1. Letter: Good and bad doctors Thu, 03/25/2010 10:00 AM  |  Readers Forum

I refer to Nairdah’s letter (March 20). I wonder what kind of doctors these complainants have been going to. I cannot believe that a medical center well-equipped to do a complete checkup will falsify a scan just to make the patient undergo an operation.

On a serious note, even doctors in developed countries misdiagnose illnesses or operate on the wrong body part. Not all students pass medical college with flying colors – even in developed countries. The mediocre students turn out to be mediocre doctors. That is why doctors in developed countries cover themselves against claims and lawsuits by taking out malpractice insurance.

I have been living in Jakarta for 30 years and have had my share of illnesses – including a serious one. But I never had an occasion when the doctors misdiagnosed my illness.

In 1982, our neighborhood doctor detected my wife’s abdominal pain as an appendix about to perforate and escorted us all the way from Kebayoran Baru to Senen, to the residence of a surgeon from Gatot Subroto Hospital in Central Jakarta.

The surgeon took us to the hospital and had my wife’s complaint checked by a specialist. She was operated on late that night and the nurse from the operating theater showed me the appendix and told me that indeed it was about to perforate and we had come to the hospital just in time.

I am now consulting an endocrinologist for my thyroid cancer treatment. He is a professor at the University of Indonesia and I have to admit he is very knowledgeable. There are very good doctors even in Indonesia. We have read reports about Siamese twins being separated successfully by a team of Indonesian doctors.

I have known my current doctor, a general practitioner, for 20 years now. He speaks decent English and is very good at diagnosis, keeping himself updated on the latest developments in medicine.

If expatriates don’t feel comfortable being treated by Indonesian doctors then they should go abroad for treatment. After all, they get very good salaries which enable them to go to the country of their choice for treatment. There is nothing shameful in going abroad for a medical checkup or treatment.

I suggest readers not to unnecessarily bash Indonesian doctors. Like in Australia, or Singapore, or Malaysia, or America, or Europe there are good and bad doctors here too.

RajasaJakarta

2. Letters: Speedy, please help!Sat, 12/26/2009 12:49 PM  |  Readers Forum

This letter is not really a complaint, but more a plea for help. My wife and I live in the Setiabudi Regency complex in Bandung and we have been customers of Telkom Speedy for more than two years.

Since we became customers we have suffered from constant problems of slow connection speeds and constant disconnections.

It has now got so bad that at times the service is unusable. It is not an occasional thing either, it happens every single day. It is not unusual, especially during the evenings, to be without the internet for several hours, and then, when managing to get connected, to suffer from disconnections every few minutes.

Over the years, we have asked Speedy for assistance many times: i would estimate that we have had to call them once a week on average, but often far more frequently.

I have even left messages on a Speedy Facebook account (when able to stay online long enough), often quite angry ones because of my frustration, for which I apologize, but no response either.

We have had many visits from technicians, but they have never managed to make any improvement. Over the phone we have been told to replace our modem, but Speedy technicians have checked it and found no fault.

We were recently told to try getting a voltage regulator, but the representative was not able to commit that this would rectify the problems.

On the last occasion we called, three days ago, we were told to call Telkom to get our telephone line checked as we were getting "line busy" messages when trying to connect: they came and found no fault.

We were also told that the problem would be referred to the technical department, but have heard nothing from them: this is not at all unusual.

At one time we would always get a call or a visit, but far more often now we never hear back. We get an array of other messages as well when trying to connect: "could not connect to server"; "server busy"; "username and password not recognized"; and as mentioned, "line busy".

I have been using the Internet for more than 10 years, and even during the early days I never encountered such an unreliable service.

I really do not know whether our experience is an isolated one, but somehow logic tells me that it cannot be. I write this letter in the hope that it is published and really as a last resort. I simply do not know what other avenue I can take. All we want is at least a half-decent service.

The Internet service in Indonesia is really very expensive, especially considering that it is very slow compared to other countries, I think that the least that we can expect is a service that is more reliable.

