Indonesia Economy Forum

[Nike]

Indonesia Moslem community is actually based on local cultur and traditionaly had a moderate attitude if we are trying to compare them with moslem community around the worlds. Elegant, bold, cultured, beauty, smart, hardworking and assertiveness is always becames the trait of Indonesian Moslem woman such as me. So to compile all of those traits, we held the Indonesia Islamic Fashion Week 2013 in Jakarta.

to @Iraniangirl2 sister can look at post below

 

[Nike]

 

[Nike]

 

[Nike]

Indonesia where the West meet East and the South meet the North, actually and literally

 

[EastSea]

Indonesia Moslem community is actually based on local cultur and traditionaly had a moderate attitude if we are trying to compare them with moslem community around the worlds. Elegant, bold, cultured, beauty, smart, hardworking and assertiveness is always becames the trait of Indonesian Moslem woman such as me. So to compile all of those traits, we held the Indonesia Islamic Fashion Week 2013 in Jakarta.

to @Iraniangirl2 sister can look at post below

Thks a lot, at least I could know that I could here communicate with Indonesia lady.

 

[Nike]

Jakarta

Jakarta /dʒəˈkɑrtə/, officially known as the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (Indonesian: Daerah Khusus Ibu Kota Jakarta), is the capital and largest city of Indonesia.

Located on the northwest coast of Java, Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre, and with a population of 10,187,595 as of November 2011, it is the most populous city in Indonesia and in Southeast Asia, and is the thirteenth most populated city in the world. The official metropolitan area, known as Jabodetabek (a name formed by combining the initial syllables of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi), is the second largest in the world, yet the metropolis's suburbs still continue beyond it. Jakarta is listed as a global city in the 2008 Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) research.[5] and has an area of 661 square kilometres (255 sq mi). This area has a population of well over 28 million,[6] making it one of the world's largest conurbations in terms of number of inhabitants.

In 2011, Jakarta ranked 17th among the world's 200 largest cities, a jump from its 2007 ranking of 171. Jakarta has grown more rapidly than Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Bangkok.

Established in the fourth century, the city became an important trading port for the Kingdom of Sunda. It was the de facto capital of the Dutch East Indies (known as Batavia at that time) and has continued as the capital of Indonesia since the country's independence was declared in 1945.

The city is the seat of the ASEAN Secretariat. Jakarta is served by the Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, and Tanjung Priok Harbour; it is connected by several intercity and commuter railways, and served by several bus lines running on reserved busways.

History of Jakarta

Pre-colonial era

The area in and around modern Jakarta was part of the fourth century Sundanese kingdom of Tarumanagara, one of the oldest Hindu kingdoms in Indonesia. Following the decline of Tarumanagara, its territories, including the Jakarta area, became part of the Kingdom of Sunda. From 7th to early 13th century port of Sunda is within the sphere of influence of Srivijaya maritime empire. According to the Chinese source, Chu-fan-chi, written circa 1200, Chou Ju-kua reported in the early 13th century Srivijaya still ruled Sumatra, the Malay peninsula, and western Java (Sunda). The source reports the port of Sunda as strategic and thriving, pepper from Sunda being among the best in quality. The people worked in agriculture and their houses were built on wooden piles. The harbour area became known as Sunda Kelapa and by the fourteenth century, it was a major trading port for Sunda kingdom.
The first European fleet, four Portuguese ships from Malacca, arrived in 1513 when the Portuguese were looking for a route for spices.[11] The Kingdom of Sunda made an alliance treaty with Portugal by allowing the Portuguese to build a port in 1522 in order to defend against the rising power of the Sultanate of Demak from central Java.[12] In 1527, Fatahillah, a Javanese general from Demak attacked and conquered Sunda Kelapa, driving out the Portuguese. Sunda Kelapa was renamed Jayakarta,[12] and became a fiefdom of the Sultanate of Banten which became a major Southeast Asia trading centre.
Through the relationship with Prince Jayawikarta from the Sultanate of Banten, Dutch ships arrived in Jayakarta in 1596. In 1602, the English East India Company's first voyage, commanded by Sir James Lancaster, arrived in Aceh and sailed on to Banten where they were allowed to build a trading post. This site became the centre of English trade in Indonesia until 1682.[13]
Jayawikarta is thought to have made trading connections with the English merchants, rivals of the Dutch, by allowing them to build houses directly across from the Dutch buildings in 1615.

When relations between Prince Jayawikarta and the Dutch deteriorated, Jayawikarta's soldiers attacked the Dutch fortress. Prince Jayakarta's army and the English were defeated by the Dutch, in part owing to the timely arrival of Jan Pieterszoon Coen (J.P. Coen). The Dutch burned the English fort, and forced the English to retreat on their ships. The victory consolidated Dutch power and in 1619 they renamed the city Batavia.

