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JAKARTA, Indonesia – Acting Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s plans to develop the National Monument and the Islamic Defenders Front’s response to Ahok’s move against them lead our wrap of stories from Indonesia the past day.
1. A hotel or restaurants under Monas? It could happen
Acting Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama wants the National Monument (Monas) to be more functional and has asked the Jakarta Housing and Building Agency to figure out what they can build at its basement.
“I want buildings, hotels if necessary. Why not? We will use the land in Monas as much as we can,” Ahok said on Wednesday. If not a hotel, it can also house restaurants, he said. If the Housing and Building Agency doesn’t want to do it, he’ll ask the private sector, he added. He also wants a parking space for 20,000 motorcycles in Monas, so people can just park there and take the bus to their offices.
2. FPI hits back at Ahok with police report
After the acting Jakarta governor formally requested the government disband them, the notorious hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) hit back by reporting Ahok to the police for defamation, libel, and unpleasant acts, according to local media reports. For instance, FPI lawyer Sugito Atmo Pawito said FPI was just one of the organizations at the November 10 protest against Ahok, but he claimed the acting governor makes it appear as if it was just FPI. FPI has been protesting Ahok’s assumption of the governor position because he is “not a Muslim and he is too arrogant”, and has threatened to occupy City Hall if he is inaugurated as the city’s top executive. On October 3, an FPI rally descended into a riot that left 16 police officers injured and several cars damaged. “If they hate me, I also hate their behavior,” Ahok said.
3. KPK auctions off confiscated gadgets, starting from $2
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) office became the go-to place for cheap electronics on Wednesday, as it auctioned off 42 gadgets confiscated from various corruption convicts. The cheapest item on offer was an Esia cellphone with a starting bid of IDR25,000 ($2). One policeman managed to buy a Samsung Galaxy SIII smartphone for just IDR300,000. A Toshiba laptop had a minimum bid of IDR750,000, while a Fujitsu netbook started at IDR400,000. All the proceeds will be turned over to the state treasury.
4. Yogyakarta student in social media defamation case shows up for first trial alone
Florence Sihombing, the Gadjah Mada University student facing defamation charges for calling Yogyakarta “poor, stupid and uncultured” in a post on social media app Path, attended her first trial alone on Wednesday, Kompas.com reported. The university had appointed her a lawyer, but the lawyer apparently resigned on October 28 over disagreements with Florence over how to defend her case. The court gave her a week to look for a new lawyer. If convicted under Indonesia’s Electronic Information and Transaction Law, according to local media reports, Florence could be jailed for up to 6 years.
5. Comedian Mandra questioned over alleged graft at TV station
Popular Betawi comedian Mandra, 46, has been questioned by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) over an alleged case of corruption at state-owned TVRI in 2012. A company Mandra owns, PT Viandra Productions, apparently won the bid for one of the programs at TVRI, according to Kompas.com. But AGO officials said he was only questioned as a witness. The veteran actor has appeared in 12 soap operas and 9 movies, and first became famous when he starred in Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Doel the School Kid), which was aired from 1993 to 2003 on RCTI, according to the Jakarta Post. – Rappler.com
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