No Need to be Indonesian Citizen to Respect The Country

 

B.D.K. Saldin, one of the Sri Lankan Malays, invited in the flag raising ceremony to commemorate Indonesian Independence day at the Indonesian embassy compound in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug.17, 2011, is Indonesian native

 

The flag raising ceremony to commemorate the 66th Indonesia's Independence day was held at the Indonesian Embassy's compound in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday. The ceremony chaired by Indonesian ambassador to Sri Lanka, Djafar Husein, was attended by the staff of embassy as well as their families and Sri Lankan Malays, some of them are native Indonesians.In his speech, Djafar stated the importance of Sri Lanka and Indonesia's diplomatic relations established in 1952. According to him, Indonesia as the third biggest democratic country in the world learned that economic and political development of Sri Lanka has grown rapidly since the end of Sri Lankan civil war in May 2009.
The ambassador added that Indonesia was struggling for achieving the target of being the tenth biggest economy in the world in the next 2 decades. Djafar Husein also stated the ceremony could be used as a moment to improve better diplomatic relations between the two countries.
A Sri Lankan Malay, BDK Saldin (83), who is Indonesian native and attended the ceremony expressed his impression of joining it. "It always reminds me of my real place of origin," said the 83 year-old grandfather of two sons and two grandchildren.
"I come from Batavia (the old name of Jakarta)," answered him when asked by Kompas.com on his place of origin.
Saldin admitted of not knowing exactly who his ancestors expelled by Dutch colonialists from Javanese island to Sri Lanka in 1790 were. However, the former staff of the Indonesian embassy in Colombo from 1954-1960 claimed of being always proud of becoming Indonesian native eventhough he is a Sri Lankan citizen.
 

Indonesia Cuts Jail Terms of Australia Drug Traffickers

Two Australian drug traffickers jailed for 20 years on the island of Bali had their sentences cut Wednesday as part of Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrations, an official said.
Schapelle Corby and Renae Lawrence had their sentences reduced by five and six months respectively, the resort island’s Kerobokan prison chief Siswanto told AFP.
“The official letter has not been handed out due to a technical matter but it’s confirmed that Corby and Renae receive sentence cuts,” he said.
It’s the fifth time Corby, and sixth time Renae, have received sentence reductions, he said, adding the cuts total 22 months for Corby and 29 months for Lawrence. Well-behaved prisoners traditionally receive sentence reductions on Indonesia’s Independence Day.
Corby, 33, was found guilty of trafficking 4.1 kilograms (nine pounds) of marijuana in 2005. She has always maintained her innocence and claims international drug smugglers placed the marijuana in her luggage.
She submitted a clemency appeal to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in July asking for a sentence reduction. Her lawyers had asked that she be released on humanitarian grounds because of mental illness.
Lawrence, 33, is one of the so-called “Bali Nine,” a group of Australians convicted over a plot to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin from Bali into Australia in 2005.

World Population Will Reach 7 Billion This Year

The world population will reach seven billion later this year, with increases in the number of people in Africa off-setting birth rate drops elsewhere, according to a new French study published Thursday.
Looking much further ahead, the National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED) predicts a continuing rise in the overall population figures until the total stabilises somewhere between 9-10 billion worldwide by the end of the century.
From six billion people, the figure estimated in 1999, the gap between the global birth and death rates has swiftly brought the total figure towards the next billion in just 12 years. INED expects it to take a further 14 years to reach eight billion people before the figures start stabilising, according to the study which pulls together research carried out by the United Nations, the World Bank and several major national institutes.
In historical terms the growth in the global population has been soaring since the 19th century. “It has increased seven-fold over the last two hundred years, topping seven billion in 2011, and is expected to reach nine or 10 billion by the end of the 21st century,” the report said.
Just seven countries now account for half the world’s population, and therefore their demographic shifts have a major effect. China tops the list with over 1.33 billion people, with another 1.17 billion in India.
The other five countries, in order, are the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Nigeria. INED estimates that between now and 2050 India will become the most populous nation, with Beijing’s one-child policy moderating the Chinese numbers.
While the overall numbers continue to grow, the rate of increase is already dropping, according to INED, standing at 1.1 percent this year from two percent 50 years ago.
This is due to the total fertility rate per women dropping to 2.5 children, half of the figure recorded in 1950. However regional differences are great, with an average of 4.7 children per woman in Africa compared with just 1.6 in Europe.

Indonesia Cuts Terrorist's Prison Sentence

Indonesia says it has shaved two months off the five-year prison sentence of a convicted terrorist who was added this week to a U.S. blacklist.
Each Independence Day, Indonesia reduces sentences of inmates who have completed at least a third of their time. This year 53,400 inmates are eligible, including 26-year-old Muhammad Jibriel Abdul Rahman, who calls himself the "Prince of Jihad" on his web site.
Prison official I Wayan Sukerta says Jibriel will get two months off his five-year sentence begun in August 2009. He was convicted of terrorism after authorities said he met with conspirators in 2009 Jakarta hotel bombings that killed seven people.
Jibriel was among five people added Tuesday to a U.S. blacklist of terrorists who face financial sanctions.

