Loopholes in Debt Write-Offs for Small Businesses
The government writes off non-performing loans of fishermen and small business owners. Detailed criteria can prevent moral hazards.
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The government writes off non-performing loans of fishermen and small business owners. Detailed criteria can prevent moral hazards.
The government’s policy of allowing MSME loans write-offs under certain conditions is deemed prone to moral hazard and misuse.
The plan for a super-holding for state-owned enterprises dates back to the New Order era. The SOEs Ministry will be replaced by a giant corporation.
The Joko Widodo administration leaves a heavy burden for state-owned enterprises. Many projects result in big debts.
Megawati reportedly did not approve of PDI-P cadres entering Prabowo’s cabinet. She chose Pramono Anung to communicate with Prabowo.
Jakarta's regulations were considered as failing to fulfill the aspirations of differently-abled people
Tempo accompanied several differently-abled people as they navigated public transportation in Jakarta.
Indonesia is poised to fall into the middle-income trap. Only a few people enjoy the economy pie.
President-elect Prabowo’s cabinet is predicted to be filled by more than 40 ministries in an effort to accommodate the interest of the parties supporting him.
Preparing 2.9 million hectares of land under the food estate program in Merauke, South Papua, the government aims to achieve rice and sugar self-sufficiency within three to four years. Mirroring the previous failed food estate initiative.
Police uncover baby trafficking syndicate operating in Java-Bali since 2023. Five babies were already sold.
The PDI-P will be nominating Anies Baswedan in the Jakarta gubernatorial election. A popular candidate against Jokowi’s coalition.
BRIN is designing the Peluit-40 nuclear reactor to replace diesel power plants, claiming it to be safer.
The government continues with its plan to make vehicle insurance and third-party liability insurance compulsory. There is suspicion that insurance is used to collect money from the public.
The PDI-P plans to nominate Anies Baswedan in the Jakarta gubernatorial election and is preparing to face candidates supported by Jokowi in other regions.
Jokowi’s betrayal of the PDI-P should serve as a lesson: politics is not about seeking power, but trying to bring about democracy.
The PDI-P opens itself up to supporting Prabowo Subianto. Testing the water through the simultaneous regional head elections.
The KPK named three suspects in the corruption case involving personal protective equipment. Other high-ranking officials are also implicated.
Two bread brands are suspected of using a type of preservative that is not allowed in food. It is believed as a way to attack small and medium-scale bread producers.
The presence of Okko and Aoka disturbs home-industry breads produced by micro, small and medium businesses.
The merger between Tokopedia and TikTok Shop shifts the e-commerce business competition. The new entity is competing with Shopee.
The PDI-P is facing a dilemma between maintaining its access to the government and protecting democracy. Corrections are needed for the damage of the last 10 years.
PDI-P cadres and volunteers refuse to let the party join the Prabowo Subianto coalition. The party’s stance remains unclear.
PDI-P has yet to decide whether to become the opposition or join Prabowo Subianto’s coalition. There is concern about losing the seat of House Speaker.
Political parties that supported the Prabowo-Gibran presidential ticket plan to form a permanent coalition for the 2024 regional head elections. They are strengthening themselves in the provinces.
Middle-class society is being squeezed. They don't get social assistance. Nor do they have enough savings while they incur the burdening debts.
Prabowo Subianto is actively lobbying the PDI-P, NasDem, and PKB. The Opportunity to get into Prabowo’s cabinet is wide open.
All residents of Sembulang Hulu on Rempang Island are united in rejecting relocation for the Rempang Eco-City project. The relocation land is still being disputed.
The finances of Indonesian railroad company KAI are suffering because of having to operate the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train. A number of efforts to save it actually make matters worse.
Prabowo-Gibran is likely to win the presidential election in one round. They were boosted by the ‘Jokowi effect’ and Ganjar-Mahfud’s landslide defeat.
The Prabowo-Gibran National Campaign Team Chief Rosan Perkasa Roeslani responds to allegations of election frauds that purportedly benefitted the pair.
Operators of the Jawa-1 steam-gas power plant are in a financial strain. Technical problems are slowing down the project’s development.
The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train is considered less competitive than the Argo Parahyangan regular train service. The company is working to boost its non-passenger revenue.
The Anies-Muhaimin and Ganjar-Mahfud camps are cooperating to prevent election trickery. They are preparing a coalition in the second round.
Acting regional heads are working for a Prabowo-Gibran presidential election victory. This report is a collaboration between Independen.id, AJI Indonesia, and USAID Media-Internews.
The police and a number of government ministries are working for a Prabowo-Gibran election victory. Some are using state funds for this purpose.
