pleased to be work-
Cemex once again Cemex is one of the leading
cement producers in the Philip-
if any talks are currently active.
Representatives for CME, Nas-
has an existing relationship with
New York-based Nasdaq. The
has signed an agreement with ing with Cemex once again and and we are positive pines based on installed annual daq and SGX declined to com- US company sells technology to
Sinoma Energy Conservation we are positive that the upcom- capacity. It produces and mar- ment. Shares of SGX closed down market operators in 50 coun-
Ltd. of China to build and oper- ing project will contribute signif- that the upcoming kets cement and cement prod- 0.13 percent on Thursday. tries, and SGX is one of its cus-
ate a 4.5-megawatt (MW) waste- icantly to Cemex’s operations,” ucts, such as ready-mix concrete Nasdaq, an exchange operator tomers, according to regulatory
heat-to-energy (WHTE) facility said Zhang Qi, Sinoma-EC chair.
project will contribute and clinker, in the Philippines valued at $11.4 billion, runs trad- filings.
in Naga, Cebu. APO Cement operates as a significantly to through direct sales using its ex- ing venues in the US, Europe and In 2011, SGX’s $6.4 billion bid
In a disclosure to the Philip- building material supplier and tensive marine and land distri- Canada. It is the third-largest for Sydney-based ASX Ltd was
pine Stock Exchange on Wednes- cement producer. It has a plant Cemex’s operations.” bution network. stock exchange operator by vol- scuttled by Australia’s govern-
day, Cemex announced that the in Cebu, founded in 1921, which The company’s cement manu- ume in the $26 trillion US stock ment. The deal would have cre-
WHTE deal had been signed by produces Pozzolan and Portland of China to build and operate a facturing subsidiaries have been market. ated the world’s fifth-largest
its subsidiary, APO Cement Corp. cement under the APO Cement 4.5-megawatt (MW) waste-heat- operating in the Philippines for Although regulators closely bourse operator at that time.
“Promoting energy efficiency brand. to-energy (WHTE) facility in over 17 years with well-estab-
is one of Cemex’s objectives in Cemex said it would continu- Naga, Cebu. lished brands that have a multi-
advancing resource generation ously seek to improve its perfor- In a disclosure to the Phil- decade history in the country.
best practices. We are delight-
ed to see the good results of our
mance as an “efficient, agile and
innovative” company by identi-
ippine Stock Exchange on
Wednesday, Cemex announced
Cemex is an indirect subsid-
iary of Cemex SAB de C.V, one
Digital reinvention
partnership with Sinoma since fying, sharing and implementing that the WHTE deal had been of the largest cement companies
the successful construction of best practices across its global signed by its subsidiary APO in the world based on annual in-
the first WHTE project in one of network of plants and facilities. Cement Corp. stalled cement production ca-
our plants,” said Cemex Philip- A unit of cement-maker Ce- The power facility will have pacity. The shares of CEMEX,
pines president Pedro Palomino. mex Holdings Philippines Inc the capacity to capture excess S.A.B. de C.V. are listed on the
The power facility will be able signed an agreement with Sino- heat from the cement plant’s kiln Mexican Stock Exchange and the
to capture excess heat from the ma Energy Conservation Ltd and convert it into usable energy. New York Stock Exchange.

MONEY LAUNDERING

1MDB has cleared 3b ringgit in debts: Malaysian PM

Reuters ing investigated in Switzerland the prime minister's bank ac- sian government.
KUALA LUMPUR and Singapore. count had been gifted by a mem- "Currently, 1MDB does not
Najib's premiership was ber of the Saudi royal family, and have any bank loans or short
State fund 1Malaysia Develop- rocked by a series of reports by had subsequently been returned. term debts," he said.
ment Berhad (1MDB) has cleared the Wall Street Journal since Encouraged by the inability of Najib said 1MDB raised 10.97
over 3 billion ringgit (US$678.96 mid-2015 tracing how over $1 bil- the country's fractured opposi- billion ringgit in cash over the
million) in debt over the past two lion of 1MDB funds were trans- tion to capitalize more strongly, same period through the sale of
years, Prime Minister Najib Razak ferred into his personal bank ac- Najib is expected to call an early Edra Global Energy Bhd, the sale
said on Wednesday, amid ongoing counts. general election this year as he of an equity stake in Bandar Ma-
money-laundering probes linked Najib, who had chaired 1MDB's seeks to put the scandal to rest. laysia Sdn Bhd and the sale of a
to 1MDB in at least six countries. advisory board until it was dis- In a written reply to parlia- plot of land in the Tun Razak Ex-
The sovereign wealth fund, solved in May last year, has de- ment dated March 29, Najib said change in the capital city of Kua- Bloomberg/Brent Lewin
founded by Najib, is at the cen- nied all allegations of corruption, 1MDB has settled its borrowings la Lumpur. Arthid Nanthawithaya, Siam Commercial Bank PCL chief executive
tre of civil lawsuits filed by saying that he has never received in full with four lenders between "As the 1MDB Rationaliza- officer, holds a smartphone during an interview in Bangkok, Thailand,
the US Department of Justice any funds from a state agency or 2015 and 2016. These included tion Plan is underway, no new on March 14. Siam Commercial Bank, Thailand’s oldest homegrown
that allege more than US$3.5 fund for his own benefit. credit and loan facilities from Af- assets be it domestic or overseas lender, plans to reinvent its mobile digital payment platform as a life-
billion was misappropriated The government has said that fin Bank, Marstan Investments were acquired between 2015 and style app to help fend off competition from upstart financial technol-
from 1MDB. The fund is also be- most of the funds transferred to NV, EXIM Bank and the Malay- 2016," the prime minister said. ogy providers.

AUTOMOTIVE

UMW Toyota to replace inflator modules for 42,000 units

The Star earlier campaigns by Toyota Mo- high speed. As a result, serious in- It had stepped up its efforts to made by Takata Corp. which can thorities last year.
KUALALUMPUR tor Corporation (TMC) relating jury or death could occur,” it said. contact the vehicle owners. How- explode after prolonged exposure Toyota said that recalls were
to certain vehicles equipped with UMWT said TMC was working ever, it was aware that some of to hot conditions. issued for about 1.16 million ve-
UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd airbag inflator modules. The de- on obtaining the necessary parts them were not the first owners At least 16 deaths have been hicles sold in Oceania, the Middle
(UMWT) is seeking to replace the fect is due to propellant degrada- for the SSC. and might not be contactable. linked to exploding Takata infla- East and the automaker's smaller
inflator modules of the front pas- tion occurring after prolonged Once the parts are available, Reuters reported Toyota Mo- tors, mainly in the United States, markets, nearly one-third of total,
senger side airbag to certain num- exposure to high absolute humid- UMWT will notify owners to re- tor Corp on Thursday said it was prompting the auto industry's while about 750,000 vehicles had
ber of Toyota vehicles sold in Ma- ity, high temperatures and high quest them to bring their cars recalling a total of about 2.9 mil- biggest-ever global recall. been recalled in Japan.
laysia temperature cycling,” it wrote in to an authorized Toyota service lion vehicles in Japan, China, Global transport authorities Vehicles sold in North Ameri-
UMWT, which is the distribu- a statement. center to make the necessary re- Oceania and other regions in- consider Takata inflators contain- ca, Toyota's biggest market, were
tor of Toyota vehicles in Malay- Inflator modules which con- placements which should take cluding its Corolla Axio sedan and ing the chemical compound am- exempt from the latest recall, it
sia, said the special service cam- tain a non-desiccated, phase sta- about one to three hours. RAV4 SUV crossover due to po- monium nitrate to be unsafe if used added.
paign (SSC), would be for 42,000 bilized ammonium nitrate pro- All costs involved for the re- tentially faulty airbag inflators. without a drying agent, and have Takata is currently seeking a
units — Toyota Corolla Altis, Vios, pellant, it further explained, placement will be borne by Fuji Heavy Industries, the ordered all of the about 100 million financial sponsor to help pay for
Yaris and Alphard. The vehicles might cause the rupture of the UMWT, which said it was very maker of Subaru cars, Mitsubi- on the market to be withdrawn. the costs related to the recalls.
were manufactured from May module. “Should such a situation concerned about the safety of shi Motors Corp and truck maker The Japanese automakers said Last month, it pleaded guilty to
2010 to Dec 2012 and distributed occur, metal fragments will pass Toyota owners whose vehicles Hino Motors also recalled a total that the latest recalls were part of a US felony charge as part of a $1
by UMWT. through the airbag as it inflates are involved in the airbag replace- of about 240,000 vehicles in the a wider recall of Takata inflators billion settlement over its faulty
“This SSC is an expansion of and into the vehicle interior at ment SSC. domestic market over inflators ordered by global transport au- inflators.
FRIDAY March 31, 2017 INTERNATIONAL | 17
Expensive toy BUSINESS BRIEF
India moves closer to launch tax reforms
NEW DELHI: India moved another step closer to the launch of a nation-
wide sales tax regime when the lower house of parliament approved
supporting legislation on Wednesday night.
The development will boost confidence that the wide-ranging tax
reform — which was proposed a decade ago and since then refined
to win bipartisan support under Prime Minister Narendra Modi — will
meet the government’s latest target of July 1.
The four bills supporting India’s most significant economic reform
since the 1990s will now go to the upper house where they are not
expected to face any obstacles as the chamber cannot reject or amend
provisions. Besides the parliamentary endorsement of this legisla-
tion, another bill must be approved by each of India’s state assemblies
before the unified tax regime is implemented.
The goods and services tax (GST), will replace more than a dozen
levies that were dividing the world’s fastest-growing big economy,
drawing India for the first time into a common market with more than
1 billion consumers. — Bloomberg

Argentina approves medicinal cannabis

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina gave final legislative approval on Wednes-
day to a bill legalizing cannabis oil for medicinal use and permitting
the federal government to grow marijuana for research and therapeu-
tic purposes.
AP/Lee Jin-man The measure will become law once it is signed by President Mauri-
Models pose with Hyundai Motor’s Grandeur Hybrid vehicle during a media preview of the 2017 Seoul Motor Show in Goyang, South Korea, on cio Macri, whose Cambiemos party sponsored the bill. “Thirty percent
Thursday. The exhibition will be held from March 31 to April 9 with 27 brands showing their latest cars and concepts. of epileptics do not respond to traditional medicine,” medical doctor
Ana María García Nicora, who heads the Medical Cannabis Argentina
group, told local television after the Senate’s final vote on the measure.
“My daughter has had epilepsy for 24 years and this is an option for
TRADE her,” she said.