Bus Plunges into Ravine in Malang, Three Killed

Three people were killed after the bus in which they were traveling plunged into a 60-meter deep ravine at Slatri village, Malang district, East Java, on Wednesday.
The accident occurred when the Jombang-bound bus tried to overtake another car at a bend in the village while at the same time a truck came from the opposite direction, the chief of traffic unit at Pujon police precinct, Superintendent Sugiman said. Consequently, the driver of the bus called Puspa Indah turned sharply the wheel to the left and the bus plunged into the ravine, he said.
Meanwhile, the head of traffic unit at the Malang police resort, Adj. Comr. Erwin Aras Genda SIK said the police were still looking into the cause of the accident. "The bus driver lost control so when the bus met with the truck at the narrow bend the bus ran off the road and plunged into the ravine."
He stated the accident also injured 15 other passengers and all of them were taken to a nearby hospital in Kediri district. Three of the 15 passengers sustained serious injuries and 12 others light injuries.
He said the accident occurred at around 12.00 western Indonesian time. The three dead victims were identified as Imam Sofii, M Mahsun and Taufik.
Sugiman said two of the three victims died at the scene and one died while he was being taken to the hospital.

Nominees for BI Deputy Governors

Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Darmin Nasution said the central bank is in the process of preparing nominees for its deputy governors to replace their two predecessors whose term of office will expire in January 2012.
"Muliaman D Hadad and the late Budi Rochadi will end their term of office in January 2012. Before their term of office expires, we will propose nominees for the deputy governors to the President," he said here on Wednesday.
Although the late Budi Rochadi’s post had been vacant since July 2011, the central bank preferred to find his successor when his term of office ended in January 2012, he said.
"If we find his successor now he/she will end his/her term of office in January 2012 in accordance with the law on Bank Indonesia," he said. He added Bank Indonesia had set up a team of insiders and outsiders to select nominees for the post of deputy governors.
"The team will select a number of names and I will choose three of them to be proposed to the President. The President will later pick at least two of them to undergo a fit and proper test at the House of Representatives (DPR)," he said.
He said there was no regulation stating that the nominees must be insiders. "There is no regulation stating that nominees for the deputy governors must be Bank Indonesia officials. What is important is that they must be credible and have capacity."
In fact, the President could nominate non-Bank Indonesia official for the post because the highest authority in the nomination of individuals for the post rested with the President.

Nissan Boosts Annual Output Capacity in Indonesia

Despite the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the nation's eight passenger vehicle manufacturers are expected to assemble nearly 23 million units worldwide this fiscal year, almost tying the record set in fiscal 2007, The Nikkei reported early Thursday.
They plan to build a total of more than 13 million vehicles in the second half, marking a 20% year-on-year increase to beat the 12 million units of the six months ended March 2008, before the financial crisis hit.
The disaster and the resulting parts shortages forced the firms to reduce production by more than 1 million units in the first half. But their operations have returned to normal this summer.
Japanese carmakers' global market shares fell after the disaster because the companies failed to supply enough new vehicles. In the U.S., Toyota Motor Corp. dropped to No. 4 in May, falling behind Chrysler Group LLC. Honda Motor Co. ceded fifth place to Sough Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. Since consumers abroad tend to buy their cars off the dealership lot, production cutbacks meant lost sales for Japanese companies.
According to research firm Fourin Inc., overall global auto production will increase from 78.41 million in 2010 to more than 80 million units this year.
Toyota will make 4.5 million vehicles worldwide in the second half, up 23% on the year and on a par with the 4.53 million it assembled in the second half of fiscal 2007. Nissan Motor Co. will turn out 2.59 million units, up 18%, while Honda will produce 2.2 million, up 24%. Suzuki Motor Corp. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. will also build a record number of vehicles.
Toyota plans to raise daily output in Japan from slightly more than 12,000 now to 15,000 by next March. In the U.S., a plant in the state of Mississippi is expected to come onstream this fall. The company will also begin full-scale production of low-priced vehicles in India.
Honda will restore two shifts at a plant in the U.S. state of Indiana and a Canadian site in order to double production. In addition, a new plant will come onstream in the Chinese city of Guangzhou at year-end. The firm will also raise output at a factory in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, from October.
Nissan will boost annual output capacity at an Indonesian plant from 50,000 units to 100,000 next month. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will add a shift on minivehicle lines at a Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, plant and hire 800 more temporary workers. Mazda Motor Corp.'s second-half output is expected to surge 31% to 830,000 units. And Suzuki will increase output in India.
Japanese carmakers face pressure to lower costs further amid stiff competition with European and South Korean rivals, which are going on the offensive by drawing on the weakness of their currencies.