Commercial opportunities in the capital of the Dutch colony attracted Indonesian and especially Chinese immigrants. This sudden population increase created burdens on the city. Tensions grew as the colonial government tried to restrict Chinese migration through deportations. Following a revolt, 5,000 Chinese were massacred by the Dutch and natives on 9 October 1740 and the following year, Chinese inhabitants were moved to Glodok outside the city walls. The city began to move further south as epidemics in 1835 and 1870 encouraged more people to move far south of the port. The Koningsplein, now Merdeka Square was completed in 1818, the housing park of Menteng was started in 1913, and Kebayoran Baru was the last Dutch-built residential area. By 1930 Batavia had more than 500,000 inhabitants, including 37,067 Europeans.
During World War II, the city was renamed from Batavia to "Jakarta" (short form of Jayakarta) by the Indonesian nationalists after conquering the city from the Dutch in 1942 with the help of the Japanese forces.

Following World War II, Indonesian Republicans withdrew from Allied-occupied Jakarta during their fight for Indonesian independence and established their capital in Yogyakarta. In 1950, once independence was secured, Jakarta was once again made the national capital. Indonesia's founding president, Sukarno, envisaged Jakarta as a great international city, and instigated large government-funded projects with openly nationalistic and modernist architecture. Projects included a clover-leaf highway, a major boulevard (Jalan MH Thamrin-Sudirman), monuments such as The National Monument, Hotel Indonesia, a shopping centre, and a new parliament building. In October 1965, Jakarta was the site of an abortive coup attempt in which 6 top generals were killed, precipitating a violent anti-communist purge in which half-a million people were killed, including many ethnic Chinese, and the beginning of Suharto's New Order. A monument stands where the generals' bodies were dumped.
In 1966, Jakarta was declared a "special capital city district" (daerah khusus ibukota), thus gaining a status approximately equivalent to that of a state or province. Lieutenant General Ali Sadikin served as Governor from the mid-60's commencement of the "New Order" through to 1977; he rehabilitated roads and bridges, encouraged the arts, built several hospitals, and a large number of new schools. He also cleared out slum dwellers for new development projects—some for the benefit of the Suharto family —and tried to eliminate rickshaws and ban street vendors. He began control of migration to the city in order to stem the overcrowding and poverty. Foreign investment contributed to a real estate boom which changed the face of the city.


Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Jakarta's main avenue and business district.
The boom ended with the 1997/98 East Asian Economic crisis putting Jakarta at the centre of violence, protest, and political maneuvering. After 32 years in power, support from President Suharto began to wane. Tensions reached a peak in when four students were shot dead at Trisakti University by security forces; four days of riots and violence ensued that killed an estimated 1,200, and destroyed or damaged 6,000 buildings. Much of the rioting targeted Chinese Indonesians. Suharto resigned as president, and Jakarta has remained the focal point of democratic change in Indonesia. Jemaah Islamiah-connected bombings occurred almost annually in the city between 2000 and 2005, with another bombing in 2009.

 

[Nike]

Kota or kotamadya (cities) and regency of Jakarta


Map of the cities (kotamadya) in Jakarta province. Each city is divided into subdistricts (kecamatan).
Officially, Jakarta is not a city, but a province with special status as the capital of Indonesia. It has a governor (instead of a mayor), and is divided into several sub-regions with their own administrative systems. As a province, the official name of Jakarta is Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta ("Special Capital City District of Jakarta"), which in Indonesian is abbreviated to DKI Jakarta.
Jakarta is divided into five kota or kotamadya ("cities" – formerly municipalities), each headed by a mayor – and one regency (kabupaten) headed by a regent. In August 2007, Jakarta held its first ever election to choose a governor, whereas previously the city's governors were appointed by the local house of representatives. The poll is part of a country-wide decentralization drive, allowing for direct local elections in several areas.

The cities/municipalities of Jakarta are:
Central Jakarta (Jakarta Pusat) is Jakarta's smallest city and home to most of Jakarta's administrative and political centre. It is characterized by large parks and Dutch colonial buildings. Landmarks include the National Monument (Monas), the Istiqlal Mosque, the Jakarta Cathedral, and museums.