EU urges Samsung seeks to win Chile and Colombia have adopted similar laws and neighboring
Uruguay has gone as far as to legalize smoking marijuana, seeking to
wrest the business from criminals in the small South American nation.
A bill approving the use of cannabis oil is pending in Peru’s Con-
independent gress. In January, healthcare regulators in Brazil issued the country’s

controls over back buyers with S8 first license for sale of an oral spray derived from marijuana used to
treat multiple sclerosis. — Reuters

Euro weakens on ECB comments

Brazil meat Mark Gurman and Sam Kim near-perfect devices to earn back
their trust."
Samsung shares rose 1.6
percent in Seoul trading
BLOOMBERG/SAN FRANCISCO/ NEW YORK: The euro fell the most in five weeks on a report that
SEOUL Also casting a shadow over the after phone unveiled European Central Bank (ECB) officials are wary of changing their dov-
Anthony Boadle S8's debut is the trial of Jay Y. Lee, ish message and after the UK set in motion the first withdrawal of a
REUTERS/BRASILIA Samsung Electronics Co. the Samsung group's heir apparent Forty-six million handsets country from the European Union.
knows it needs to get its new flag- and de facto chief, who was arrest- expected to be shipped, The shared currency fell against all but one of its major peers after
Brazil needs independent ship smartphone right. ed on bribery and embezzlement leading to $3.1b in profit the Brexit process was triggered. It extended losses after a Reuters
controls over its meat industry, Apart from making sure the charges stemming from a national report that ECB officials said they are cautious about changing their
a top EU health official said on gadget won't cause bodily harm, influence-peddling scandal. He has monetary-policy message before June.
Wednesday, as he wrapped up a the company packed it with a denied any wrongdoing. billion) in the second quarter on The Bloomberg Euro Index was down about 0.5 percent, the biggest
visit to the country rocked by an plethora of new features: taller, Still, even with the Note 7 im- the back of the new devices. drop since Feb. 21. EUR/USD was down 0.5 percent near 1.0765 after
anticorruption investigation cen- curved screens, encrypted facial broglio and legal troubles, Sam- Samsung's corporate logo is falling as low as 1.0740 and filling bids between 1.0740/50 following
tering on bribery of its food-sani- recognition, deeper display col- sung shares have been trading now gone from the front of the the ECB report. — Bloomberg
tation inspectors. ors, system-wide voice control near record highs, thanks to a device, making room for a tall-
Brazil's Federal Police say in and the ability to turn into a desk- robust semiconductor business. er, 18.5:9 ratio screen, which the
court documents the bribes were top computer. The stock rose as much as 1.6 per- company is calling the Infinity
paid to cover up serious health The Galaxy S8 comes in two cent in Seoul trading after the Display. The home button, with
violations by some companies in sizes, a 5.8-inch display model phone was unveiled. vibrating feedback, is integrated SHAREHOLDERS MEETING
the meat industry, including the and a Plus version with a 6.2-inch Unveiling the S8 Wednesday at into the bottom of the screen. On
sale of rotten and salmonella-
contaminated products.
screen. Both are larger than the
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the
New York's Lincoln Center, Sam-
sung's president of mobile com-
the software side, users can now
clip specific apps to the top of the Toshiba investors approve
The police probe, dubbed "Op- lineup's main competition until munications, DJ Koh, highlighted screen so that, for instance, they
eration Weak Flesh," has caused
some of Brazil's biggest export
Apple Inc rolls out its 10th-anni-
versary iPhone later this year.
innovation and how the company
had learned from its mistakes.
can compose emails while read-
ing a web page.
chip sale to cover costs
markets to ban its meats. The Eu- The S8 represents Samsung's Executives describing the The S8 will also feature a digi-
ropean Union is among the mar- biggest prospect for a turnaround phone focused mostly on its aes- tal assistant that studies its own- Pavel Alpeyev and memory business, a sale of which
kets that have curbed imports after the Note 7 debacle last year. thetics, and went through the er's activities to offer helpful tips Takako Taniguchi should be enough to restore
from Brazil, which is the world's The bigger-sized smartphone de- specs fairly quickly, a strategy and information, seeking to chal- BLOOMBERG/TOKYO shareholder equity to positive
largest beef and poultry exporter. buted to positive reviews, only probably meant to avoid ``discuss- lenge Apple's Siri and Amazon. by the end of the next fiscal year.
European Union Commis- to be killed off after some units ing things like the battery, which com Inc.'s Alexa. Called Bixby, Toshiba Corp. shareholders Bids are due Thursday and about
sioner for Health and Food Safe- showed a tendency to catch fire could remind people of their Samsung's service can be activat- approved the sale of its memory 10 companies are said to have ex-
ty Vytenis Andriukaitis signaled and explode, forcing the South troubles,'' said Simon Blanchard, ed via the phone's side button. It chips division to cover costs re- pressed interest.
resistance to easing the restric- Korean manufacturer to yank the assistant professor of marketing is the first Samsung phone to en- sulting from the Westinghouse The semiconductor business
tions anytime soon. "This scandal product off shelves. at Georgetown University’s Mc- crypt facial data. Combined with bankruptcy, but not before railing is Toshiba’s crown jewel and
shows how important it is to re- The crisis cost the company Donough School of Business. iris and fingerprint scanning, that at management and lamenting makes the memory chips that go
store the trust, reliability and pre- more than US$6 billion and its The S8's design features and can be used to offer more security the downfall of a Japanese icon. into computers, smartphones
dictability of control systems," he global lead in smartphone sales. new and improved cameras should for mobile banking and other sen- Incensed investors took turns and data centers. It accounted
told a news conference. Samsung accounted for 17.8 per- be enough to entice consumers to sitive applications. to hurl abuse at executives dur- for about 25 percent of Toshiba’s
"We need to have an indepen- cent of global smartphone sales go see it in a store and then poten- Another new trick: the new ing a Thursday meeting convened ¥5.67 trillion in revenue during
dent official control system. We in the last three months of 2016, tially make a purchase, Blanchard Samsung phones can essential- to take a vote on the intended dis- the latest fiscal year.
need to have transparency," he slightly less than Apple, accord- said. ``They might have in the back ly become a desktop computer posal of its prized semiconduc- Shares of Toshiba have
said. Brazil's federal food inspec- ing to Gartner. of their mind that Samsung phones via a separately sold docking sta- tor business. Toshiba is looking to slumped about 20 percent this
tors report to the agriculture "We must not only win back had issues, but they might say, `This tion called the DeX. The phone sell a majority stake in the unit to year after advancing 13 percent
ministry and the system has come customers' trust, but also the high is a phone that looks pretty,' so will add upgraded front and rear mend a balance sheet ravaged by in 2016. The stock traded about
under fire for having politically expectations that they have al- they'll go see it,'' he said. cameras, and continue to include billions of dollars in writedowns 4 percent higher in Tokyo on
appointed supervisors. ways held for Samsung," said Lee KB Securities Co. expects Sam- wireless charging. Unsurprising- related to cost overruns at nucle- Thursday.
Andriukaitis told reporters Young-hee, executive vice presi- sung to ship about 46 million S8 ly, Samsung is touting the safety ar subsidiary Westinghouse Elec- “The sale of memory business
the EU, which suspended im- dent of Samsung's mobile busi- handsets and the mobile business of the S8's battery, given that the tric. is even more important now that
ports from the 21 meat processing ness. "We have put our utmost to post a 67 percent rise in operat- cause of the Note 7 fires was due Westinghouse, which Toshi- Westinghouse Chapter 11 applica-
plants that are under investiga- effort to provide customers with ing profit to 3.5 trillion won ($3.1 to faulty battery design. ba bought for US$5.4 billion in tion is likely to result in excessive
tion last week, could take addi- 2006, filed for Chapter 11 protec- debt expanding considerably,”
tional measures next Tuesday. tion on Wednesday. The Japanese Yukihiko Shimada, a Tokyo-based
He declined to be more specific, company said it may now book analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities
but said the bloc will be dispatch- MERGER & ACQUISITION a loss of as much as ¥1.01 trillion Inc., wrote in a report.
ing a team of auditors to Brazil to (US$9.1 billion) in the year end- Toshiba Chief Executive Of-
visit several meatpacking plants.
The team will report back to EU
officials in Brussels after Easter, he
added.
China said to push talks to ing March, a record for a Japa-
nese manufacturer according to
Bloomberg data.
“Toshiba is now a laughing-
ficer Satoshi Tsunakawa opened
Thursday’s proceedings by apol-
ogizing to shareholders and reas-
suring them the company is doing
Police have accused more than
100 people, mostly inspectors, of
taking bribes in exchange for al-
create $241 billion power giant stock to the whole world,” one
shareholder said during a ques-
tion-and-answer section, raising
everything in its power to avoid a
de-listing after missing earnings
reporting deadlines. But inves-
lowing the sale of rancid meat his voice. “I think all of you are in- tors remained displeased.
products, falsifying export docu- Bloomberg News duction and cost control,” said National Energy Administration competent as managers. Do you “It doesn’t seem like the man-
ments or failing to inspect meat- BLOOMBERG/HONG KONG/BEIJING Laban Yu, head of Asia oil and gas and director of Xiamen Universi- even know what’s happening?” agement is taking this seriously
packing plants at all. equities at Jefferies Group LLC in ty’s China Center for Energy Eco- Another shareholder addressed enough,” another shareholder
Prosecutors have yet to pres- China’s state-owned enter- Hong Kong. “If the merger hap- nomics Research. the executives as “trash.” said during the question-and-an-
ent charges and the police allega- prise regulator has asked coal pens, Datang will basically take Shenhua’s assets totaled Shareholders green-lit the en- swer session, drawing applause.
tions have not been proven. mining giant Shenhua Group out coal price risks from opera- 931.4 billion yuan in 2015, with visioned chip-division sale any- “Whatever happened, happened.
Government officials have Corp. and power generator China tions, which would be a huge ad- Datang’s totaling 729.5 billion way. The company has said it’s re- I want to know what happens
sought to downplay the impact of Datang Corp. to discuss a possible vantage.” yuan, according to their websites. ceived some offers for its NAND next.”
the probe. But an industry group merger, according to people with The State-owned Assets Su- Last year, Shenhua submitted a
said on Tuesday that beef ex- knowledge of the situation. pervision and Administration proposal to Sasac about merging
ports alone fell over 40 percent The talks are at an early stage Commission encouraged the dis- with state-owned China General
in terms of both volume and reve-
nue in March 20-26 from the pri-
and there’s no guarantee of a deal,
said the people, who asked not to
cussions as the two businesses
complement each other and a
Nuclear Power Corp., Bloomberg
reported in July. Both companies
Busy day
or week, as a number of countries be identified as the information merger would be in line with Chi- said they weren’t in merger talks.
imposed temporary bans. isn’t public. Datang International na’s supply-side reform policies, Other than coal, Beijing-based
The long-running investiga- Power Generation Co., Datang’s the people said. Sasac didn’t re- Shenhua owns power plants and
tion into irregularities in Bra- Hong Kong-listed unit, said spond to a fax seeking comment. railways. Datang, also based in
zil's meat industry, one of the Thursday that the parent com- A spokesman for Shenhua didn’t Beijing, generates electricity in
few robust sectors in an econo- pany hasn’t received any related respond to requests for comment. 31 provinces and municipalities
my locked in its worst recession news and that it has no informa- A merger would build on Presi- in China, as well as in Myanmar,
on record, was made public on tion to disclose. Its shares closed dent Xi Jinping’s efforts to cut the Cambodia and Laos.
March 17. 8 percent higher, the biggest gain nation’s industrial overcapacity, Listed unit China Shenhua En-
Hong Kong on Tuesday re- in two years, at HK$2.29. accelerate the drive to overhaul ergy this month posted its first
moved one of the last blanket bans A merger would combine Chi- its bloated state-owned sector profit growth in four years and is-
on Brazilian meat imports after na’s biggest coal producer with and reduce its reliance on coal. sued a special dividend that sent
it said it was satisfied by expla- one of its largest power genera- China will speed up mergers and share prices up by more than 20
nations from Brazilian officials. tors to create a utility giant with acquisitions of state-owned firms percent. Datang International
That followed China's removal of about 1.66 trillion yuan (US$241 in coal, power, machinery and Power Generation swung to a 2.75
its restrictions last weekend. billion) of assets. China Shen- steel this year, Sasac vice-chair- billion yuan loss for 2016 on high-
Together, the two Asian na- hua Energy Co., Shenhua’s Hong man Zhang Xiwu said in Beijing er coal costs.
tions bought about one-third of Kong-listed company, lost 1.7 per- earlier this month. Shenhua Group’s power-gen-
Brazil's US$14 billion in meat ex- cent to HK$18.2. The city’s bench- “If successful, this may be a eration capacity totaled 78.5 giga-
ports last year. mark Hang Seng Index dropped good model for China’s coal and watts (GW) in 2015, while China
The EU, which suspended im- 0.4 percent. power industry reforms as a com- Datang had 127.2 GW, according
ports from the 21 meat processing “It’s definitely good news for pany with strong coal and coal- to their websites. A combined Reuters/Amir Cohen
plants that are under investigation Datang, as it’s one of China’s big fired power assets could main- company would top power be- A woman enters the offices of Freightos, an online marketplace for
last week, ranks as the No. 2 im- power generators, while Shen- tain reasonable profits in almost hemoth China Huaneng Group’s international shipping, with investors including Sadara Ventures, a
porter of Brazilian meats, just be- hua is one of the world’s best coal all circumstances,” said Lin Boq- 160.6 GW. The country had 1.5 venture capital fund targeting the Palestinian high-tech sector, in Je-
hind Hong Kong and before China. companies in terms of both pro- iang, an adviser to the country’s TW of power capacity in 2015. rusalem on Monday.
18 | FRIDAY March 31, 2017

