The Jakarta Post 11 November 2022

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2022 | TWELVE PAGES VOL. 40 NO. 164 | SINGLE COPY RP 9,500 SUBSCRIPTION Features Print & Digital Rp 225,000/month Hotline: +6281280031314 ‘The Poz Says OK’: A moving memoir about having HIV The Jakarta Post @jakpost The Jakarta Post @jakpostimages (excluding delivery fee) www.thejakartapost.com and fighting its stigma 12PAGE gsRtlIaoffbifr,acmlocssrticssuiatss hits home tTheinssyoefarthionuWsaensdtsJaovfajoablsonloest Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay Vincent Fabian Thomas next year have mostly been revised down over the past few months Green machine: A military police officer on Thursday rides an electric car that will be used to safeguard delegates on the way to next week’s The Jakarta Post/Jakarta amid persistently high inflation Group of 20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali. A fleet of electric cars that will be used in the international event is meant to show Indonesia’s com- Companies in many sectors have that has triggered a cost-of-living mitment to reduce greenhouse emissions. begun to lay off workers to stay crisis in many countries and cooled afloat, a stark reminder that be- demand for imported goods. Putin will not attend Group of 20 Summit in Bali ing one of the bright spots in the world for gross domestic product Josua Pardede, chief econo- Lucie Godeau and Jack Moore condemnation over the war, in would hurt the summit, with no Global crises (GDP) growth this year does not mist at private-sector lender which its forces are suffering set- progress likely to be made on the The G20 Summit will be the make Indonesia immune to glob- Bank Permata, said on Thursday Agence France-Presse/Jakarta backs in the face of a Ukrainian Ukraine war and its global eco- al economic turmoil. the global economic turmoil had Russian President counteroffensive. nomic fallout. biggest meeting of the bloc since now hit home, even though the Vladimir Putin will not the onset of the COVID-19 pan- Export-oriented industries impact was uneven. attend the Group of 20 Another source with knowl- “The G20 cannot do much, so demic. are predictably among the hard- leaders’ summit in Bali edge of Russia’s G20 planning it will only be a symbolic forum. est hit, with many reporting sales Export-oriented industries next week, Moscow’s confirmed that  Putin  would be Their discussion is always stuck Fresh from securing a histor- plunging 30 to 50 percent or even and manufacturers of durable embassy in Jakarta replaced by Lavrov. on the issue of war,” said Radityo ic third term, Chinese President more, depending on their reliance goods were experiencing a heavi- told AFP on Thursday. Dharmaputra, a Russia and east- Xi Jinping is also expected to at- on the overseas market. er impact, he said while others The person said it was unclear ern Europe expert at Indonesia’s tend. would prove more resilient, but It was the first Russian confir- if the Russian leader would at- Airlangga University. Footwear and textile industries none could escape the pressure of mation that Putin will not travel tend virtually as “the issue has The Chinese leader will be that depend heavily on the Unit- higher input costs if they relied on to the resort island of Bali for the not been finalized”. “The main issue itself—the looking to shore up Beijing’s ed States and European markets imported raw materials, given the summit, which would have put war—cannot be discussed and global alliances in the face of top the list, followed by rubber depreciation of the rupiah. him in the same room as United Lavrov walked out of a G20 resolved. Fruitful results might US competition without close and food-and-beverage produc- States President Joe Biden for Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in come up in bilateral meetings but ally Putin in toe. ers. The latter has also expressed Domestically, industries oper- the first time since the invasion Bali in July after officials roundly the rest of it is just the leaders try- concern over plans to impose a ating in regions with high mini- of Ukraine in February. condemned Russia over Ukraine. ing to attend in respect for Indo- The talks will be held under sugary drink tax next year, which mum wages may face greater risk nesia as the host.” the shadow of divisions over the could further reduce their sales. than others, he said, which goes Biden has called  Putin  a “war Host Indonesia pursues a neu- food and energy crises wors- some way to explain the layoffs criminal” and ruled out meeting tral foreign policy and has re- While Biden has shunned con- ened by the Ukraine war, on top Because of the bleak outlook, seen in West Java compared with him in Bali if he went unless the buffed Western calls to disinvite tact with his Russian counterpart, of soaring inflation and climate the domestic electronics indus- other regions in the country. conversation involved the release Russia from the summit. France has warned against wors- change. try is bracing for what it antici- of Americans held in Russia. ening  Putin’s isolation on the pates to be a 10 percent drop in This may result in some relo- Indonesian President Joko world stage. The G20 meetings held in the sales next year. cation of industries to regions of “I can confirm that [foreign “Jokowi” Widodo had invited Pu- build-up to the leaders’ meeting the country with lower minimum minister] Sergei Lavrov will lead tin despite the invasion, prompt- Russia refers to its invasion as a all ended without a joint commu- Tens of thousands of workers wages, he said. the Russian delegation to the G20. ing a flurry of Western criticism. special military operation to “de- nique. have reportedly been dismissed President  Putin’s program is still In August, he said Putin had ac- Nazify” Ukraine and blames sub- across the country, and further In response, businesses and as- being worked out, he could partici- cepted that invitation. sequent Western sanctions for The summit in Bali next week cuts are expected. sociations have urged the govern- pate virtually,” said Yulia Tomska- the global food and energy crises is also not expected to close with ment to take action to protect the ya, the embassy’s chief of protocol. Increasing isolation that followed. a joint declaration because of The Manpower Ministry said domestic market, such as by keep- Ukrainian President Volody- disagreements over who is to at least 10,700 workers had been ing out illegal imports and pre- The decision follows months of While those sanctions have blame for the global crises. laid off nationwide during the venting dumping. speculation about Putin’s partici- myr Zelensky is expected to at- gnawed at Russia’s war effort, first seven months of this year, pation at the Nov. 15-16 summit. tend virtually. He had threatened other countries have maintained The Foreign Ministry said “the but the Indonesian Employers They also called for a more to boycott the summit if Putin at- economic ties with Moscow. In- negotiation for the final docu- Association (Apindo) reckons the dovish monetary policy after re- The Kremlin is expected to try tended. dia and China stepped up their ment is still ongoing”. figure is far higher. cent interest rate hikes decided and shield itself from Western purchases of Russian oil. by Bank Indonesia. Ukraine is not a G20 member. OP-ED p6 “There have been at least Experts said  Putin’s absence RELATED STORIES p8,9 25,700 layoffs in the footwear in- “The world is not okay. That’s dustry alone. The number is way not from me, the President him- ASEAN weighs new Myanmar policy higher in the textile industry, not self says so. Many buyers have to mention other industries,” An- told us their forecast for 2023 has Yvette Tanamal take a stance and take action cerns that ongoing communica- the sidelines of the Phnom Penh ton J. Supit, who heads the Man- deviated from what they had ini- in response to the situation in tion had only “emboldened” the summit, with many of ASEAN’s power and Social Security divi- tially told us. They too are puz- The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Myanmar, especially concerning military. dialogue partners in contention sion at Apindo, told The Jakarta zled,” Anne Patricia Sutanto, head All eyes were set on Cambodia the military’s absence of commit- with each other. ASEAN, firm in its Post on Wednesday. of the Permanent Committee for ahead of the 40th and 41st ASEAN ment in following the Five-Point “Top leaders of ASEAN must stance of not taking any particular International Treaties at Kadin, Summits on Friday, where South- Consensus,” Retno told a briefing take decisive action at the [sum- side, was presented with the di- “During COVID-19, demand told lawmakers on Tuesday. east Asian leaders are scheduled in Phnom Penh. mit] to exclude both political and lemma of balancing the tensions was still available, but restrictions to announce their plans to han- non-political junta representa- between the US, Russia and China. made it difficult to meet it. Now it Furthermore, businesses are dle the Myanmar junta over the The 5PC is a peace initiative tives from all ministerial and re- is much tougher because there is pushing both the government next two days, while Burmese ci- signed last year by ASEAN’s lead- lated meetings and activities,” On Thursday, Cambodian no order [from foreign buyers],” and lawmakers to allow them to vilians began to vent their frus- ers and junta chief Gen. Min Aung said Khin Ohmar, a Burmese de- Prime Minister Hun Sen an- Anton added. put workers on reduced hours trations over the bloc’s perceived Hlaing that seeks to end all vio- mocracy activist, in a statement nounced ASEAN’s upgraded part- without increasing hourly wages, inefficiency. lence in the country and facilitate on Wednesday. nership with Ukraine, reaffirming Apindo’s West Java branch, for which they say would greatly help dialogue in the hope of reconcil- Phnom Penh’s “principled posi- example, recorded at least 73,000 prevent layoffs, as businesses are Two months after the bloc’s ing the state and its people. De- On the receiving end of the tion on the war”. layoffs across 126 firms as of Oct. planning to cut working hours to Special Foreign Ministers’ Meet- spite initially agreeing to the doc- flurry of criticism, Cambodia has 21; with the textile industry ac- 30 hours from 40. ing (SFMM), the deadline for ument, the junta backtracked just expressed that all parties should “[Hun Sen] congratulated counting for more than 80 per- Naypyidaw to show improve- a few days later and has refused to see the end of the summit before Ukraine on the accession to the cent of that figure. Manpower Minister Ida Fauzi- ments on the implementation abide by any ASEAN calls since. issuing any further disapproval. Treaty of Amity and Cooperation yah said on Tuesday that she had of the Five-Point Consensus in Southeast Asia (TAC) and reaf- So far, layoffs have been con- urged firms to look for alterna- (5PC) has now drawn to a close— Patience running low “For the benefit of the settle- firmed that Cambodia would con- centrated in West Java, a prov- tives and make layoffs a measure of and now, ASEAN is expected to In late October, Indonesia ment of the political crisis in tinue to work with ASEAN mem- ince home to producers working last resort, which she said could be take action without its consent Myanmar, we should wait for bers soon on the request by Ukraine for prominent brands like Nike done by reducing work hours, shifts as suggested in the recent joint hinted that it would start engag- the outcomes of the incoming to become a Sectoral Dialogue Part- and Victoria’s Secret, while the and overtime as well as choosing to communiqué. ing with members of the junta ASEAN Summits [...] before mak- ner of ASEAN,” a statement by the situation in other regions is much place workers on unpaid leave. resistance, including the Nation- ing any comment on this sensitive Cambodian Foreign Ministry re- calmer. Meanwhile, the regional orga- al Union Government (NUG), as issue,” said Cambodian Foreign leased on Thursday read. However, Confederation of In- nization’s dialogue partners have soon as possible and without the Ministry spokesman Chum Soun- Apindo’s Central Java branch donesian Trade Unions (KSPI) kept themselves busy amid tense junta’s permission. The state- ry on Wednesday to local media. Despite stepping closer to be- head Frans Kongi said on Wednes- president Said Iqbal contested geopolitical situations and rival- ment came as a result of an emer- coming a full-fledged partner of day that layoffs were occurring on claims that there had been mass ries—setting up the state for the gency ministerial meeting in Ja- While it will be days until the the bloc, ASEAN had just a few a small scale only, but added that layoffs, saying he had yet to re- Group of 20 meeting in Bali just karta to address the unabating final verdict on Myanmar is an- days prior rejected Ukrainian hundreds of workers had been ceive any reports from members. four days away. crisis in Naypyidaw, in which an nounced, the United States and the President Volodymyr Zelensky’s sent on unpaid leave, while Adik undisclosed document of recom- European Union have already im- request to address the ASEAN Dwi Putranto, head of the Indone- He said on Wednesday that em- Indonesia, set to take over the mendations was drafted for the posed another round of sanctions Summit through a prerecorded sian Chamber of Commerce and ployers may be intentionally using leadership of ASEAN for the year November summit. on Myanmar, punishing any com- speech. Industry (Kadin) in East Java, said the threat of layoffs as a smoke- ahead, called on leaders to take panies still involved with the sup- there had not yet been any reports screen to put off debates on de- the appropriate steps in dealing But patience is running low ply of weapons to the junta regime. But ASEAN will continue its on either layoffs or furloughs. mands from workers for higher with the crisis in Myanmar, with for Burmese civilians and activ- neutral stance and not be torn wages, which many needed to stay Foreign Minister Retno LP Mar- ists, with multiple statements “Restrictive measures current- apart by external rivalries, Presi- Global economy projections for afloat amid increasing living costs. sudi warning there was not much expressing disappointment with ly apply to a total of 84 individuals dent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo told progress to celebrate, in spite of ASEAN surfacing weeks ahead of and 11 entities. Those designated The Jakarta Post in a recent in- Heroic anthems the many efforts the group had the summit. In late October, over are subject to an asset freeze and a terview. made to facilitate peace talks and 500 civil organizations wrote an travel ban,” read an EU statement Antara/Hendra Nurdiyansyah reconciliation between the junta open letter to the organization, on Tuesday. “Competition is normal. But and the people. urging for a complete disengage- in the midst of geopolitical rival- Royal Orchestra musicians perform at Yogyakarta Palace’s Manda- ment with the junta with con- Sitting on the fence ry, ASEAN cannot be any party’s lasana Hall in Yogyakarta on Thursday. Made up of Yogyakarta royal “The hope is that leaders could External geopolitical dramas proxy. That is not permissible,” he servants, the orchestra played patriotic music as part of the National stated. Heroes Day celebrations. had also begun to take shape on Business 5PAGE INSIDE Sports 10PAGE Airline on the block Pakistan powers past NZ in Sri Lanka reforms into T20 World Cup final

2 FRIDAY November 11, 2022 HEADLINES IrmnigudhsotincsearsetivUaiNfeawhceusmthaen Coming your way A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil Criminal Code under discussion Antara/Ahmad Subaidi in the legislature would introduce The Jakarta Post/Jakarta a “middle way” in which the death Crew members are seen on Thursday at the paddock of Aruba.it Racing-Ducati team at Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia was put on the defen- penalty would serve as an “alter- Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Racing teams have started preparations and practice for the upcoming World Superbike 2022 event on Nov. 11-13. sive at a United Nations human native punishment” that could rights review on Wednesday as be commuted to life in prison fol- No real changes in ‘final’ draft countries spotlighted persistent lowing an evaluation 10 years af- of Criminal Code, critics say political violence in Papua and ter sentencing. anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans- Lawmakers seek to conclude deliberation before recess gender and queer (LGBTQ) poli- “We hope that with this middle cies, among other issues. way, our approach to the issue of Nur Janti sions. The discussions were held criminalize insulting a sitting stration, as stipulated in the latest the death penalty can be accept- at the instruction of President president and vice president, al- changes to the bill. In its national report for the ed by international society,” Yas- The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who had though the government has re- UN Human Rights Council’s onna said during an online press The government submitted what responded to the public’s growing duced the maximum penalty Much wider interpretation (HRC) 41st Universal Periodic Re- conference streamed from Gene- it deemed as a watered-down opposition to the provisions. from 3.5 years in prison to three. Some other contentious articles view, Indonesia highlighted its va on Wednesday. draft of the penal code bill to law- achievements in protecting hu- makers on Wednesday, although Commission III is now plan- In the latest draft, “attacking that activists worried could shrink man rights amid the COVID-19 Several countries also raised it still retains some contentious ning to conclude the deliberation the honor and dignity” of a pres- civic space also remain intact, such pandemic, enacting pro-human concerns over “negative devel- articles, as lawmakers seek to pass of the bill this month and will vote ident now includes defamation as those criminalizing protesters rights legislation and supporting opments” for the LGBTQ com- the bill before their recess in mid- on whether to bring it to a House and slander. These, according to gathering without permits if the minority groups. munity and recommended that December. plenary session sometime next the government, were included as demonstrations turn violent and Indonesia revise laws that en- month during the current sitting a way to accommodate the aspira- spreading false information. The countries conducting the shrined discrimination on the ba- Deputy Law and Human period. Prior to the vote, Com- tions of the Institute for Criminal review at the UN headquarters sis of sexual orientation or gender Rights Minister Edward “Eddy” mission III lawmakers will host Justice Reform (ICJR). “The changes [in the