West Jakarta (Jakarta Barat) has the highest concentration of small-scale industries in Jakarta. The area includes Jakarta's Chinatown and Dutch colonial landmarks such as the Chinese Langgam building and Toko Merah. West Jakarta contains part of Jakarta Old Town.
South Jakarta (Jakarta Selatan), originally planned as a satellite city, is now the location of large upscale shopping centres and affluent residential areas. Jakarta Selatan functions as Jakarta's ground water buffer,but recently the green belt areas are threatened by new developments. Much of the CBD area of Jakarta is concentrated in Setia Budi, South Jakarta, bordering the Tanah Abang/Sudirman area of Central Jakarta.
East Jakarta (Jakarta Timur) territory is characterized by several industrial sectors erected in this city.[36] Also located in East Jakarta are Taman Mini Indonesia Indah and Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport.
North Jakarta (Jakarta Utara) is the only city in Jakarta that is bounded by the sea (Java Sea). It is the location of the Tanjung Priok Port. Large-scale and medium-scale industries are concentrated in North Jakarta. North Jakarta contains part of Jakarta Old Town, formerly known as Batavia since the 17th century, and was a centre of VOC trade activity in Dutch East Indies. Also located in North Jakarta is Ancol Dreamland (Taman Impian Jaya Ancol), currently the largest integrated tourism area in South East Asia.

The only regency (kabupaten) of Jakarta is:
Thousand Islands (Kepulauan Seribu), formerly a subdistrict of North Jakarta, is a collection of 105 small islands located on Java Sea. It has a high conservation value because of its unique and special ecosystems. Marine tourism, such as diving, water bicycle, and wind surfing, is the most important touristic activity in this territory. The main transportation between these islands are speed boat or small ferries.

 

[Nike]

Geography


Jakarta is located on the northwest coast of Java, at the mouth of the Ciliwung River on Jakarta Bay, which is an inlet of the Java Sea. Officially, the area of the Jakarta Special District is 662 km2 (256 sq mi) of land area and 6,977 km2 (2,694 sq mi) of sea area.The Thousand Islands, which are administratively a part of Jakarta, are located in Jakarta Bay, north of the city.
Jakarta lies in a low, flat basin, averaging 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level;[citation needed] 40% of Jakarta, particularly the northern areas, is below sea level, while the southern parts are comparatively hilly. Rivers flow from the Puncak highlands to the south of the city, across the city northwards towards the Java Sea; the most important[clarification needed] is the Ciliwung River, which divides the city into the western and eastern principalities. Other rivers include the Pesanggrahan, and Sunter.
All these rivers, combined with the wet season rains and insufficient drainage due to clogging, make Jakarta prone to flooding. Moreover, Jakarta is sinking about 5 to 10 centimeters each year, even up to 20 centimeters in the northern coastal areas. To help cope with the threat from the sea, the Netherlands will give $4 million for a feasibility study to build a dike around Jakarta Bay. The ring dike will be equipped with a pumping system and retention areas to defend against seawater. Additionally, the dike will function as a toll road. The project will be built by 2025.

Climate

Jakarta has a hot and humid climate on the boundary between tropical monsoon (Am) and savanna (Aw) according to the Köppen climate classification system. Despite being located relatively close to the equator, the city has distinct wet and dry seasons. The wet season in Jakarta covers the majority of the year, running from November through June. The remaining four months forms the city’s dry season. Located in the western part of Java, Jakarta’s wet season rainfall peak is January with average monthly rainfall of 389 millimetres (15.3 in), and its dry season low point is September with a monthly average of 30 millimetres (1.2 in).

 

[Nike]

Culture

As the economic and political capital of Indonesia, Jakarta attracts many domestic immigrants who bring their various languages, dialects, foods and customs.

The Golden Snail (Keong Emas), established in the 1970s during the New Order era, is an IMAX theatre located in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta.


Festival Beach in Ancol Dreamland, North Jakarta.
The "Betawi" (Orang Betawi, or "people of Batavia") are the descendants of the people living in and around Batavia and recognized as an ethnic group from around the 18th–19th century. The Betawi people are mostly descended from various Southeast-Asian ethnic groups brought or attracted to Batavia to meet labor needs, and include people from different parts of Indonesia.[48] The language and Betawi culture are distinct from those of the Sundanese or Javanese, forming itself as a language island in the surrounding area. The language is mostly based on the East Malay dialect and enriched by loan words from Dutch, Portuguese, Sundanese, Javanese, Chinese, and Arabic. Nowadays, the Jakarta dialect (Bahasa Jakarta), used as a street language by people in Jakarta, is loosely based on the Betawi language. Betawi arts have a low profile in Jakarta, and most Betawi have moved to the suburbs of Jakarta, displaced by new migrants. It is easier to find Java- or Minang-based wedding ceremonies rather than Betawi weddings in Jakarta. It is easier to find Javanese Gamelan instead of Gambang Kromong (a mixture between Betawi and Chinese music) or Tanjidor (a mixture between Betawi and Portuguese music) or Marawis (a mixture between Betawi and Yaman music). However, some festivals such as the Jalan Jaksa Festival or Kemang Festival include efforts to preserve Betawi arts by inviting artists to give performances.

