Weekly Highlights

Farewell Pak Ali Alatas
Indonesia has lost one of its best diplomat Ali Alatas who passed away last Thursday, 11 December 2008, at the age of 76, because of a heart attack at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital. His body was flown to Jakarta in the evening and buried with military ceremony lead by President SBY at the Kalibata National Heroes Cemetery.

Reduction of Fuel Prices
In the wake of the worsening Gas shortage, the Special Session of Cabinet meeting lead by President SBY on Sunday 14 December 2008, has decided to reduce the prices of Fuels i.e. Premium from Rp 5.500/liter to Rp 5.000/liter, and Kerosene from Rp 5.000/liter to Rp 4.800/liter. These new prices will be effective on midnight of Monday, 15 December 2008.

Raids on Illegal Teachers
The Tangerang Regency government will launch an operation to look for foreigners who who work with Tourist Visa. In an interview with The Jakarta Post, the Chief of Supervision of Tangerang Statistic & Demography Agency i.e. Gatot Gunapria said that there are at least 15 foreigners who overstayed their tourist visa and work as teachers at the British International School, the Japanese School Jakarta and Global Jaya school located at Bintaro Jaya, Tangerang. This information was confirmed by the Chief of the Pondok Aren District i.e. Chaeruddin who said that he knew about schools that employ teachers without work permit.
This article has been commented by Petruk who said that Foreign Teachers working using tourist visas has been and still is the normal practice in many foreign language schools in Indonesia. They enter using a tourist visa, go for a day trip to Singapore and come back in on Kitas. He also said it is the employer who should be punished and asked to provide a Tax Payer Number (NPWP) for those foreign teachers.

Detention of Website Developer
Last Friday, the Attorney General Office has arrested the owner & director of PT Sarana Rekatama Dinamika (SRD) i.e, Yohanes Waworunto for alleged embezzlement of fees paid through the website: www.sisminbakum.com for setting up New Legal Entities with the Dept. of Law & Human Rights which caused state loss of Rp 400 Billion.
The Jakarta Post quoted Yohanes as saying that the AGO blamed him for having signed a cooperative agreement between SRD and the ministry representatives in 2000. And after questioning Yohanes for 7 hours, the AGO placed him at the South Jakarta District Attorney Detention center.

Enactment of the Anti Porn Law
The Jakarta Post wrote that President SBY has enacted the Anti Porn Law No. 44 Year 2008, in spite of the fact that said Law has been widely protested by many people from across Indonesia, among others KomNas Perempuan, Balinese Governor, who plan to submit a Judicial Review against said Law with the Constitutional Court. According to the President’s special staff for legal affair i.e. Denny Indrayana, the government is not preparing a regulation to implement said Law.

Afganistan Heroin Dealers
The Police has revealed that after investigating for the last few years, they have found the Afganistan Drug Network in Indonesia which is allegedly controlled by a Prisonner at the Pondok Bambu Prison in East Jakarta.
Kompas wrote that the Police has arrested two dealers with 6,119 Kg of Heroin which is the largest quantity of drug they found in 2008. According to the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency i.e. General Susno Duadji, in the last 5 months the dealers have sold 30 Kg of Heroin which worth around Rp 42 Billion based on the calculation that the price per Kg is Rp 1,4 Million. Those Heroin were placed in a biscuit can originated from Afganistan.

Anti Voting Fatwa
The Indonesian Muslim Clerics/Ulama (MUI) may not issue an Anti Voting Fatwa which has been requested by the Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) i.e. Hidayat Nurwahid.
Persda Network has quoted the Chairman of MUI i.e. Amidhan as saying that such Fatwa is not necessary because those who don’t vote cannot be regarded as committing as Sin.

The Tax Sunset Policy
The period for getting Penalty Free Incentive provided by the Sunset Policy will end on 31 December 2008. There is no news yet about possibility of extension. Therefore better be hurry!

Pic:WorldAtlas