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IHSAN MOTOR : Honda CRV All New 2.4, E: [email protected] RW Bambu, Ps. Minggu, South Jakarta.Only
Price.Call:021-7207033/7206747(Rahmad) CV IARA SURYA MANDIRI. Ready stock:
2007, Automatic, 2.400 cc, Black, Rp 185 5 minutes from the sprawling TB Simatupang PT. SMS - SIM. Professional driver. Familiar
Baby Sitters, Nannies, housekeepers.
million, Nego. Please Call: 0813 2144 8048 / business district.Starting from USD 3000 per territory Jakarta and outside. Call: 021
Call: 021-29440085, 081399164135,
0812 3459 4905 PRESTIGE: Ferrari 458 Italia Coupe ‘11, auto- month. Preferably expats. Contact Liliana 87786477, EMAIL: [email protected]
BIRTH NOTICE matic, 4.499cc, red, Rp 6,80 billion, +628161946118
081905096863. Jl. Sumurbor Raya No 101
or visit us at pt-sms.com
Rt 006 Rw 012, Kel. Kalideres, Jakarta Barat
IHSAN MOTOR : Honda City VTEC, 2004, 3,719KM, full carbon, f1 track, ABS
Pradana-Landy: Daughter, Maryam Imani (samping Telkom).
Manual, 1.500 cc, Black, Rp 135 million, and ASR, CST, Adaptive Suspension,
Landy Pradana, born in Jakarta, INA,
Nego. Please Call: 0813 2144 8048 / 0812 Rear parking camera, good condition, MOVING Best quality and quantity sitter. Don’t hesitate
on Monday 12-Dec-2016 at 6 am to Aryando CV. MARGA JAYA,specialist drilling deep to contact us,“Yayasan DWI ASIH”. Ph: (021)
3459 4905 nego. Call: 085811113688. E:
Pradana & Sakinah Landy. 2nd grandchild well,repair submersible pump,etc. hub: Halim - 9824 7515 or Jasman Tedjo Pamungkas
[email protected]
for Opa Icksan & Nena Aziza, 4th grandchild 0811997525, [email protected] 08129566433
for Grandpa Luqman & Eyangti Lis IMPORTZ AUTO: Toyota Alphard 2.4 G Pre-
(deceased). Niece to Oom Angga, Tante Nesi,
mium Sound ‘11, automatic, 2,400cc, pearl Q-TA : Mercedes Benz E-Class E 260, 2004,
Aunty Anna, Uncle Bill & Tante Anti,
white, Rp 625 million, 29,000km, good con- Automatic, 2.600 cc, Black, Rp 240 million,
JADCO, DRIVER SERVICE PROVIDER, DAILY TRANSLATIONS
Oom Dara & Tante Rahma, Uncle Adam. Kellys Express is a one-stop relocation Spe- – MONTHLY / Facebook / Twitter / Google +:
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tion, Nego. Call : 0812 2024 7223 JASA SUPIR PRIBADI “SMB”. Do you need a
1,050 billion, good condition, nego. Call:
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CARS 087880280711 Q-TA : Suzuki Vitara JLX M/T, 2011, Manual, jasasupirpribadi.com Well established language school in Bintaro
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PET SHOP Please contact the Director of Studies at
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send you! Male and female sitters and
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FOR SALE IMPORTZ AUTO: Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
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Bekasi. Cat Food. Dog Food. Accessories. Most from Java. Educated worker. Honest. Per- Java and Bali when you buy antique
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white, Rp 985 million, good condition, nego.
2008, Automatic, km 77.000, cylinder 2.800, 5055 PIN BB: 524775AF /lpkmutiaradarma1.blogspot.com Museum Gallery for the real antique many
Call: Andre 08170607168, 081288835238 Bahasa Indonesia class starts in May. Private
Black metallic, RP 310 million, original owner, different items from Europe, Japan, and
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0851-00888246 www.sibschool.com Blok D5 No. 14, Cakung – Jakarta Timur
021 - 70105551 Automatic, cylinder 2.400, Black Metallic, Rp Jl. Prawirotaman 27 Yogyakarta Tel
13950. Call: 021 – 4601611. Visit us:
285 million, original owner, tax in order, ser- 0274-372090. www.moessongallery.com
www.fjpetshop.com
vice record, leather seats, electric seat, good ABSE LANGUAGE COURSE&INDONESIAN
BMW 5 523i, 2010, Automatic, km 57.000, condition. Call: Lily 0816 999 412 For Foreigner&Local at your place. For further
cylinder 2.500, Silver metallic, Rp 375 mil- info: 081262876287, [email protected], Moesson Antik. You are not in Yogya before
lion, original owner, tax in order, service visiting Moesson Antik ± 3000m² Showroo
record, leather seat, electric seat, sun JJ MOBIL : Honda City All New City E, 2010, m. Jl. Parangtritis the corner of South
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021 - 70105551 Rp 169 million, original owner, tax in order,
FOR RENT Ringroad Yogyakarta. Tel 0274- 4399328.
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service record, good condition. Call: Lily LPK ERA PRIMA. The best educate and www.moessongallery.com
0816 999 412 deliver services nannies, nurses & nursing
BMW X5 3.0 A/T, 2007, Automatic, km elderly (Jabotabek & outside city). Call
75.000, cylinder 3.000, white pearl, Rp 450 08787-5958316
JJ MOBIL : Honda Freed SD, 2012, Automat-
million, original owner, tax in order,
ic, cylinder 1.500, silver metallic, Rp 179 mil-
service record, leather seat, electric seat, sun Office Space with SOHO concept. 96 m2 – LPK MITRA KARYA, baby sitter and nanny
lion, original owner, tax in order, Groovy - The Ultimate Partner for Pet Well-
roof, good condition, Nego. Call : Lanny 138 m2. Ready to Use, Available for Sale and services. Jl. Raya Pendowo No.6 Limo,
service record, good condition. Call: Lily ness Pet stores & grooming in Kemang,
021 - 70105551 Lease. Hub : 021 56985555 Cinere, Depok, ready to help you contact now
0816 999 412 Radio Dalam, BSD & Bintaro. Vetcare Clin-
Nita 0812 1823 9828
ic. Pet Transport (international & domestic).
FORD EVEREST XL 4x2 Limited Edition, JJ MOBIL : Mercedes Benz C-Class C 200 FUNERAL HOME Boarding. Pet Taxi. www.groovy.co.id
2013, Automatic, km 23.000, cylinder 2.500,
white pearl, Rp 320 million, original owner,
CGI, 2011, Automatic, km 22.000, cylinder
1.800, Black Metallic, Rp 389 million, original Rumah Duka ABADI Daan Mogot, Himme Hammie Petshop, Bukit Golf Medit-
LPK MITRA UTAMA, our inter-sitter to your
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tax in order, service record, leather seat, 3 TV, owner, tax in order, service record, leather Jl. Daan Mogot Km 2 No. 353 Jakarta Barat, erania, Rukan Eksklusif Blok G No. 62, Jakar- maintained and cared for. Contact me, Ali classifi[email protected] /
good condition, Nego. Call : Lanny 021 - seat, Antique, full electric seat, good condi- 11460. Call: 021 5671931 ; 568458, Fax: ta Utara 14470. Contact: 08567808005 / 021-7888 4359 / 021-8075 4448 / 0857 1884 [email protected],
Call Ms. Uthe at 021 – 5300 478 ext. 2060
70105551 tion. Call: Lily 0816 999 412 021 5654872 www.himepetshop.com 8857 or visit us lpkmitrautama.blogspot.com for more information.