There has been a significant Chinese community in Jakarta for many centuries. The Chinese in Jakarta traditionally reside around old urban areas, such as Pinangsia, Pluit and Glodok (Jakarta Chinatown) areas. They also can be found in old chinatowns of Senen and Jatinegara. Officially, they make up 6% of the Jakartan population, although this number may be under-reported.[50] Chinese culture also had influenced Betawi culture, such as the popularity of Chinese cakes and sweets, firecrackers, to Betawi wedding attire that demonstrates Chinese and Arab influences.

Jakarta has several performing art centres, such as the Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) art centre in Cikini, Gedung Kesenian Jakarta near Pasar Baru, Balai Sarbini in Plaza Semanggi area, Bentara Budaya Jakarta in Palmerah area, Pasar Seni (Art Market) in Ancol, and traditional Indonesian art performances at the pavilions of some provinces in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. Traditional music is often found at high-class hotels, including Wayang and Gamelan performances. Javanese Wayang Orang performances can be found at Wayang Orang Bharata theater near Senen bus terminal. As the nation's largest city and capital, Jakarta has lured much national and regional talent who hope to find a greater audience and more opportunities for success.

Jakarta hosts several prestigious art and culture festivals, and exhibitions, such as the annual Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest), Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival, Jakarta Fashion Week, Jakarta Fashion & Food Festival (JFFF), Jakarta Fair, Indonesia Creative Products and Jakarta Arts and Crafts exhibition. Flona Jakarta is a flora-and-fauna exhibition, held annually in August at Lapangan Banteng Park, featuring flowers, plant nurseries, and pets. The Jakarta Fair is held annually from mid-June to mid-July to celebrate the anniversary of the city and is largely centred around a trade fair. However this month-long fair also features entertainment, including arts and music performances by local bands and musicians.

Several foreign art and culture centres are also established in Jakarta, and mainly serve to promote culture and language through learning centres, libraries, and art galleries. Among these foreign art and cultural centres are China Confucius Institute, Netherlands Erasmus Huis, UK British Council, France Centre Culturel Français, Germany Goethe-Institut, Japan Foundation, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Cultural Centre.

 

[Nike]

Museums In Jakarta



National Museum of Indonesia in Central Jakarta
The museums in Jakarta cluster around the Central Jakarta Merdeka Square area, Jakarta Old Town, and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.
The Jakarta Old Town contains museums that are former institutional buildings of Colonial Batavia. Some of these museums are: Jakarta History Museum (former City Hall of Batavia), Wayang Museum (Puppet Museum) (former Church of Batavia), the Fine Art and Ceramic Museum (former Court House of Justice of Batavia), the Maritime Museum (former Sunda Kelapa warehouse), Bank Indonesia Museum (former Javasche Bank), and Bank Mandiri Museum (former Nederlandsche Handels Maatschappij). Several museums clustered in central Jakarta around the Merdeka Square area include: National Museum of Indonesia (also known as Gedung Gajah ("the Elephant Building"), Monas (National Monument), Istiqlal Islamic Museum in Istiqlal mosque, and Jakarta Cathedral Museum on the second floor of Jakarta Cathedral. Also in the central Jakarta area is the Taman Prasasti Museum (former cemetery of Batavia), and Textile Museum in Tanah Abang area. The recreational area of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta contains fourteen museums, such as Indonesia Museum, Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum, Asmat Museum, Bayt al-Qur'an Islamic Museum, Pusaka (heirloom) Museum, and other science-based museum such as Research & Technology Information Centre, Komodo Indonesian Fauna Museum, Insect Museum, Petrol and Gas Museum, plus the Transportation Museum.

Other museums are Satria Mandala Military Museum, Museum Sumpah Pemuda, and Lubang Buaya.

 

[Nike]

Municipal finances


Hotel Indonesia Roundabout
The ability of the regional government to respond to the many problems of Jakarta is constrained by extremely limited finances. In 2013 the total budget available to the Jakarta regional government was approved at around Rp 50 trillion (about $US 5.2 billion), equivalent to around $US 380 per citizen. Priority areas of spending are expected to be education, transport, flood control measures, environment programs, and various types of social spending (such as health and housing).

The Jakarta provincial government, like all other provincial governments in Indonesia, relies on transfers from the central government for the bulk of budget income. Local (non-central government) sources of revenue are incomes from various taxes such as vehicle ownership and vehicle transfer fees and so on.

In recent years, the Jakarta provincial government has consistently run a surplus of between 15-20% of total planned spending, largely because of delays in procurement procedures and other inefficiencies in the spending process. The regular underspending is a matter of frequent public comment but the legal and administrative blockages that cause the underspending problem seem very difficult to overcome.

Landmarks

Istiqlal Mosque with Cathedral in the background.