Adhi Karya denies that subcontractors supply fill soil from illegal mining for the Yogyakarta-Bawen toll road project.
Pseudo-democracy only sees voters as electoral subordination.
Prabowo and Gibran’s electability rates started stalling in November 2023. In several regions, support for Prabowo is eroded by the Anies-Muhaimin ticket.
The Anies-Muhaimin and Ganjar-Mahfud camps are maneuvering to prevent a one-round presidential election. They are sharing data on frauds and exploring a possible coalition.
President Jokowi is believed to be upset about the electability of the Prabowo-Gibran presidential bid, which is polling at less than 50 percent. He wants a one-round election win.
The Ganjar-Mahfud pair divides the role in netting the votes of millennials and Gen Z. They are trailing behind the ‘gemoy’ gimmick on TikTok.
Budiman Sudjatmiko and other 1998 activists are gathering support for Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka. They are deemed pragmatic and accused of forgetting history.
Reports on the Presidential Regulation on the Rempang Eco-City and the Jayapura riots.
The Anies-Muhaimin coalition is breaking as the 2024 elections approach. Political parties’ campaigns are impacted by the disharmony.
The KPU is slow in preparing the presidential debates. It is considered to favor the Prabowo-Gibran pair.
Iriana, the wife of Jokowi, has been advocating for Gibran Rakabuming Raka to become Prabowo’s vice-presidential running mate since the beginning of the year. She is actively garnering support among entrepreneurs.
Solo becomes one of the battlegrounds for the presidential campaigns of Prabowo-Gibran and Ganjar-Mahfud. They fight over campaign advertisement locations.
The PLN and a Chinese company are negotiating a study of the Java-Sumatra transmission and interconnection network. Other countries are also pursuing it.
Having no democratic legitimacy, Gibran Rakabuming Raka must withdraw his candidacy for the vice-presidency.
The government plans to continue the fast-train project to Surabaya. This is a debt trap staring us in the face.
The Prabowo-Gibran presidential campaign has assessed the impact of the dismissal of Anwar Usman as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court. They are downplaying the issue of a Jokowi political dynasty.
The Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed train will disrupt other modes of transportation. Tariffs would depend on the investment value.
China and Indonesia have begun an assessment of the Jakarta-Surabaya high-speed train. The project would add to the Belt and Road Initiative’s achievements.
News of public officials’ campaigns for Prabowo-Gibran and the court verdict in the child kidney failure case.
Surya Airways is enlivening the low-cost flight business. The emergence of new airline companies is not yet proportional to demand.
President Jokowi actively supported the Prabowo-Gibran presidential nomination ahead of the Constitutional Court’s decision. A state institution was utilized to support the effort.
Constitutional Court Chief Justice Anwar Usman is reportedly maneuvering to lower the minimum age limit for presidential and vice-presidential candidates, paving the way for Gibran.
A number of volunteers are pushing for a Prabowo-Gibran presidential bid. They are hoping that a lawsuit at the Constitutional Court regarding age requirements for candidates will be decided in their favor.
Prabowo Subianto will almost certainly choose Gibran Rakabuming Raka as his vice-presidential running mate. Jokowi supports a Prabowo-Gibran ticket.
The Constitutional Court reportedly already made a decision in favor of a lawsuit regarding the minimum age requirement for presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The issue is rife with conflicts of interest.
Anies-Muhaimin tries to embrace Nahdlatul Ulama sympathizers. The pair reacts to accusations of identity politics and right-wing affinity.
KCIC is considering its tariff for the Whoosh high-speed train. There is the option to change Argo Parahyangan’s route to eliminate competition for Whoosh.
Potential loss looms over the Jakarta-Bandung fast train. KAI is forced to increase debt and find ways to cover the cost of operations.
Indonesia’s first pumped storage hydroelectric power plant will generate 1,040 megawatts, the largest capacity in the country.
The idea for a Prabowo Subianto-Ganjar Pranowo presidential ticket resurfaces. Both camps are resolved to field their nominees as presidential candidates.
A company from China plans to build a glass factory in the Rempang Eco-City. It merges a tourist area with a quartz processing project.
Coal-fired PLTUs are the world’s biggest carbon polluters. Green taxonomy revisions open up possibilities for transition-washing.
Anies Baswedan choses Muhaimin Iskandar to be his vice-presidential running mate. Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono is eliminated in the final turn.
ISIS sympathizer Dananjaya Erbening had dozens of ready-to-use firearms and ammunition. He raised funds through charity.
Muhaimin Iskandar is insistent on becoming the vice-presidential candidate in Prabowo’s coalition. The PPP is considering of withdrawing from Ganjar’s coalition.