latest draft] in Geneva raised concerns about identity. OS Hiariej claimed that the gov- a consultation session with some are not significant as many public rights violations in Papua, citing ernment had accommodated 53 civil society groups next Monday But ICJR executive direc- aspirations have not been accom- reports of escalating violence, ex- The UN review session, In- points of public input when revis- and a meeting with the govern- tor Erasmus Napitupulu said on modated,” said Erasmus of ICJR, trajudicial killings, enforced dis- donesia’s fourth, also highlight- ing the latest draft of the Criminal ment on Nov. 21. Wednesday that their opinions which is a part of a coalition of civil appearances and restrictions on ed the country’s human rights Code (KUHP) bill and watered were not thoroughly accommo- groups called the National Alliance independent observers and the achievements, citing the enact- down some controversial provi- Commission III member Tau- dated by the government and this for the Reform of the KUHP. press. ment of the 2022 Sexual Violence sions, such as those criminalizing fik Basari of the NasDem Par- instead led to even vaguer provi- Law and the 2019 revision of the insults to a sitting president and ty confirmed the timeline, say- sions. “Instead, some input that is in- They recommended that Ja- Marriage Law, which raised the vice president. ing: “Well that’s exactly what our cluded ends up in a much wider karta accept a visit of the Office of minimum marrying age for wom- schedule is.” In order to reduce ambiguity of interpretation.” the High Commissioner for Hu- en to 19 years old, equal to men. “[The latest draft] shows that what constitutes insulting a presi- man Rights to Papua and conduct the government and the House “This is a crucial time for the dent, the group proposed a revoca- The coalition, which also in- investigations into extrajudicial Human Rights Watch re- really listen to the public aspira- public to monitor the delibera- tion of articles on presidential in- cludes the Foundation of the In- killings and human rights viola- searcher Andreas Harsono said tions,” Eddy said during a meeting tion—whether or not the policy- sult or at least a change in language donesian Legal Aid Institute tions in the restive region. Indonesia had been “defensive” with the House of Representa- makers thoroughly accommodate in the provisions from “attacking (YLBHI) and the Institute for in response to concerns raised tives Commission III overseeing public opinions and offer mean- the honor and dignity” of a sitting Policy Research and Advocacy In response, the Foreign Min- over Papua and had argued that legal affairs on Wednesday. ingful public participation,” Tau- president to “slander”, which in- (ELSAM), demands that policy- istry’s director for human rights, armed resistance was nothing fik told The Jakarta Post. volves intentional deception. makers accommodate more pub- Achsanul Habib, asserted that new in the region, as it had been The government held what it lic aspirations, for instance, re- Papua was an integral part of In- going on since the 1960s. described as “a series of public Vaguer provisions Eddy, however, said that the garding decriminalizing drug use. donesia according to internation- discussions” to seek input from Civil society groups insist that latest draft that retained the al law and that the region faced “That should not legitimize certain members of the public, words was not aimed at curtail- The draft bill also removes five security challenges from “armed closing Papua off by making it such as students and law experts, the government did not make any ing civil liberties, saying that the controversial topics, including separatist groups”. harder for UN observers to visit,” regarding the controversial provi- real changes to the draft bill. provisions were not applicable to those regarding the criminaliza- Andreas told The Jakarta Post on criticisms made during a demon- tion of unlicensed dentists, fraud- “Critical infrastructure, hu- Thursday. It still retains articles that ulent lawyers and vagrancy. man development, peace and security continue to be under- He added that Indonesia’s mined by terrorist acts commit- measures against armed resis- ted by these groups, who have in- tance in Papua had been “exces- tensified attacks against civilians sive” and that the division of the and critical infrastructure since area into five provinces would 2018,” Habib said on Wednesday, create new problems instead of as broadcast by UN Web TV. settling them. Meanwhile, Law and Human Andreas also said the govern- Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly ment’s reasoning for keeping said President Joko “Jokowi” death penalty was “unsatisfac- Widodo’s administration had tory”. prioritized accelerating develop- ment and welfare in Papua. “However, the fact that giving out the death penalty would be Some countries recommended harder [under the revised Crimi- that Indonesia take steps to abol- nal Code] is still a step forward. ish the death penalty by placing a It’s not enough, but at least there moratorium on state executions is an awareness that law enforce- and by commuting the sentences ment can make mistakes,” he said. of people on death row. They also encouraged the country to ratify Meanwhile, a group of civil so- the Second Optional Protocol to ciety organizations urged the gov- the International Covenant on ernment to accept and follow up Civil and Political Rights. on all the recommendations it had received during the human Minister Yasonna said the gov- rights review session. ernment had responded that the death penalty was still the law “The [review] session is an of the land and that debates in evaluation of accountability of In- the executive and legislature had donesia’s human rights commit- shown that most were in favor of ments. This mechanism should keeping it. not become a tool for Indonesia to create an image that Indonesia He noted that revisions to the has been human rights friendly,” the group said in a statement. Colonial legacy Most recent COVID-19 fatalities had no booster jab: Govt Antara/Darryl Ramadhan The Jakarta Post Budi also reported that of the ed, namely, Jakarta, Bali and West to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. total number of hospitalized pa- Java; 23 provinces have reached XBB is said to be the most an- Workers unearth an ancient tram track discovered at an MRT project Jakarta tients in the past month, 10,639 only a third of their respective connecting Harmoni and Mangga Besar substations in Central Ja- The Health Ministry has re- had medium, severe and critical targets. tibody-evasive subvariant to date, karta, on Wednesday. The old track is thought to have been built by the corded a total of 1,373 COVID-19 symptoms. although there is no evidence that Dutch colonial administration in 1869, the oldest in Indonesia. deaths from Oct. 4 to Nov. 8, with In total, only 31.9 percent of it can cause more severe illness in 48 percent of the deaths occur- “Of this group, 40 percent have the elderly, almost 7 million peo- people who have immunity from ring among people who had re- yet to receive any shot. Further- ple, have received their booster a previous infection or vaccine. ceived no vaccine. more, 84 percent of deaths [in pa- shots across the archipelago. tients of this category] had not re- Masdalina Pane, epidemiolo- Health Minister Budi Gu- ceived booster jabs,” the minister As of Wednesday, some 205.2 gist at the National Research and nadi Sadikin in a statement on said as quoted by Tempo. million Indonesians out of a 234.6 Innovation Agency (BRIN), how- Wednesday said that the deaths million target population, 87.4 ever, warned the public against made up about 5 percent of the He also reported that since Oct. percent, had received their first letting their guard down. total 27,018 patients hospitalized 29, at least half of the patients hav- vaccination; 73.3 percent had re- during the period. ing to be treated at intensive-care ceived second jabs; and only 27.9 “While the XBB subvariant units were aged above 60 years old. percent had received booster jabs. hasn’t given us any cause for pan- Authorities reported 6,601 new ic, we still have to be vigilant as it COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, Slow boosting Vigilance continues can still cause severe symptoms the highest daily rise since the The Health Ministry reported The government has said that among the vulnerable,” Masdali- previous peak on Aug. 4, when it na told Antara on Wednesday. hit 6,527. A total of 6,186 new cas- that as of Thursday there were still the four-tiered public activity re- es were reported on Wednesday. seven out of 34 provinces where strictions (PPKM) will be main- She pushed for the elderly, the first jab vaccination for the el- tained amid the rise in COVID-19 those with pre-existing comor- The country has seen case derly had yet to reach 70 percent cases and local transmission of bidities and the immune-com- numbers rise following the detec- of the target population; in 24 the XBB strain. promised to get their booster tion of the first local transmission provinces elderly second jabs had shots as soon as possible. (dre) of the new XBB strain of the Omi- yet to reach 70 percent of target. The first confirmed case cron variant. The total number of caused by the XBB subvariant de- —FIKRI HARISH current active cases is 43,797, up Only three provinces have tected on Oct. 22 was a 29-year- CONTRIBUTED TO THIS STORY. from 30,080 recorded on Nov. 3. achieved a target of 50 percent of old woman who lives in Surabaya, the elderly population vaccinat- East Java, and who had traveled RELATED STORY p5 Palm oil producers unconcerned as China, India move toward sustainability Divya Karyza Bukti Bagja, senior manager issued compliance certification ate the oil palm replanting program Thursday that China and India’s port notes. for smallholders and livelihood that has largely failed to gain to replace aging plants. efforts to transition to sustain- Oil World executive director The Jakarta Post/Jakarta transformation at World Re- world market recognition. able palm oil would not pose a sig- Indonesian palm oil produc- sources Institute (WRI) Indone- As oil palms age, they become nificant challenge to Indonesia. Thomas Mielke expected global ers are optimistic they can over- sia, said the mostly early-stage “The government needs to less productive. Replanting in- demand for Indonesian palm oil come the challenges presented policy proposals marked the be- convince global buyers that the creases productivity per hectare “The fact is that the world [can’t to rise in the years ahead due to by China and India’s transition ginning of a push for greener ISPO is in line with global stan- and relieves some pressure to ex- live] without CPO. So we are not low production growth in Malay- toward sustainability, as experts palm oil supply chains. dards,” said Andrian Bagus Santo- ploit new land. talking about the impact of sustain- sia and the rest of the world. stress the importance of having so, an industry and regional ana- ability certificates, but how much the country’s local sustainability “These initiatives indicate that lyst at state-owned Bank Mandiri, “Buyers are demanding sus- CPO the world demands and how Oil World forecasts that palm standards recognized globally. both markets are slowly trying to on Thursday. tainable products; Indonesia is [limited] the supply is,” he said. oil output will grow by 300,000 encourage sustainable practices prepared to [cater to that de- tonnes in Malaysia and 2.2 mil- China and India are Indonesia’s in the palm oil sector,” he told The In the year to August, Indone- mand],” Eddy told the  Post  on The palm oil sector is projected lion tonnes in Indonesia in 2023. main crude palm oil (CPO) export Jakarta Post. sia exported 2.5 million tonnes of Thursday. to grow in the coming years, driven markets. China, through the 2020 CPO to India and 1.6 million tonnes by increasing demand for afford- However, the annual growth of Green Value Chain Policy Proposal Indonesian palm oil stakehold- to China, accounting for 17 percent Consumption of palm oil is able edible oils and fats, according global palm oil production is ex- and the 2022 Palm Oil Consump- ers, he said, could seize the oppor- and 10.9 percent, respectively, of increasing in parts of the world to a 2019 report published by the pected to slow to 2.3 million to 2.5 tion Guidelines, and India, through tunity to push for wider recogni- the country’s total CPO exports of where the market for sustain- International Institute for Sus- million tonnes in the 2020-2030 the 2018 Sustainable Palm Oil Co- tion of the Indonesia Sustainable 14.65 million tonnes, Statistics In- able palm oil products is still in tainable Development (IISD). period, largely due to a lack of re- alition for India (India-SPOC), are Palm Oil (ISPO) certification, donesia (BPS) data show. its infancy, NewForesight and the planting and new planting, as well seeking to ensure that the palm oil starting with China, considering Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil palms’ yields are 5 to 10 as harvest losses. The average an- they import adheres to higher sus- Jakarta’s strong trade relations Indonesian Oil Palm Association Oil (RSPO) data show. times that of other vegetable oil nual growth in the 2010-2020 pe- tainability standards. with Beijing. (GAPKI) secretary-general Eddy crops, and the product has a long riod was 2.9 million tonnes. Martono suggested that stakehold- Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers shelf-life, desirable health prop- The ISPO is a government- ers in the palm oil industry acceler- Association (Apkasindo) chair- erties and versatility, the same re- OP-ED p7 man Gulat Manurung said on

HEADLINES 3FRIDAY November 11, 2022 Biden hails ‘good day’ for US HfhoearacslkttehorlrseendceAomrudsastnrdal$ia10nm democracy following midterms Steven Trask oped nation,” he told AFP.  Predicted ‘red wave’ for Republicans largely failed to materialize Desmond said profit-driven Chris Lefkow, Gerard Martinez bracing Trump’s claim that Biden Agence France-Presse/Sydney, hackers were unlikely to single and Romain Fonsegrives stole the 2020 election, several Australia out a specific country—and were hand-picked acolytes of the for- Agence France-Presse/Washington/ mer president came up short. Hackers on Thursday demand- typically more interested in tar- Atlanta/Phoenix, United States United States President Joe “Many of the candidates he en- ed US$10 million to stop leaking geting companies holding valu- Biden on Wednesday hailed a dorsed underperformed and cost “good day for democracy” after a their party a chance at picking up highly sensitive records stolen able data.  surprisingly strong performance seats that should have been win- in midterm elections, with Re- nable,” said Jon Rogowski, a polit- from a major Australian health- “It’s the data types that are of publicans inching toward a slim ical science professor at the Uni- majority in only one chamber of versity of Chicago. care company, as they uploaded the most interest to these hack- Congress. “Not only did voters reject yet more intimate details about ers,” he said.  Biden, while acknowledg- many of Trump’s candidates, but ing voters’ frustration, said that they also rejected his policies,” customers. “The healthcare data is a huge an “overwhelming majority” of Rogowski said, citing abortion as Americans supported his eco- an example. Medibank,  Australia’s largest target and personally identifiable nomic agenda and indicated he was leaning toward seeking a sec- Support for abortion rights private health insurer, confirmed data is high-value.  ond term in 2024, although he In ballot initiatives in five said he would make a decision thisweekthathackershadaccessed “Generally, profit and greed are early next year. states, voters supported abortion rights in a rejection of the con- the information of 9.7 million cur- the number one drivers.” The incumbent party histori- servative-dominated Supreme cally loses in midterm elections Court’s ruling in June that over- rent and former clients, including and Republicans had hoped for turned a constitutional right to a major sweep after hammering the procedure. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. ‘Scummy criminals’ Biden over stubbornly high infla- tion, with many also backing un- Republicans needed just one The hackers on Thursday up- The Medibank hack is likely to founded claims over the legitima- extra seat to wrest control of the cy of his defeat of Donald Trump evenly divided Senate. loaded a second batch of files to a include data on some of the coun- two years ago. Reuters/Tom Brenner But by Wednesday the only seat dark web forum, with more sen- try’s most influential and wealthy “It was a good day I think for to change hands went to the Dem- democracy. And I think it was a Not so bad: United States President Joe Biden winks as he answers ocrats, with John Fetterman, a sitive details about hundreds of individuals.  good day for America,” Biden told a question during a news conference held after the 2022 midterm champion of progressive econom- a White House news conference. elections in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washing- ic policies, triumphing in Pennsyl- Medibank customers. Medibank chief ex- ton, DC, on Wednesday. vania over Trump-endorsed ce- “While the press and the pun- lebrity doctor Mehmet Oz. The first leaks ap- “Society ask ecutive David Koczkar dits were predicting a giant red Republicans appear to be on decide for sure “early next year”. pear to have been se- us about condemned the “dis- wave, it didn’t happen.” track to reclaim the 435-member America’s oldest-ever president, A Republican-held House lected to cause maxi- graceful” extortion House for the first time since 2018, could still derail Biden’s agenda, mum harm: targeting ransom, it’s 10 tactics.  