Most of Jakarta's landmarks, monuments and statues were built during Sukarno era around the 1960s and completed in Suharto era, while some are the colonial Dutch East Indies heritage. Near the national monument stands a Mahabharata themed Arjuna Wijaya chariot statue and fountain. Further south through Jalan Thamrin, the main avenue of Jakarta, the Selamat Datang monument stands on the fountain in the centre of Hotel Indonesia roundabout. Other landmarks include the Istiqlal Mosque, the Jakarta Cathedral and Immanuel Church. The former Batavia Stadhuis in Jakarta Old Town is also the city's landmark. The Wisma 46 building in Central Jakarta is currently the highest building in Jakarta and Indonesia.

Some of statues and monuments in Jakarta are nationalist, such as the West Irian Liberation monument. Several Indonesian national heroes are commemorated in statues, such as Diponegoro and Kartini statues in Merdeka Square, Sudirman and Thamrin statues located in each respectable avenues, also Sukarno and Hatta statues in Proclamation Monument also on the entrance of Soekarno–Hatta International Airport.

Tourism

Most of the visitors attracted to Jakarta are domestic tourists from all over Indonesia. As the gateway of Indonesia, Jakarta often serves as the stop-over for foreign visitors on their way to Indonesian popular tourist destinations such as Bali and Yogyakarta. Other than attracted to monuments, landmarks, and museums around Merdeka square and Jakarta Old Town, tourist attractions include Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Ragunan Zoo, Sunda Kelapa old port and the Ancol Dreamland complex on Jakarta Bay, including Dunia Fantasi theme park, Sea World, Atlantis Water Adventure, and Gelanggang Samudra.
Tourism is contributing a growing amount of income to the city. In 2012, the tourism sector contributed 2.6 trillion rupiah (US$268.5 million) to the city’s total direct income of 17.83 trillion rupiah, a 17.9 per cent increase over 2011. Tourism stakeholders are expecting greater marketing of the Jakarta as a tourism destination.



Shopping

Jakarta is a shopping hub in the nation also one of the best places to shop in South East Asia. The city has numerous shopping malls and traditional markets. The annual "Jakarta Great Sale" is held every year on June and July to celebrate Jakarta's anniversary with about 73 participating shopping centres in 2012.

Malls such as Plaza Indonesia, Plaza Senayan and Senayan City provides numerous selections of luxury brands. Mall Taman Anggrek, Pondok Indah Mall and Central Park Jakarta cater high-street brands such as UK's Topshop and Europe's Zara [66]
United Kingdom's number one department store, Debenhams has 3 outlets in the city, the first one on Senayan City, Supermall Karawaci and Lippo Mall Kemang Village. Japan's international Sogo department store has about 6 department stores which spread around shopping malls in the city. Seibu flagship store is located on Grand Indonesia Shopping Town. And French luxury department store, Galeries Lafayette will open its doors for the first time on South East Asia in Pacific Place Jakarta.
Internationally known luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Chanel, Gucci, Christian Louboutin, Balenciaga, and Giorgio Armani can be easily found on Jakarta's luxury shopping malls.

Satrio-Casablanca corridor, 3.5 kilometre-long street that is a new shopping belt in Jakarta.[67] Many multistorey shopping centres are located here, such as Kuningan City, Mal Ambassador, and Kota Kasablanka. And Satrio-Casablanca's largest shopping centre, Ciputra World Jakarta, will opened in 2013.

Traditional markets include Blok M, Tanah Abang, Senen, Pasar Baru, Glodok, Mangga Dua, Cempaka Mas, and Jatinegara. In Jakarta there are also markets that sells specified collectable items, such as antique goods in Surabaya Street and gemstones in Rawabening Market.

 

[Nike]

Just a very old news though, but worth mentioning

RI firms invest heavily
abroad

Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Mon, February 13 2012, 11:39 PM

Direct investments made by Indonesian companies abroad almost tripled in value last year, central bank data reveals. Although the latest development is considered positive, many business players argue that it reflects deteriorating investment conditions domestically.

As of the end of December 2011, Indonesian companies had invested a whopping US$7.7 billion in a variety of business sectors in Asia, the Americas and Africa. The investment value grew by 185 percent compared to $2.7 billion in 2010.

“Indonesian companies have begun to see that the domestic market has become saturated and therefore they are looking for new markets by expanding their businesses abroad,” said Sofjan Wanandi, chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo).

The investments, he said, were made largely in other Asian countries and in South America. “This is all part of globalization. You cannot stop domestic companies from going global if they want to do so,” Sofjan told The Jakarta Post.

Apindo deputy chairman Hariyadi Sukamdani said that Indonesian businesses had been expanding aggressively in Africa, particularly oil and mining companies. Hariyadi said such companies often found that operating abroad was more cost-efficient.

In comparison to the investments made abroad, domestic businesses spent a total of $8.4 billion on direct investments in the country, or a 25 percent increase from $6.7 billion invested in 2010.