The signature of Sarwono Kusumaatmadja was used to validate the names of candidates for echelon-I officials of the Environment and Forestry Ministry. The announcement letter was issued when he was hospitalized in Malaysia.
The recycling process of used Coca-Cola plastic bottles at Amandina Bumi Nusantara gets community support.
Closing down Al-Zaytun is not a solution. State officials must relinquish their political links with it.
Singapore is able to finance its energy transition using low-cost funding. Indonesia’s green financing relies on grants and loans.
Boasting the largest bandwidth capacity in Asia, the Satria-1 satellite took to the skies. It will provide fast Internet access in remote regions.
Helen Keller, a deaf-blind woman, became known throughout the world for being able to read and writing 14 books.
A Laotian choreographer performed at the Helatari Salihara 2023 event synergizing hip-hop moves with dance steps from his own traditions.
A summary of our news, from Prabowo Subianto’s proposal for the Russia-Ukraine war to Luhut Pandjaitan’s special privileges.
Vice-presidential candidates will determine who will be the 8th President of Indonesia. Why?
In the hands of politicians drunk on electoral politics, it is difficult for Indonesian soccer to develop. The cancellation of the U-20 World Cup is just collateral damage.
Tiza Mafira is actively waging war against single-use plastics. She co-founded the Indonesian Plastic Diet Movement.
Makarim Wibisono talks about a myriad of problems faced by the Non-Judicial Resolution Team for Past Serious Human Rights Violations.
For Indonesia, the plan for bauxite export ban will be a self-inflicted double blow. Besides lowering export earnings, domestic bauxite mining firms will face big trouble.
The experience of taking the South Korean high-speed train to Busan.
ASEAN agrees in principle to accept Timor-Leste to become its 11th member.
Sugar producers claim they were not involved in the discussion of sugar self-sufficiency regulations. They question the import quota for raw sugar.
The government is formulating a presidential regulation to fast-track sugar self-sufficiency. The SOEs Ministry is fusing sugar mills into Sugar Co to boost production. However, the import facility given to PTPN III sparks allegations of monopoly.
Barring the entry of five foreign researchers underlines the anti-science and anti-criticism stance of Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya. This is a danger for the environment.
The training was given to PNM Mekaar customers in the Purwokerto area with a total of 50 participants. #Infotempo
Controversies follow news of Andika Perkasa and Dudung Abdurachman’s thorny relationship. The PDI-P is attempting to quell Dudung’s fury.
A letter suggesting Oakland’s concept for building an environmental-friendly Jakarta.
Why do Joko Widodo’s supporters continue promoting his third-term presidency?
As many as 30,000 SOE-fostered MSMEs received training and NIB certificates. The training was held gradually from August to October. #Infotempo
The European Union will implement a due diligence regulation to ensure that products entering the continent are deforestation-free. Is Indonesia’s Timber Legality Assurance System compatible with the new regulation?
It is time production of single-use plastic be ended. Consumers should simply boycott products using non-environmental-friendly packaging, such as single-use plastic.
The agriculture ministry created a Cattle Village Corporation program known as the 1,000 Cattle Villages in 2020 in the quest for self-sufficiency in beef supply. Local cows are mated with Australian cattle.
The criminal nature of the gratuities accepted by Lili Pintauli Siregar was enough to take the deputy chair of the KPK to court. This is momentum to restore the dignity of the anti-graft commission.
The government is to inject Rp7.5 trillion of fresh funds into Garuda Indonesia. This has the risk of turning into a long-term burden.
Air quality in Jakarta is deemed the worst in the world. Pollutants come from transportation, and cross-border air contamination from West Java and Banten.
IF Indonesia wants to avoid bankruptcy, the policy of subsidizing fuel must be ended. By the end of 2014, the funds used in subsidizing fuel is predicted to reach Rp285 trillion, almost a fifth of the amended 2014 State Budget, which is Rp1,6354.4 trillion. The rupiah, which has been weakening since 2011, has helped to contribute to the deficit.
Indonesia is no longer an oil-rich country. Our reserves are estimated to be a mere 3.7 billion barrels of oil, but the price of oil is now cheaper from oil-rich countries like Iraq, with oil reserves of 150 billion barrels. Since 2004, Indonesia has become an oil-importing country. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that by 2018, Indonesia will be importing US$63.5 billion-worth of oil.
The increase in the price of cooking gas could slow down the energy conversion program. Subsidies and improvements to distribution could save it.
The term “Medan Block” emerged during the trial of former North Maluku Governor, Abdul Gani Kasuba. Medan Block is believed to refer to pre-allocated nickel mining concessions in Halmahera.
Bobby Nasution is suspected of managing the Medan Block nickel mine since 2021. He met with Abdul Gani Kasuba before becoming the Mayor of Medan.