If Speedy wishes to make contact with me directly, I can be reached by email on mobilemj@gmail.com.

Michael Johnsey

Bandung

3.Letters: What `reformasi'| Sat, 05/29/2010 11:28 AM | Readers Forum

I refer to an article titled "Twelve years of reformasi: Elusive justice and its victims," by By Budiono Kusumohamidjojo (The Jakarta Post, May 25)

What reformasi? Were there any concepts of reformasi? No! What happened was political restructuring without philosophy. Were those politicians at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) reformers?

No, they were opportunists.

Soeharto was not demoted, he resigned out of disgust. Did you expect those "reformers" to know what reformasi is? A proper reformasi start with a concept, structured for application. Formulate a policy/strategy for the execution of the

concept, based on these, develop instruments for execution: then at least, you have some form of reformasi.

I am not surprised by the performance of the so-called "reformer" elite and politicians; mentally they are still the same.

Soedibyo Jakarta

4. Against children

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 11/24/2007 11:44 AM | Opinion

I am a mother of one child and expecting another. I am also a teacher at a secondary school working with students from seven to 12 years old.

No one has a right to physically or mentally abuse a child. I hope your readers take this very seriously. There are many other methods to discipline children apart from violence.

It is the responsibility of adults to ensure the utmost safety and care for children because children are not as strong as adults.

The damage of violence both physical and emotional can leave a mark on a child lasting throughout his adult life. Depending on the severity of the violence, it can lead the child to his death. Abuse against children is intolerable.

I applaud those who actively fight against child abuse. VERONIKA PETANICMelbourne

Malaysia, Indonesia Nov. 21, p. 7

It's not the triviality of fighting over the tacky Rasa Sayange song. What matters is Malaysia's temerity to claim something rightfully belonging to the elder brother (saudara tua).

Do you recall Malaysia's adoption of the Indonesian popular song Terang Bulan as its national anthem when Britain granted Malaysia independence?

The Indonesian government then forbade the public singing of the song. Did Malaysia ask for permission when it took Terang Bulan? Was its creator rewarded?

I will not be surprised if one day Malaysia claims Sumatra as part of its territory after first claiming the smaller islands of Indonesia. You're right to call Malaysia orang kaya baru, a ""newly rich"". SYARIF FUAD Jakarta

Thanks for your well-reasoned piece. I grew up in Malaysia near Sumatra, singing Rasa Sayang, and was surprised about the fuss. Why do extended family members not cherish our common history! ALFRED S. LUKE Grand Rapids, U.S.

Tourism sector Nov. 21, p. 3

I fully support the hospitality sector workers going on strike if the demand for a wage increase is not met. The hospitality sector has always been a significant contributor to the Indonesian economy, and therefore its workers deserve a better wage.

Even a 30 percent increase is still below the standard earnings of counterparts in OECD countries.

A wage increase will reduce the disparity between the hospitality workers and the people they serve (at least in terms of satisfaction and a sense of well-being). Give the wage increase they deserve now. ZUBAIDAHMalang, East Java

Real jungle Nov. 20, p. 4

I have deep sympathy for you. Unfortunately, I know it happens day-in and day-out in Jakarta. Harassment has been part of daily life for women in Jakarta a long time, especially in public areas.

Why? Because women are not protected by laws, and these perpetrators have never been charged with capital punishment. However, knowing well the society and how the government runs there, my hope to see a change for the better is dimming.

My advice to all of you women is be cautious of your surroundings and, better yet, arm yourself with self-defense skills. Don't expect anyone will help you. It's a jungle full of psychos out there. Take care. EMILIASan Mateo, U.S.

Elevated roads Nov. 20, p. 4

As a long term visitor of Jakarta, I am puzzled at how big investments are being directed to overpasses and new roads, while the public transportation system basically consists of single dedicated busway lanes.

The busway is not a scalable solution for a multi-million-person city. And every attempt to expand it will fail. It does not address the key problem: that lack of efficient public transportation spirals into an ever-increasing demand for private cars and motorbikes.

