Jakarta Floods

… be evacuated and much of the business life of Jakarta and its satellite cities coming to a halt. Floods have hit at least 33 districts in Jakarta, 16 in Bekasi and 7 in Tangerang.

Five people are reported to have died, three in Jakarta and two in Bekasi.

___________

Twenty people are now said to have died.

___________

Total deaths as of February 10th are 80, 48 in Jakarta, 19 from towns in West Java, mainly Bekasi, and 13 from Banten, mainly Tangerang. antara

Comment by debate oh debate: Floods? Coming in Jakarta, our …

Dutch War Crimes

… from survivors (Dutch-Indonesian-Sundanese). Streaming media, requires broadband internet access.

Comment by Lairedion: … to battle floods etc. are of much more benefit …

Independence Day

Purba Negoro celebrates Indonesia's national independence day.

Our nation's birthday, 17th August, has just passed - a brief respite in our work-a-day lives. The Day of Proclamation, however, is not solely time for grandeur, pomp and ceremony, celebration and light-hearted games.

Chairil Anwar of the Angkatan Empatpuluh Lima:

"Better destruction than slavery
Better extermination …

Comment by Purba Negoro: … disasters such as floods kill thousands of people every …

Indonesians vs. Jakarta Expats

… you think of any other differences between Indonesians and foreigners? Share them in the comments!

Comment by Lairedion: … eruptions and floods, who cares. Common response is …

Religion & Religiosity

Rima says religion and religiosity are to blame for much of Indonesia's, and the world's, troubles.

Why religion doesn't matter at all

Once upon a time, Indonesia was well-known in the world as a nation of peace, tolerance and religious pluralism. Other countries even made us their example, a country full of people with various religious beliefs, from various ethnic and language …

Comment by Shloka: … Nile gave water or floods to Egyptians so they made it a …

Wag the Dog à la Indonesia

… problems, three of which that are quite urgent are:

deforestation
pollution
floods

We have been hit with bad regular floods so often that it is starting to affect the economy, health and the well-being of the people. The fact of the matter is, the flood problem is something Indonesians cannot afford to put off any longer.

We have a shortage of food supply which has led to soaring food prices. This is also the culprit of many malnutrition cases across the …

Comment by rima: … (poverty, hunger, floods etc) then you obviously have …

Jewish Conspiracy

… very important because of all the natural disasters that Indonesia had suffered recently, like floods, tsunamis and earthquakes, he said. Rises in the prices of basic goods were also connected, he seemed to suggest.

As a solution he recommended that the national government establish Hari Sumpah Pemuda (Youth Pledge Day, 28th October) as a day of young love, to replace Valentine's Day, considering that the original oath swearers of 1928 had much love for their country. republika …

Comment by Aluang Anak Bayang: … and sudden flash floods in Australia; these were brought …

2007 Investment

A big increase in foreign direct investment in 2007, with Singapore leading the way.

Foreign Investment

According to the National Investment Coordinating Board, (Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal, BKPM) realised foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia rose by 72% on 2006 , reaching $10.34 billion.

The countries investing the most in Indonesia:

Singapore - $3.75 …

Comment by Sputjam: … in preriodic floods, Highways are clogged everyday …

Letter to the President

… it is not your previous appointment as President that caused earthquakes, tsunami, mudflows, floods, landslides and the volcanoes to erupt. On the contrary it was their stupid collective mentality that caused nature to belch. I am sure that Mr. Gore will gladly support you and declare that it was all the hot air from your opponents that is the cause of Indonesian climate change and calamities.

Should you find this suggestion interesting and of any use in your forthcoming campaign, …

Gender Equity

Western aid agencies and their gender equity agenda in Indonesia.

Western Agenda

Said to be a commentator on public affairs, Ansari Yamamah, M.A., Lecturer in Shariah Law at Medan IAIN, said on 12th December that western NGO's and aid agencies were trying to impose their own ideas of gender equality on Indonesians, as well as western conceptions of terrorism, human rights, and …

Comment by raden: … of mud-flow, floods, earthquakes, transportation …

Flood Disaster

Doomsayers predict disaster for Indonesia as sea levels rise.