The opportunity for Anies Baswedan to contest the Jakarta gubernatorial election is slipping away after the coalition of parties supporting him fell apart. There is a guerrilla from the Palace.
An exclusive Tempo interview with Anies Baswedan regarding his chances to run in the Jakarta regional head election.
Jokowi and Prabowo’s coalition are maneuvering to thwart Anies Baswedan’s candidacy in the Jakarta regional head election. Cabinet posts are being offered as inducements.
Chances for Anies Baswedan to run in the Jakarta regional head election are beginning to open up. A number of political parties support Prabowo Subianto intend to nominate Anies.
Thirteen-year-old Afif Maulana was found dead under a bridge in Padang, West Sumatra. He had allegedly been tortured by the police.
The number of Indonesian umrah minor pilgrimage travelers grows during the fasting month of Ramadan. The nation’s umrah economic potential has not been fully harnessed.
A defendant of the Supreme Court justice bribery case is allegedly subjected to extortion by someone claiming to represent the leadership of the KPK. The name Firli Bahuri is also implicated.
Anies Baswedan talks about the campaign. He admits there are talks with the Ganjar-Mahfud team.
The claim that the Gunung Padang site is the oldest pyramid in the world is strongly challenged. A collaboration of researchers from around the world is needed.
Foreign archeologists doubt the site of Gunung Padang as the world’s oldest pyramid. A journal publisher is going to investigate.
Moh. Wijdan, Head of Ketapang Jaya village, Ketapang, Sampang, East Java, replies to Pressure from the Police and Prosecutors article.
Anies Baswedan is campaigning aggressively through TikTok. It is forbidden to talk about politics and campaigns.
Several high-ranking veterans formerly supporters of Jokowi and Prabowo switched their allegiance to Anies Baswedan. Several officers held disappointment.
The concept of Kampung Madani is to optimize the business and economic potential of the region. #InfoTempo
A family of Sumatran tigers died after being caught in snare traps in Aceh. With a population of about 600, this endangered wild animal is threatened by poaching, loss of habitat, and conflict with humans.
Poaching produce in the North Natuna Sea is not only triggered by economic need. According to the Director of the Fleet Monitoring and Operations of the Marine and Fisheries Resources Directorate-General in the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, Pung Nugroho Saksono, a conflict similar to the Sipadan-Ligitan case between Malaysia and Indonesia should not be allowed to recur.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator, Novel Baswedan, has doubts about his alleged assailant Brig. Rahmat Kadir Mahulette’s statement, calling him a traitor.
MEDAN Mayor Tengku Dzulmi Eldin’s alleged bribery case has roped in a number of parties, from bureaucrats to businessmen.
THE ivory hornbill or rangkong is a symbol of courage and bravery for Dayak community in Kalimantan. The bird is also considered a protector, and acts as the bridge which connects the souls of their ancestors with the Dayaks. Despite this, in the past three years, the population of the ivory rangkong has depleted alarmingly. In 2015, international conservation organizations announced its status as critically endangered.
Parking attendants in Makassar were given paralegal training by the Makassar Legal Aid Institute. The program aims to improve legal awareness and embolden participants to fight corruption.
THE Civil Society Coalition has worked with Change.org to launch a petition demanding President Joko Widodo to form a joint fact-finding team (TGPF) to investigate the attack using acid against Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan.
Sartono Kartodiredjo’s dissertation Pemberontakan Petani Banten 1888 (The Peasants’ Revolt of Banten in 1888) and Catatan Harian Imam Samudra (Imam Samudra’s Diaries) were two texts that significantly influenced Jompet Kuswidananto’s work On Paradise, exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Arts, Grand-Hornu, Belgium.
Organic coffee farming in Kiadan Plaga is the main source of income. It is also a vehicle for the village’s brand of ecotourism.~
Rizieq Syihab, charged in a pornography offense, did not show up at his scheduled questioning at the Jakarta police headquarters on April 25. He said he wanted to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to perform the lesser pilgrimage (umrah). This Grand Imam of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) promised he would be present for questioning upon returning from the Holy Land in mid-May. However, the post-Ramadan fasting month holiday has passed and he has yet to return to Indonesia.
Anies Baswedan took advantage of the final week of the campaign to emphasize his rejection of land reclamation work on the north shore of Jakarta. On Wednesday last week, Anies, who is running for the office of the Jakarta governor, endorsed by the Gerindra Party and Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) went to the dock in Cilincing, North Jakarta. He took part in the parade with the theme "Fishermen Reject Land Reclamation."