Instead of building move elevated roads, the plan for sky trains need to be put into action. It will not require more land, digging or debate over if buses or cars should be allowed to travel in a certain lane.

Jakarta needs to meet its traffic challenges with measures adopted for a multi-million-person city, not of those needed for a hamlet. JIMMY Karlskrona, Sweden

5. People power postpones PLN’s plant plans Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Wed, 05/19/2010 10:28 AM | Bali

Residents of Pesanggaran hamlet have voiced their opposition to plans to add more generators to PT PLN’s diesel power plant in the area, citing air pollution and land quakes.

The residents refused to issue an approval for the new machines, while setting up banners in front of the hamlet’s hall denouncing the state-owned power company’s plan.

Representing 136 families, head of the hamlet’s administration Wayan Kari said Tuesday residents were perturbed by the air pollution and land quakes already caused by the power plant.

“We often feel the land suddenly trembling. The air also becomes hotter,” Kari said.

“The worst thing, he added, was the company used low-quality fuel, causing rain water to turn red whenever there was a downpour.”

According to Kari, the company plans to install four more generators with a total capacity of 80 megawatts (MW) to upgrade the 182-MW output produced by 15 existing generators.

“We insist PLN improves its existing generators and switches to gas as the fuel [for the generators] because it’s friendlier for the environment, then we will consider approving the additional generators,” he said, adding that residents have sent two complaint letters to the company, Bali’s governor, the environment agency and the provincial council.

PLN spokesman Agung Mastika confirmed the company had faced resistance to the new machines being installed in Pesanggaran.

“We have prepared the machines and just need to install them, but we are still waiting for approval from residents,” Mastika said.

He argued the additional machines were crucial to anticipate Bali’s rising energy needs and to avoid rotational blackouts whenever the company conducted routine maintenance on its other power plants in Pemaron and Gilimanuk.

He said PLN rented the generators from another company to make it more efficient.

“It’s a temporary solution while we wait for the installation of underwater cables to connect Bali’s electricity network with Java and wait for other alternative energy sources.

“We are still negotiating with residents to reach the best solution. We have also optimized our existing machines’ output,” Mastika said.

With a total electricity supply of 582 MW and a peak load reaching 490 MW, Bali has to cope with the problems of old and dilapidated power plant generators. The generators, mostly made in 1970s, consume a lot of fuel, produce less power and require routine maintenance.

6. Letter: Smelly cheese| Thu, 04/29/2010 9:43 AM | readers forum

For about two years now, I have sometimes used the Edam cheese product made by PT Dairygold Indonesia, and most of the time I have found it to be satisfactory. If I want to use genuine Dutch old Edam cheese in my macaroni or lasagna dishes, I have to obtain it in Jakarta or in a local food-mart which is quite a distance from where I live. So, if I don’t want to go through the hassle of getting stuck for hours in traffic jam, I make use of the local surrogate Edam cheese product, which is readily available in Bogor, and this used to be quite acceptable for me and my macaroni-loving friends.

But ever since last year I have discovered the Cheesy Keju Olahan has become more unpleasant, mainly the Rasa Keju Edam product. The one I bought mid-year at the grand supermarket in Bogor had a disgusting smell, even though the product had not reached its expiration date. At that time, I thought it was just an accident, and thought no more of it.

On April 15, 2010, I bought, among others, one bar of Cheesy Keju Olahan, Rasa Keju Edam at a local supermarket on Jl. Pajajaran, Bogor. Upon arriving at home, I

found out that the cheese had a very unpleasant stench. So what happened to me last year has unfortunately happened again.

I have given the manufacturers sufficient time to receive my complaint and answer it, so I sent it to them at cheesy@dairygold.co.id, stating that, if within a week after I had sent my complaint on April 17 I hadn’t heard from them, I would air the whole stinking matter publicly as a warning to other users of this particular brand of cheese. Until now I have received no reply from PT Dairygold Indonesia, which shows that those working for this company apparently seldom open its emails, or chose to ignore letters containing complaints.