As last week tides burst through sea walls, briefly cutting a key access road to Jakarta 's international airport, some predictions for Indonesia if sea levels rise, from the UN climate change conference on Bali:

Jakarta airport to be under water by 2035.
about 25% of Jakarta will vanish by 2050.
…

Sutiyoso

Soon to be ex-Governor of Jakarta, Sutiyoso, intends to run for president.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso announced on 1st October that he was likely to run in the 2009 presidential election .

Sutiyoso, looking presidential.

He told a gathering of hundreds of people attending his "political declaration" at the Four Seasons Hotel in South Jakarta that after 10 years as Jakarta's …

Comment by Dragonwall: … more traffics, floods, polutions all over Jakarta …

Batam Radio

The Batam airwaves are often a mix of foreign and religious content.

What is broadcast on the radio stations of Batam island ( map ) has frequently been raised in the media of late, with specific concerns related to foreign use of Batam airwaves.

Falun Gong

In May of 2007 Chinese embassy officials complained that the station Radio Era Baru 106.5 FM (Xi wang zhi sheng, New Era …

Comment by Hassan: … see, -Yearly floods in the China lowlands mostly …

Labor Unions

Indonesian labor unions are too militant.

Jusuf Kalla, whose job as vice president seems to consist in him going about the country opening conferences, is rarely lost for words on any subject, and in contrast to the platitudes of president Yudhoyono, nearly always manages to say something interesting. He did so again on 9th August after meeting leaders of the Confederation of the SPSI …

Comment by Pena Budaya: … of course: flood, floods, floods… How come Indonesia …

Jakarta Election Result

… yet had the nerve to promise all sorts of wonders if he triumphed in this week's poll. The awful floods that have plagued the capital are now to be tackled? Great, but why have they not been stemmed long since? Corruption is to stop? Marvellous - but what did he do to oppose the " snouts in the trough " allowance hikes claimed by Jakarta councillors, and what did he say during the free laptops debate? (He may have said much, but I don't recall hearing him).

Fauzi Bowo.

Actually, …

Javanese Terrorists

The Javanese are more likely to become terrorists than other ethnic groups.

Professor Azyumardi Azra, a liberal Muslim intellectual and former rector of Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN; State Islamic University) in Jakarta, said on June 23rd how surprised he was that most terrorists in Indonesia were of Javanese origin, given the fact that the Javanese are often not known for their …

Comment by Shiva: … the seasonal floods magnified the problems. Su-Mei …

Boy & Girl Caned

An amorous young couple in Aceh are given the lash.

Two romancing university students, a boy, Nuriadin bin Ismail (22), and a girl, Devita Citra Putri binti Ismail (21), were caught together in a boarding house room on 6th February 2007, subject to a citizens' arrest by local people, and then handed over to the religious police, Wilayatul Hisbah , and they were then charged with …

Comment by Cukurungan: … So why are there floods of frightened moslem refugees …

Economy Update

… at the end of 2006 and into early 2007, but recent natural disasters such as the Jakarta floods, the Sumatra earthquake, as well as transport accidents such as the Adam Air crash and the Garuda crash, will likely dampen this.

Growth is expected to be at 6.3% for Indonesia in 2007 and 6.5% in 2008. World economic growth will slow down mildly in 2007 but Indonesia is less dependent on exports than other East Asian economies. Bank lending rates should come down. Central and …

Economic Development

Indonesia's economic development is predicted to reach dizzy heights by 2030.

A strategic group consisting of businessmen, academics and government officials has set the ambitious target of transforming Indonesia into one of the world's major economic powers in the next 20 years.

In a document called "Indonesian Vision 2030", Indonesia Forum said the country would join the ranks of …

Comment by Robert: … with the Jakarta floods wasn’t very hopeful. Why make …

Beheadings Trial

The man on trial over the schoolgirl beheadings of 2005 is said to have carried out the attack as a Lebaran gift for Muslims.