It was also an underwhelming but by a mere handful of seats. who turns 80 this month, Biden launching investigations, scut- those who received million USD. night for Trump, who was count- hailed the “historic numbers” of tling his ambitions on climate treatment related to We can make “The weaponization ing on a big Republican showing “It is clear that we are going to young people who voted and point- change and scrutinizing the bil- drug abuse, sexually discount... $1 = 1 of people’s private in- to boost another White House run. take the House back,” said top Re- ed to support for the right to abor- lions of US dollars to help Ukraine transmitted infec- customer.” formation in an effort publican Kevin McCarthy, who tion, which was rescinded in June fight Russia. tions or pregnancy to extort payment is “While in certain ways yes- hopes to be the chamber’s next by a Supreme Court transformed terminations. malicious and it is an terday’s election was somewhat speaker and who put on a brave by Trump appointees. Wisconsin’s incumbent Repub- attack on the most vul- disappointing, from my personal face after his party fell short of lican Senator Ron Johnson was standpoint it was a very big vic- picking up the 60 seats he once “Voters spoke clearly about declared the winner on Wednes- “Added one more nerable members of tory—219 WINS and 16 Losses,” predicted. their concerns,” Biden said. day, but counting the remaining Trump said in a reference to can- votes in Senate races in Arizona file abortions.csv,” the our community.” didates he personally endorsed. For his part, Biden pointed out “There’s still a lot of people and Nevada could take days. in a tweet that—while the count in hurting.” anonymous hackers wrote on the The group behind the attack In addition to seeing several of some places was still ongoing—his Georgia is to hold a runoff on his high-profile candidates lose, party “lost fewer seats in the House “They sent a clear and unmis- Dec. 6 after neither candidate forum, before detailing their ran- appears to be pressuring Med- Trump also saw his main rival for of Representatives than any Dem- takable message that they want crossed the 50 percent threshold the Republican presidential nom- ocratic president’s first midterm to preserve our democracy and needed for victory in the Senate som threat. ibank by hunting for the most po- ination in 2024, Ron DeSantis, election in at least 40 years”. protect the right to choose in this race there. notch up a thumping victory to country.” “Society ask us about ransom, tentially damaging personal in- remain governor of Florida. ‘Clear, unmistakable message’ RELATED STORY p4 An election drubbing would Biden, who served for 36 years EDITORIAL, OP-ED p6 it’s 10 million USD. We can make formation within the records. in the Senate, also struck a more have surely raised questions on conciliatory tone with the Repub- discount... $1 = 1 customer.” The first records posted to the whether Biden should run again licans, saying he would work with in 2024. But instead he did bet- them and that the “vast majority” Medibank has repeatedly re- dark web forum were separated ter than his two Democratic pre- were “decent, honorable people”. decessors, Barack Obama or Bill fused to pay the ransom. into “naughty” and “nice” lists. Clinton, who both took a ham- With three key races yet to be mering in their first midterms. called after Tuesday’s vote, the Some on the “naughty” list had Senate remained in play but it Asked about his plans at was leaning Democratic and con- ‘Profit and greed’ numeric codes that appeared to Wednesday’s press conference, trol may hinge on a runoff elec- Biden said it was still his “intention tion in the southern state of Geor- The Medibank hack—and an link them to drug addiction, alco- to run again”—but that he would gia in December. earlier data breach impacting hol abuse and HIV infection.  While the night saw wins by more than 100 Republicans em- 9 million customers at telecom For example, one record carried company Optus—has raised ques- an entry that read: “p_diag: F122”.  tions about  Australia’s ability to F122 corresponds with “canna- repel cyber criminals. bis dependence” under the Inter- Dennis Desmond, a former national Classification of Diseas- FBI agent and US Defense Intel- es, published by the World Health ligence Agency officer, said  Aus- Organization. tralia was no worse “than any oth- Names, addresses, passport er high-value target or Western numbers and birth dates were country”.  also included in the data.  “It’sveryunfortunate,butIdon’t Home Affairs Minister Clare think Australia is any more vulner- O’Neil has described the hackers able than any other Western devel- as “scummy criminals”.  Reuters/Mohammed Salem Marching on: COP Civic Space coalition members attend a protest in solidarity with political prisoners and embattled civil society groups, at the Sharm El-Sheikh International Convention Center, during the COP27 climate summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Thursday. COP27 divided on future climate financing Stephane Orjollet off with three questions in need of ring to massive flooding in August “political guidance”: Should there that covered a third of her coun- Agence France-Presse/ be quantitative goals? Should the try and caused more than $30 bil- Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt donor base be expanded? Should lion in economic losses, according High-level talks on scaling up fi- financing also cover “loss and dam- to the World Bank. nance for developing countries age” that has already occurred? to green their economies and Standing in for wealthy nations prepare for global warming im- “We must not replicate the that were until recently reluctant pacts began on Wednesday at shortcomings in the delivery of to allow loss and damage onto the the  COP27  climate conference the $100 billion,” said Rosalinda formal negotiating agenda of the with negotiators differing on the Soipan Tuya, a Kenyan MP speak- UN talks was United States spe- funding’s size and providers. ing on behalf of the negotiating cial envoy for the climate John bloc of African nations. Kerry. In 2009, the chaotic United Na- tions climate summit in Copen- The amount needed over the sec- “No government in the world hagen saw rich nations promise ond half of this decade should, she has the money to do what we US$100 billion a year by 2020 to added, “be based on need”, which have to do to win this battle,” he the Global South, but two years she estimated at more than $1.3 said, noting that total needs could past that deadline the amount de- trillion per year globally by 2030.  reach $4 trillion. livered is still $17 billion short, ac- cording to the OECD. Other developing nation repre- “We have to think completely sentatives focused not just on the differently about how we can mo- Even this figure overestimates amount, but on the conditions bilize finance,” he added, lament- rich nation largesse if loans and under which financing would be ing the failure of developed coun- funds not already allocated for made available. tries to deliver the “paltry sum” of other purposes are excluded from $100 billion dollars.  the tally, say Oxfam and other “We must ensure our debt lev- NGOs that track the issue. els are not enhanced,” said an of- Diplomats from developing ficial from The Maldives, repre- nations criticized the persistent Developed nations attending senting the AOSIS group of small imbalance in climate financing the Nov. 6-18 talks at the Red Sea island nations, some of whom which, within the UN framework, resort of Sharm el-Sheikh now face the prospect of being wiped should be evenly split between say the $100-billion goal will be off the map by rising seas. reducing emissions (mitigation) reached by the end of 2023. and boosting resilience to future “The financing must be grant- impacts (adaptation). Discussions on how much to give based and simple to access.”  after the current round of commit- As climate disasters have mul- ments expire in 2025—and wheth- ‘Paltry sum’ tiplied over the last decade, na- er to expand the pool of donors to A number of nations lament- tions in the Global South have include other nations, notably Chi- called for a separate financial fa- na—have already gotten underway. ed the paucity of outright grants cility for loss and damage.    compared with loans. But more than a dozen years af- “We need a common definition ter the original pledge was made, The representative from Paki- of what exactly constitutes cli- estimates of future financial flows stan insisted that the contested mate finance,” said International required have increased several category of loss and damage—es- Monetary Fund chief Kristalina fold, promising to make upcom- sentially compensation for un- Georgieva. ing negotiations difficult. avoidable climate impacts— should also be covered as well.  “It is paramount to measure The climate finance talks kicked what needs there are and their “I come from ground zero of net worth.”  the climate crisis,” she said, refer-

4 FRIDAY November 11, 2022 BUSINESS Urban renewal Musk ‘kills’ new Twitter label, hours after launch AFP/Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck Julie Jammot as public ones such as the White House and major media outlets. King Philippe of Belgium (left) conducts a royal visit to the Circularium in the Curegem-Heyvaert district in Anderlecht, Brussels, on Thursday. Agence France-Presse/San Francisco, Circularium is the transformation of more than 20,000 square meters of industrial area into a major center of innovation and circular produc- California, United States But only hours later, it was tion, organized by a Brussels company Make IT Toward Transition (Makettt). Twitter launched two new veri- gone for many of them. fication tools on Wednesday but TPraarnissaitsswtroirkkeesrssnsaerelkLroanidseosn, “killed” one of them hours later Accounts that had received the in a messy start to owner Elon “official” badge—including Agence Unions of US railroad workers to extend strike deadline to Dec. 4 Musk’s campaign to revamp the France-Presse, BBC News, Pope influential platform following his Francis and Kanye West—saw the US$44 billion buyout. mention disappear. The social media platform un- ‘A lot of work’ veiled its long-awaited Twitter Esther Crawford, an executive Blue subscription service, which allows users to pay $7.99 per who announced the gray tick on month for a coveted blue tick, as Tuesday, insisted that the official well as a separate gray “official” label was still going to be part of badge for some high-profile ac- the relaunch, but that “we are just counts. focusing on government and com- mercial entities to begin with”. But the new gray label was al- most immediately scrapped, “There are no sacred cows in overshadowing the launch of product at Twitter anymore. Elon Twitter Blue, which is currently is willing to try lots of things— only available on the mobile app many will fail, some will succeed,” on iPhones and in the United she tweeted Wednesday. States. “The goal is to find the right “I just killed it,” Musk tweeted mix of successful changes to en- hours after the new tag was added sure the long-term health and to government accounts, big com- growth of the business.” panies and major media outlets. During a panel for advertis- “Please note that Twitter will ers broadcast on Twitter, Musk do lots of dumb things in com- exercised some damage control, ing months. We will keep what admitting that a lot of work lay works & change what doesn’t,” ahead to get the site to the place the world’s richest man added. he wished to reach. The U-turn invited further “We’ve got a lot to do on the scrutiny of Musk’s plans for Twit- software side. I can’t emphasize ter a week after he laid off thou- that enough,” he said. sands of workers and drew a massive drop in spending by ad- Musk took control of Twitter vertisers, who are wary of the after a drawn-out legal battle in site’s direction. which the mercurial tycoon tried to renege on a deal that many be- The blue tick has been a mark lieve he overpaid for. of an account’s authenticity and doubts emerged that public fig- It emerged on Tuesday that ures or media outlets would pay Musk sold $4 billion worth of for it. The official gray tag was shares in Tesla to help pay for a seen by observers as a work- transaction in which he took on around to solve that problem. billions of dollars in debt. The launch of the new official Twitter Blue is seen as one way label began on Wednesday and to overcome the loss in advertis- was on the accounts of companies ers since Musk took over. such as Apple and BMW, as well Twitter last week fired half of its 7,500 employees, which Musk said was necessary as the compa- ny was losing $4 million a day. Digital bust Agencies take action, we know how to take French unions have staged shipments by weight, stoke infla- AFP/Josh Edelson action,” Frederic Souillot, head of strikes across several sectors in tion, cost the American economy Paris/London/Washington, DC France’s FO union, said ahead of recent weeks seeking pay hikes or as much as US$2 billion per day Anwar Almojarkesh (left) and Alan Chalabi (right) from England take Commuters in London and Par- the Paris strike. increased hiring as spiraling en- and unleash a cascade of trans- a photo at Meta (formerly Facebook) corporate headquarters in Men- is scrambled for alternatives ergy costs feed into widespread portation woes affecting US en- lo Park, California, the United States, on Wednesday. Facebook owner on Thursday—or simply stayed The capital’s public transpor- inflation. ergy, agriculture, manufacturing, Meta will lay off more than 11,000 of its staff in “the most difficult home—as public transportation tation operator RATP said nearly healthcare and retail sectors. changes we’ve made in Meta’s history”, boss Mark Zuckerberg said on workers went on strike for high- every Metro line would be shut Thursday’s strike will also in- Wednesday. er pay, the latest industrial action down or operating with only lim- clude a protest march in the capi- BMWED said without an ex- seeking relief from soaring prices ited rush-hour service and urged tal in the afternoon that will shut tension, railroads could have be- Stock markets down in Europe. people to work from home or down major traffic avenues. gun ceasing rail operations within on US midterms concerns postpone trips if possible. the next few days in anticipation Spreading labor unrest poses Unions representing the of a Nov. 20 strike and suggested Agence France-Presse Fed officials have raised their a problem for governments that Many commuters appeared RATP’s nearly 70,000 employees that “would also represent a bla- policy rate to a range of between are already spending billions try- to heed the call, with the morn- say they are feeling the pinch of tant attempt to cause panic and Hong Kong, China/London 3.75 to 4 percent. ing to blunt the worst effects of ing crush less chaotic than many soaring prices, but are also over- economic harm to the railroads’ Asian stocks fell on Thursday af- rising prices, at least for the most feared, and the city’s growing net- stretched because of insufficient customers and the US economy ter inconclusive United States Markets in Asia were already vulnerable. work of bike lanes saw a surge of hiring, resulting in increased sick right before the Thanksgiving midterm election results and a grappling with the impact of strict cyclists under a bright autumn sky. leave. holiday”. cryptocurrency crisis hammered zero-COVID measures in China, “I am very deeply affected by markets. with supply chains and activity the strike,” 36-year-old Nicco But the two main suburban rail Extended deadline Another union representing slowed by harsh lockdowns and Hogg said in London, as quoted lines called RER A and B, which In a separate development, a about 4,900 locomotive machin- The uncertainty, especially testing policies. by AFP. connect central Paris with Dis- ists, roadway mechanics and fa- about how the midterm results neyland Paris and the Charles group representing major United cility maintenance personnel on would impact inflation, trans- “China’s domestic demand is “I took my car, the train and de Gaulle and Orly airports, saw States railroads and a union that Saturday narrowly ratified the ferred from Wall Street to Asia weak and their key trading part- now I have to cycle.” more severe disruptions. voted to reject a new contract said tentative contract agreement. overnight. ners are entering recession territo- on Wednesday they had agreed to ry,” said Edward Moya from Oanda. The action in the United King- Frequency of bus services were extend a potential strike deadline The union was the seventh of Hong Kong dropped 1.7 per- dom, by members of the Rail, likely to drop by a third, while until at least Dec. 4, Reuters re- 12 to approve the deal, while BM- cent while Tokyo shed nearly 1 “China is also continuing to Maritime and Transport (RMT) tram operations were expected ported. WED and the Brotherhood of percent and Shanghai also closed struggle with COVID as Guang- and Unite unions, follows sever- at near-normal levels, the RATP Railroad Signalmen (BRS) union, lower. Seoul, Sydney, Jakarta and zhou has to return to mass test- al prior walkouts this year amid said. The National Carriers’ Con- representing more than 6,000 Taipei also fell. ing.” a long-running dispute over job ference Committee (NCCC) and members, voted against the deal. cuts, pensions and working con- Authorities in London said the the International Brotherhood of London, Paris and Frankfurt The crypto world was also ditions. Underground system was “se- Teamsters (BMWED) that repre- The deal included a 24 per- all opened on Thursday in the red, rocked by a surprise decision verely disrupted”, with limited or sents 11,000 workers extended the cent compounded wage increase continuing the slide in European from Binance, the world’s big- In France, the strike aims also no services running, and advised current cooling off period that pre- over a five-year period from 2020 markets. gest cryptocurrency platform, to to ratchet up pressure on Presi- people to avoid trying to use the viously was set to expire Nov. 19. through 2024 and five annual scrap a possible acquisition of ri- dent Emmanuel Macron before network. $1,000 lump sum payments. “A purple dilemma might be the val FTX.com a day after disclos- he brings a controversial pen- The NCCC said the “extension best way to describe the red-blue ing it had signed a nonbinding let- sions overhaul bill to parliament, Reports said many buses were eliminates the threat of a near- The unions represent 115,000 tangle that emerged Wednesday. ter of intent to buy it. which would require millions of packed to capacity and unable to term freight rail service disrup- workers at railroads, including It’ll be gridlock, that’s for sure,” people to work longer before re- pick up hordes waiting at numer- tion.” Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Nor- Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Man- The near-collapse of FTX has tiring. ous stops, while roads were ex- folk Southern and Kansas City agement said of the US midterms plunged Bitcoin to a two-year low. pected to be more congested than A rail shutdown could freeze Southern. where the Democrats did bet- “It’s to show that if we want to usual. almost 30 percent of US cargo ter than expected, although Con- “FTX’s slump from over a $32 gress will likely be divided. billion valuation to zero in less oKnNmKTecbhlaamniecsalSirsiswuiejasy, paiAloirt ccoramshplacency than a few days raises numerous “Perhaps not the friendli- issues,” said Stephen Innes. Agence France-Presse est kind for market participants, many of whom were hoping for a “This is far from fringe buyers Jakarta AFP/Adek Berry more resounding rebuke of Dem- taking a hit on the back of support Investigators on Thursday blamed ocrats given inflation realities.” from stimulus-check and crypto mechanical problems and pilot Final report: Capt. Nurcahyo Utomo (right) from the National Transportation Safety Committee deliv- enthusiasts. Prominent investors complacency for a deadly plane ers a report on the investigation into the crash of Sriwijaya Air flight SJ182, which crashed on Jan. 9, All eyes are expected to turn are wearing eggs on their faces af- crash last year that killed all 62 2021, during a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday. to US inflation data, due later on ter diving in head first.” passengers and crew. Thursday, to gauge the speed of a lack of regulation and official to a preliminary report after the That accident—and another in future rate hikes by the Federal He added that gold and silver The Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737- guidance for the lack of skill and crash. Ethiopia—led to the worldwide Reserve. will be the biggest beneficiaries of 500 nosedived 3,000 meters into knowledge in pilots to react to grounding of the 737 MAX model the crypto fallout with investors waters off Jakarta just minutes af- such situations. Indonesia has suffered three over a faulty anti-stall system. “US growth looks still too looking to the trusted precious ter takeoff on Jan. 9, 2021. major commercial plane crashes strong to bring inflation down,” metals for stability. Crews on previous flights had since 2014. And in 2014, an AirAsia Airbus Tapas Strickland of National Aus- In its final report, the National described the jet’s throttle system A320 jet, flying as Flight QZ8501, tralia Bank said in a note. Meanwhile, European stock Transportation Safety Commit- as “unserviceable” and that it had In October 2018, 189 people crashed into the Java Sea during markets dropped at the start of tee (KNKT) pointed to several been repaired several times be- were killed when a Lion Air Boe- bad weather, killing all 162 people “The ongoing resilience in trading on Thursday as investors factors that contributed to the fore its fatal final flight, according ing 737 MAX 8, flying as Flight on board. the [consumer prices] data and looked ahead to key US inflation crash, starting with mechanical JT610, plunged into the sea. stickiness in inflation continue to numbers due later in the session. issues. point to the Fed hiking rates clos- er to 5.0 percent or higher.” London’s benchmark FTSE The twin-engine airliner’s au- 100 index fell 0.5 percent to tothrottle system suffered a mal- 7,263.45 points. function, which caused it to tilt off course, the KNKT said in a press release. The 26-year-old jet, flying as Flight SJ182, ended up sharp- ly deviating from its intended flight path just before its deadly plunge. Investigators said compla- cency may have resulted “in less monitoring” by the pilots, mean- ing the course change went unno- ticed and they were not able to act quickly enough. Their report further blamed

BUSINESS 5FRIDAY November 11, 2022 Airline on the block in Sri Lanka reforms Emirates back in profit SriLankan lost $4.50 for every dollar it earned at the beginning of 2022 after COVID-19 losses in 2021 Amal Jayasinghe Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse/Colombo AFP/Ishara S. Kodikara Dozens of state-owned Sri Lank- Dubai, United Arab Emirates an companies employing tens of Clipped wings: Members of ground staff work on the tarmac beside a SriLankan Airlines’ Airbus A320 aircraft at Colombo International Air- Emirates has bounced back thousands of people could be re- port in Katunayake, Sri Lanka, on Sept. 26. The loss-making flag carrier may face reform as part of an International Monetary Fund bailout of into the black after its losses structured or closed as part of an the bankrupt country. during the pandemic, the International Monetary Fund airline said on Thursday, an- bailout of the bankrupt country, ly $2.4 billion between January but insurance payouts and the re- operation. settle about half of its liabilities by nouncing a US$1.1 billion prof- with the country’s airline on top and April—around $140 million moval of excess capacity offset a Airlines are “generally not splitting off and selling profitable it and a half-year record for the of the list for reform. a week. downturn in ticket sales. business arms, including its virtual group. that attractive” to investors, Sin- monopoly on catering and ground With nearly 6,000 staff, Sri- SriLankan Airlines’ future is But the partnership was ter- gapore-based aviation analyst handling at Colombo airport. Revenues at the Middle East’s Lankan Airlines is the biggest and the most urgent priority and the minated and the chief executive Brendan Sobie told AFP, “par- biggest carrier surged 131 percent most expensive of the cash-hem- government last month instruct- sacked by then-president Ma- ticularly airlines that are govern- Trade union leaders and em- to 50.1 billion dirhams ($13.7 bil- orrhaging, sclerotic companies ed the Finance Ministry to begin hinda Rajapaksa in 2008 after the ment-owned and have a lot of leg- ployees support a restructuring lion) in the first half of the finan- that have drained the budget and its restructuring, ideally by at- carrier refused to bump fare-pay- acy issues, have a lot of debt, like along those lines, on the condi- cial year starting in April, com- compounded the worst financial tracting outside investment. ing passengers to make room for SriLankan does”. tion that no jobs are cut. pared with a year earlier. crisis in national history. members of his family returning But finding a company will- from a jaunt in London. “There’s not many foreign air- “The airline is losing money not Emirates Group, which in- According to treasury figures, ing to pour money into the air- lines, particularly in this post- because of the staff, but expensive cludes the airline and air ser- the carrier was losing US$4.50 for line will be immensely challeng- The leader packed SriLankan’s COVID environment, that are leases and poor financial struc- vices provider dnata, clocked a every dollar it earned at the start ing, analysts say, given its history management with relatives and even looking or considering buy- tures,” a cabin crew member, who record $1.2 billion half-year prof- of this year. It has not turned a of interference, mismanagement loyalists, several of whom now ing stakes in airlines overseas,” requested anonymity, told AFP. it, which “reflects strong turn- profit since 2008, when its chief and turbulent partnerships. face corruption charges, and the he added and the track record for around and recovery” after a $1.6 executive was sacked for offend- airline has bled cash since. strategic investments in the sec- But selling off the airline’s prof- billion loss in 2021. ing the country’s then-leader. ‘Very difficult’ tor was “very bad”. itable divisions would leave the In 1998, Emirates bought a Rajapaksa even started a rival rump operations generating even “Across the group, our op- “Even those who have never state-owned airline named after “It’s very difficult,” he said. bigger losses for the government. erations recovery accelerated stepped into a Sri Lankan air- minority stake in the carrier and himself, a colossal failure that was as more countries eased and craft are paying to subsidize the took over its management. eventually merged into SriLank- ‘We are a bankrupt country’ Former state finance minister removed travel restrictions,” airline,” government spokesman an—along with its accumulated SriLankan chairman Ashok Eran Wickramaratne told AFP Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Manusha Nanayakkara told re- It stayed in the black for most losses. that if authorities could not find Maktoum, chairman and chief porters this month. of the next decade, although one Pathirage acknowledges the air- an investor, the airline should be executive of Emirates airline and of its most profitable years was— Authorities tried to sell a 49 line’s current balance sheet is not grounded permanently before it group, was quoted as saying. “We can’t continue like this.” ironically—2001, when the Tamil percent stake in SriLankan back an attractive proposition. could burden the public further. Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 Tigers separatist movement at- in 2017 when the island nation’s “For the coming months, we billion foreign debt in April and tacked the country’s main inter- tourism market was booming, “If you try to privatize the “We are a bankrupt country,” remain focused on restoring is now neck-deep in the arduous national airport. but even then private equity firm whole thing, people will come and he said. our operations to pre-pandem- process of renegotiating its obli- TPG eventually withdrew its bid ask the government to take half of ic levels and recruiting the right gations with creditors. Several of the airline’s planes after deciding it was not a viable the debt,” Pathirage told AFP. “We have not been able to ser- skills for our current and future Its 22 million people suffered were destroyed in the July attack, vice our debt and that reality has requirements,” he added. through months of food and fuel But he said SriLankan could struck home.” shortages and at the peak of the cri- Emirates airline posted a $5.5 sis a furious mob stormed govern- billion loss for the 2020-2021 ment buildings and chased Sri Lan- financial year, its first in more ka’s former president into exile. than three decades, after ground- The IMF has given preliminary ing its fleet and making heavy approval to a $2.9 billion bailout, layoffs during the COVID-19 and the government hopes to be pandemic. able to access the first tranche by the end of the year. After the Dubai-based carri- Terms of the deal have yet er pared losses to $1.1 billion in to be released, but IMF cash is 2021-2022, Sheikh Ahmed said usually conditional on painful he was expecting full-year group reforms, such as tax hikes, re- profits for the current financial moving consumer subsidies and year. privatizing or closing underper- forming state firms. But “the horizon is not with- The country has more than out headwinds”, he warned. 300 state enterprises, ranging from nut farms to fuel retailers, “We are keeping a close watch and the top 52 firms lost near- on inflationary costs and oth- er macro-challenges such as the strong US dollar and the fis- cal policies of major markets,” Sheikh Ahmed said. Ensuring economic resilience, Indonesia the right investment destination Indonesia has become an Ministry of Communications and Informatics Public Relations Bureau Regulations hampering the ease increasingly attractive of doing business were scrapped, investment destination, with Fithra Faisal Hastiadi, to the G20 to ensure equal infrastructure In the area of infrastructure, Minister Johnny said that the while, at the same time, ensuring foreign direct investment Communications and Media Team development in the country’s the government also focused strong digital infrastructure pillar increasingly easy procedures for (FDI) showing an upward on Thursday (11/10/2011). remote areas and spurred the on developing and constructing would serve as a foundation for the business and investment. trend amid a global economic acceleration of development in information and communications growth of other pillars, including downturn. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) various villages to boost economic technology infrastructure, the Digital Government, Digital In his welcoming remarks at revealed recently that Indonesia’s activities across Indonesia. digital sector on the downstream Economy and Digital Community. the rolling out of the risk-based Thanks to the government’s economic growth in the third side. Online Single Submission (OSS), success in coping with the quarter of 2022 was recorded at According to Minister Johnny, According to Minister Johnny, President Jokowi explained that COVID-19 pandemic and 5.72 percent year-on-year (yoy). within the last seven years of the Minister Johnny said that the the government will also start to the efforts were able to make the anticipatory measures against That exceeds the 5.44 percent yoy Jokowi-Ma’ruf administration, development of the digital sector on develop the National Data Center business climate in Indonesia more the global economic turbulence, growth rate recorded in the second 1,540 kilometers of toll road the downstream side was targeted (PDN) or “Government Cloud” in conducive. Indonesia has managed to retain quarter and 5.01 percent yoy in the sections have been built and the to ensure that connectivity could be Bekasi and Batam. strong economic fundamentals, first. construction of 29 airports with developed comprehensively. “We want our business controllable inflation and a record nine supporting facilities is targeted Apart from infrastructure climate in our country to become state budget surplus of Rp106.1 The relaxed pandemic to be completed in 2023. “The government has accelerated development, the government has increasingly conducive, providing trillion. restrictions at home and higher the development of digital also walked the talk with respect to ease for micro, small and medium prices for key export commodities “Irrespective of the COVID-19 infrastructure comprehensively in political stability and security, legal enterprises [MSMEs] to embark It comes as no surprise, in global markets have benefited pandemic and the geopolitical areas across Indonesia from the certainty, licenses and bureaucratic on their business, to enhance therefore, to learn that Indonesia’s the domestic economy this year. challenge in Ukraine, 227,000 upstream to downstream sectors,” reform. investors’ confidence in opening economic performance has shown km of rural roads have been built he said. as much employment as possible, a consistently positive trend in the Meanwhile, Indonesia’s to date, supported by 1.3 million To ensure political stability and which can provide a solution to the post pandemic era, indicating an annual inflation rate fell to 5.71 meters of bridges throughout The entire development of the security, the government prioritizes issue of the increasing number of economic recovery. percent in October of 2022 from Indonesia to facilitate community digital infrastructure is aligned with its activities in, among other unemployed people as a result of September's near seven-year peak economic activities,” said Minister the direction that President Jokowi things, strengthening democracy, the pandemic,” he said. Bank Indonesia (BI) forecasts of 5.95 percent, lower than market Johnny in a press conference on the has given to speed up the expansion civil freedom and political rights, that positive economic growth estimates of 5.99 percent. infrastructure development at the of access, increase digital preventing terrorism and political According to World Bank’s will continue until next year, with Kominfo Office’s Media Center, infrastructure and provide internet social conflict, and protecting report in 2020, Indonesia ranked strong household consumption, While the country’s economy Jakarta on Sept. 20. services in Indonesia, according to Indonesian citizens abroad. 73th of 190 countries in terms exports and investments acting as is predicted to grow further by the Minister Johnny. of the ease of doing business. the driving force of the country’s end of this year, Indonesia has also “The Indonesia Forward Cabinet, On the legal certainty aspect, This means that Indonesia is in gross domestic product (GDP). made incredible progress when it led by President Joko Widodo, Minister Johnny pointed out that the government’s activities are the category of being easy when In addition, Indonesia's position comes to infrastructure, business carries on with the development infrastructure could be developed focused on ensuring quality it comes to business license as Group of 20 president this year licenses, legal certainty, political of infrastructure that the previous simultaneously but “based on law enforcement and effective procedures. further strengthens the national stability and security, factors that governments had pioneered. The schedule because Indonesia is a corruption prevention and economy. business people and investors value infrastructure development is being large archipelagic country,” he said. eradication. License reform, which ensures highly. conducted at an accelerated speed Structural reform integrated, fast and simple business \"The presence of the G20 plays by maintaining the balance between He explained that the permits, has become “an instrument an important role in encouraging Communications and the budget for social protection for information and communications Despite the COVID-19 that determines our competitive dialogue, cooperation and Informatics Minister (Kominfo) vulnerable communities through technology infrastructure on the pandemic, which hit Indonesia edge in attracting investment,” coordination in policy responses Johnny G. Plate said that the various programs and state budget upstream side was being developed in March 2020, the government Jokowi said. for global economic recovery,\" administration of President incentives,” he said. with the installation of a 459,000- continued to carry out various said BI deputy governor Dody Joko “Jokowi’ Widodo and Vice km optical fiber network on land structural reform agendas. As the political stability and Budi Waluyo to the G20 President Ma’ruf Amin strived and under the sea. security, legal certainty and Communications and Media Team bureaucratic reform continue to on Wednesday (9/11/2022). make headway, it is no wonder that Indonesia has turned into an The meeting of G20 leaders at investment-friendly destination. the Bali summit later this month, he said, would provide guidance “The political stability that and market confidence for future Indonesia is enjoying has allowed economic prospects and financial all parties to collectively cope system stability. BI also believed with big challenges and gear that public consumption would Indonesian people toward positive remain strong, even though it was development,” said Minister restrained by the increase in fuel oil Johnny. (BBM) prices. Currently, Indonesia is hosting Market participants hope that the one-year-long Group of 20 holding the G20 Summit will presidency, with the G20 Leaders’ have an impact on the entry of Summit to take place in Bali on foreign investment into Indonesia. Nov. 15-16. Investment performance is expected to increase its contribution Through the G20 presidency, to the country’s GDP for the next Indonesia has proven to be a three years. country able to ensure economic resilience and to withstand the \"What we hope is that this crisis. meeting will have a significant impact in the medium-long term With Indonesia’s investment with the entry of investment climate becoming increasingly into Indonesia,\" said University friendly, business people, of Indonesia (UI) economist executives and investors alike are optimistic about Indonesia’s future economic prospects.

