August 5, 2014 edition
EVERY year the Public Works Ministry flushes away Rp1.2 trillion to fix the roads along Java's north coast, familiarly known as pantura. During the weeks before Idul Fitri at the end of Ramadan, when masses of people flock from the cities to their home villages, the 1,341 kilometers of road are usually repaired in a hurry.
Four years ago, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) discovered indications of 'feasting' by unscrupulous officials on pantura repair projects. KPK deputy chief Busyro Muqoddas said the KPK was investigating allegations concerning the 2010-2011 repairs. For example, the antigraft agency discovered that the names of several roads that had been rehabilitated were not listed at the Public Works office. Those projects were thus "prone to fraud," he said.
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January 1, 1970 edition
OF the 38 survey and quick count pollsters registered with the General Elections Commission (KPU) ahead of the recent presidential election, Radio Republic Indonesia Public Broadcast Board (LPP RRI) Research and Educational Development and Training Center is one that has come under intense scrutiny. RRI's quick count on the day of the election, July 9, showed that Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla had received 52.21 percent of the vote, while the ticket's only opponents, Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa, had taken 47.49 percent.
Ramadhan Pohan, deputy chairman of House of Representatives' (DPR) Commission I, which oversees defense, foreign affairs and communication, believes RRI should not broadcast quick count results. "RRI's funding is a source of suspicion because it comes from the State Budget (APBN)," he said.
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January 1, 1970 edition
Long before the presidential election President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned both presidential candidates, Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo, to be ready for winning or losing. This advice was given in May and was repeated four days before the July 9 vote.
"The winner should not be arrogant and the loser should not run amok," the president said in a video titled 'President SBY's Message to Jokowi and Prabowo', uploaded to YouTube on July 5. The 14-minute message was not without reason. Yudhoyono is concerned over the possibility of riots since both candidates' electability are equally strong.
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July 15, 2014 edition
DURING the presidential campaign, the public seemed torn apart. One side was for Joko Wododo-Jusuf Kalla, the other for Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa. A tug-of-war in both real and virtual worlds was unavoidable.
In Yogyakarta, hundreds of Jokowi volunteers clashed with Prabowo supporters when their campaign processions passed at the Ngabean Terminal junction. Both sides threw stones, causing a serious traffic jam. Supporters from both candidates also taunted each other at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout in Jakarta. Meanwhile the war in the virtual world was just as violent, from bantering with rhymes to slandering.
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January 1, 1970 edition
PROVEN guilty of taking bribes in 15 regional election dispute cases, former Constitutional Court head Akil Mochtar will have to bear this shame to his grave. On Monday last week Akil was sentenced life imprisonment by the Corruption Court, a verdict in accordance with the charges leveled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutor.
However, there is one additional charge that was not granted by the judges: to revoke Akil's citizenship rights. That would have prevented him from voting and running for office. "If so, why don't you just revoke my citizenship as an Indonesian citizen," he said.
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July 1, 2014 edition
TWO weeks ago the Surabaya government officially closed the red light districts of Dolly and Jarak, located in the city's Putat Jaya district. "If they continue to open, the law will take over," Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini said.
It was not for no reason that Risma insisted on shutting Dolly down. The operation had no legal foundations. Entrepreneurs there had neither building permits nor licenses to run tourism-related businesses. More troubling, due to their mixing with local households, children in the area have become addicted to sex, Risma said. "Sex addiction is more dangerous than drug addiction," she explained, citing a child who admitted she was no longer a virgin and had many boyfriends.
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January 1, 1970 edition