R. SoetamiBogor, West Java

7. Operators reject city’s call to display official

parking fees

Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 03/09/2010 11:17 AM | Jakarta

Some parking operators object to a new city policy that obliges them to display official parking fee rates at the entry and exit gates to their parking lots, saying the administration should cover the costs of the signs.

“Principally we do not mind if we have to put up new fee rates boards, because we have to obey the provincial bylaw, but why doesn’t the transportation agency pay for the expense of the new boards so we can just hang them,” president director of parking operator company PT Icon Indonesia Sejati Ferry Dwi Yunanto said on Monday.

He said parking operators are being forced to lower their prices and, at the same time, incur the cost of the new signs.

He claimed that when his company increases its parking fees applicable with the city by law, none of its consumers mind or complain.

“But when we dropped the fees, many parking consumers asked whether we would suffer losses from the decrease,” he said.

Controversy over increasing parking fees was erupted last month when the city administration received public complaints about parking fees twice as high as the official rates.

According to the 2004 gubernatorial decree on parking fees, indoor parking spaces and multi-story parking lots for cars and minibuses cost Rp 2,000 for the first hour and Rp 1,000 for each following hour.

Tariffs for buses is Rp 2,000 for the first hour and Rp 2,000 for each following hour, while motorcycles are charged Rp 750.

Ferry said they wanted the 2004 decree to be reviewed because it was endorsed six years ago.

“Besides, raising parking fees could have many positive outcomes such as reducing traffic as people would think twice before driving.

“It would also improve the quality of our services,” Ferry said.

Communications officer of Secure Parking Tony Tjuatja said his company does not mind object to the new fees board policy, but he had no idea when it would be implemented.

“We have not yet received a circular from the transportation agency on this matter,” he said.

Head of the parking unit Benyamin Bukit said the circular would be signed by the governor tomorrow morning and would then be distributed to all parking operators.

When asked what action would be taken against operators who did not abide the letter, he said he could not explain further as it would be stipulated in the circular.

However, Governor Fauzi Bowo previously said he would revoke the business parking permits of private parking operators who had illegally raised their fees tariffs.

Earlier, Tulus Abadi of the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) said the notice was a good move, and in line with consumer rights.  

He said possible disputes might  occur between operator’s officers and customers when fee charges did not match official rates.

“The public can monitor things actively so parking operators will not charge their fees without obeying the rules,” he said.

Tulus said the building managements that employed the parking operators should not make

much profit from parking because it was a public facility they should provide. Letter: Why was I deported?Thu, 03/25/2010 10:00 AM  |  Readers Forum

I am a Turkish citizen who was deported on March 12 when I reentered Iskandar Muda Airport, Banda Aceh, after renewing my visa at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

I am a lecturer and have taught at the state-owned Islamic Institute of IAIN Ar-Raniry and at the University of Syah Kuala in Banda Aceh. I wish to stress all that I did in Indonesia after the earthquake and tsunami, totally voluntarily and from my heart, for the benefit of the young generation of Indonesia.

I have never, ever received any salary or insurance from the institutions mentioned above. In addition, I am married to an Indonesian lady with a baby; this means that I am binding myself to your country.

All the related institutions, the Immigration Office and the Manpower Office in Banda Aceh, have said it was not my mistake. Nobody has called me guilty.

I have never ever broken any of the regulations or laws of Indonesia. But it seems some have received incorrect information or have been misled by certain circles behind me.  It is my right to ask all related institutions to prove what kind of rules I have broken in Indonesia.

Mehmet OzayKuala Lumpur

Letter: The hospitality businessFri, 03/26/2010 10:14 AM  |  Readers Forum

The prohibitive price of beer, wine and spirits in tourist-unfriendly Indonesia is comparable only to the unprofessional attitude of the nation’s hospitality and tourist industry which doesn’t know how to sell alcohol even if people could afford to buy it. 