HEALTH

TB is still a threat, and we need to take notice

T
here are some things I be- terial diseases, most notably tuber- rise here in the last two decades ers account for 12 percent of cases. Human Rights Commission of and every case. Any cough that
lieve governments should culosis, or TB, which has probably or so, from 10,000 cases in 1990 to But wait a minute. What about the Malaysia) has said the various continues for weeks should be in-
indisputably do. Most been the biggest intercontinental a whopping 24,000 cases in 2014, remaining 88 percent of cases? The authorities involved often fail vestigated. Any outbreak dealt
fundamental is protecting peo- infectious disease threat in history, Health Ministry figures show. bulk of the problem is local then. to take responsibility to act. In a with. This isn’t rocket science.
ple, which includes safeguarding killing humans since antiquity. TB What’s worse, we’re seeing more Studies on prisons in Kajang, story in The Star, Suhakam com- We don’t just have an epidemic
communities against infectious shows up in the bones of Egyptian and more cases of a much nastier Selangor, and Kelantan show an missioner James Nayagam sug- of tuberculosis; we have an epi-
diseases. mummies. South Africa’s Nelson form of TB resistant to drugs. alarmingly high number of undi- gested that TB treatment in de- demic of complacency. And that,
National governments do in- Mandela had it, so did writers Em- Drug-resistant TB can take a agnosed active TB cases. The re- tention centers be undertaken perhaps, is the most deadly epi-
deed often prioritise protecting ily Bronte (1818-1848), Franz Kaf- year or even two years to treat. searchers, from Universiti Malaya, by non-governmental organisa- demic. Without aggressive action,
people – but they turn to weapons ka (1883-1924), and George Orwell And treatment is costly. Plus, the concluded that the recommended tions, since immigrants find them we may fail.
to do so. There was a great line (1903-1950). drugs themselves can make you ill, strategies to prevent and treat TB easier to deal with. He also said as The stakes are high with this
this week from veteran New York March 24 was World Tubercu- even causing permanent hearing are not being carried out. many as 2,000 children in deten- disease. If we don’t act, we may
Times reporter Donald McNeil losis Day. Globally, this disease is loss. (There is a lack of new drugs; Also, there were an extraordi- tion centers were exposed to TB. lose control amid rising drug re-
lamenting the cuts to global pub- still striking millions – some 10 most drugs in use were developed nary high number of latent TB cas- Often, the “solution” for in- sistance. That’s why in November
lic health in the US government’s million people fell ill with TB in before we had color TV here.) We es, including among prison work- fected foreign workers is simply this year, government ministers
budget under Donald Trump. 2015, says the World Health Or- have even had cases of “extremely ers, who take the disease back to to send them straight home. But from around the world will meet
He pointed out that no Ameri- ganisation. drug-resistant” TB, which is pretty their communities when they re- in doing that, we may condemn in Russia to discuss how to move
can has ever died from intercon- In Malaysia, TB used to be the much barely treatable. turn home. A 2014 study found them to death. And we miss the toward ending the TB pandemic.
tinental missile strikes, yet in the leading killer half a century or I’ll tell you how. Because it’s that 89 percent of prisoners in Ka- opportunity to prevent the fur- As I said, there are some things
last 50 years, hundreds of billions more ago. We tend to think those the poorest, weakest and most jang prison and 81 percent of pris- ther spread of TB by checking all that governments should do to pro-
of dollars have been spent pro- days are long gone, but TB is still alienated in society who get TB. on officers tested positive to tuber- contacts and communities of that tect us all. Treating and prevent-
tecting the country against such a threat here. Put it this way: in The disease is like a marker of culin skin tests, which checks TB case. And isn’t it our responsi- ing TB is a global public good. TB
a threat. Meanwhile, two million 2012 there were more cases of and development. exposure. That is shocking. bility to treat the people that we doesn’t differentiate between bor-
Americans died from “interconti- deaths from TB than from dengue. You might hear, especially from Some foreign workers actu- bring here to work for us? ders or races or between rich and
nental virus strikes” in this period. Despite the availability of politicians, that foreigners are to ally contract the disease here in From a public health point of poor, so why should we? (The Star/
That number didn’t include bac- treatment, TB has been on the blame for “spreading” TB. Foreign- detention centers. Suhakam (the view anyway, we need to treat each ANN/Mangai Balasegaram)
 FRIDAY March 31, 2017 | 19

LOCAL BEAT
USAID evaluates education improvement program in Malang Cussons holds parent-child photo and video competition
USAID recently evaluated the effectiveness Childcare product manufacturer Cus-
of its literacy program at the SMP Laboratorium sons recently hosted a photography and
Malang junior high school. video competition event for parents
The USAID PRIORITAS program, which has called Cussons Bintang Kecil (Cussons
been running for the five years between 2012 Young Star).
and 2017, seeks to increase the quality of the Conducted on March 26 in the atrium
learning process through school management of the Gandaria City shopping center in
improvement and literacy programs. South Jakarta, the competition required
The junior high school is one of eight schools parents to take pictures or record videos of
in the area participating in the program. their children aged 0 to 7 in order to com-
During the evaluation field visit on March 23, pete for a prize of Rp 1.3 billion.
an independent team appointed by USAID ob- As a fringe event to the competition, Cus-
served a significant improvement in terms of sons also organized an educational platform
teaching methods and curriculum delivery. The from March 24 to 26, during which children
team noted that material was being presented in could learn something new in a playful way
a more diverse and innovative manner. through activities such as a coloring compe-
“We hope that the program can be a pilot proj- Courtesy of USAID tition, fashion and talent show. Courtesy of Cussons
ect for the school to continue developing its teachers, in order to produce great students,” SMP Laborato- PT PZ Cussons Indonesia Marketing Director Ningcy Yuliana said that hopefully the event could help
rium Malang vice headmaster for curricular activities Yayuk Prihatnawati said. raise the self-confidence of both children and their parents.

Santika hosts annual thanksgiving, manages 100 hotels

The Santika Indonesia Hotels and Re- BALI EXPOSÉ
sorts (SIHR) recently hosted its annual
Santika Appreciation Night to express
gratitude to parties who have supported Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa
its business growth, while specifically ex-
pressing gratitude for its success in at- exhibits Made Bayak’s works
taining its target of managing 100 hotels
across Indonesia this year. The Nusa Dua Beach Ho-
The event was held on March 23 at Ho- tel and Spa is currently host-
tel Santika Premiere Slipi in Jakarta. It ing 22 works of Balinese vi-
was attended by all members of the hotel sual artist Made Bayak in an
chain’s sales and marketing department, exhibition titled “Aesthetic
representing its different brands, namely and Educative Art”. The ex-
The Royal Collection, The ANVAYA, Ho- hibition kicked off on March
tel Santika Premiere, Hotel Santika and
Amaris Hotel, which are part of the SIHR. Courtesy of Santika Indonesia Hotels and Resorts
22 and will run through to
June 22. Island Spot
The hotel chain’s loyal clients and media partners also attended the event, making up 350 guests in total. Bayak graduated from the To place your ad in this section,
During the party, the hotel also gave away door prizes and presented awards to outstanding employees, Denpasar Indonesian Arts contact Opie or Mirah
clients and partners. Institute (ISI Denpasar) in on 0361 265436
2006. His work has been or email [email protected]
showcased regularly in Ger-
& [email protected]
many and Poland. He was
also a finalist in Singapore’s
HEALTH prestigious 2013 Sovereign
Courtesy of Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa
Art Prize.
Bayak’s simplified stenciled images feature cultural icons, Balinese
girls in traditional costumes as well as dancers performing Balinese

When your child Hindu ceremonies.

The backgrounds of his work manifest into unusual abstract milieus
showcasing bright colors, packaging texture logos inspired by adver-

is allergic to food
tisements.
The stenciled black images in the foreground, meanwhile, create
powerful aesthetic contrasts.