There were 150 ships there, each carrying 10 fishermen, which sailed in a convoy on Jakarta Bay, from Kalibaru dock to Cilincing. These fishing boats visited Island G, an island where work had once stopped, which is being worked on by the Agung Podomoro Land company. They put up a banner there which read "Reject Land Reclamation."
Friday last week was a busy day for 47-year-old Anies Baswedan, who began his day's activities from early morning. His schedule was full and it did not end until nearly midnight. "I haven't slept much," said Anies.
That day, Anies, the former education and culture minister, was selected a candidate in the Jakarta gubernatorial election, by the Gerindra Party and the Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS). His running mate is Sandiaga Uno, a Gerindra member and businessman. There was a series of events he had to attend following his nomination: the public declaration of his candidacy, registration at the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPUD) and political meetings. At the end of that Friday, Tempo reporter Prihandoko had a chance to interview Anies about his nomination
THE four big mammals that have always been the focus of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia, according to Arnold Sitompul, are tigers, orangutans, elephants and rhinoceroses. It is not just because they are endemic to the islands of Sumatra, Java and Kalimantan. The animals are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as critically endangered. "These species have always been our main concern because they are endemic to Indonesia, and so they've always been our priority," Arnold told Tempo.
Out of the four endangered mammals, the most threatened are the Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), of which only about 300 are left in the wild. Meanwhile, the population of Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) plummeted by 50 percent in less than 10 years. Arnold recently spoke to Tempo English reporter Amanda Siddharta on WWF Indonesia's efforts to conserve these iconic beasts. Excerpts:
The huge education budget20 percent of the total state budgetdemands a significant improvement in the quality of the national education system, something that Indonesians have been yearning for years. Now, it is up to Education and Culture Minister Anies Baswedan to respond to those demands.
The first step that Anies has started is publicizing all data on public education. The Education Balance Sheet publication contains information that until recently was not available to the public, such as the number of students in schools, the proportion of students to teachers, the number of damaged and broken-down schools, the quality of teachers based on teacher competence evaluations, the different education budgets between national and regional budgets, the budget allocation per student and the number of accredited schools.
This is the story of death. It is begun with somebody's death and ends with your own death. Yes, your death. No need for surprises," Faisal Oddang opens his story in his maiden novel Puya ke Puya. Death is the frame of the whole narrative, binding the subplots throughout the 218-page novel.
Yet, death here is not described in fear or anxiety. Faisal sets it with the background of the Toraja community that views death as something intimate. "Most Torajans celebrate death and keep it as close as possible in their memories," writes Faisal.
It is increasingly clear that the charges against Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan were mostly fabricated. The National Ombudsman found suspected fraud in the police investigation. The prosecution's case against Novel, concluded the Ombudsman, should not even have qualified for a court hearing.
Irregularities were first suspected when a 2004 resolved case involving Novel was regurgitated. He was, at the time, posted in a Bengkulu district police precinct and charged with allegedly allowing his subordinates to torture some bird-nest thieves. The case should have been closed after Novel was given a strong warning that same year. Unfortunately, the police dug it up when Novel, as a KPK investigator, exposed the corruption inside the National Police traffic division.
After the noon prayers, Irzal Rakhmadani, 24, packed his things in a rucksack and went out. Two items he never goes without are his stethoscope and sphygmometer. He would ride on his motorbike to the office of the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, three kilometers away. There, he would treat people suffering from the effects of forest fire smoke around Palangkaraya. In 2015, he treated some 1,000 patients.
In mid-September, Irzal and his colleagues visited a camp for workers who had been laid off by an oil palm company. Fifteen volunteers of Earth Hour Palangkaraya had gathered to help the smoke victims there. Irzal saw something that distressed him. About 300 people were crammed into a 5x15 meter barrack. Because there was not enough room, tarpaulin tents had been set up outside the barracks. People lived alongside chicken and their pet dogs.
ON the first day that Anies Baswedan began his job as minister for culture and elementary and secondary education a year ago, he knew there would be piles of work ahead of him. Among the many issues that needed to be sorted out was the scarcity of teachers in Indonesia's remote areas. Yet, statistically, there should have been enough teachers to go around. The student-teacher ratio is around 16 to 1. "That's an excess, while in South Korea, the ratio is 30 to 1. Ideally it should be 25 to 1," said Anies, admitting that the problem in Indonesia was one of unequal distribution. In some places such as Papua, the ratio dropped significantly to 75 students for every teacher. So, in May this year, the education ministry initiated the Guru Garis Depan (Frontline Teachers ) program to address the shortage of teachers in the outer parts of the country. So far, 798 teachers have been sent out to teach at 28 regencies. Next year, the number is expected to increase to 3,500. Anies discussed the Frontline Teachers initiative with Tempo English reporters Sadika Hamid, Syari Fani and Amanda Siddharta. Excerpts:
THE Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has an ambitious plan for next year: raising the budget for the development of renewable energy by 10 times. "The future of Indonesia's development depends on seeking and building renewable energy. We can no longer rely solely on fossil fuel energy, which is bound to become scarce," said Dadan Kusdiana, director of the ministry's section on bio-energy.
