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Bali immigration chief promises to fire corrupt officers

admin — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:25:15 +0000

BisnisBali reports that Bali’s immigration chief, Drs. I Nyoman Putra, has vowed to sack any immigration officers found to be accepting payments outside of the official tariff set for document processing. Putra said that the official tariff for document processing is posted at all immigration offices and promised to fire any officials found to be charging “additional fees” for immigration services.

Separately, BisnisBali interviewed an unnamed woman who admitted that she regularly uses the services of non-official “go betweens” to save money and time when processing immigration matters. Immigrations documents should be completed within 3 working days after paying the official fee and the presentation of a photo copy of current identity card (KTP), a family card (Kartu Keluarga) and a birth certificate (akte lahir).

Evening trains through Greater Jakarta to start tonight

admin — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:22:21 +0000

Residents of Jakarta, Depok, Serpong and Tangerang that work into the evening can now possibly make use of the new train services from PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) in the Jabodetabek area, which is going to run an economy fare electric train service starting this evening. The head of the train station in Bogor, Yuherman, said that the state-owned train company is to use trains on the two added timetables for the Jakarta-Bogor and Jakarta-Serpong evening services.

Two other evening services - Jakarta-Bekasi and Jakarta-Tangerang - are considered at the moment. The economy class electric trains with air conditioning stop at every station. Tickets will be 6.000 Rupiah (40 eurocent). This new train service is started up to help the people getting proper transport during the evening hours, since the cost of public transport has risen quickly after the government hiked prices of subsidized fuels late last month.

“The train on the route Jakarta-Bogor departs from Bogor at 21:00 and from Jakarta at 22:30. In this way it can help employees that work during the evening hours a better and more steady form of transport on the way home,” Yuherman said.

Extra long buses added to Jakarta Busway route

admin — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:21:47 +0000

Extra long buses for the Trans-Jakarta bus way system - often named just ‘Busway’ - will be used on the route Kampung Melayu-Ancol, or Corridor V. The launch of the new buses was executed by the governor of Jakarta, Fauzi Bowo yesterday morning. Ten new extra long buses have been prepared to be operational starting from today. These new buses can only be used on this corridor, because the infrastructure here is completely ready as well.

The long buses, together with the regular buses, will transit at the Sentral Senen bus-stop. The long buses will not use the fly-over to prevent traffic jams from occurring. The normal buses however will use the fly-over in Senen. The bus-stops for the long buses have three doors instead of just one.

Passengers board the buses via the front an back doors. The door in the middle is used to step off the bus. However the buses are slightly slower than the normal buses, they are capable of transporting much more passengers as well. Up to 180 passengers can be in the bus at any time. The operational hours for the extra long buses will be the same as for the regular buses on the Trans-Jakarta routes, from 05:00 to 22:00 local time.

High waves forecasted for Merauke waters

admin — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:21:16 +0000

The Meteorological and Geophysical Institute BMG has predicted that waves with heights up to four meters will occur in the seas south of Merauke. Waves this high are dangerous to all kinds of vessels. Based on forecasts from BMG, high waves with heights between three and four meters will also occur in the Arafuru Sea. The conditions are dangerous enough for any passing vessel like freighters, ferries and fishing boats.

Waves with heights between two and three meters are forecasted for the seas north of Aceh, west of Bengkulu until Lampung, the seas south of Java until East Nusa Tenggara, the Sawu Sea, the Sangihe Talaud archipelago and Aru archipelago. These conditions are also dangerous for fishermen and small freighters. Other parts of Indonesia will most likely also be hit by higher-than-normal waves, but they don’t reach up to two meters, which is the level where fishing boats still have to be careful.

High tides cause some flooding in northern Jakarta

admin — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:00:35 +0000

05 June 2008 - Floods that are caused by very high tides which flood the Muara Baru area in northern Jakarta are set to raise even further. According to information from Metro TV, the water in the main street is currently just over one meter, while the water at the fish market currently reaches 30 to 40 centimeters. Last night, most residents spent the night at their own homes, amid raising water levels. They have already experienced many floods, so they say they get used to it.

To anticipate the peak of the high tide, the Red Cross in Indonesia has already prepared itself. There are several emergency shelters set up, and since early June there has been an emergency kitchen in the Penjaringan neighborhood. If needed, this kitchen can be turned into an emergency shelter as well. The Red Cross also prepared an area behind the police station of Pantai Mutiara. Hundreds of people can bring themselves to safety here if needed.