A
llergenic foods are basically foods duced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES). This
that are known to cause allergies in is a severe gastrointestinal reaction which usu-
certain individuals. ally occurs two to six hours after consuming
A food allergy is a result of an im- milk, soy, certain grains or certain solid foods.
mune system response to the presence of spe- It typically occurs in young infants exposed
cific food types. It is different from food intol- to these foods for the first time. FPIES can lead
erance, which is a digestive system response to episodes of repetitive vomiting, which in
(e.g. what happens when your child’s body has turn can lead to dehydration. Some babies will
difficulty digesting food). even develop bloody diarrhoea.
There are eight major types of allergenic While food allergies can be serious, there
foods, namely milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shell- are steps you can take to manage this condi-
fish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybean. tion. Once food allergy is suspected, a diagnos-
tic test should be done to complement the clin-
Recognizing food allergy ical history. This is done via a skin prick test or
In general, the symptoms associated with a blood test.
food allergies can be difficult to connect to
specific foods. Typical allergy symptoms in- Handling food allergy
clude hives; flushed skin or rash; mouth Once you have ascertained that your child
feels tingly or itchy; face, tongue or lip swell- has a food allergy, the best thing that can be
ing; vomiting and/or diarrhoea; abdominal done is to avoid the food in question, especially
cramps; coughing or wheezing; dizziness and/ if she exhibits a severe reaction.
or light-headedness; swelling of the throat Do note that if she has an allergy to a specific
and vocal cords; difficulty breathing; and loss food, she may also be allergic to other related
of consciousness. foods, e.g. one who is allergic to shrimp may
Since young children may not know how to also be allergic to crab.
adequately describe the symptoms, they may Pay more attention to the ingredients list
say things like “My mouth feels tingly” or “My when you go grocery shopping.
tongue feels heavy/numb”. The key is to stay Major allergenic foods may be listed clear-
alert for any signs of distress which could indi- ly, e.g. “lecithin” (soy), “flour” (wheat), and
cate an allergic reaction. “whey” (milk).
Food allergies often cause symptoms with- Some manufacturers may use a statement
in two hours of ingestion, with some reactions on the packaging stating that their product
happening within minutes. However, there are contains certain ingredients, e.g. “contains
very rare cases where the reaction is delayed by wheat, milk, and soy”.
up to six hours or more. There are also some manufacturers who list
There is another type of food allergy with allergenic foods as “binder” or “emulsifiers”,
delayed reaction known as Food Protein-In- which could signal the presence of eggs or soy

Positive Parenting

These are the typical symptoms of a food allergy.

respectively. form her school and caregivers about her con-

If you suspect that your child has a food al- dition. It may be helpful to provide them with
lergy, you should keep a food diary. Be sure to an emergency card detailing how to prevent,
list everything that you feed her, and keep the recognize and manage her food allergies. (The
labels of any commercial products as well. Starr/ANN/dr. amir hamzah abdul latiff )
This will be a great help in assisting your
paediatrician/allergist in determining if she is
indeed allergic to any foods. Your child’s paedi- Dr Amir Hamzah Abdul Latiff is a consultant
atrician/allergist will take any family and med- Paediatrician and consultant clinical immunolo-
ical history necessary and carry out any rele- gist/allergist (adults & paediatrics). This article is
Positive Parenting vant tests to determine if a food allergy exists. courtesy of the Malaysian Paediatric Association’s
If you suspect that your child has a food allergy, you should keep a food diary. Be sure to list everything that If you do discover that your child has a se- Positive Parenting programme in collaboration
you feed her, and keep the labels of any commercial products as well to show the doctor. vere reaction to certain foods, be sure to in- with expert partners.
20 | FRIDAY March 31, 2017

WHERE TO GO
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
FOREIGN CULTURAL • Jejak Langkah Seorang • Piano Recital by Tobias
CENTERS Raden Ajeng: Borsboom
Reflection on R.A. Kartini April 15 at 7:30 p.m.
• Korean Cultural Center March 13-31 at 5:45 p.m Erasmus Huis, Jakarta
Korean Language Courses Erasmus Huis, Jakarta CP: 021-5241069
Korean Cultural Center, address: RSVP: [email protected] [email protected]
Equity Tower 17th Fl. Jl.Jend.
Sudirman, SCBD, Lot 9, Jakarta.
Contact: 021-2903-5650/ MUSIC PERFORMANCES THEATER PERFORMANCE
id.korean-culture.org/
[email protected] • Ismail Marzuki • Oedipus di Kolonus
Jazz Festival 2017 April 1 at 8 p.m.
• The Japan Foundation March 31 Teater Salihara
Japan Language Courses, Graha Bhakti Budaya, salihara.org
Library Taman Ismail Marzuki
Address: Summitmas I Lt. 2, jakarta.go.id • Pembunuh yang Adil
Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, April 2 at 8 p.m.
Kav. 61-62 Jakarta Teater Salihara
Contact: 021-5201266/jpf. salihara.org
go.jp/e/policy/official_accounts/
[email protected]
PERFORMANCE
• Russian Center
of Science and Culture • Hakim Sarmin
Russian Language Courses April 5-6
Address: Jl. Diponegoro No. 12, Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman
Menteng, RT.1/RW.4, Menteng Ismail Marzuki - Jakarta
Contact: 021-31935290/idn. Instagram :
rs.gov.ru/[email protected] @tamanismailmarzuki
‘Turah’
TOUR GUIDE
A film by Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo • Armin Only Embrace -
World Tour
• Indonesian Heritage Society March 31 at 9:30 p.m. , Kinosaurus, Kemang - Jakarta March 31
provides free tour at National kinosaurusjakarta.com Jiexpo Kemayoran
Museum in arminonly.com
English. The harsh competition of life has spared the de- profits. Specks of optimism and hope to break free • Rendezvous
Every Tuesday at feated in Kampung Tirang. They are plagued by pes- from a powerless life are present in Turah and Jadag. • Simfoni Tarling April 2
10:30 a.m. simism and overwhelmed with fear, especially to- Incidents occur, encouraging Turah and Jadag to April 7-8 at 8 p.m. Galeri Indonesia Kaya - Jakarta
Every Thursday ward Darso, the rich boss who has given them “life.” fight the acute fear and escape from the antagonist’s Graha Bhakti Budaya, Taman Indonesiakaya.com
at 10:30 a.m. and Pakel, the sycophantic scholar in Darso’s inner cir- nefarious narrative. This is every effort made by Ismail Marzuki - Jakarta
1:30 p.m. cle, deviously makes the villagers mentally stunted. them, as the people of Kampung Tirang, to no longer arminonly.com • The Wonderful World of
Every second and The situation makes it easier for him to reap more be human failures, the remnants. Disney On Ice
fourth Saturday of the month at April 20 at 2:30 a.m – 4:30 p.m.
10:30 a.m. April 21 at 2:30 a.m – 4:30 p.m.
CP: Indonesian Heritage CLASS • Exhibition Ira Nata Pradja : ICE — Indonesia Convention
Society Library 021-5725870/ “Give a Smile to Children” Exhibition
heritagejkt.org March 19 - April 9 disneyoniceindonesia.com
Duta Fine Arts Foundation,
Kemang
ARTS FESTIVAL www.dutafinearts.com FILM SCREENINGS

• Jakarta Toys & Kids Expo

2017
April 1-2, 2017
Balai Kartini – Kartika Expo
Center, Jakarta • Rick Karnadi and His Dudes
www.neopromosindo.com Bringing Back The 90s
Boyband
• Kelas Fotografi Jalanan • An Exhibition of Art in April 1 at 6 p.m.
March 8 – May 6 at 2 p.m Collections at Ruci’s Motion Blue Jakarta • ‘Cahaya Dari Timur: Beta
Serambi Salihara March 17 – April 9 motionbluejakarta.com Maluku We Are Moluccans’
salihara.org Ruci’s Joint – Jakarta March 31 at 7:30 p.m
goersapp.com Kineforum –
Taman Ismail Marzuki
kineforum.org
• Art Exhibition: Enjoy Live • ‘Apprentice’
Art Instalation by Jason A Film By Boo Junfeng
Hackenwerth March 31 at 7 p.m.
March 29 - April 6 Kinosaurus, Kemang - Jakarta
Neo Soho Mall kinosaurusjakarta.com
centralparkjakarta.com
• ‘The After-Hours Movie:
• Mixed Feelings 02 2001 A Space Odyssey’
Illustration Exhibition Apr. 7 at 8 p.m.
April 2 – May 6 • America Latin Dance Club: Kenobi Space - Jakarta
That’s Life Coffee Salsa • Urban Monster by Evan Adi- Cp : 087770720294
thatslifecoffee.com April 4, 11, 18, 25 tya and Mutiara Suryadini • Authenticity - ‘Rollin Up’
Salihara - Jakarta March 13 – April 9 with Iwa K
salihara.org Ruang Seduh Kemang Apr. 7 at 7 p.m.
goersapp.com • Photo Exhibition: Vin+ Kemang
“The Tree of Life” Cp: 08111961996
DANCE PERFORMANCE The Embassy of Italy and the
Italian Cultural Institute Jakarta
present a photo exhibition “The
Tree of Life” by Elisabetta Zavoli
Dec. 9-April 10, 2017.
Auditorium IIC, Menteng.
CP: 021 3927531-2 or email:
• Kukusan Paon by Kitapoleng [email protected] CHURCHES
April 1 International English Service
• INAPA Jakarta – Church services for adults,
Galeri Indonesia Kaya - Jakarta teens and children Thamrin, Saturdays 5 pm,
Indonesiakaya.com The 9th ASEAN’s Largest & Sundays 9:30 & 11:15 am Pondok Indah,
Most Influential Trade Show • The Resonanz Children’s Sat 6 pm, Sun 8:30, 10 & 11:30 am Kedoya,
for Automotive Industry Choir: A Decade of Harmony Sundays at 11:30 am Taman Palem,
Apr. 9 at 4 p.m. Saturdays at 5 pm Kelapa Gading,
EXHIBITIONS March 29 – April 1 Sundays at 10 am Part of batu Tulis Assembly of
JI Expo Kemayoran Jakarta Ciputra Artpreneur God Contact 29290808 or 0818 830 656
• Indonesia Drum & Perkusi www.whatsnewjakarta.com theresonanz.com www.iesjakarta.org

Festival (IDP Fest) 2017

• Blibli Fun Festival 2017 March 30 – April 2 • 4th Easter Sunday Bazaar at PROMOTE YOUR EVENTS
April 8-9 at 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. April 9 For queries on placement of your events in The Jakarta Post’s WHERE TO GO section,
Ecopark - Ancol Taman Ismail Marzuki Jakarta Tugu Kunstkring - Jakarta please send an email to [email protected] / [email protected] or
Cp: 08111961996 http://acara.co.id goersapp.com call Nisa at (021) 5300478 ext. 2038.