A strain of wheat developed by researchers at the Andalas University School of Agriculture in Padang, West Sumatra-the Galur SO-3, or GURI 6 UNAND-has been identified as one of four superior varieties of wheat by the Cereal Plant Research Center last November.
Rice, rendang beef stew, jackfruit curry and many kinds of sambal (chili paste) sit in the front lanjar (guestroom) of Etek Nuraini's traditional rumah gadang house in Nagari Sumpur, in the Tanah Datar regency of West Sumatra. It is early in the month of February. Some 40 guests have gathered, including village elders and West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno. Guests sit on the floor, eating side-by-side. Prayers are recited for the safety and wellbeing of those who will inhabit the house. Family photos hang on the wall. Windows are left open to let sunlight in.
From the vantage of the dining area, the house's spacious interior is in clear view. Six jua (Cassia siamea) pillars grace the building's 17-meter-long sides. Jua, a type of ulin ironwood, is extremely durable: once dry, its impossible to cut it down to size. The walls, meanwhile, are made of surian (Toona ciliata), and floors from bayur (pterospermum javanicum) tree trunks.
Forty young men strain and groan, taut muscles shining with sweat as they haul a jua tree (Cassia siamea) out from a ravine near Singkarak Lake, West Sumatra. The trunk is 11 meters long and will be used as the main pillar in a rumah gadang (traditional Minangkabau house). The house is being built for the heirs of Etek Siti Fatimah in the hamlet of Nagari, Sumpur village, Tanah Datar regency. Etek is what locals call an aunt, or a respected female figure.
The men take turns pulling the tree up and out of the gully. Shortly after noon, they reach the top. After clearing another small rise they toss the trunk down the other side, watching it tumble downhill.
PHOTOGRAPHS of elementary school students hang on the walls of the Ki Hajar Dewantara Building of the Elementary and Secondary Education and Culture Ministry in Jakarta. Most of them show children in remote areas, wearing shabby uniforms but genuine smiles on their faces. The photographs were put up at the request of the new minister, Anies Baswedan, who asked that they be hung everywhere, including in all meeting rooms. "So that when we meet, their faces will remind us that we work for them," said Anies, in his office last week.
Barely two months into his new assignment, Anies has created a buzz in Indonesia's education sector. He changed the function of national school examinations from determining a student's passing grade to merely a tool to measure the quality of education. A recent bombshell was when Anies halted the Curriculum 2013 and reverted to the Curriculum 2006 on December 6. He rejected the new curriculum because he noticed that teachers and schools were not ready to use it. "It's like being told to suddenly switch to an iPhone when you're used to using BlackBerry," Anies explained.
His name is Sekarpandan. He is short, with a huge behind. In Cirebon style wayang kulit, he is one of the nine clown-retainers who accompany the five Pandawa.
Sekarpandan got his bodily form after taunting Semar, who wanted to marry Sekarpandan's older sister Sudiragen. In the fight that ensued, Sekarpandan lost and was thrown into a clump of pandanus, immediately changing form: he became a replica of the person he had been taunting. Also in character.
PERHAPS he was born with a gun in his hand. At the age of 13, Benny Moerdani fought as a member of the military academy cadets. He nearly died when Dutch gunfire destroyed his rifle barrel. Fragments flew into his face, causing him to bleed profusely.
Without being trained as a paratrooper, Benny once jumped from an airplane over Pekanbaru to win back the Caltex oilfield which had been taken over by rebels from the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI). During a different assault in Padang, his parachute failed to open. The cord wrapped around his leg, and his body slammed against the plane's fuselage. Fortunately he was able to use his reserve chute. With his leg in a cast, he insisted on going to the battlefield.
A national research team has discovered ancient buildings and artifacts at the Mount Padang archaeological site in, Cianjur regency, West Java. The team's deputy chairman for geology, Danny Hilman Natawidjadja, said they had found a 22-centimeter-long stone rod on the mountain's southern slope, about two or three meters below the surface. The rod has pores and magnetic characteristics that attract it to metal. "It resembles Harry Potter's magic wand, which is fit for gripping," Danny said last week.
Other finds included knife-shaped metals, metal waste and burned soil with stacks of stones beneath. Based on laboratory tests, the burned residual materials have been in the location since 5,200 BC.