Both Sofjan and Hariyadi said legal uncertainties in Indonesia and the usual impediments in the domestic investment climate also factored into the decision to invest abroad. Indonesian companies are struggling with high production costs, particularly logistics, with a lack of infrastructure development the biggest obstacle.

According to data from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), transportation costs in Indonesia amount to around 30 percent of total production costs due to poor infrastructure, while companies operating in China only need to allocate around 12 percent of their production costs for transporting goods and services.

On top of the infrastructure bottle neck, companies suffer from deals made by politicians in regional governments with workers unions. Recently Apindo was forced to agree to a 23 percent increase in the minimum wage in Tangerang and Bekasi. The deal was made after tens of thousands of workers in Bekasi, West Java, blockaded the Jakarta –Cikarang toll road, protesting against a legal appeal lodged by Apindo for a 16 percent wage increase in the regency. Apindo won the legal battle, but agreed to accept the pay rises due to the labor unrest.

Apindo argues that regional governments abuse their power by disregarding policy recommendations from the National Wage Council (DPN), claiming that many companies will have to relocate due to the new salary standards.

Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) member and lawmaker, Bambang Soesatyo, said that the main reasons for Indonesian businesses aggressively expanding abroad was legal certainty and security issues.

“They want to protect their businesses from domestic threats, such as the lack of security and legal uncertainties. They feel that doing business abroad, such as in China, Cambodia or Vietnam, is more conducive than at home,” he said.

RI firms invest heavily abroad | The Jakarta Post

 

[Nike]

Surabaya: A melting pot
of harmony

Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya | Headlines | Sun, July 28 2013, 10:12 AM

“I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.”

— Khalil Gibran

Chinatown in the heart of the East Java capital of Surabaya is as lively as ever. Traders sell dates for breaking the fast in many corners while others solemnly pray at the Sunan Ampel Grand Mosque.

“This is where the cemetery of the Tjoa family, a Chinese-Indonesian family, is located,” said Paulina Mayasari, founder of the Jejak Petjinan Community, inside the Sunan Ampel cemetery complex.

The woman, who was presented the Intercultural Innovation Award by the United Nations’ Alliance of Civilizations in 2010, won recognition for her efforts in nurturing a culture of nondiscrimination within the community through her Melantjong Petjinan Soerabaia tour concept.

Paulina said the presence of the Chinese-Indonesian family cemetery inside the complex where Sunan Ampel — one of the nine spiritual leaders who introduced Islam in Java in the 15th century — is evidence of Surabaya’s role as a melting pot of religions and ethnicities.

Author Boen Liang wrote in Matahari magazine’s first edition on Aug. 1, 1934, about the arrival of a group of young men from China in Surabaya. The group was known as the Tjoa family, and among them was the renowned Tjoa Kwie Soe.

Born in 1739, Tjoa Kwie Soe was the son of wealthy Tjoa Tjhong, who was from the family of Tjioe Boe Ong, a Chinese emperor. He arrived in Surabaya in 1753 and opened a store in Djalanan Kampoeng Tionghoa, also known as Petjinan Koelon.

At that time, the Dutch wanted to take over Surabaya, but the locals — led by leaders like Suropati, Adipati Passaroean and Tumenggung Onggodjoyo — fought them. Tjoa was said to be skilled in martial art, which he later used to back up Onggodjoyo.

“Tjoa Kwie Soe helped Onggodjoyo in fighting the Dutch and Onggodjoyo won. Following his victory, Tjoa Kwie Soe married Onggodjoyo’s daughter, Nyai Roro Kindjeng, in an Islamic ceremony,” Paulina says.

Tjoa Kwie Soe died at the age of 54 and is believed to be interred in Kebangsren, Surabaya, while his wife and father in-law along with several other family members were buried at the Sunan Ampel complex.

In different part of Surabaya, the afternoon call to prayer rang out from the Cheng Ho Mosque. Established in May 2001, it is believed to be the first mosque in the country to bear a Muslim Chinese name.

“I have to pray first, but I’ll be back in 30 minutes to cook your order,” said Mulyono, a fried rice seller, before leaving his stall in front of the mosque.

During Ramadhan, Mulyono and eight other food traders in the mosque complex continue to serve customers.

The 35-year-old native of Jombang, East Java, explained that the mosque’s caretakers allowed them to open their food stalls during the fasting month. Most food businesses have to close down during daylight hours out of respect for those fasting.

“The mosque’s caretakers allow us to sell food to those not fasting, especially non-Muslims. They allow us to continue running our business since they know that we need the money to support our families,” Mulyono said.

