Airport transportation -- Feb. 4, p. 1

Sat, 02/09/2008 2:16 PM  |  Opinion

It would be interesting to know the parties who profited (and by how much) from the decision to buy worthless swampy land on which the international class airport was developed. RICHARD E. HARTMAN
Phoenix, AZ, U.S.

Trade deficit with China -- Feb. 4, p. 13

The goods sent to Indonesia from China are produced often from raw material shipped from Indonesia. Wood, rubber, palm oil, metals, Gas and fish etc. Indonesia best policy would be to require production in Indonesia with Indonesian's raw materials. They cannot create the raw materials.
D. DAHLO
Jakarta

After military-police fight -- Feb. 4, p. 8

This is a classic case of an important story that the media will not be allowed to report adequately. The full facts, as always, will never be released. As long as they serve and protect the interests of the elite few, nothing will change.
MARK GIBBS
Denpasar

Hero selection team -- Feb. 4, p. 9

It pleases me tremendously to read that people are still in search of heroes. Especially in our day and age where the younger generation is in need of role models to emulate. Does this search (of the heroes) go beyond Indonesian borders?

We in South Africa, Cape Town, are proud to be associated with a political exile from the island of Tidore in North Maluku. Tuan Guru as he is locally known was banished to South Africa and imprisoned on the infamous Robben Island.

After his release he founded the first mosque and pesantren (Islamic boarding school). In fact a whole community's religiosity was founded on an ideology that was brought here by the exiled Tuan Guru, Imam Abdullah Bin Qadi Abdussalam bin Umar Rahmat Faruk (Prince Wiryasuta).

Until today his teachings are used as part of the curriculum at local universities. Islam as it is practiced in Cape Town today is in most a direct result of his efforts. He would indeed be a worthy candidate for consideration for Indonesian national hero status.
MUTTAQIN RAQEEB
Cape Town

Fauzi's 8 measures -- Feb. 4, p. 4

Continuing flooding in Jakarta has only elicited another band-aid response. It appears the obvious is too hard for anyone in the administration to see.

What is really needed is a concerted effort to dredge the city's primary and secondary river system as well as the myriad of feeder canals. Silting of this system is decreasing water carrying capacity and is a major cause of the flooding problem.
PAUL STEPHENS
Jakarta

World Wetlands Day -- Feb. 4, p. 4

Wetlands re not only located along the sea shore. They are also located on the lands which function to park waters before gradually flowing them to rivers and then to the sea.

One of the main reasons why Jakarta is flooded is that these wetlands, locally known as rawa and situ, are reclaimed and turned into residential or commercial complexes.

The wetland along the sea shore and on the land are equally important.

The wetland and green open space together can help to minimize flood occurrences. Sadly, most of the wetland on land is owned by individuals and zoned for commercial or residential use.
TEGUH UTOMO ATMOKO
Depok, West Java

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