6 FRIDAY November 11, 2022 OPINION EDITORIAL Indonesia leads G20 during tumultuous year for world A good day for democracy W hen Siswo Pra- By Teuku Faizasyah sion “as much about noodles” as The results of the United States midterm elections, al- mono left Jakarta international diplomacy. though many are too early to call, should give a huge to assume an am- Jakarta relief not just to the US but also global civilization, bassadorial post His comment reminds me of because like it or not, US democracy remains the one in Canberra, I was asked to tem- Former Indonesian ambassador to Canada. the phrase adopted from a well- to which the world looks up, despite all of its imperfections porarily oversee the Foreign Min- The views expressed are his own. known play by Shakespeare, a and controversies. istry’s think tank that he super- “much ado about nothing”. vised for almost five years. I was respond to global developments on immediate is-  After the Nov. 8 vote it remains uncertain which party will delighted to find a much-trans- that pose challenges to our na- sues affecting global In the same fashion, as we ap- control the US Congress. Ahead of the polls, the Republicans formed institution, one that had tional interests. citizens, especially proach the G20 Summit in Bali, we stood a great chance of sweeping both the House of Represen- experienced many developments in developing coun- can anticipate so-called experts tatives and the Senate but eventually had to be content with a since my time in the late 1990s. While chairing the Group of 20, tries. hastily predicting the failure of the slim lead, ensuring the checks and balances mechanism will Indonesia’s diplomacy shows dy- summit, among other things, to work properly. This is very healthy and constructive in a de- Principally, there had been a namism and a constant effort to Sustainable sup- produce a leaders’ declaration and mocracy. significant shift from a content affect change and address chal- ply and access to group photos among leaders. analysis approach toward data- lenges. grain and energy A landslide victory for the Republicans would have been di- driven research, with greater reli- were central to Indonesia’s dip- Indeed, these two are the com- sastrous for the world’s largest economy and military because ance on statistics. Although Indonesia is not al- lomatic initiatives. It would be ill- mon features in any summitry. it could allow the Republicans under former president Don- ways in the best position for this, advised on the President’s part to Yet, by any logic it would be near ald Trump to reinvigorate his Make American Great Again This paradigm shift is imbued it has not stopped Indonesia from press for a mediation role when impossible to assemble togeth- campaign. by the growing recognition of the engaging in diplomatic efforts. the parties to the conflict were al- er several adversaries for a fam- efficacy of artificial intelligence A case in point is the challenge ready deep in mutual distrust and ily photo opportunity, let alone to “It was a good day, I think, for democracy,” US President Joe (AI) to help analyze data as well as to navigate between Indonesia’s animosity. produce an outcome document Biden told a press conference at the White House on Wednesday. predict changes and trends.  presidency in the G20 and the Yet, as friends to both coun- that can satisfy all parties—some- war between Russia and Ukraine. thing that requires an art in diplo- “And I think it was a good day for America [...] Our democ- Consequently, we see scores of macy and most likely divine inter- racy has been tested in recent years, but with their votes, the young analysts with advanced fa- Indonesia could not remain silent when fellow vention. American people have spoken and proven once again that de- miliarity with information technol- developing countries in Africa and the Middle East mocracy is who we are.” ogy prepare policy strategies and struggled to provide staple foods for their people. In all due fairness, observers propose recommendations under and commentators of Indonesia’s For Biden, the midterm elections looked like a referendum the supervision of mid-career dip- As a president, Indonesia wish- tries, President Jokowi did appeal G20 presidency should not miss on his performance over the last two years. Now he can fly to lomats. The more senior diplomats es to ensure that the G20, the pre- to President Vladimir Putin and the forest for the trees. Bali to attend the Group of 20 Summit on Nov. 15-16 in a much and their expertise enrich the anal- mier economic forum, continues President Volodymyr Zelensky to more confident mood. yses with the notion of context in to contribute to the betterment follow the path of diplomacy and The G20 Summit is a culmina- international relations. of the global economy and toward end the armed confrontation. tion of a whole year of Indonesia’s Biden’s presence in Bali will be heartening for President sustainable development. activism in the G20. To put it suc- Joko “Jokowi” Widodo as the host of the summit, as he can As an old-school diplomat my- It is important to mention cinctly, the summit is part of the hope the US President will play a more constructive role in self, I found their interactions However, the ensuing glob- that Indonesia’s focus on grain process and not an end in itself. the G20 meeting, which the world expects to produce con- fascinating. They were engaged al uncertainty emanating from (wheat) and energy was support- crete actions to cope with the multiple crises of energy, food, in robust and vibrant dialogues Russia’s war in Ukraine makes ed by statistical analyses and an Let us not forget that in terms health, climate and economic slowdown. on various global issues of in- it extremely difficult to continu- understanding of the context of of numbers or statistically speak- terest, such as discrimination ously steer the G20 in the middle the issues. And equally important, ing, leading to the G20 Sum- For the Republicans, the failure to secure a majority is a against Indonesian palm oil to course. Indonesian Foreign Minister Ret- mit, Indonesia has organized 192 flop. It is a disappointing outcome given that nearly all US me- concerns over growing assertive- no LP Marsudi compared notes G20 official meetings, including dia organizations and leading public opinion surveyors had ness for the sphere of influence The decision by Indonesia to with other key countries and the 21 at the ministerial level, along predicted the US would swing heavily to the Republicans. among major powers in the In- invite Ukraine to participate in United Nations secretary-general with more than 200 side-event do-Pacific region. the G20 Summit is the outcome prior to the President’s visit. activities. During his four-year presidency, Trump brought the US to of a series of consultations be- the lowest rung of democracy, thanks to his dictatorial mind- The rank and file in the minis- tween the ministers in charge of The crux of the matter is, as a By keeping those meetings on set and disrespect for international agreements. When Biden try’s think tank and I share a com- the G20 and the President. staunch supporter of South-South track and being able to produce defeated him in the 2020 elections, Trump refused to concede mon understanding that reliance cooperation, Indonesia could not final documents that capture the his loss, saying the elections had been manipulated. He even on statistics as part of the tools At the same time, Indonesia remain silent when fellow devel- essence of the meetings (chair- encouraged his die-hard supporters to revolt and did not do of analysis on international is- does not wish to exclude Russia’s oping countries in Africa and the man statements), Indonesia has enough to stop an attack on the Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. sues is timely. As we face constant participation in the G20 process, Middle East struggled to provide been showing stewardship and, changes and sporadic challenges, including in the summit, as sug- staple foods for their people. needless to say, leadership. What Trump had been expected to announce his bid to contest adaptation is a necessity. gested by a number of G20 lead- has been attained at this stage is the 2024 elections on Nov. 15 if the Republicans had gained ers and Ukraine. It is therefore myopic and in fact commendable, bearing in mind majorities in the Senate and Congress. Failure to adapt will impact cynical when David Engel, head of the context of the ever-growing competitiveness and, in the case When President Joko “Jokowi” the Australian Strategic Policy In- division in global politics. So far, the Democrats have secured 48 seats in the Senate, as of diplomacy, it would place a Widodo traveled to Ukraine and stitute’s Indonesia program who have the Republicans. But there will be a runoff in some states country in the backseat of the Russia in July to deliver the in- had served twice in the Australian Finally, as Indonesia ap- because neither party could pass the 50 percent threshold. global market of diplomatic ideas vitation in person, he had a pre- mission in Jakarta, in his article on proaches the final lap of its G20 and initiatives. Therefore, as a determined understanding that June 29, 2022, ridiculed the mis- presidency, let us hope for the For Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy after responsible member in the com- Indonesia should rather focus best. Today, in an era of a drifting India and the US, the political developments in the US can munity of nations, Indonesia apart international order, there teach a good lesson. Anyone who wants to manipulate democ- cannot afford to stay idle and not is so much constraint to advance racy for their own interests will eventually confront the com- the shared interests among the mon sense of the voters. international community. American voters have proved their maturity in understand- Retail’s next growth engine is right ing the value of democracy, so will Indonesian voters who will around the corner in Indonesia elect their new leader in February 2024. Religious multilateralism In their quest for the next big By Smita Aggarwal main business, which is selling. an endangered species disruptive ideas, technology One shopkeeper told us that it can companies may be missing an Mumbai, India take a week to follow up on prod- opportunity that is on their door- uct deliveries; purchasing those step. Global investments adviser, Flourish Ventures products online will save time and ensure timely delivery.  By Azza Karam In Indonesia, the humble cor- cent of warung customers visit lo- tailers and $1 billion-$2 billion in ner store, or warung, accounts for cal stores every day, contributing gross merchandise value (GMV) Digitizing operations would Inter Press Service/New York, United States about 70 percent of the country’s to the lion’s share of grocery sales in 2017, to about 1.3 million re- also ease access to working capi- US$257 billion grocery market. I mentioned earlier. Some 90 per- tailers and $20 billion-$25 billion tal—one of the biggest differen- Secretary-general of Religions for Peace That’s an impressive market share, cent rated the neighborhood loca- GMV in only three years. tiators between informal and for- considering that these small shops tion as important, while 80 per- mal business. Those that have it In this year’s climate confer- with how diligent the efforts of are facing stiff competition from e- cent said the customer service at With 84 percent of Indonesia’s can grow; those that don’t cannot. ence (COP27) two-weeklong faith/community/organizations commerce, supermarkets and oth- their local shop was a key differen- shopkeepers already using mes- Even though warungs are omni- summit in Egypt a rough are, to secure peace and human er large retailers. tiator and 45 percent highlighted saging apps to communicate with present in Indonesia’s neighbor- count indicates there will be 40 dignity for all people. As they re- long-term relationships with store suppliers and customers, and 78 hoods, they are nearly invisible different sessions organized by, mind of the spiritual wisdom each Research that my firm, Flour- owners as a valuable attribute. percent reporting comfort with when it comes to verifiable data for, and about, religious engage- faith upholds, they also speak of ish Ventures, recently initiated using digital tools, repeating the on sales or profits. That means ments in/on climate change and past and upcoming initiatives, across four developing countries And demonstrating the im- Ling Shou Tong story here should most lenders ignore them. related issues. This is likely the meant to safeguard dignity for all. indicates these stores have an en- portance of those relationships, be a natural fit. highest number of events by and Sometimes they also remember during appeal in their communi- 79 percent of shoppers said they In Indonesia, companies like around religious actors, orga- to speak about the planet and our ties. Well over half of their cus- purchased more groceries from The question then becomes, e-commerce unicorn Bukalapak, nized at a COP event. responsibility to save it. tomers visit every day. local shops rather than shift to what services do warungs need as well as smaller start-ups—such e-commerce during COVID-19 to really power this new growth as Ula, a digital wholesale market- The reason? Religions, reli- As someone who spent decades Still, the market is highly frag- lockdowns. And 98 percent said engine? place, and BukuWarung, which gious engagement, interfaith, etc., serving at the UN and in diverse mented and informal. Small they would visit warungs the offers accounting and digital pay- are the flavor of our geopolitical international academic and de- shops lack the economies of scale, same or more in the future. In countries like the United ment services—are already work- times. For better or worse. velopment organizations, and efficient supply chains and more States and United Kingdom, the ing to help bring the warung sec- now listening to the religious ac- robust technology that benefit These deep local connections informal or unorganized retail tor into the digital economy. His Holiness Pope Francis and tors speaking, I find myself asking their bigger rivals. give the warungs a retail advan- sector represents less than 10 per- His Eminence the Grand Imam the same question: If each of these tage. But turning that fragment- cent of the total retail landscape. Yet we are only scratching the of Al-Azhar were just addressing governments, and now these reli- This presents a huge oppor- ed market into a big opportunity But that ratio is reversed in many surface of this opportunity. Our a major conference in Bahrain on gious bodies, are working so hard tunity, both for the shops them- hinges on the aggregating power of Asia’s markets. In Indonesia, research found that embedding East-West relations, with the King and serving so amazingly, why is selves as well as for the wider of digital technology. 