Surabaya: A melting pot of harmony | The Jakarta Post

This is what i call harmony and tolerance, fasting is not a reason to made the others suffer

 

[Nike]

A boisterous royal ritual

Wendra Ajistyatama, The Jakarta Post, Kutai Kartanegara | Culture | Sat, July 06 2013, 5:01 PM

Erau comes from the Kutai word eroh, meaning noisy, boisterous and cheerful. The pervading atmosphere of joy and excitement is in the sense of various groups engaged in activities to celebrate an event recognizing the significance of sacred rituals and entertainment.

The Erau International Folklore and Art Festival, also known as the Kutai cultural festival, is one of the grandest events on the Kutai calendar and is eagerly awaited by tourists — as well as photographers.

The festival comprises a host of art and cultural activities from June 30 to July 8 in the royal city of Tenggarong in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan. This year’s celebration has also been enlivened by the participation of art troupes from 12 countries.

The event was first held long ago as a ritual ground-touching and bathing ceremony for Aji Batara Agung Dewa Sakti, when he became five. When he reached adulthood and enthroned as the first king of Kutai Kartanegara in 1300, an Erau ritual was also conducted.

From then on, the rituals have been organized when there has been a succession or coronation of a new monarch.

While serving as an enthronement ceremony, the Erau ritual has also been held to confer titles from the king to distinguished figures or community leaders rendering services to the kingdom.

At the end of the era of Kutai Kartanegara kingdom in 1960, the region was turned into a regency with autonomous status.

However, the Erau tradition has been preserved as a popular cultural festival — and a as part of events to commemorate the founding of Tenggarong, the former seat of the Kutai Kartanegara kingdom.

Extgravaganza: Dancers perfom the Kancet Lasan at the festival’s opening.

Too cool: A woman in traditional Dayak clothing sports a pair of sunglasses at the opening of the Erau International Folklore and Art Festival.

Procession: A dance troupe from France parades during the fesitval’s opening ceremony.

Focused: The “Mendirikan Ayu” (Raise Love) procession at the Erau International Folklore and Art Festival.

Welcome: A troupe of dancers from Japan was on hand for the festival, one of 12 groups from outside Indonesia to attend.

Dance fever: Several dancers perform the hudoq dance from the Bahau Dayak and Modang people. More than 30 ethnic groups were represented at the festival.

Pensive: A performer prepares for the hudoq dance.

Kutai Kartanegara gets
shopping behemoth

Nurni Sulaiman, The Jakarta Post, Tenggarong | Archipelago | Sat, December 15 2012, 9:10 AM

Residents in the wealthy regency of Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, will soon have the biggest commercial and office center in East Kalimantan, the Royal World Plaza, right on their doorstep.

The business and office center will be built right next to the Kutai Kartanegara regency administrative office in Tenggarong by PT Citra Gading Asritama, on a 3-hectare plot of land.

The center will consist of two towers, seven and 11 stories tall housing 400 offices and some 200 shops.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the project was officiated by Kutai Kartanegara Regent Rita Widyasari last month.

“We must be optimistic that the Royal World Plaza will have a positive impact on economic growth in Tenggarong and surrounding areas. Besides that, companies operating in Kutai Kartanegara will be located here,” Rita said.

The shopping and office center will cater to various mining, plantation and forestry companies in Kutai Kartanegara.

Local residents will no longer need to travel as far as Samarinda to shop.

Kutai Kartanegara is Indonesia’s richest regency, with a total budget of Rp 4.1 trillion in 2011, followed by Surabaya and Bandung.

Kutai Kartanegara Tourism Office head Sri Wahyuni said the business and office center in Tenggarong would boost tourism in Tenggarong.

Tenggarong resident Yayuk could not hide her pleasure at the presence of the Royal World Plaza. “Wow, I’m very happy. I don’t have to go to Samarinda for shopping,” said the lecturer at Kartanegara University.

Another Tenggarong resident, Agri Winata, concurred, saying: “We positively welcome the center in Tenggarong, certainly for the sake of economic growth so as to improve the well-being of people in Tenggarong and surrounding areas,” he said.

Not a single shopping mall has been built in Kutai Kartanegara as of now. Its luxury assets after the collapse of the Kutai Kartanegara Bridge, are just the regency administrative office complex and the Aji Imbut Stadium in Tenggarong.

The project is expected to be completed by 2014. Its construction applies the build, operate, transfer (BOT) system, in which the building will be owned by the Kutai Kartanegara regency administration after 30 years of operation.

The regency administration owns the land while its construction does not use funds from the regency budget, but is wholly financed by PT Citra Gading Asritama as investor.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/15/kutai-kartanegara-gets-shopping-behemoth.html

 

[Nike]

‘Stop thinking we are
rich’: Kutai Kartanegara
regent

The Jakarta Post | Reportage | Thu, January 17 2013, 2:01 PM

Rita Widyasari: (JP/Prodita Sabarini)

The media likes to dub East Kalimantan regency Kutai Kartanegara as the richest in the country.