FOR almost a year, Hamdan Zoelva has only managed to sleep five hours a day. As the chief justice of the Constitutional Court he has had to bear the consequences of his predecessor Akil Mochtar's actions. Last year Akil was arrested, tried and sentenced to jail by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). "Many people don't trust the Court anymore," said 52-year-old Hamdan.
Akil was guilty of accepting bribes from regional chief executives whose elections were in dispute. He was arrested in early October 2013, in the process of receiving money from Hambit Bintih, district chief of Gunung Emas. The case shook the Court. When Hamdan took over, public trust in the judiciary was at its lowest.
CONSTITUTIONAL Court Chief Justice Hamdan Zoelva turned red and his voice rose one decibel higher as he presided over the lawsuit submitted by the Jambi-based National Democrat Party. Two of the three witnesses had given conflicting information. When they were questioned further, they had no valid data. "It was very clear they were making it all up," Hamdan told Tempo.
The inaccurate testimony, according to Hamdan, was one among many problems in the court proceedings looking into disputes arising out of the recent legislative election. Some 700 cases submitted by political parties and legislative candidates were pending, with only three weeks to go before the deadline on June 30. "This week we will evaluate the cases so that a week before the deadline, all is in place."
The government has appointed PGN and Bakrie to complete the Kepodang-Tambak Lorok gas pipeline project. PLN has missed out on Rp3 trillion in savings.
On the eastern part of Sumba Island, Mbatakapidu village chief Jacob Tanda is synonymous with bountiful harvests. He succeeded in turning around a perennial food shortage into abundance and resilience, thanks to his innovative farming ways. He urged his villagers to plant 10 kinds of crops and to re-use the traditional barns to store food. He persuaded women active in the local Community Welfare Program (PKK), to carry out a 'love your local products' campaign. In just four years, he altered an impoverished village into a bountiful, resilient community. Tempo reporter Syari Fani flew to eastern Sumba to report on this success story on the occasion of World Food Day on October 16.
A cross-disciplinary team of scientists is studying a controversial archeological site: Mount Padang. Is it true the site is 10 times larger than Borobudur?
This is a portrait of how things have changed in the first elite neighborhood in the Dutch Indies. The area in question was formerly called Nieuw-Gondangdia. Later its name was changed to Menteng. This is where the wealthy lived, from top government officials and governors to ambassadors and businesspeople. Over the years, however, its beauty has faded. It has grown in an irregular fashion, due to the inconsistent application of city regulations, as well as its residents' lack of concern for the environment.
On this year's anniversary of the city of Jakarta, which coincides with Menteng's 100th anniversary, Tempo attempts to write extensively about Indonesia's first modern tropical residential area. This is where the Indische (Indies) architectural style originated. Not many buildings of this style exist today. Now it is a crowded, polluted area, used by motorists avoiding carpool roads. Menteng is a typical example of Jakarta's muddled zoning regulations.
In the village of Lendang Nangka, East Lombok, residents have attained self-sufficiency in their clean water supply. In addition to receiving an award for their efforts, the villages water supply has made it easier for residents to conduct their business.
The month of Ramadan (fasting) will end with the Idul Fitri holidays, a cause for joyous celebration. Young and old, the high and the low, will come together in a new beginning, marked by day-long feasting and fun. But there will also be a sobering moment of spiritual reconnection, of forgiveness and joint prayers, giving thanks to the greatness of God Almighty. At this joyous time, Tempo English Edition presents a special photo essay of Ramadan celebration in eastern Indonesia.
Artists from Indonesia used various actions to capture the attention of audiences in Berlin. Sundanese language was not an obstacle when it appeared as a performance.
Located in the middle of the World Coral Triangle, Indonesia plays an important role in determining the fate of the tuna, the highly popular food fish that is slowly but irrevocably diminishing from the earth’s oceans, no thanks to years of excessive fishing. Processing plants can no longer meet fish production capacity, fishermen must sail farther out to sea for their catches yet exports are declining. Can government regulations bring back the endangered tuna? A special report by the Tempo English Edition team.
The winner of the Rancage Literary Award was announced. Ajip Rosidi has begun to pass on the judging of Sundanese literature to his colleagues.
The Special 88 Detachment has been deployed in pursuit of the Medan Bank CIMB robbers. They are suspected of having links to former GAM members and other groups.
The high bovine mortality rate drove researchers at Nusa Cendana University to create a supplement that fattens cows and makes them resistant to disease.
How will corruption eradication fare in 2009? The optimistic will reply: “full of challenges”, while the pessimists are bound to say: “dismal”. We prefer the word “endangered”.
Lombok’s Sasak Muslims enjoy unique traditions during Ramadan.