3.5 million warungs drive a ma- financial services into the digi- of Bahrain. After also putting in a our world the way it is? community. jority of grocery sales; in India, 12 tal tools shopkeepers already similar appearance and speaking We know this is true because million kirana stores account for use for inventory or other opera- together with the president of Ka- Why are so many governments Digital technology can not only the same dynamics have already nearly 90 percent of the country’s tions could cut their cost of cred- zakhstan, in September. and peoples and communities at protect the warungs from bigger played out in China’s rapidly ex- grocery sales. The same story is it by 20-60 percent. This would war with one another inside and competitors, but also enhance panding economy. repeated in Bangladesh, Vietnam help warungs redeploy capital for In convening, countries appear outside nation-state boundaries? earnings for local shopkeepers and other developing markets. growth and boost profits: based to be competing with Saudi Ara- Why are we listening to hate speech and stimulate financial inclusion. China has some of the highest on our analysis across multiple bia, which hosted such a seminal from every type of mouth and all It’s a real-world example of how e-commerce penetration in the From our research, it’s very countries, we estimate it could gathering (in May 2022, bringing types of platforms given ample me- online tools can benefit bricks world and its consumers have a clear that digitalization could mean a jump in profitability of together Buddhist and Hindu faith dia attention? Why are arms and and mortar retail. reputation for technological so- have a significant positive im- 60-100 percent or more. leaders, for the first time, as equals drugs the biggest industries? phistication. But like Indonesia, pact on these small shops. From with their Muslim, Christian and Along with research firm 60 a majority of the country’s retail sourcing and managing inventory And these benefits do not even Jewish brethren), as well as with The answer is, that beyond the Decibels and B2B commerce plat- still runs through small, informal to coordinating deliveries and ac- account for the potential for dig- the United Arab Emirates (UAE), speeches, the lavish meetings form TaniHub, Flourish Ventures neighborhood venues. cessing financial services, digital ital tools to stimulate sales as a Qatar, and Oman, who are also and innumerable projects, mul- surveyed 200 warung owners and applications can introduce big ef- complement to a brick-and-mor- hosting international gatherings of tilateral religious collaboration 200 of their customers to learn With similar market dynamics ficiencies with a minimal learning tar strategy. religious leaders this very month. remains rare. first-hand about their aspira- and store positionings to Indo- curve for proprietors. tions, competitive threats, digital nesia’s, Alibaba’s Ling Shou Tong Digitalization has already Each of these major and rather What ails multilateralism is behaviors and operational pain sought to digitize the entire re- Even though warungs are small, transformed the formal retail sec- expensive conferences, provides not the absence of resources, points. We wanted to gain a better tail value chain of China’s small they typically work with 50 to 100 tor into a growth engine in devel- a platform not unlike the United tools, values, the clarity of the cri- understanding of the opportunity shops and street vendors, lever- different suppliers. That requires oped economies. In Indonesia, it Nations General Assembly, where sis, or even the will and creativ- for digital technology. aging digital tools and data to cre- a significant time investment. Pro- can do the same for warungs by each leader gets his (for invari- ity to serve. Multilateralism fails ate efficiencies and economies of prietors are often sole operators or opening up new opportunities ably they are mostly men) time when some want only their val- We discovered that warungs scale. According to Bain analysis, single families, and the complex- and safeguarding their role in the to speak, often eloquently, about ues, truths, communities, nations, maintain high levels of trust and the division grew its base in Chi- ity of coordinating inventory and community. their own faith tradition. cultures, security needs, and/or integration with their communi- na alone from about 160,000 re- suppliers takes away from a shop’s specific institutions, to prevail. ties. Our survey showed 67 per- Each of these speeches regales Senior Editors : Endy M. Bayuni, Vincent Lingga, Editorial Advisory Board : Endy M. Bayuni EDITORIAL AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT Kornelius Purba Ombudsman : Vincent Lingga, Bregas Aditya Jl. Palmerah Barat 142-143, Jakarta 10270 PUBLISHED BY PT BINA MEDIA TENGGARA SINCE 1983 (62) (21) 5300476, 5300478 ● Fax (62) (21) 5350050, 5306971  [email protected] Board of Directors : Jusuf Wanandi, Judistira Wanandi, Editor-at-large : Ary Hermawan ADVERTISING AND CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT M. Taufiqurrahman, Maggie Tiojakin Head of Print Production : Niken Prathivi Jl. Palmerah Barat 142-143, Jakarta 10270 & Mikha Ramadewi (62) (21) 5360001, 5360003, 68469983 ● FAX (62) (21) 5360008, 5360009 Editor-in-Chief/Guarantor : M. Taufiqurrahman EDITORIAL STAFF: Abdur Rahim, A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil, Andre Arditya, Dwi Atmanta, Divya Karyza, Dio Suhenda, Elly Burhaini Faizal,  [email protected] [ADVERTISING] [email protected] [SUBSCRIPTION] Hans David Tampubolon, Ina Parlina, Indah Setiawati, Kharishar Kahfi, Michael Hegarty, Mark Lempp, Novan Iman Santosa, Managing Editor : Adisti Sukma Sawitri Nina A. 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OPINION 7FRIDAY November 11, 2022 Mandatory B40 risky after CPO policy missteps series of policy blun- By Riyadi Suparno corporate affairs senior manager and low ceiling prices of cooking Brazil. The mandatory B40 pro- ders by the government Staley Ma, PT Musim Mas gen- oil in time of skyrocketing inter- gram would boost demand for on  palm oil trade earli- Nusa Dua, Bali eral affairs general manager Tog- national prices sent the wrong CPO by 35 percent. er this year resulted in ar Sitanggang, PT Wilmar Na- signals to the market, which re- a scarcity of cooking oil and sent Executive director of Tenggara Strategics, a research bati Indonesia commissioner sulted in producers holding their Indonesian biodiesel policy some “innocent” industry players and business intelligence institute founded by the Cen- Parulian Tumanggor and trade produce to avoid losses, causing has been designed to boost do- to jail. The government is likely tre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), The minister adviser Lin Che Wei.  scarcity and prices rising far be- mestic demand for palm oil and to make another policy misstep Jakarta Post and Prasetiya Mulya University. The views yond the ceiling prices. absorb Indonesia’s ever-growing as it is considering advancing the expressed are his own. The AGO said that the five had output of CPO while the export mandatory 40 percent palm oil- colluded so that the three compa- The cooking oil policy mishap markets are becoming restrictive based (B40) program when cook- kets such as India that resorted million tonnes in 2021 to 23.95 nies received export permits even has caused unspeakable damage because of environmental con- ing oil prices remain relatively to using Malaysian CPO. Speaker million tons this year.  though they had not supplied to the palm oil industry, and yet, cerns, and thus prop up prices in high. Dorab E. Mistry of Godrej Inter- enough CPO to the domestic mar- the government seems to have the international market. Industry players, gathering national Limited, for example, Some industry players private- ket under the DMO rules. not learned from the mistake as in Bali last week for the Inter- said he personally wrote a letter ly said that the government’s flip- it is currently toying with the idea The biodiesel policy, with an national Palm Oil Conference to President Joko “Jokowi” Wido- flopping policy of the export ban The AGO blamed the three of advancing the B40 biodiesel established subsidy system man- (IPOC) 2022, discussed private- do urging him to remove the mar- and the domestic market obliga- companies for causing exorbi- mandatory program, which could aged by the BPDPKS, has prov- ly the cooking oil policy mishap ket-distorting export ban. tion (DMO) had cost the industry tant state losses of Rp 6 trillion result in more competition be- en to be effective in boosting de- that penalized the palm oil in- dearly. In addition to falling mar- (US$387 million) and econom- tween food and energy and thus mand, but at the expense of CPO dustry dearly, but the issue was According to India’s Solvent ket share, they also suffered from ic losses of Rp 12.31 trillion. The would have a negative effect on for food needs, which has re- not officially discussed in the Extractors’ Association, Indone- the aftermath, such as difficulty in court proceedings, nevertheless, the government’s target of lower- mained flat at 11 million tonnes IPOC 2022, which was organized sia’s share in India’s palm oil im- finding cargo vessels to export the revealed that instead of reaping ing cooking oil prices. per annum this year and last. back-to-back with the Group ports dropped from 64 percent in produce. huge benefits, PT Wilmar Naba- of 20 Sustainable Vegetable Oil 2020 to 43 percent in 2021 and ti suffered a loss of Rp 1.5 trillion With the existing mandatory Hastily advancing the manda- Conference. 41 percent in 2022. The associa- They also complained about from selling cooking oil below B30 biodiesel, where 30 percent tory B40 biodiesel program is ob- Some international speakers, tion attributed Indonesia’s falling what they described as the crim- production costs as instructed by palm oil is blended, Indonesia’s viously risky as CPO companies nevertheless, highlighted Indo- market share to its high export inalization of CPO exporters, the government. biodiesel industry absorbed 8 would mostly prefer to supply nesia’s brief export ban of crude tax and levies, and stated that the which the Attorney General’s Of- million tonnes of palm oil in 2021 the CPO for biofuel production palm oil (CPO) and its deriva- ban aggravated the problem. fice (AGO) blamed for the scar- For those who closely follow and 9.59 million tonnes this year, rather than for cooking oil, as the tives from late April until May city of cooking oil. The AGO ear- the case, the five suspects are only making Indonesia the world’s big- former has a mechanism in place as a blunder as it caused Indone- Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Oil lier this year named five suspects the scapegoats for the govern- gest producer of biodiesel with to compensate CPO producers sia to lose its share in some mar- Palm Plantation Fund Manage- in the case, including then-Trade ment’s failure to rein in the soar- 10.45 million kiloliters in 2021 for price differences but not the ment Agency (BPDPKS) project- Ministry international trade di- ing prices of cooking oil and the and the third largest biofuel pro- latter. ed that Indonesia’s total palm oil rector general Indrasari Wisnu scarcity of the commodity. The ducer after the United States and exports would drop from 27.73 Wardhana, PT Permata Hijau government’s antimarket DMO After all, biodiesel should not compete with food. Rights-based family planning key to sustainable development Unintended pregnancies. By Björn Andersson might drop out of school or reluc- ery young person is harnessed for and with whom to get pregnant. Lack of access to contra- tantly leave the workforce. Many building more equal, sustainable In a context where countries ceptives. Rapidly chang- Bangkok of them might be in abusive re- and prosperous societies. ing population trends. lationships or resort to unsafe are struggling with the econom- Regional director in Asia and the Pacific, methods to terminate the preg- This cannot be achieved unless ic hardships caused by the CO- These are just some of the chal- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) nancy, with tragic consequenc- young women and girls are em- VID-19 pandemic and other on- lenges that the global family plan- es. This does not only impact the powered and supported to pursue going crises, investing in family ning community will be discussing services over the past decades, ly acute for the youth and ado- health and future prospects of their own aspirations, without planning is even more important. in the coming week as it gathers in an estimated 140 million women lescents of Asia and the Pacific. women and girls, but also hinders disruptions caused by a pregnan- Pattaya, Thailand, for the Interna- in the Asia and the Pacific region Among girls aged 15-24 in the the development of entire societ- cy they did not wish. Our message to decision mak- tional Conference on Family Plan- still do not use a modern method region, one in three do not have ies, communities, and nations. ers across Asia and the Pacific ning (ICFP). The United Nations of contraception, despite wanting their demand for modern con- To end the crisis of unintend- during this year’s ICFP is to be- Population Fund (UNFPA) has to avoid or delay a pregnancy. traceptives satisfied. Less than 25 Considering the current popula- ed pregnancy, governments must lieve in the power of rights-based long been a core organizing mem- percent of sexually active and un- tion dynamics in countries across allocate sufficient funding to- family planning and allocate ap- ber of the ICFP, the world’s largest Insufficient funding for sexual married adolescents use a mod- Asia and the Pacific, this is simply wards making voluntary, human propriate funds in the national gathering on family planning. and reproductive health services, ern method of contraception. not an issue the region can afford rights-based contraception and budget to ensure availability and limited access to contraceptive to ignore. In countries with aging family planning services avail- access to quality services and pro- Access to sexual and reproduc- methods and reliable information, This places young women and populations and reducing work- able for everybody. In addition to grams for all individuals. tive health, including access to restrictive practices and beliefs girls at high risk of unintended forces, it is more critical than ever ensuring access to a wide variety contraceptive information and that prevent women from making pregnancy and sexually transmit- that young women and girls are of affordable and quality contra- As we come together at the services, is fundamental for ev- choices over their bodies and re- ted infections, and deprives them provided with the opportunities to ceptives, greater efforts must be ICFP 2022, let us all renew our eryone, everywhere, to exercise productive health, as well as ongo- of the most fundamental ability to thrive outside the domestic sphere. made to provide comprehensive commitment to uphold women’s their choice, bodily autonomy ing humanitarian crises caused by plan their lives. sexuality education to youth and bodily autonomy by championing and agency. Despite significant climate change and conflicts are Moreover, in countries with adolescents and to combat social their right to make their own de- improvements in the quality and all contributing to the problem. Unintended pregnancies could increasing youth populations, it attitudes that deprive women of cisions whether to get pregnant, availability of family planning have long-lasting negative im- is crucial that the potential of ev- the right to choose whether, when how many children they wish to The problem is particular- pacts. Young women and girls have and when. Unlocking digitalization at the G20 in Indonesia As Indonesia gears up to Michael Punke, Vice President, Global Public Policy, transformation, to radically accelerate open stances on digital trade should host this year’s Group of Amazon Web Services. the integration of underprivileged be adopted to promote the organic 20 (G20) Summit, digital citizens into the digital economy and development and regional scalability transformation is one top- Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). recover stronger, together. Industry of local champions. The exposure of-mind priority to “Recover Together, and government need to continue to international resources and best Recover Stronger”. World leaders have Powering the heart of the digital to collaborate on these objectives to practices will bolster MSMEs, helping acknowledged the significant role economy: MSMEs increase access to digital skills and them remain resilient, agile and digitalization can play in closing gaps training across the region and around adaptive to societal needs. in issues with socioeconomic impacts MSMEs are one of the most the world. such as stagnating productivity, important pillars of any digital Beyond G20, Indonesia is also in pressures resulting from climate economy. In Indonesia, for example, Digital technologies have already a unique position of continuing the change and inequality in access to 64.2 million MSMEs are contributing helped create more robust and digitalization agenda into its ASEAN work and healthcare readiness, to 8.5 trillion Indonesian rupiah to inclusive business ecosystems even Chairmanship in 2023. In particular, name a few. the nation’s GDP. They also provide in remote parts of Indonesia. Peer- we see an opportunity for Indonesia employment for 97 percent of to-peer lending-platform Amartha to demonstrate leadership and Digitalization also will transform Indonesia’s total workforce, of serves entrepreneurs in Indonesia’s accelerate the timeline to launch global economies in the short- to which more than 60 percent are rural areas, offering financial negotiations on a high-standard medium-term, delivering a projected women-owned. Making it simpler services to microbusinesses and and forward-leaning ASEAN Digital US$13 trillion in value across the for these MSMEs to access and utilize targeting working-age mothers Economy Framework Agreement. world by 2030. Indonesia’s 202 million digital technologies, such as cloud with dependents. Without access internet users already contributed computing, without regulatory to the cloud-based analytics it uses The way forward for digitalization $70 billion to its digital economy in complexities, is crucial, as these are to identify nonperforming loans, The Business 20 (B20) Digitalization 2021. With G20 member economies the businesses driving digital and Amartha’s reach would be limited, accounting for 60 percent of the financial inclusion. leaving many businesses without Task Force has developed robust world’s total population and 75 access to financial services. recommendations for leaders meeting percent of global trade, these world In its 2022 G20 Presidency, in Indonesia this year at the G20 and leaders are at the forefront of this Indonesia has reaffirmed its position Eyes on Indonesia to facilitate this B20 Summits. These include unlocking global mission and need to continue as a digital trailblazer by declaring important and complex global digital opportunities by promoting leading by example. its commitment to an inclusive and discussion the adoption and uptake of digital collaborative digital transition. A key infrastructure-like cloud across both However, several factors in the objective of Indonesia’s 2022 G20 Indonesia was among the first in public and private sectors; ensuring roadmap to digitalization continue to Presidency is bridging the digital the world to recognize the power international regulatory coherence impede nations from realizing their divide and fostering inclusive digital of digital transformation in sectoral for digital policies including those full digital potential. As co-chair of the economics. As ASEAN’s leading that preserve free flow of data across Business 20 (B20) Digitalization Task producer of decacorn tech firms, borders; upskilling MSMEs with Force — a group of business leaders valued at over $10 billion, Indonesia necessary digital and cybersecurity assembled to develop and deliver has proudly and successfully fostered literacy; and defining interoperable policy recommendations to the G20 a thriving, internationally competitive cybersecurity standards based on countries, international organizations tech scene. international best practices. and institutions — I have had the honor of diving deep into some of As it enters the next stage in its A supportive regulatory these roadblocks. The taskforce has development, it is vital that Indonesia environment is key to promoting explored how to tackle issues such remains a champion of innovation by digital infrastructure, facilitating as differing levels of readiness and developing global and interoperable the adoption of digital services and connectivity across regions; poor solutions to promoting the growth of encouraging digital-ready nations. digital infrastructure and the lack local MSMEs. One example of this was November’s G20 and B20 Summits of relevant policy frameworks to the issuing of Government Regulation in Bali will be a critical platform support wider digitalization; and No.71 of 2019, which allowed local for discussing the path forward the critical shortage of digital companies in Indonesia to access and setting the tone on a digital skills needed to support digital cloud computing more easily, with less transformation agenda that the G20 transformation of Micro, Small and regulatory uncertainty. and B20 can carry forward into India’s presidency in 2023, and beyond. Forward-thinking solutions and