At a glance it appears as if it is; the region lies on the former Kutai Kartanegara sultanate and is assigned the biggest regional budget. In 2013, Kutai Kartanegara will have Rp 7.5 trillion (US$776.79 million) to spend, around 33 percent higher than 2012’s budget of Rp 5 trillion.

Moreover, the area is rich in coal, with more than 1.2 million hectares of its land allocated to more than 680 mining concessions.

Yet, its regent, the feisty 39-year-old Rita Widyasari, the former local council speaker, refused to call her regency “rich”. It was actually her father, former graft convict and regent Syaukani Hasan Rais, who made Indonesians aware of Kutai Kartanegara’s wealth when he announced free health and education services. Syaukani’s legacy was tarnished when he was implicated in a corruption case that involved Rp 103.5 billion in funds and sentenced to six years by the Supreme Court. He received a controversial presidential pardon and served only three years.

In her residence in Tenggarong, Kutai Kartanegara’s center of governance, Rita, once a fellow at Harvard University’s Executive Education Training program, was seated on a brown leather sofa. Her young daughter runs around the room.

Rita, who took office in 2010, said that she was well aware of the wealth of natural resources that her regency holds. The regency produces around 70 million tons of coal per year, nearly half of East Kalimantan’s coal production.

Kutai Kartanegara’s budget, she said, was “incomparable with the sheer size of the region”.

“Before I became regent Samarinda had a budget of Rp 1.8 trillion for 700 square kilometers. We have Rp 5 trillion [in 2012’s regional budget] and we’re 27,000 square meters, 39 times bigger than Samarinda!” she said.

“We should have their budget of 1.8 [trillion rupiahs] times 39 and then we can build infrastructure that’s connected like Samarinda,” said Rita. She was educated in Bandung’s Padjadjaran University in West Java, graduating in social sciences and continued a masters program at the Jend. Sudirman University in Purwokerto, Central Java.

Rita also compared Kutai Kartanegara to Surakarta, a mere 44 square kilometers.

“We are 600 times bigger than Surakarta whose infrastructure has been built already!” she said. Rita’s aide Abriyanto also pointed out that Kutai Kartanegara is 40 times the size of Jakarta.

Rita said that the argument that Kutai Kartanegara has a small population — little more than 600,000 people based on the 2010 census — was not strong enough.

“Our population is dispersed, so we have to build infrastructure to reach 1,000 people here, 1,000 people there. We have to connect districts and make resources closer to the people,” she said.

With its huge size, Kutai Kartanegara still needs roads to link the different areas. Rita said that only
40 percent of their roads were in good condition.

The other 30 percent are in bad condition and the rest are in dire condition, she said.

“I’ve calculated the cost to build roads and connect the entire regency. It’s Rp 65 trillion,” she said.

Rita said that the regency was still overly dependent on non-renewable resources.

Abriyanto, said that in the long term, Kutai Kartanegara was to be the center of agricultural products — an alternative to non-renewable resources.

The regency is allocating 10,000 hectares of land to develop cassava farms with farmers. Cassava can be made into ethanol and tapioca flour. Abriyanto said that Kutai wanted to fill the gap in Indonesia’s cassava shortage. He said that the farmers involved in this program would have a say in the industry as well as 10 percent of the shares in the industry.

Meanwhile, regarding investing in human capital, Rita created the program “One teacher, One laptop” to assist teachers. Some 13,000 teachers were given laptop notebooks. The total cost for the program was Rp 83 billion.

“If they are able to work faster and prepare classes better with the laptop, then the quality of teaching will be better and children will learn more,” she said.

She said that because many of Kutai Kartanegara’s residents are isolated and still lack access to roads it was not yet appropriate to call the regency rich.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” she said.

— JP/Prodita Sabarini and Nurni Sulaiman, Tenggarong

‘Stop thinking we are rich’: Kutai Kartanegara regent | The Jakarta Post

Kutai Kartanegara hands
out 13,098 laptops to teachers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Archipelago | Thu, January 05 2012, 1:25 PM

The Kutai Kartanegara administration is campaigning for a “One Teacher One Laptop” program, in which 13,098 Hewlett Packard (HP) ProBook 4430s laptops are to be given to teachers in the East Kalimantan regency.

Regent Rita Widyasari said on Thursday that the laptops would hopefully help raise the quality of education among teachers and students in the regency.

“We hope that teachers can improve their quality and capabilities with the help of this technological equipment,” she said as quoted by tempo.co.

She said the administration had opted for the HP ProBook 4430 after learning that the laptop was tough and durable.

HP Indonesia Personal Systems Group education director, Christian Kangean, said the ProBook 4430 used an Intel Core i3-2330M processor and a 14-inch LED, backlit monitor. (awd)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/05/kutai-kartanegara-hands-out-13098-laptops-teachers.html