You don’t need to blame luxury taxes or excise tariffs for hindering the sale of alcohol. The people in restaurants and hotels supposedly meant to sell the stuff are

already doing a good job discouraging its consumption. In the past 15 months I can remember only one occasion while dining at a five-star hotel or any restaurant in Jakarta when I was asked by the waiter if I would like to have a drink before dinner.

Rule number one of the waiting game: As you hand out the menus, you don’t walk away until you have asked the customers if they would like a drink. That’s the first thing you do. You offer the customer the choice and you may well make a sale.  Restaurants, after all, are in business to make money.

Then, after you have taken the orders for food, ask the guests if they would like to have wine with their meal or other drinks. And as the meal progresses, check to see if more wine or drinks are required. Then at the end of the meal, ask if anyone would like a port or liqueur with their coffee.

Last week in Bali, six of us walked into a five-star hotel for lunch. Inside the door of the restaurant was a well-stocked wine cellar, beautifully presented in a glass enclosure. Behind the bar there was a display of assorted beers, spirits and liquors. On the table, well-polished, elegant wine glasses. The waitress handed each of us a menu and without asking if we wanted it, filled all the wine glasses with water. She took our food orders. At no stage were we asked if we wanted alcohol. 

What’s with the wine cellar and the bar then? What are wine glasses for if not to drink wine out of? A restaurant offering food and wine presumably wants to sell both. That is not the impression you get in Indonesia. Can anyone explain to me how a business is run by stocking shelves with products you make no effort to promote or sell?

Hotels and restaurants are in the business of selling food and wine. Presumably that is the case in Indonesia as well.  But here they will sell you food, but sometimes it is as if you have to get on your hands and knees and beg them to sell you some wine. It’s ridiculous and shows that the staff and management are poorly trained to deal with a customer’s needs.

At present, this is often not the case, even in some of the most expensive and luxurious hotels in Jakarta. The staff simply doesn’t have a clue about basic restaurant procedures. I suspect some waiting staffs are not interested in selling alcohol because they have funny ideas about it and this reflects their lack of service. If that is the case, they are in the wrong industry and are a liability for their employers not to mention a cause of considerable annoyance for customers.

I worked for many years in the hospitality industry in Australia and worked my way up to become a head waiter in a five-star hotel. I received an award as “Waiter of the Year” from a leading hotel group. I don’t believe in just criticizing, even when the criticism is valid and deserved.   

If anyone in senior management from the hospitality or tourist industry, or major hotels and major restaurants in Jakarta is reading this and is interested in upgrading the skills of their waiting staff and would like me to come and speak to their staff about the appropriate use and service of alcohol, I would be happy to do so completely free of charge.  The Jakarta Post has my email.

Phillip TurnbullBSD City, Banten

Letter: TelkomselFlash’s service The Jakarta Post   |  Wed, 01/21/2009 10:09 AM  |  Readers Forum

I subscribed to TelkomselFlash last November with a contract valid for 12 months with no termination allowed. Their network coverage was my only consideration. I called the call centre to ask for a record of my ongoing internet usage, but TelkomselFlash had no trace of it.

This means I (the customer) will not be able to control my volume limit of 500 MB to avoid overusage.  TelkomselFlash charge Rp 1/Kb for overusage. I found a “connection log” in the Settings menu of the Telkomselflash modem, which automatically records the volume usage every time I connect or disconnect to the internet, so I started to use it as a point of reference to check and control the ongoing and the total volume I had used.

On Dec. 29, the connection log showed a total volume usage of 502.71 MB so I stopped using the internet during December. But what I found in the TelkomselFlash bill came as a horrible surprise. I had gone over my limit by 100.972 KB, which meant I had to pay more than Rp 100.972 (US$9.12) over and above the principal sum!

I went to GraPari Telkomsel on Jl. Pajajaran No. 3, Bogor on Jan. 13, 2009. I met Lita, the supervisor and Erwin, her staff member. Since Lita told me I would need an appointment to see her two minutes after she met me, I explained the problem and put in a formal complaint to Erwin.