Hasanuddin has been sentenced to 20 years.

November 10th, 2006.

Prosecutors at the Central Jakarta District Court allege that Hasanuddin, alias Hasan, alias Slamet Raharjo, who is Javanese, planned the beheadings of three Christian schoolgirls in 2005 as …

Comment by Czeslaw: … will keep open the floods of justifications of killing …

Security Forces

Whose side are the security forces on? asks Ross.

An interesting article appeared in the Jakarta Post on 27th January, written by no less than the former boss of the BIN, the National Intelligence Bureau, Indonesia's answer to MI5.

Mr. A.M. Hendropriyono tells us that he was already familiar with the 29 characters on the 'most wanted list' issued by the security forces in Poso a long …

Comment by John Orford: … from unemployment, floods, post tsunami deaths, airplane …

Batam Investors

… of foreign investors are believed to be considering moving elsewhere in the wake of the Jakarta floods. Hidayat said that unless the flooding problem was overcome, and it was clear that floods would not occur again next year, some investors would pack up and leave the capital. mediaindo

Habib Umar

A visiting cleric from Yemen worries about the state of the Indonesian Muslim clerisy, and Abu Bakar Bashir.

The head of a delegation of eleven Muslim clerics from the region of Hadramaut in Yemen, from whence many of those of Arab descent in Indonesia hail from, Habib Umar bin Hafiz bin Sheikh Abu Bakar, said during a meeting with hundreds of his Indonesian counterparts at the Lirboyo …

Comment by DesertLion: … Hasn’t the floods, toxic mud (in Soedarjo), …

Capital City

Moving the capital city of Indonesia away from Jakarta.

In the wake of the Jakarta floods some are saying Jakarta is no longer suitable as the capital city, or at least as the centre of government administration.

Chairman of the parliamentary commission for the affairs of the capital city, Biem Triyani Benyamin, says Jakarta fulfils too many important roles, such as that of
administrative capital capital city
business capital

and one of them should be …

Aid Pouring (on) Flood Victims

A classic headline from the Jakarta Post.

From their latest news section, this headline, a metaphor mess - More foreign aid pours flood victims .

The complete article makes more sense however:

More foreign countries have expressed their commitments to help flood victims in the capital and its surrounding, whose houses and properties have been inundated since last Friday.

The …

One Child Policy

… one child. Java was small and overcrowded, and, he is reported to have said, once the Jakarta floods had receded those who wanted children should have only one.

Java represents 6.7% of the country's total land area, while accounting for almost 60% of the total population. kbri-bangkok.com

Outside of Java Kalla said that there was still much development to be done and a healthily growing population would be of benefit to this. In places like Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) and …

Bali Villas

Advice for foreigners on buying villas and land in Bali.

Bali real estate and Bali homes for sale.

Bali is an increasingly popular place for the purchase of houses and homes by non-Indonesians but there are many pitfalls and …

Comment by Achmad Sudarsono: … to cause these floods, there’s almost no-long-term …

Densus 88

The name of Densus 88 should be changed to Densus 5000, says Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

Densus 88, or "Special Detachment 88", of the Indonesian police force charged with anti-terror duties, Detasemen Khusus (Densus) 88 Anti Terror , has aroused the ire of some Muslims recently because of its increasing success in capturing terrorists and militants.

The head of the Mujahidin Council, (Majelis …

Comment by Dimp: … jihad against floods.

PP 37

… to has a good word to say for PP37. One hopes SBY listens to people outside the charmed elite.

Comment by Ross: … earlier but floods denied me email access. Don’t …

2006 FDI

Foreign investment inflows fell 33% in 2006.

According to the Foreign Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) realised foreign investment (FDI) inflow for January-December 2006 fell to 5.9 billion dollars, a fall of 32.9% from the figure of 8.9 billion dollars in 2005. The number of approved foreign investment projects also fell, from 900 to 867.