WHERE TO EAT IN JAKARTA CAFES Asian Fusion Decanter Wine Lounge Plaza Kuningan,
North Tower, Ground Floor, South Jakarta.
Chatterbox Plaza Senayan and branches Telp. 5296 3888
Aphrodite Club Rasuna, Jl. Rasuna Said, city- wide. Singaporean and western dishes in Loewy Bar & Restaurant Oakwood Premier
Kuningan, South Jakarta. cozy setting. No MSG.
Mamacita The Wine Kitchen Senayan City, Cozmo, Kuningan, South Jakarta. Telp.
Anomali Coffee Jl. Senopati No. 35, South 25542378
Jakarta. Telp. 529-20102 LG Unit 52, South Jakarta. Telp. 7278 1477
The Lounge Le Grandeur Mangga Dua,
Antipodean Hero Kemang Complex, Jl.
Kemang Selatan No. 1, South Jakarta. No CHINESE Jl. Mangga Dua Raya, North Jakarta.
fuss super-fresh brekkies at this laid-back Ah Yat Abalone Mid Plaza 2, LG, Jl. Telp. 612 8811
Aussie-Kiwi Café. Sudirman Central Jakarta. Telp. 570 7333 SAKE+ Jl. Senopati 54, Kebayoran Baru,
BUNK Pullman Jakarta Central Park Podo- Chiao Tung Hotel Rekso Hayam Wuruk, Jl. South Jakarta. Telp. 7250002. Japanese bar
moro City, Jl. Let. Jend. S. Parman Kav. 28 Hayam Wuruk 2F West Jakarta. Telp. 624 8680 & lounge.
Telp. 021 29 20 00 88
Bloeming FX Sudirman, South Jakarta. INDONESIAN
Beautika Jl. Hang Lekir No. 1, South Jakarta. VIN+ Arcadia Plaza Senayan Arcadia
Telp. 2555 4182 Lantai 1 Unit 106-108, South Jakarta. Telp.
Bakoel Koffie Jl. Cikini Raya No. 25, Central Telp. 722 6683
A spicy culinary journey to North Sulawesi 57901477
Jakarta. Telp. 3193 6608 VIN+ PIM Street Gallery Pondok Indah
CJ’s Bar Hotel Mulia Senayan. Jl.Asia Afrika (Manado). No frills but you will definitely feel
Senayan, South Jakarta.Telp. 575 3275, 574 hot under the collar from the chilli dosage. Mall 1st Fl Unit 106 South Jakarta. Telp.
Bengawan Solo Hotel Sahid Jaya, Jl. Sudirman 2952 9753
7777 ext. 4008, 4018 Bar and cocktail. No. 86, Central Jakarta. Telp. 570 4444 VIN+ PIM soft opening specials: - Get a
Bumbu Hotel Sheraton Bandara, West glass of sangria if you follow us on twitter
RESTAURANTS Jakarta. Telp. 559 7777
and facebook. @vinplusid and VIN+ wine
CONTINENTAL and beyond
Italian Cacaote Jl. Senopati Raya 80, Kebayoran Lunch promotion.
AWkitchen Plaza Senayan Baru, South Jakarta. Telp. 293 0612. Buy 2 main courses and get 20 percent off (food
Level P4 Unit No. CP 409 Place to see and be seen, melt-in-your-mouth only)
Jl. Asia Afrika No. 8 cakes and pastries High Tea Promotion: 1 Tapas + 1 Glass of wine
Jakarta Pusat 10270 only Rp 100,000 (tax included).
+6221 5790 6071 VIN+ Central Park Central Park Mall at
AWkitchen Plaza Indonesia
Level 2, No. E0206
WINE & DINE Tribeca Park Ground Floor TG. 03 Jl. Let. S.
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30 Parman Kav. 28, West Jakarta. Telp. 5698 5768
Jakarta Pusat 10350 Bacco Lotte Shopping Avenue, Main Lobby, VIN+ Kemang Jl. Kemang Raya No. 45B,
+6221 2992 4325  LG 38, Kuningan, South Jakarta. South Jakarta Telp. 7179 2577
AWkitchen
FRIDAY Maret 31, 2017 ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE | 21
PEANUTS

CROSSWORD PUZZLER SUDOKU

Instructions:
Fill the cells in such a way so that all rows, columns and every
3-by-3 subsquare contains every digit from 1 to 9, with no rep-
etition of each digit.

ROSE IS ROSE

THE BORN LOSER

CHESSQUIZ
GARFIELD

By Shelby Lyman
FERDNAND
22 | LEISURE FRIDAY March 31, 2017

A HOMEY MEAL
STEEPED IN CULTURE AT
The Argentine
Experience
Let’s start at the end, with dessert
at The Argentine Experience.

Donna Bryson
ASSOCIATED PRESS/BUENOS AIRES,
ARGENTINA
2011 serving dinners in an apartment in

T
he Buenos Aires restaurant Recoleta, a neighborhood known for its
that immerses diners in cul- historic cemetery. The next year they
ture offers an abundance of moved to airy, two-story quarters in the ing just how authentic my evening was. So I asked la Giagrande Lucila’s Digging in: A
tastes and the stories behind trendy Palermo Hollywood neighbor- around, turning among others to Mariano Bruno, a Homemade Alfajores tourist serves
them. On the night my family shared a hood. friend of a friend who is a political scientist and self- supplies cookies to shops himself chorizo,
communal table with another group of Early on, customers said they were described “foodie” and wine enthusiast. and cafes in the Chicago area. the local sau-
United States visitors, dessert included getting too much information from Bruno told me he has watched a revolution in Bue- Giagrande was surprised and pleased to hear that sage during the
a delicacy prepared with sponge-like staff who guide diners through prix fixe nos Aires restaurants in the last decade, with many a fancy restaurant had served us the pastries and dinner.
yacaratia wood. meals. That’s been relaxed, “so that peo- establishments sharing The Argentine Experience’s shared the ritual of heaping dried mate leaves into
Alex Pels, one of the founding co- ple do not think it’s a class,” Pels said. awareness of the importance of ingredients. traditional clay mugs, pouring in not-too-hot wa-
owners of The Argentine Experience, Facts about the food shared While I had enjoyed beef, pork and lo- ter and sipping in turn from communal mugs.
said in an interview that the earliest in English were leav- cal vegetables at The Argentine “When the tourist or the traveler gets to hang out
inhabitants of what is now northern ened by family sto- Experience, Bruno said there with Argentines (at their homes), one of the first
Argentina chewed yacaratia wood ries and jokes dur- was even more to explore. things they’ll do is get to share alfajores with mate,”
because it stored water. Pels’ pastry ing our visit. We “Not everything is said Giagrande, who like Bruno is not associated
chef sweetens the wood and serves it also learned beef,” he said. “In this with The Argentine Experience.
atop local cheese in precise cubes that a few Span- country we have A night out that requires costumes and playing
wouldn’t look out of place in a three- ish terms, great lamb. The best with your food could have been hokey. Instead, our
star restaurant anywhere in the world. such as how comes from Pata- Argentine experience was a friendly and relaxed way
The architectural treats seemed par- to order a gonia.” to learn about the locals and what and why they eat.
ticularly modernist alongside another medium Argentine-
dessert we sampled, alfajores cookies, rare steak American Luci- — PHOTOS BY AP/NATACHA PISARENKO
accompanied by the national drink of (jugoso, or
warm mate (pronounced mah TAY). juicy).
The herbal infusion is a perfect, bitter The light Colorful feast: Vegetables For more information, please check out:
complement to the rich pastries. tone didn’t are set on a table. www.theargentineexperience.com (US$99 per person)
We also learned a decadent tech- mask a deep
nique for enjoying the alfajores: Slather understand-
one buttery cookie with dulce de leche, ing and appre-
a caramelized milk concoction popular ciation of the
across Latin America. Layer on anoth- food and its role in
er cookie. Roll the cookie sandwich in the broader culture.
shredded coconut. Dip in melted choc- The relaxed approach
olate for decadent good measure. and free-flowing local wine,
The main course was, of course, ten- though, did make it easy for guests
der Argentine beef served with grilled to get to know one another, also a goal of
vegetables and several versions of the The Argentine Experience.
traditional chimichurri sauce of oil, vin- Upon arrival, we donned aprons and
egar and herbs. But we also ate slivers chef hats. We assembled the cookie
of flavorful pork in a land famed for its sandwiches as well as empanadas, fold-
beef. Pels told me that his partner Leon ing mixtures of meat or cheese into pas-
Lightman, who is from England, had try circles. The activities and uniforms
been in Argentina several years before created camaraderie among my family,
he encountered the pork cut Argen- the Israeli-Americans at our table and
tines call matambre. the Germans and South Africans at the
“It’s definitely something that Ar- next.
gentines would order and something “People don’t know how to meet oth-
that foreigners don’t,” Pels said. er people when they travel. But that’s
In creating The Argentine Experi- how stories are created: You meet oth-
ence, Pels and Lightman wanted to er people,” said Pels, who has managed
showcase what food visitors might be hotels and hostels and travels frequent- Dine in delight: Jane
missing. One inspiration was chef, res- ly himself. Andrews, from the US,
taurateur and author Francis Mall- Evenings at The Argentine Experi- right),, smiles
(second right)
mann. Mallmann was trained in France ence are conducted in English or Por- during an activity
but gained fame with grilling and other tuguese, but not Spanish. The program called "The Argentine
cooking techniques of his native Argen- doesn’t cater to locals because Pels fears Experience" in Buenos
tina. they’d be unimpressed by the home- Aires, Argentina.
Pels and Lightman started out in style cooking. That left me wonder-

THERE ARE WAYS TO MAKE OVERSEAS

TRAVEL MORE AFFORDABLE, SAFE
David Koenig but some Medigap policies and short-term sneakers and baseball caps and buy clothes
ASSOCIATED PRESS/DALLAS travel medical insurance do. Consider evacu- that help them blend in. And remember com-
ation insurance — an air ambulance can cost fortable shoes.