8 FRIDAY November 11, 2022 WORLD Fear and fortitude in In sorrow Uganda’s Ebola epicenter Grace Matsiko ly arrives, people in the neigh- AFP/Delil Souleiman borhood will start running away, Agence France-Presse/Mubende, thinking Ebola virus spreads Relatives mourn as they wait for the bodies of nine Kurdish migrants who died last month after their boats sank in separate incidents off the Uganda through the air,” he said. coast of Algeria, in Syria’s northern city of Manbij near the border with Turkey on Wednesday. As Ugandan farmer Bonaventu- ra Senyonga prepares to bury his Ebola is not airborne—it Xi reemerges on global stage, grandson, age-old traditions are spreads through bodily fluids, with prepares for US competition forgotten and fear hangs in the air common symptoms being fever, while a government medical team vomiting, bleeding and diarrhea. Chinese leader poised to attend G20 Summit in Bali prepares the body for the funeral —the latest victim of Ebola in the But misinformation remains Laurie Chen nist Party—the most numerous the G20 sidelines, saying that he fledgling chip industry. East African nation. rife and poses a major challenge. face-to-face meetings Xi has con- would gauge Xi’s “red lines” to re- At last month’s Communist Agence France-Presse/Beijing ducted since hosting more than a duce the potential for conflict af- Bidding the dead goodbye is In some cases, victims’ rela- Fresh from securing dozen world leaders at February’s ter soaring tensions on Taiwan. Party congress, Xi warned of a rarely a quiet affair in Uganda, tives have exhumed their bodies a historic third term Beijing Olympics. challenging geopolitical climate where the bereaved seek solace in after medically supervised buri- as China’s top leader, Experts are not expecting any without mentioning the US by the embrace of community mem- als to perform traditional rituals, President Xi Jinping France’s foreign minister last breakthroughs on resolving long- name, as he wove a narrative of bers who converge on their homes triggering a spike in infections. is poised for a trium- week said President Emmanuel term differences, however. China’s “inevitable” triumph over to mourn the loss together. phant reentry to the Macron was likely to visit China adversity in a key speech. In other instances, patients have world stage at the pivot- in the coming months. “The political differences be- Not this time. sought out witchdoctors for help tween the US and China are deep- “This vision calls for decou- Instead, 80-year-old Senyonga instead of going to a health facility al Group of 20 Summit next week. ‘Exuding confidence’ seated [...] A meeting on the mar- pling economic modernity from is accompanied by just a handful —a worrying trend that prompted After almost three years of At next week’s G20 Summit in gins of a multilateral meeting [is] Western political and social of relatives as he digs a grave on President Yoweri Museveni last not the venue to resolve such stra- norms and underlying cultural the family’s ancestral land, sur- month to order traditional healers self-imposed pandemic isolation Bali, Xi will join world leaders in- tegic differences,” said Thompson. beliefs,” wrote former Australian rounded by banana trees. to stop treating sick people. where international diplomacy cluding United States President prime minister Kevin Rudd in “At first we thought it was a was largely conducted via vid- Joe Biden, top European Union “There is certainly benefit to Foreign Affairs magazine. joke or witchcraft, but when we “We have embraced the fight eo link, China now aims to shore official Ursula von der Leyen, and the engagement, such as better started seeing bodies, we real- against Ebola and complied with up its global alliances—especial- the prime ministers of Australia, understanding what each side ex- “It offers a new international ized this is real and that Ebola can President Museveni’s directive ly with developing countries—in India, Japan and the United King- pects from the other, which can order anchored in Chinese rather kill,” Senyonga told AFP. to close our shrines for the time the face of increased competi- dom, among others. hopefully reduce misunderstand- than US geopolitical power.” His 30-year-old grandson Ibra- being,” said Wilson Akulirewo tion with the United States and a ing and prevent miscalculation.” him Kyeyune was a father of two Kyeya, a leader of the traditional world environment destabilized Russian President Vladimir Beijing is also not losing sight of girls and worked as a motorcycle herbalists in Kassanda. by the Ukraine war. Putin will not be at the confer- Foreign Minister Wang Yi held its regional backyard, having sent mechanic in central Kassanda dis- ence, where his country’s inva- his first in-person meeting with Premier Li Keqiang on a “swan trict, which together with neigh- ‘I saw them die’ A flurry of state visits to China sion of Ukraine in February will US Ambassador to China Nicho- song” visit to Cambodia this week boring Mubende is at the epicen- The authorities are trying to ex- in the past week have highlighted be one of the main talking points. las Burns last month, after hav- for multiple ASEAN forums. ter of Uganda’s Ebola crisis. the importance of maintaining ing snubbed him since his arrival Both districts have been un- pand rural health facilities, install- trade and other diplomatic ties Xi’s attendance has not yet in March. Xi is also expected to attend the der a lockdown since mid-Octo- ing isolation and treatment tents —even as China acts more assert- been confirmed by the Chinese APEC Summit in Bangkok short- ber, with a dawn to dusk curfew, a inside villages so communities can ively to defend its interests. Foreign Ministry, which normally Since November, Wang has ly after the G20, the Thai foreign ban on personal travel and public access medical attention quickly. announces his travel plans short- also held phone calls with his Aus- minister said last week. Japanese places shuttered. German Chancellor Olaf ly before they happen, but he is tralian, Singaporean and French media have also reported a likely The reappearance of the virus But fear of Ebola runs deep. Scholz defied fierce domestic widely expected to be present. counterparts, suggesting Xi could meeting between Xi and Japanese after three years has sparked fear Brian Bright Ndawula, a 42-year- criticism to visit Beijing on Fri- be holding more high-level bilat- Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ei- in Uganda, with cases now report- old trader from Mubende, was the day with a business delegation in “I expect Xi Jinping to arrive at eral meetings at the G20. ther at the G20 or APEC. ed in the capital Kampala as the sole survivor among four family tow, vowing to deepen trade coop- the G20 exuding confidence from highly contagious disease makes members who were diagnosed with eration with China alongside rais- the refreshed mandate he has just Rising US tensions His packed itinerary will not its way through the country of 47 the disease, losing his wife, his aunt ing contentious issues such as the received from the Communist Par- The US-China relationship stop there. million people. and his four-year-old son. Ukraine war. ty of China,” said Drew Thompson, In all, 53 people have died, in- “When we were advised to go visiting senior fellow at the Nation- further deteriorated this year The Wall Street Journal re- cluding children, out of more to hospital to have an Ebola test His visit caps off a string of trips al University of Singapore. over Taiwan, a United Nations ported that Xi was likely to make a than 135 cases, according to latest we feared going into isolation [...] by the leaders of Pakistan, Tanza- human rights report on Xinjiang state visit to Saudi Arabia to shore Ugandan Health Ministry figures. and being detained,” he told AFP. nia and the Vietnamese Commu- Biden on Wednesday appeared and US semiconductor export re- up oil-dependent economic ties, In Kassanda’s impoverished But when their condition to confirm a meeting with Xi on strictions that aim to curb China’s with energy security a pressing Kasazi B village, everyone is worsened and the doctor treat- focus during the Ukraine war. afraid, says Yoronemu Nakuman- ing them at the private clinic also yanga, Kyeyune’s uncle. began showing symptoms, he re- “Ebola has shocked us beyond alized they had contracted the what we imagined. We see and dreaded virus. feel death every day,” he told AFP “I saw them die, and knew I at his nephew’s gravesite. was next, but God intervened and “I know when the body final- saved my life,” he said, consumed by regret over his decision to de- lay getting tested. “My wife, child and aunt would be alive, had we approached the Ebola team early enough.” Election season Reuters/Hasnoor Hussain A woman walks past Barisan Nasional flags during the campaign period of Malaysia’s general election in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Wednes- day. Malaysian political leaders have begun their election campaigning for what is set to be a close race, with incumbent Prime Minister Ismail Sabri facing off with veterans Anwar Ibrahim and Muhyiddin Yassin. Saudi Arabian lights festival tries to sell public on arts push Robbie Corey-Boulet nomic backgrounds “interact with even afford to travel—we’re bring- more subdued. now, it’s very crowded, you can- retweeted posts critical of the the work”, given that “we’re not re- ing art to them,” Ghouth said. One recent night, Adel Shuker not move easily. It’s rush hour government. Agence France-Presse/Riyadh ally a nation that grew up with art”. anywhere, at any time. So we have Dazzling installations have been The focus on well-trafficked wandered with his wife and sis- to find time for ourselves.” The negative headlines result- lighting up the Saudi capital, Saudi Arabia has generat- public spaces means “these art ter-in-law through a Noor Riyadh ing from such cases undermine bringing a taste of the kingdom’s ed buzz, and some controversy, pieces just popped up in their installation by Puerto Rican art- Avoiding politics a central goal of Crown Prince push to become a global arts in recent years for luring major comfort zone”, said Gaida Al- ist Gisela Colon, marveling at how More than 130 artists from 40 Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision destination to ordinary Saudis— names in the contemporary art mogren, another Saudi cura- the light glimmered off a man- 2030 reform agenda: to soften the not just habitual museum-goers. world to shows like Desert X, situ- tor involved in the festival which made lake nearby. countries participated in Noor kingdom’s harsh image. ated amid the dramatic sandstone opened last week. Riyadh, which runs until Nov. 19. A massive red orb glowing out- mountains of Al-Ula in the thinly “The light, how they put it The Noor Riyadh installations side the national library, illumi- populated north. “I think that’s the role of art: there, how they distribute the As with other exhibitions in the generally steer clear of political nated rods dotting the riverside to come and poke and see how light—it’s just like art, really,” kingdom, the festival raises ques- messaging, though several high- at a popular picnic spot and Ara- Bringing art to the people you’re reacting.” Shuker said. tions about “artwashing”, or us- light the ravages of climate change. besque designs projected onto Noor Riyadh, by contrast, ing the arts to launder the image the mud-brick walls of a 130-year- Launch events for Noor Riyadh It was a novel experience for of a country notorious for silenc- The festival’s co-curator Herve old fort—these are all part of Noor brings light installations to more included a light show in a park in- the 52-year-old retired navy ana- ing dissidents, most notably slain Mikaeloff, who worked with in- Riyadh, a city-wide festival. than 40 locations in a fast-grow- volving 2,000 drones and a rave in lyst, who described himself as un- journalist Jamal Khashoggi. ternational artists, allowed that ing city of more than 7 million the desert outside the city, with familiar with Riyadh’s art muse- some of them may have been ap- Saudi curator Jumana Ghouth people, many of whom may never the DJ set up underneath a large, ums and galleries. In recent months, Saudi Arabia prehensive about coming to Sau- said she found it “amazing” to see consider dropping in on a gallery. glowing inverted pyramid. has come under fire for decades- di Arabia but said none received Saudis from different socioeco- “I want to be honest with you: I long prison terms handed down pressure from local authorities “Specifically those that cannot Most encounters with the light don’t go there,” he said. to two women who tweeted and about content. installations, however, are much “We don’t have time—Riyadh Taliban ban women from parks, fairs in Afghan capital Race to the bottom Estelle Emonet and Aysha Safi it out—and even specified the [...] we should at least have a place your own country, then what does AFP/John Wessels days,” said Mohammad Akif Sad- to have fun,” said one mother, who it mean to live here?” Agence France-Presse/Kabul eq Mohajir, spokesman for the asked to be identified only as Wa- Construction workers from Sierra Leone gather in a room at a camp The Taliban have banned Afghan Ministry for the Prevention of hida, as she watched her children ‘Idle attractions’ in Diamniadio on Wednesday. Undocumented and documented men women from entering the capital’s Vice and Promotion of Virtue. play in a park through the window A few kilometers away, the Fer- have made their way to the area in search of work. Many live in small public parks and participating in of an adjoining restaurant. camps with 20 people to a room working for around US$4 a day for its fairs, just months after ordering “But still, in some places—in ris wheel and most of the other whoever will take them. access to be segregated by gender. fact, we must say in many places “We are just bored and fed up rides in Zazai Park—which offers —the rules were violated,” he told with being at home all day, our a spectacular view of the city— The new rule, introduced this AFP late on Wednesday. minds are tired,” she told AFP. have ground to a sudden halt be- week, further squeezes women out cause of a lack of business. of an ever-shrinking public space “There was mixing [of men and At the next table, Raihana, 21, that already sees them banned women], hijab was not observed, who is studying Islamic law at Before this week’s ban, it could from traveling without a male es- that’s why the decision has been university, shared her disappoint- accommodate hundreds of visitors cort and forced to wear a hijab or taken for now.” ment after arriving at the park to on days when women brought their burqa whenever out of the home. spend the day with her sisters. children for family gatherings. ‘Bored and fed up’ Schools for teenage girls have The news was met with dismay “We were very excited [...]. We On Fridays and public holidays, also been shut for over a year are tired of staying at home,” she even more would flock to the park— across most of the country. by women and park operators— said. one of the few attractions in the city. who invested heavily in develop- “For the past 15 months, we ing the facilities. “Obviously, in Islam, it is al- On Wednesday, only a handful tried our best to arrange and sort lowed to go out and visit parks. of men wandered nonchalantly “There are no schools, no work When you have no freedom in through the complex.