Crowds gather at offices of FPI in several cities

admin — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:58:37 +0000

05 June 2008 - To prevent any actions by people who want to see FPI disbanded, the regional branch of FPI in Pekanbaru, Riau, has brought itself to readiness to fight possible crowds demanding the disbandment of FPI. The head of the regional branch there, Haris Kampai, said that they would fight anyone near their office demanding the disbandment of FPI. “The Riau branch of FPI has never had any anarchist behavior, it’s Ahmadiyah that should be disbanded, not FPI”, said Haris, pointing at a sect that is said to deviate from Islam.

Earlier this afternoon, hundreds of people from various elements from the Indonesian society showed up at the FPI branch office in Bandung, West Java, where they also demanded the disbandment of the FPI. The office is heavily guarded by local police because there were already rumors about groups arriving to demonstrate. Some people carried posters saying “FPI anti Pancasila” and “FPI are animals with turban”.

In Bogor, West Java, some 200 people gathered themselves near the local office of FPI to demand disbandment of the radical Islamic group there as well. All protests are still peaceful, but fears are still that things could go wrong if one of the sides replies a provocation.

46 members of radical Islamic FPI released

admin — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:52:31 +0000

05 June 2008 - Around half past ten earlier this morning, the regional police of Jakarta officially released 46 members of the FPI (Front Pembela Islam) which were held since Wednesday night. They were brought by police buses then. Earlier this morning the police added another six members to the those already arrested. Together with the leader of FPI, Habib Rizieq Shibab, they are now questioned at the police station.

They had the intention on releasing Rizieq as well this morning, because he has suspectedly only violated one article which is to instigate the attack on a peaceful demonstration at June 1, which carries a penalty of a maximum of nine months imprisonment. People can only be detained longer if their detainment is based on a criminal fact that brings a penalty of at least five years, but maybe Rizieq is suspected to have violated more articles, which is investigated now.

1.500 police arrest 49 members of radical Islamic FPI

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:58:48 +0000

04 June 2008 - An overwhelming police force of some 1.500 personnel have finally made 49 arrests among members of the radical Islamic FPI (Islamic Defenders Front) in Jakarta after last Sundays attack on a peaceful demonstration in the city. The arrests were done in an orderly manner without any resistance from members of the FPI. The action was directly overseen by the head of the police of Metro Jaya, the Greater Jakarta police, Adang Firman. He first just wanted to arrest 10 people.

Earlier this morning the police transported the 49 people in two trucks for prisoners with numbers 7469 and 7432. They were secured and directly brought to the police headquarters with tight security. Outside the 49 people, police also secured evidence like bamboo sticks, camera’s and some sharp weapons. Directly after the arrests were made the entire police force of 1.500 men pulled back, leaving the offices to the FPI again.

AKKBB: ‘FPI tries to divert attention to Ahmadiyah sect’

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:54:54 +0000

The coordinator for the National Alliance for Free Religion and Belief (AKKBB), Anick Hamin Thohari, said that the delay of the final ‘verdict’ from the government about the Ahmadiyah sect in Indonesia was not the main reason for the FPI (Front Pembela Islam - Islamic Defenders Front) to stage the attack against a peaceful demonstrations two days ago. He said that the acts of violence were nothing more than anarchism by the FPI.

“I think that the argument is just an diversion from the main topic. The actions of the FPI were pure violence,” said Anick in the main government building before a general meeting. He asked for the government to take swift action against the FPI. “This should be handled with and finished off in a good manner. We can not go anywhere else at this moment.”
According to him, the peaceful demonstration that was organized by AKKBB at June 1, was totally not related to Ahmadiyah. “Our demonstration was not because of Ahmadiyah, but to celebrate the birth of Pancasila, our state philosophy.”

Indonesian govt mulls freezing FPI over brutality

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:53:26 +0000

The Indonesian government is considering suspending the FPI (Front Pembela Islam - Islamic Defenders Front) for its attack on activists at the National Monument in Jakarta last Sunday. Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Widodo AdiSucipto said the government was looking at a 1985 law that allows for the suspension of a mass organization.

“We should not only see this problem as a violent action, but as something that may tarnish our country’s civilization,” Widodo was quoted by major newspaper The Jakarta Post. “We are now conducting strict legal processes in this case,” he added. Widodo said President Yudhoyono had ordered an investigation of the organization that ambushed activists from the National Alliance for the Freedom of Faith and Religion (AKKBB), who were rallying to commemorate the birth of Pancasila (the state ideology) 63 years ago.

“We should put this problem within the context that every mass organization must be in line with the 1985 law,” said Widodo. Under the 1985 law, the government can freeze the central board of a mass organization if it commits an act harmful to order and security, receives foreign assistance without government consent or support foreign parties that could act counter to national interests.