Realised domestic investment levels saw a …

Comment by Mike: … gets the biggest floods? Why did Japan always have their …

Barack Obama

Senator Barack Obama's Muslim past in Indonesia is being used against him.

Senator Barack Obama from Illinois is reputed to hold some ambition of contesting the Democratic Party nomination for US president next year. His likely rival for the nomination, Senator Hillary Clinton, or her campaign staff, is believed by some to have "leaked" information about Obama having attended a Muslim …

Comment by Peter Sprang: … city: right now floods strike again and the rise of gas …

Repent or Reform

… by the failings of man, whether man's destructiveness (such as cutting down of forests leading to floods) or his immorality (like lying).

Hasyim said that the NU was recommending to its members that they fast (puasa sunnah "Tasu'a" and "Asyura") between 20th and 30th January 2007, the first ten days of the Islamic New Year. Additionally NU followers should repent their sins, be honest, increase their worship activities, do good works and help disaster victims, and also avoid frowned-on …

Adam Air Crash

The possible causes of the Adam Air crash.

Adam Air flight KI 574, in which 96 passengers and six crew were travelling from Surabaya, East Java to Manado, North Sulawesi on January 1st 2007, crashed somewhere off the coast of western Sulawesi. Three possible scenarios have been suggested for the disaster:

explosion, whether deliberate (like a bomb) or accidental (like fuel catching …

Comment by Wisdom Whisper: … reality. The floods have just made it easier for the …

Natural Disasters

President Yudhoyono advises the people not to be superstitious about natural disasters.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, putting some distance between himself and some of his rather superstitious predecessors, namely presidents Suharto and Gus Dur, said on the 20th of December that natural disasters were inevitable in Indonesia, for geological and other environmental reasons, and that …

Comment by Hassan: … the yearly floods in some major cities, the …

Religion of Peace

Muslim extremists and radicals misunderstand their religion, says a senior cleric.

Hasyim Muzadi of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) says terrorists and radicals who operate under an Islamic banner have just misunderstood the teachings of Islam, particularly in the area of war.

The concept of war and jihad have to be understood within the context of the time of Muhammad, he says. Muhammad …

Comment by Mohammed Khafi: … The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and …

Yahya Zaini Sex Scandal

A sex scandal involving a Golkar politician and a dangdut singer.

A video recording has been circulating which purports to show a member of parliament from the Golkar party, with the initials Y.Z., and a lady dangdut singer, with the initials M.E., in a hotel room, frolicking about in a fashion thought by many only permissible within the bounds of holy matrimony. The man, Y.Z., may or may …

Comment by mutmut: … earthquakes, floods, diseases, and volcano …

Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama

… of the party, Abdullah Mufied Mubarok, says that now is a bad time due to the recent Jakarta floods.

Nevertheless the party has already been registered with the Law & Human Rights department and it has fulfilled all the requirements to achieve formal party status.

The party is based on the split off faction from the PKB in Surabaya, grouped around the figures of Abdurrahman Chudlori and Choirul Anam. The PKNU is said to be a purely Islamic party, whereas the PKB is a …

Ariel Sharon’s Punishment

Ariel Sharon is getting his just desserts, says one Indonesian blogger.

The anonymous writer at http://catri.blogsome.com/ reports that the body of Ariel Sharon, the former prime minister of Israel who has been at death's door for some time now, is rotting, and that doctors have been striving to prevent the damage from spreading to other parts of his body. This, says the writer in a …

Comment by Hassan: … struck with flash floods and typhoons regularly. was that …

Dating Indonesian Girls

Dating Indonesian women may not be for everyone.

Indonesian women, particularly on the island of Java, are exceptionally beautiful. They tend towards the very feminine side, with lovely skin, are not too tall, and have knock-out smiles. There's plenty of plus on that side of things.

If wer'e to be honest we have to recognise that many men are interested in a woman who will take care of …

Comment by crocketman: … it Jkt has these floods and drainage is (still again!!) …