Telkomsel does not have any system or records on ongoing internet usage so that it does not allow its customers to control their usage. And now Telkomsel has recorded my bill as different to the one in the connection log. How can I trust Telkomsel if they treat customers this way?

I doubt Erwin’s presumption that the connection log record might have been reset

unintentionally while my notebook was being reinstalled by its authorized service and repair center on December 2-17.

According to Erwin, Telkomsel will refer to point 13 of the subscription agreement/contract which states that “… any difference of identity, package, or statement billing between Telkomsel data and customer data, the parties hereby agreed that Telkomsel data shall be prevail.” Does Telkomsel set up all of its customers with this? 

I only agreed to pay based on my volume usage (502.71 MB). I refused Lita’s (who appeared again at the end of the meeting) request to pay in full for the overusage as shown on the bill. It is a win-lose solution for me as the customer, who loses because I have to pay for the overusage that I have not used.

My suggestion to other TelkomselFlash customers is to be very careful with your bills and for those who are considering to getting TelkomselFlash with kartuHALO, think hard before agreeing the contract with them.

It seems customers almost always bear the loss, but I am still hoping it will not happen to me with Telkomsel. Let’s just wait and see. I am still hoping for a win-win solution.

YONITABogor, West Java

8. Letter: Stop making promises, Fauzi| Mon, 10/12/2009 2:11 PM | Opinion

Indeed, Fauzi has been around for two years and he still has mountains to move. Husin Yazid, executive director of Policy & Development Strategy Research Center, said the city administration had to consider increasing its budget allocation.

Why? SBY is right, without producing reports on what has been accomplished so far, without coming up with concrete plans, many government officials will invariably ask for budget allocations to be increased.

This is a chronic disease among civil servants. In 2008, the City Council proposed a project to purchase modules but funding for the project was never disbursed. The same project appeared on the budget again without any clear reason, according to Didiek from the Attorney General's office (AGO), who has named two suspects in this graft case that caused Rp 5.5 billion in state losses.

The two suspects are Aris Halawani, head of the sub-department of publication, documentation and library at the council secretariat, and Abdul Haris Mukti, a consultant for PT Murjani Artha, also the chief director. Aris hired Abdul's company for the job but he in turn sub-contracted it to other fictitious companies.

This project was never completed and these two are yet to be apprehended. The need to increase budget allocations should therefore be thoroughly investigated. Fauzi should urgently look into this matter and hand over the two suspects to the AGO. No work has been carried out so far to alleviate traffic jams by constructing new roads and the Mono-rail should be called Mono-Fail.

If 51 percent of the respondents are satisfied with the city administration's performance, I question this survey. It is well-known that survey reports can be manipulated easily and figures distorted. Achmad Harjadi, Fauzi's deputy for city planning and environment, stated the administration would consider the survey results and complaints to improve its performance.

They should not promise to consider, but they should immediately act and carry out construction of new roads, overpasses, tunnels etc to alleviate traffic jams! Rudy Tambunan, University of Indonesia Urban Development expert, stated the administration should start regular dialogues with its residents in order to acquire support for its policies.

First, the city administration should teach Jakarta's residents to change their way of living, they should prohibit usage of plastic bags in the city as these are constantly clogging drainage systems, gutters, canals etc. The rainy season has started and severe flooding is expected in many parts of the city in spite of the administration's attempt to control flooding.

One supermarket in Jakarta has already offered nature-friendly green shopping bags for sale but they should also immediately get rid of their own plastic bags, thereby forcing shoppers to bring and use their own bags or buy a nature-friendly one. Garbage collection should be stepped up by the administration and this should be free of charge as Jakarta's citizens already pay high taxes.

Fauzi, clean up your administration first, get rid of corruptors, start turning your promises into reality and stop making empty statements.

Lynna van der Zee-Oehmke

Bogor, West Java