F
oreign travel is expensive and can be in- thousands of dollars. Evelyn Hannon, who edits the Journey-
timidating for some, but there are strat- woman.com website, suggests a quick pur-
egies for saving money and staying safe. CASH OR CREDIT? chase at a local grocer. The bag will help you
International travel by Americans rose Cash is convenient for small purchases, look like you belong.
about 8 percent last year and is likely to rise but many frequent travelers stick to plastic Travel experts are divided over whether
again this year, helped by relatively low air- overseas. If a clerk swipes your card and asks President Donald Trump’s proposed travel
fares and the strong dollar. if you would like to pay in dollars, decline. bans and anti-immigrant rhetoric will put
The store probably charges a less-favorable Americans in more danger overseas.
DEALS ABOUND exchange rate than your card issuer.
In recent days, discount sites such as air- Matt Kepnes, author of How to Travel the STAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW
farewatchdog.com have highlighted round World on $50 a Day, says any commercial Customs vary greatly by country — that’s
trips including San Francisco-Copenhagen, bank should offer a decent exchange rate. He part of the appeal of travel, after all — and so
Los Angeles-Stockholm and New York-Bar- stays away from the exchange bureau Trav- do laws. That sometimes lands travelers in
Money matters: A celona for under $400 and New York-Tel Aviv, elex and warns that airport ATMs and ATMs trouble.
pedestrian with an Chicago-Bangkok and Los Angeles-Manila in stores like 7-Elevens give a less-favorable Alcohol is banned in part of the United
umbrella passes a for under $650 for travelers who can avoid the rate and charge higher fees. Arab Emirates, although tourists in Dubai can
board showing the peak summer season. Mexico is a cheaper des- drink at hotel bars and clubs without conse-
exchange rates at tination than some trips within the US. STAYING CONNECTED quences. Signs at shopping malls encourage
a money exchange Travel experts have advice about what to Bringing your own phone is often your dressing modestly and avoiding public dis-
bureau in London. do once you reach your destination, includ- best option. plays of affection, but holding hands or giv-
ing how to act. Behavior that is acceptable in Pauline Frommer, editorial director of ing a peck on the cheek are usually accepted.
AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth the US may be frowned upon — or even illegal the Frommer’s travel-information company, Tourists who wind up getting arrested for in-
Flying overseas: An Etihad Airways plane — in many other countries. and John DiScala, a travel writer who goes by decency typically ignored repeated warnings.
prepares to land at the Abu Dhabi airport in the “What it boils down to is, be respectful and JohnnyJet on Twitter, both favor T-Mobile, Taking someone’s picture and putting
United Arab Emirates. be educated,” says Kyle Olson, who just wrote which has a plan that allows free roaming it online without permission is a crime in
a guide on dos and don’ts in 11 countries for and unlimited data in more than 100 coun- the UAE, and people have been arrested for
a Chicago law firm. His long list of don’ts in- tries. DiScala says he can upload pictures and taking pictures of military installations or
cludes carrying recreational drugs, dressing posts to Facebook and get his emails at no ex- planes taking off and landing.
scantily, drinking — an official taboo in Mus- tra charge. Gay or lesbian sex is punishable by death
lim countries — and, in many countries, tak- Of course, always keep the phone charged in Saudi Arabia and Iran and is frowned on in
ing photographs of military or government in case of an emergency. other countries. Carrying drugs can and of-
buildings. ten does carry the death penalty, especially
STAYING SAFE for smugglers.
INSURANCE Tourists are frequently targets for pick- US embassies may be helpful if you get
Get travel insurance and check before you pockets and scammers of all kinds. You can in trouble. The State Department can’t get
go to see what your health insurance will cov- lower your risk by looking less like a tourist. Americans out of jail but will contact family
er if you get sick in a foreign country. Medi- “I always try to dress local,” DiScala says. members and provide names of local lawyers
care does not cover health expenses overseas, Americans should ditch the shorts, white who speak English.
AP/Kamran Jebreili, File
FRIDAY March 31, 2017 FEATURES | 23
Karamoy
Together: Reney Karam
Gareth
(right) and Stella Gare
new
are supplying ne
energy to the Ind
Indo-
nesian indepen
independ-
scene
ent music sce
with Scaller.
Scall

Scaller Cou
rtes
y of
Scall
er

INDIE ROCK’S
NEW BLOOD
Rock music moves
through periods in
search of new blood.

in the encore “Live and Do” and “Stay on the

Track”).
The best part of the show worth mention-
ing is the guy behind the drums: Enrico Oc-
taviano. He gave Scaller a singular, distinct
sound — ominous, anthemic percussive
Stanley Widianto sound — at the show and made it stick. The
Courtesy of Irvan Suta

CONTRIBUTOR/JAKARTA last song before the encore “The Youth” ex-

emplified that sound perfectly.

I
n its journey, rock music continues I saw a lot of familiar faces at the show — se-
crowning performers the one. Like elec- nior music journalists, band managers, fellow
tronic-rock band The Upstairs and ret- musicians, long-time fans. Ask any of them on
ro-pop outfit White Shoes & The Cou- a given day not long after Spirit of the Thing
ples Company were the staples of the 2005 and they’ll speak of this concert that they just
independent scene, or when Koes Plus Beat went to.
led the way into a mainstay spot, rock in In- The most common adjective that was at-
donesia has seen many names adorn festival Confidence in full display: tached to Scaller was the one that gave one of
posters. The names change all the time, but Reney sings his heart out the band’s songs its name: Youth. Now in their
the music remains. during a performance of 20s, Reney and Stella still have a long way to
Now I’m not sure whether Scaller, a Scaller's "The Youth". go to remain with their good music on the
Jakarta alternative rock band that surprise- scene, but, as Spirit of the Thing showed, it’s
released its first LP Senses early this year af- happy to have them there.
ter its mini-album 1991 could claim a sturdy
spot here.
But the crowd at its first solo concert, held
recently at the Soehanna Hall with the ti-
tle Spirit of the Thing, euphorically danced,
clapped, cheered for more, just like they did
with their predecessors. Co
urt
Bands like Scaller (Barasuara, Polka Wars, point. Could’ve fooled esy
of
Tigapagi, too) are making the most of the me) and electric at the Irv
an
Su
present tense — making the wait for new show that bore their name, but the ta
signs of activities less tiresome, more antici- first half of it was sculpted, jumbled.
pated. They were searching for a sound to stick
The proceedings got off to a good start with to and their performance (mostly consisting
Anomalyst, an indie rock band that is cur- of songs from the band’s fine debut record)
rently working on its first LP. Listening to suffered because of it. Still, it was great to see
Anomalyst will probably remind you of the people in the crowd enjoying themselves.
band Interpol, because of the constant dips Then the second half (starting from the
and turns one traditional indie rock song can great piano-and-guitar showing “Lotis
take. Dream”) benefitted from a much-needed re-
Even so, the concert didn’t move me as focus. Haunting, anthemic and energetic,
much as I had expected. Stella Gareth (key- Scaller performed with a swagger that some New blood: Scaller un-
board/piano/vocals) and Reney Karamoy bands took years to convincingly pull off. leashes their brand of alter-
(guitar/vocals) were confident (“You have no Most importantly, Scaller’s strength lies in native rock in an exhilarat-
idea how nervous I am,” Karamoy said at one the attention and work put into the instru- ing concert in Jakarta.
mentation: Reney’s guitar wails and dances,
as Stella jumps up and down, her whispers
turning into bellows. The songs “Upheaval”
and “Dawn Is Coming,” hookless as they are,
become some really legitimate alt. rock mon-
sters on stage.
Speaking of hookless, I don’t think I heard
more than a couple of hooks in a given Scaller
song at the show. Listening to Senses wouldn’t
convince me otherwise either.
Scaller is not an acquired taste — the band
has a way of working the crowd, as the show
attested — but its songs aren’t pretty either:
synths gurgle eerily in a winded intro and the
guitar doesn’t bend for a comfortable posi-
tion.
Reney and Stella’s vocals unfortunate-
ly didn’t always hold, but it was nice to see
them shift to screams and shouts (especially

ALBUM REVIEW

‘SUARA DARI JAUH’

by ARIREDA

I
n his early 20s, Goenawan Mohamad cords were Becoming Dew (2007) and And that’s okay. With Suara dari Jauh
examined the weight of a love letter. AriReda Menyanyikan Puisi (2015). (recorded in Yogyakarta last year), they
“Bukankah surat cinta ini ditu- To give an overview of the music of succeed once again — nothing about
lis/ditulis ke arah siapa saja/seperti hu- AriReda, think of a quiet hall, the duo’s their music sounds derivative or even
jan yang jatuh ritmis/menyentuh arah entwined voices reverberating — equal grating as these albums can get with less
siapa saja” (Isn’t this love letter written/ parts hums, equal parts murmurs. These consideration.
written for everyone/like the rain falling two, bathed in a subdued light, sing devo- As Reda, with her elastic voice, sings
rhythmically/touching everybody in its tional poetry to a captive, smiling audi- the songs, Goenawan is here at once,
wake) he wrote in the poem Surat Cinta ence. Think of the joy in solitude, think revealing the obscene and the guarded
(Love Letter). of a church and its congregation. through his poetry. Z, Goenawan’s poem
A few words later, he conceded its ex- Now its new album (out in March), from 1971, sounds meditative and calm-
istence in the finite world; a love letter is Suara dari Jauh, consists of Goenawan’s ing. Suara dari Jauh works as a balm and
“like a tired desert”. poems set to hushed guitar and soothing it’s a little at odds with the heaviness of
These disjointed themes of love and vocals and boy is it great to know that the Goenawan’s poetry.
despair, friendship and enmity, light and band is still going. “Malam Yang Susut Kelabu” (The
darkness, have permeated the 75-year- AriReda’s operated in this mode since Night that Shrinks Gloomily), which
old poet’s work since half a century ago. 1988 (after forming in 1982, back when deals with the lover and its receding
You may know Goenawan Mohamad as Ari and Reda were still in their early 20s) voice, is one of AriReda’s darkest entries
the founder of Tempo magazine, a polit- — avoiding the strained rhymes and me- and so is “Kwatrin Musim Kelabu [IV]”
ical and literary powerhouse. Today, his ters of a poem to fit into the mold of a (The 4-Parter Poem of Gloom (IV)), a
work exists in books and online blogs. song. They have always selected the po- song which lends the album its title.
AriReda, the contemporary folk duo ems with care and grace. Featherweight guitar and light vocals
comprising guitarist/singer Ari Mali- And it’s no different now. This brand are AriReda’s most reliable strength. To
bu and singer/writer Reda Gaudiamo, new collection is, to be honest, not a pro- have them give new life in the breath-
breathed new life into his work, shed- gression or even anything different from taking poetry of Goenawan Mohamad is
ding new light in the otherwise anti- the previous two albums. But instead of priceless at best. And now listening to it
quated appreciation of his poetry — the sliding into comfort, they slid into sui ge- leaves me captive to its magic, reminding
way they did for Sapardi Djoko Damono, neris — forging the fight again, whether me of a tapestry full of light and darkness
Sudarto Bachtiar and other Indonesian consciously or not (I can’t really tell), to all at once, as church bells often do.
poets — two records, a six-city tour and bring relevance into the rich world of In-
many other shows ago. Those two re- donesian poetry. — STANLEY WIDIANTO
FEATURES FRIDAY March 31, 2017 | 24