Tan Deseng is recognized as a skilled Sundanese ethnomusicologist. He set up a workshop with ethnic-Chinese students who love Sundanese culture.
The Cendana Axis
The Ups and Downs of the Cendana Family
After Suharto stepped down, the range of business activities as well as the wealth of the Cendana family seemed to decline. But the sons and daughters of the former president still hold key positions in a number of corporations.
The Medan District Court has rejected Adelin Lis’s defense. Forestry Minister Kaban will be presented as a witness.
Researchers find pandanus (screw pine) with potential similar to buah merah on the Island of Yapen, Papua.
The grandson of former President Suharto, Danny Indra Rukmana, married celebrity Lulu Tobing. A lavish wedding was held.
THE life rhythm of this youth suddenly changed in mid-July. He is now spotlighted, photographed, interviewed and gets to meet all kinds of people. Jonathan Pradana Mailoa is receiving praises galore because he is the shining star in a nation that is going through so much darkness: earthquakes, floods, famine and that endless disease called corruption. Indonesias reputation went up a notch through the brilliance of this 16-year-old, when he became the absolute winner of the 37th International Physics Olympics, held in Singapore and participated in by 86 countries.
The World Cup ended last Sunday, but people are still talking about soccer. Not Italys victory over France, but the duel between Zinedine Zidane, the captain of the French team, and Marco Materazzi, the Italian back.
LAST month, the Philippine government began identification of Indonesian migrants in Mindanao. They were offered a choice of repatriation to Indonesia, legalization or naturalization. Legalization allows the immigrants to stay in the Philippines and retain their Indonesian citizenship while naturalization provides the migrants with full Filipino citizenship. Most of the migrants came from the islands of Sangihe and Talaud in northern Sulawesi. The forefathers of these Indonesians, who have since taken Philippine citizenship, arrived in the southern Philippines in the 15th century. Locally called the Sangil, they considered themselves natives of Mindanao Island, although they spoke a language originating in Sangihe. Tempo correspondent Verrianto Madjowa traveled to Mindanao last September to observe the lives of the Indonesian migrants and filed this report.
Last week, Siti Hardijanti Rukmana was nominated PKPBs candidate for the 2004 presidential election. What is the extent of preparations by the Cendana family?
Like Malin Kundangthe folklore character who disowns his own motherYLBHI once fought the Jakarta City administration, which played a key role in establishing YLBHI and funding its first years of operation.
Even before the verdict handed down in The Hague last Tuesday, Malaysia had long been occupying Sipadan and Ligitan. TEMPO journalist Wenseslaus Manggut, who recently traveled to the islands, was unceremoniously told to leave in no uncertain terms by the Malaysian Police.
While a fugitive, Tommy Suharto often came to the family compound on Jalan Cendana. A long-time employee now tells TEMPO how he eluded capture.
The High Court is investigating six Medan District Court judges on charges of accepting bribes. However, they have only been suspended from duty pending further inquiry.
Semen Padang has rejected the governments wish to replace the companys board of directors. The reason for this was that financial performance was improving. Whats going on?
Expanding Padang restaurants apply a variety of business models to produce a remarkably consistent cuisine.
The planned sale of Semen Gresik-Padang-Tonasa has become extremely complicated since the West Sumatra DPRD and local government took over Semen Padang.
Surprise! I Putu Gde Ary Suta has been appointed chairman of IBRA. Can he win public confidence, bearing in mind he used to be close to the Cendana family?
This is the testimony of those involved in a 1998 bomb scare in Medan. They say they were obeying orders from an intelligence officer.
Omar Dani's Plea offers up a new fact regarding Bung Karno's presence at the Halim Perdana Kusuma air base. It's another piece of information from an actor with a role in history, muzzled for 30 years.
Two journalists investigate the Mindanao rebellion. What was the role of President Abdurrahman Wahid in negotiations between the Philippine government and the Salamat Hashim group? Why were they inspired by the liberation of Timor Leste?
There is no better testament to a successful business environment than a company continuing to reinvest in an area it has been operating for 40 years. Convinced that Indonesia is a growing market in the manufacturing industry, Sandvik Coromant, a Swedish metalworks supplier, recently invested over US$1 million on new facilities in Cilandak, South Jakarta, which includes a training center, "We really believe in the growth of Indonesia's market," said Klas Forsstrm, 47, Sandvik Coromant's global president.
Sandvik Coromant is a member of the global Sandvik industrial group, founded over 150 years ago in Sweden. The company supplies tools for the world's major automotive, aerospace and energy industries and has representative offices in 130 countries. This Swedish company is also known for its innovations, producing more than 2,500 new products every year
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