Forum: City will clear illegal bus stops

Sat, 05/10/2008 10:34 AM  |  Reader's Forum

This is going to be good to ease the traffic congestions. But, my question is, do all of the buses in Jakarta (except TransJakarta) stop at bus stops?

No, they stop everywhere! No bus stops needed. So, I suggest the mayor address this first, rather than trying to clear dozens of illegal bus stops.

What are illegal bus stops? Every inch of Jakarta's streets are bus stops. Wake up and get working guys, don't tell us an Indian Lullaby, please.

FERRY PASARIBU
Jakarta

How can they say illegal bus stops have grown in number? This totally ignores the fact that public transport vehicles stop anywhere their drivers and passengers desire!

JERRY COLE
Jakarta

Perth welcomes Indonesians

Once Western Australia's visitors recover from the very negative arrivals experience at Perth's third world international airport, they will see that this growing multicultural city is a most attractive slower-paced destination in which to both relax and, indeed, settle.

In general, Western Australians are friendly and very tolerant people who respect the beliefs and rights of those who are not native born.

Bali is the first-choice holiday destination for many Western Australian travelers of all ages and interests, so the exposure to and basic understanding of Indonesia and its people are actually broader and greater than many realize.

Links between Western Australia and Indonesia are as strong in 2008 as they have been for many years - and be it for a place to study for students of all levels, from Primary School through to Master's Degrees, for a relaxing holiday in a quality Indian Ocean destination, or indeed for a place to settle, Perth and Western Australia have a great deal to offer our Indonesian neighbors - and they are most welcome.

GRAHAM HORNEL
City Beach, Western Australia

Ayat-Ayat Cinta, Ahmadiyah and Pancasila, May 06, p. 6

This is a comment on an article titled "Ayat-Ayat Cinta, Ahmadiyah and Pancasila", (The Jakarta Post, May 06, p. 6.)

If you do not let other people practice their beliefs even though their beliefs rob your religion of identity or sources, it is likely you don't appreciate their rights.

If you think your religion is the only true one, and you reflect the views expressed in AAC, then you are not a pluralist. If you consider males to be heroes and females subordinates, people might wonder if you think love is a masculine emotion.

I wonder too, how it would have been had AAC made a female its hero? The point is, and this is predictable, we need no foreign values whatsoever. We have our own indigenous values. Excuse me for asking, but what are they?

I mean the indigenous values? Back home, we have indigenous people who worship spirits. They subsist by planting crops. We, the Muslims, do not embrace nor oppress these indigenous values because we have values of our own recorded in the holy Koran, which says there is "no compulsion in religion".

They do not 'attack' our belief. They have never cited the Koran as conveying their teachings, like Ahmadiyyah, or some other perpetrator of chaos masked by a blanket of peace and tranquility.

The argument that because of Islam we practice foreign values is reminiscent of Vividhya Naipaul, an anti-Islamist rewarded with a Nobel Prize in literature for his harsh remarks on Islam. To Naipaul, a Muslim is a convert.

Islam, to him, is a foreign religion whose values are strange to indigenous people. Anand Krishn, whose religious background is identical to Naipual's, seems very eager to become his twin.

SYAIFULLAH YUDHA
Jakarta

Questioning UN body's environmental award May 07, p. 7

Frankly speaking, I did not quite get the point of this opinion. The author is questioning the UN's environmental award, but in the end he asks why our government did not join, or even care about the award.

However, he actually did provide the answer to the latter question by arguing the UNEP paid little attention to ASEAN countries, and that Indonesia was held the opposite philosophy.

It is interesting how the author presents his judgment on Indonesia as an environmental troublemaker. We should admit that. However, it is unfair to only blame Indonesia.

We should think about who is behind the deforestation in Sumatra and Kalimantan. The culprits are the TNCs. I am reading a good article about the impact of the FDI and TNCs on the environmental.

We commonly blame the state for not providing appropriate environmental regulations. I do not disagree.

Nonetheless, we are confronted by the "race to the bottom" phenomenon, where a state or country lowers its standards in order to attract foreign investors.

Mostly it occurs amid South-South competition. Indonesia is one example of this. The state is being pushed to reduce its standards because foreign investments demand it.

Finally, regarding the UN body's award itself; it is for sure very surprising that Prince Albert II of Monaco and Liz Thompson have been selected as the winners.

This merely shows that UNEP serves to cater to the interests of certain party members.

HARIATI
Jakarta

No-walk zone May 06, 4

Almost all streets in Indonesia face the same problem; the government cares only about cars. I like to walk but it is far from easy. It is more like a jungle ride out there, with holes, kiosks (warungs), cars, motorbikes, advertising signs and lampposts, while no space is allocated for pedestrians in this country.

JOHN WILFRED
Jakarta

'City won't invest in airport train' May 7, p. 4

I suppose Jakarta's international airport is meant to serve visitors from another planet! A subway and a Mass Rapid Transit are needed all over town. Just decide where to start.

It is appalling that no progress has been made for many years because of a shortage of just US$500 million. How much money is lost daily in traffic jams? The city can finance six-lane highways but cannot finance two tracks for trains. I know why. The government officials fancy cars do not run on tracks.

If you are responsible, build public transportation now for all.

JOHN WILFRED
Jakarta

Indonesia considers quitting OPEC May 7, p. 2

If Indonesia is so worried about becoming a net importer of oil, how about getting the government to stop delaying the Cepu project and get on with the program.

This would add 10 percent to Indonesia's daily output and pump a massive amount of investment into Central Java. More jobs, more opportunities for small businesses stimulated by the spread of wealth.

CHIPPY
Jakarta

Medco aims to halt oil output decline May 6, p 14

Indonesia will be unable to increase oil production no matter how much is invested. The reason is geological. Once oil production peaks (which it did in Indonesia in 1977), it will continue to decline no matter what.

The U.S. peaked in 1971 and the world looks as if it reached its peak in 2005. Do the rising fuel prices make sense now? They will continue up, up and up.

All the cheap oil is gone, and all that is left is a smaller amount of "sour", hard to extract crude. Get ready for more wars (Iraq), rationing, soaring prices, lower food production (food is very energy intensive) and economic turbulence.

WOLFIE
Jakarta

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