LIVING BY THE SWORD

Carving warrior blades

How Panji
met Genji
in
Tokyo
AP/Seth Wening

Sword fascination: A rack of swords are displayed in John Lun-

demo's workshop in New Hampton, the US.
Eddy Susanto is a history and literature
Michael Hill horror flick Captain Kronos - freak — he found that the Panji story
ASSOCIATED PRESS/NEW Vampire Hunter, sparked Lun- from his native Java has features
HAMPTON demo’s sword fascination as a
young man. He began buying similar to the Japanese Genji story, and

T considered it intriguing that both sagas

hrough smoke and sparks blades for mock sword fights with
and staccato banging his brother. But there were prob-
from his anvil, John Lun- lems with those steel swords. narrate identical lives of pleasure, love,
demo forges swooping swords “I was breaking them all the life and adventure.
that look like they should be time. You know, halfway through
pulled from a stone, swung by a sword fight and your sword
a samurai or thrust on Game of breaks, it’s annoying,” he said. “So
Thrones. I started making them.”
The 60-year-old has carved He forged blades in the back
out a niche making pricey blades of a New Mexico jewelry shop Work of art: Eddy Sussanto's work Genji and Panji, shown at the
that are inspired by history but and later after hours in the up- recent Tokyo Art Fair, infuses the Japanese story of Genji with that
liberally mix in elements of East state New York sign shop where of the Javanese saga of Panji.
and West, high art and Holly- he worked. Those first swords
wood. stunk, he says, but he educated
“I do tend to add my own flair,” himself on the finer points of
Lundemo said in his shop recent- edge geometry, metal tempering Carla Bianpoen
ly. “Making exact copies, I don’t and distal tapering, which refers CONTRIBUTOR/JAKARTA
do.” to the blade getting thinner from

T
While not precisely like the guard to tip. he phenomenon of the Javanese
weapons wielded by gladiators or Over time, he established his script on the canvases of Eddy Su-
knights, these razor-sharp weap- brand Odinblades in what can santo has been a tool for unifying
ons stretching up to 6 feet long be a cut-throat business. There cultures from the farthest corners
and costing upward of US$3,000 is an army of sword makers who of the eastern and western hemispheres.
are built to be used — even if it’s sell historical replicas, fantasy Such is again reinforced in his work for
for slashing milk jugs in the back- swords, “battle ready” swords for the Tokyo Art Fair, which was held from
yard. under $100. Online retailer Kult March 17-19. Infusing the Japanese story
Lundemo has been making of Athena in Elgin, Illinois, for of Genji with that of the Javanese saga of
swords for about three decades, example, sells swords from more Panji, Eddy Susanto fused the identical
about half that in his workshop than 30 makers. characters into one by using the narrative
50 miles north of New York City. “It’s definitely growing,” said of Panji in Javanese script to shape the
The forge, anvil and scalding oil owner Ryan Whittlinger. “The Genji figures on canvas.
tank speak to his craft. And the market for higher-quality, func- A history and literature freak, Eddy
posters on the wall for the mov- tional items is better today than found that the Panji story from his native
ies Gladiator and Grindhouse it’s ever been.” Java has features similar to the Japanese
speak to his tendency to slice and The popularity of the HBO se- Genji story.
dice details. ries Game of Thrones helps, but Although he found it intriguing that both
His $1,950 “Serenity” sword, Whittlinger said a bigger water- sagas narrate identical lives of pleasure,
for instance, is described online shed was the Lord of the Rings love, life and adventure, he insisted the tales
as drawing on classic German, movies early this century, just as go beyond love stories — they involve heroic
Chinese, Japanese and Swiss de- swords started becoming easier incidents and elements of ethical value.
signs. But the butt end of the han- to buy. Panji was a legendary prince from East Up close: Details of Genji and Panji by Eddy Susanto.
dle, the pommel, was inspired by So who buys swords in the 21st Java, the protagonist of the Panji cycle that
a sword in the 1993 martial arts century? developed from a relief found in Gembyok/ kibu, who may have delivered the tale in temporary works first drew attention when
movie The Bride with White Hair. Collectors and history buffs Kediri in East Java. installments, describing the customs of aris- he was among the awardees of the Bandung
Movies, specifically the 1974 who hang them on a wall, “cut- Lord Panji’s tales emerged at the end of tocratic society at the time, which was eager- Contemporary Art Awards in 2011.
ters” who want a sharp and bal- the golden era of the Majapahit kingdom. It ly consumed by women of the aristocracy. At that time he used Javanese script to
anced weapon for slicing jugs, spread through oral storytelling, poetry and Critics have almost consistently de- form the images of Albrecht Duerer’s The
pieces of bamboo or test dum- song, expanding to Bali, and on to the region scribed The Tale of Genji as the oldest, first Men’s Bath revealing the narrative of Babad
mies, and sword fighters. encompassing Malaysia, Singapore, Thai- and/or greatest novel in Japanese literature. Tanah Jawi (History of Java). This was in-
Whittlinger said moviemak- land, Cambodia and Myanmar. The Tale of Genji is set during the end of the spired by his finding through research of the
ers and theater groups account While it became a lingua franca in the ninth century until the early 10th century. liberating spirit of the Renaissance in Eu-
for some sales, too. The appar- Southeast Asian region, each country and Besides being recorded as the first novel in rope and Islam in his native Java, which oc-
ently racially motivated killing culture added its own characteristic fea- the world, The Tale of Genji is also known as curred in about the same period of time.
last week of a black man in New tures. the first romance novel of the genre. In the West, the spirit of the Renaissance
York City with a 26-inch sword Eddy visualized the flow in his fascinat- Eddy revealed he had found old yellowed swept away the conventional culture of me-
illustrates the rare times when ing work at the recent Singapore Biennale, pages recounting the Genji story. Fasci- mento mori with its focus on the soul and the
such weapons are still used for where the Javanese letters changed to nated, he gave it new life by re-shaping the afterlife, while the spirit of Islam blew fresh
their original purpose. Thai, Cambodian and Vietnamese letters images with Javanese script along the con- wind over the lives of ceremonies and reli-
Lundemo says he makes according to where the story was featured tours, and adding adequate color. gious rituals, bringing along a transforma-
enough from swords for his on the canvas. The result is a work of subtle aesthetics tion into hard work and industrial foci.
wife and himself to pay the bills. The Tale of Genji also narrates the story of and refined finishing. Since then Eddy has created many works
They’re not getting rich, but the a prince. He was the son of an ancient Japa- Eddy’s obsession with the Javanese highlighting how cultural situations in Java
work has its benefits. nese emperor and his beloved concubine. script stems from his love of reading. He correlate with those in other parts of the
“The cool factor is way up His mother died when he was three years discovered that it was the first tool of com- world occurring at about the same period of
there,” he said. “Cool factor 11.” old, and his father remarried with someone munication in the olden days, and artisti- time. In so doing, he actually points out how
matching the beauty of his late wife. Genji cally it is the most beautiful, he states. art can play an important role in opening di-
in the story loved his stepmother, first as a Writing it gives one the chance to medi- alogue, or conversations that advocate cul-
True swordsman: John Lun- mother and later as a lover. tate while drawing the letters from arch to tural pluralism in a climate of nationalism.
demo works on a sword guard at As the story is told, he had many romanc- arch, he reveals.
an anvil in his workshop in New es. The tale was written by Murasaki Shi- His use of the Javanese script for his con- — PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANDONOWATI
Hampton, the US.

AP/Seth Wening

GUESS WHAT?
Vin Diesel talks of W
Walker Dinda aims forr Affleck aappears at CinemaCon
inemaCon
LAS VEGAS: Vin Diesel says he an and the Fast and colossal moviess LAS VEGAS: W Wonder Woman is here e to save the world
Furious crew do not want to let down the late and possibly tthe future of Warner Bros.
ros. DC Comics
Paul Walker with their new film. lm JAKARTA: Actress Dinda Kanyadewi is yearn- universe.
The actor on Wednesday spokespo to a packed ing for a new challenge in n her acting career. footage featuring actress Gal
New footag al Gadot’s lasso-
auditorium at CinemaCon in Las Vegas about The actress, who rose to popularity after wielding superhero
supe stole the show Wednesday night
the eighth installment in the frafranchise, The Fate playing the antagonist in TV soap operas at CinemaCon
CinemaCon, which also featured some peeks at
of the Furious — the first full film in the series such as Cintra Fitri (Fitri’s Love), said she Aquaman an so marked Ben Af-
and Justice League. It also
made in the aftermath of W Walker’s death in wanted to act in “colossall movies.” She fleck’s firrst public appearance since acknowledging
2013. omedy Hangout
had also starred in the comedy ehab for alcohol
he had recently completed rehab
After Walker died, his two brothers last year. addict
addiction.
helped complete action
a scenes in “The movie does not have to be The Batman star did not say any-
Furious 7, which e earned more than filled with action. I would d also like the thing,
thing but just stood alongside
side his
globally when it was
US$1.5 billion glo lossal biopic,”
opportunity to act in a colossal Justice
Justi League director Zack ck Snyder
released in 2015
2015. The Fate of the the 30-year-old was quoted ted by kapan- and co-stars Henry Cavill, Jason
Furiouss speeds iinto theaters on lagi.com as saying. Momoa
Mom and Ezra Miller.
April 14. She believes that getting ng a role But
B it was Wonder Woman’sman’s
A choked up Diesel said in colossal movies will provide
ovide her show,
sho even though Gadott
Walker had always
al envisioned with the challenges she needs to wasn’t
wa in Las Vegas.
eight movies in the series. “I develop as an actress. League footage spotlighted
ghted
always feel like
l he’s looking “I think it’s going to be e fun. Gadot’s
Ga Wonder Woman as
down on us and we don’t I want to play characters who she
sh breaks into Affleck’s
want to let him down,” live in a different era and d time. supposedly
su secured bat cave
Diesel said. I want to experience it,” she with
wi ease and informs the he
Diesel in his usual man- said. “Therefore, I really salute caped
ca crusader that theyy
ner promised
promis that it will be, actors and actresses who play would
wo need to assemble
“The best movie you have in colossal movies.” — JP to defeat a threat. — AP
ever seen.”
seen — AP

AP Kapanlagi.com AP