WORLD 9FRIDAY November 11, 2022 oRUukutrsoasifianKoehrcedareusrtosionturosoapss Crowded commute Zelensky suggests move could be strategic feint Agence France-Presse the “difficult decision” of pulling cow annexed in 2014. AFP/Bertrand Guay back from the city and setting up Kherson was one of four Ukrai- Kyiv defenses on the eastern bank of People wait for a bus at the Gare Saint-Lazare bus station in Paris on Thursday during a metro strike. Seven Kyiv has reacted skeptically to the Dnipro River. nian regions that Russia declared lines of the Paris metro were set to be completely closed and seven others only opened during rush hour Russia announcing its retreat it had annexed in September, on Thursday as workers demanded wage increases and improved working conditions, state-owned public from the southern city of  Kher- In Kyiv, legislator and peace shortly after being forced to with- transportation operator RATP said on Tuesday. son, urging continued resistance negotiator David Arakhamia in- draw from swathes of territory in until  Ukraine  liberates all of its sisted  Ukraine’s military would the northeastern Kharkiv region. ‘NcoiguhldtmhaaprepAentlaangatiicno’ il spill occupied cities.  not be lured into a false sense of security. The announcement of the re- Valentin Bontemps against an emergency plan drawn down—to two years in jail and or- Moscow’s decision to withdraw treat came just hours after officials up by experts calling for it to be dered that the owner and the in- troops from the regional capital it “We do not trust the enemy and said the Moscow-installed deputy Agence France-Presse/Madrid brought to port to contain the leak. surer pay 1.5 billion euros (US$1.5 had seized earlier in the war came will act according to our plans to head of the Kherson region, Kirill It was one of Europe’s worst-ever billion) in compensation, mostly as the United States estimated liberate the territories,” he said. Stremousov, a key supporter of an- environmental disasters. 200,000 birds killed to the Spanish state.  more than 100,000 Russian mili- nexation, had died in a car crash. After six days adrift, the vessel tary personnel had been killed or “Sooner or later they will either But 20 years after the oil tanker Neighboring France was wounded in Ukraine. leave Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk As Ukrainian troops have “Prestige” broke apart off north- broke in two and sank some 270 awarded 61 million euros. and Sevastopol, or they will be de- gradually advanced in the south, western Spain, covering thou- kilometers off the Galician coast, Kyiv’s forces have likely suffered stroyed.” Surovikin told Shoigu on Wednes- sands of kilometers of Atlantic coming to rest at a depth of 3,500 ‘Misguided decisions’ similar casualties, according to day that some 115,000 people had coast with crude oil and killing m and causing the worst-ever oil NGOs hailed the ruling, but ex- top US General Mark Milley, who Some Ukrainian civilians, too, been removed from the western 200,000 seabirds, some fear it slick on the Iberian Peninsula. shared the most precise figures re- were skeptical. bank of the Dnipro, which in- could happen again. pressed regret that no politicians leased to date by Washington. cludes Kherson city. “The scope of the catastro- were called to account despite the Andriy Orikhovskyi, a 46-year- The tragedy unfolded just off phe was enormous”, with conse- “disastrous” decisions taken by the Both Milley and Ukrainian old financier, told AFP in Kyiv: Ukraine has defined these pop- one of Spain’s most scenic coast- quences “not only in Spain, but Spanish government of right-wing President Volodymyr Zelensky “The Russian leadership is play- ulation movements toward Rus- lines, turning the beaches of Gali- also in Portugal and France”, said premier Jose Maria Aznar and the refrained from overblowing the ing something, you shouldn’t sia or Russian-occupied territory cia “black”, devastating the re- Sara del Rio, a researcher with Galician regional authorities.  significance of Moscow’s retreat trust them [...] I think they are up as “deportations”. gion’s fishing industry and leaving Greenpeace Spain.  from  Kherson, even as US Presi- to something.” a trail of death and damage as far “There were misguided deci- dent Joe Biden suggested it was ‘Strong bipartisan support’ as France and Portugal. In all, the tanker spilled an es- sions, such as moving the ship evidence that eight months into 115,000 civilians removed In Washington, where election timated 63,000 tonnes of fuel oil away from the coast instead of the war, Russia had “real prob- In Moscow, Kremlin support- The shock is still raw two de- into the Atlantic, coating near- bringing it closer to a port to lems” on the battlefield. officials were still counting votes cades on, said Alberto Blanco, for- ly 3,000 km of the coastline with contain the impact,” said Green- ers rushed to justify the decision. after Tuesday’s crucial midterms, mer mayor of the seaside town of foul black sludge and killing near- peace’s Del Rio.  Zelensky has suggested that The head of Russian state Biden said the retreat from  Kher- Muxia, close to where the single- ly 200,000 seabirds, despite the rather than experiencing a major son  demonstrated Moscow’s mili- hulled Bahama-flagged Liberian efforts of tens of thousands of vol- “It caused the spill to spread setback, Russia could be strategi- media group RT, Margarita Si- tary weaknesses. tanker first got into trouble dur- unteers. in such a way that it was impos- cally feigning.  monyan, said the retreat was nec- ing a storm on Nov. 13, 2002. sible to control it,” she added, say- essary in order not to leave Rus- “It’s evidence of the fact that “The rocks were full of black ing the court did not “draw all the “The enemy does not bring sian troops exposed on the west they have some real problems, Rus- The crew issued a distress call tar, and so were the beaches,” necessary conclusions”.  us gifts, does not make ‘gestures bank of the Dnipro River and sia, the Russian military,” Biden after a gaping hole several meters Blanco recalled. of goodwill,’” Zelensky said on “open the way to Crimea”. told reporters in Washington. wide appeared in the ageing ves- Since the “Prestige” spill, the Wednesday in his daily address to sel’s hull.  “Cleaning them was incredibly European Union has tightened the nation, adding that any gains Chechen strongman Ramzan Biden’s Democratic Party difficult, because it was slimy and maritime safety laws, banning by  Ukraine  come at the expense Kadyrov said the decision was looked set to narrowly lose con- As soon as he heard the news, sticky, and it just came back again single-hull oil tankers, ordering of “lives lost by our heroes”. “difficult but fair”. trol of the House of Representa- Blanco recalled rushing to the with the tide, which gave you a ship inspections in port and set- tives to the Republicans, some of seafront and seeing the vessel was sense of impotence and rage.  ting up the European Maritime Kherson, a gateway to the an- Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, whom have vowed to review US “very close to the coast and that Safety Agency. nexed Crimean Peninsula, was who is the founder of the Wagner military and humanitarian aid the situation was very serious” . “It was a never-ending battle.” the first urban hub captured by mercenary group and has been criti- to Ukraine. After a cleanup that last- But such measures have not Russia during its “special military cal of Russia’s military strategy in “The ship was listing in very ed months, and a complex trial entirely eliminated the risk of a operation” and the only regional the campaign, was more ambiguous.   But Biden vowed that Wash- rough seas, with a swell that was 6 that took years, Spain’s Supreme new oil spill.  capital controlled by Moscow’s ington’s support of Kyiv would re- to 8 meters high,” he said.  Court in 2016 found the tanker’s forces since the Feb. 24 invasion. “It is important not to agonize, main unchanged. skipper, its British insurer The “At any moment a catastrophe not to beat around in paranoia, The following day its 77,000 London P&I Club and Liberian like the ‘Prestige’ could happen Ukraine’s troops have for but to draw conclusions and work “In the area of foreign policy, I tonnes of heavy-grade fuel oil be- owner Mare Shipping Inc liable again,” said Del Rios.  weeks been capturing villages en on mistakes,” his press service hope we’ll continue this bipartisan gan leaking into the sea.  for the disaster. route to the city near the Black wrote on social media. approach of confronting Russia’s It sentenced the Greek cap- “Firstly, because there are still Sea, and Kremlin-installed lead- aggression in Ukraine,” he said. With the storm still raging, the tain, Apostolos Mangouras—who ships transporting oil that are in ers in Kherson have been pulling Russia losing the  Kherson  re- Spanish authorities tried to tow was 67 when the “Prestige” went poor condition. And secondly, be- out civilians. gion would return to Ukraine im- With the Russian offensive the tanker further out to sea, in a cause more and more fossil fuels portant access to the Sea of Azov now in its ninth month, Western controversial decision that went are being transported.” “Begin to pull out troops,” Rus- and leave President Vladimir Pu- powers have stepped up military sian Defense Minister Sergei tin with little to show from a cam- and financial support for Kyiv. Shoigu said at a televised meet- paign that has turned him into a ing with Russia’s commander pariah in Western eyes. In the latest announcement, in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin. the European Commission on The retreat will put pressure Wednesday proposed an 18 bil- The commander had proposed on Russian control of the rest of lion euro (US$18 billion) aid the Kherson region, which forms package for  Ukraine  in 2023 in a land bridge from Russia to the form of loans. Crimea, the peninsula that Mos- Man held after eggs lobbed at King Charles Lindsey Parnaby as police took the suspected per- “He agrees, this is British histo- and Joe Jackson petrator into custody. ry, it should not be hidden. Agence France-Presse/York, “A 23-year-old man was arrest- “In the same way we are speak- United Kingdom/London ed on a suspicion of a public order ing about the Holocaust, we should King Charles III and his wife offense,” North Yorkshire Police be open to speaking about Britain’s Queen Consort Camilla narrow- said in a statement. involvement in the slave trade,” ly avoided being hit with eggs added Compton, whose father was thrown at them during a visit to “He currently remains in po- prime minister of St Lucia. northern England, the United lice custody.” Kingdom, on Wednesday, leading Calls for apology to one arrest. UK media named him as a for- The issue has increasingly con- mer Green Party candidate and The 73-year-old monarch and activist with the Extinction Re- fronted the royal family, as grow- Camilla, 75, were targeted with bellion environmental protest ing republican movements in three eggs that landed near them group. Commonwealth countries with during a walkabout in York, before the British monarch as head of they were ushered away by minders. ‘Be open’ state call on the Crown to apolo- The royals were in York to at- gize for the slave trade and atone As the incident occurred, a for colonization. man was heard shouting “this tend the unveiling of a statue of country was built on the blood of Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth During a tour of the Caribbean slaves” and “not my king” before II, the first to be installed since by the king’s eldest son Prince Wil- he was detained by several police her death on Sept. 8. liam earlier this year, he faced pro- officers, footage aired by broad- tests about past royal links to slav- casters showed. The new king, who immedi- ery, demands for reparations and ately ascended to the throne that growing republican sentiment. The protester also booed the day, made no reference to the in- royal couple before he appeared cident as he later delivered a short Charles’s youngest brother, to lob the eggs at them, according speech. Prince Edward, experienced sim- to reporters present. ilar protests and canceled a leg On Tuesday, Charles met art- to Grenada after pro-republican Other people in the crowds ists in another Yorkshire city, protests there. that had gathered at the historic Leeds, who had taken part in a Micklegate Bar location for the project exploring the UK’s role Domestically, Charles is less visit started chanting “God save in slavery—and revealed he was popular than his late mother, the King” and “shame on you” at open to discussions on the topic. who maintained highly favorable the protester. ratings throughout her record- “He is ready to have these con- breaking seven-decade reign. Charles and Camilla continued versations and see what work can with a traditional ceremony to of- be done,” Fiona Compton, a St The latest polling by YouGov ficially welcome the sovereign to Lucian artist and historian who found 44 percent of adults had the historic city by its lord mayor, knows the monarch and was in- a positive opinion of him, com- volved in the project, told report- pared to nearly three-quarters for ers afterwards.   Queen Elizabeth II. AFP/Danny Lawson/Pool Despite promoting environ- mental causes for decades, cli- Under my umbrella: King Charles III of the United Kingdom mate activists last month smeared shelters from the rain beneath an umbrella during a visit to York chocolate cake over a waxwork Minster in York, the UK, on Wednesday, during a two-day tour of model Charles at London’s Ma- Yorkshire. dame Tussauds museum. During the national period of mourning for the queen in Sep- tember, republican movements said anti-monarchist views were drowned out. There was criticism of police handling of protesters who pub- licly questioned the hereditary principle of Charles’s accession. Meanwhile in London on Wednesday, a man who was “fix- ated” on accessing royal grounds was spared jail after twice tres- passing at Buckingham Palace last year. Daniel Brydges, 33, was sen- tenced to 12 weeks’ imprison- ment, suspended for 18 months, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of trespassing on a pro- tected site and criminal damage.

10 FRIDAY November 11, 2022 SPORTS Pakistan powers past NZ intoT20World Cup final Azam-led cricket team sets the tone with some razor-sharp fielding, disciplined bowling Agence France-Presse AFP/David Gray Nawaz for six. Daryl Mitchell and William- Sydney, Australia Cruising to Melbourne: Pakistan’s Muhammad Rizwan plays a shot to the boundary during the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2022 semi- Mohammad Rizwan and Babar final match against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday. Pakistan cruised to the Sunday’s final in son began taking more risks af- Azam slammed half centuries as Melbourne, Australia, with a seven-wicket win. ter reaching the 10-over mark at Pakistan powered past New Zea- 59-3 with the first six coming in land by seven wickets and into the group phase, Pakistan bounced Group 1, was aiming to make the stan to bowl, but it proved to be because of an inside edge only for the 13th over. ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup back to topple the Netherlands final for the second consecutive tough going. Afridi to promptly do the same final on Wednesday, moving with- and South Africa. time, but its hunt for a maiden again and this time it was plumb. Williamson was undone on 46 in one win of a second title. T20 title again fell short. ‘Tough pill to swallow’ by an Afridi yorker after a knock Then against the odds, Paki- In an eventful opening over, Conway was run out for 21 by that yielded only two boundar- They will meet either Eng- stan went through when the Teams batting first had won Shadab Khan, who scored a di- ies before Mitchell, unbeaten on land or India—which played on Proteas was stunned by the five from six games played in Syd- Finn Allen hit Shaheen Afridi for rect hit from mid-off and the 53, and Jimmy Neesham, who Thursday in Adelaide—in the Dutch and Pakistan eased past ney this tournament and when four off the first delivery then was Black Caps suffered a big blow scored 16, added 29 runs in the fi- Nov. 13 decider at the Melbourne Bangladesh. Kane Williamson won the toss, he given out the next ball lbw. when Glenn Phillips was caught nal three overs. Cricket Ground. had no hesitation in asking Paki- and bowled by Mohammad New Zealand, who topped It was overturned on review “At the halfway mark we Pakistan set the tone at the thought we had a competitive to- Sydney Cricket Ground with tal but it was disappointing not to some razor-sharp fielding and make Pakistan work harder,” said disciplined bowling that restrict- Williamson who saw his side shell ed New Zealand to just 152-4. a series of catchable chances in a sloppy fielding display. In front of 36,443 strongly pro- Pakistan spectators, Rizwan (57) “It’s a tough pill to swallow,” he and Azam (53) took apart the said. Black Caps’ renowned bowling at- tack in a 105-run opening stand. “I think if we want to be honest, we wanted to be more disciplined Despite a slightly nervy finish with our areas. Like I said, Paki- after both fell, Mohammad Ha- stan deserved to win.” ris’s 30 off 26 balls helped com- plete a deserved victory with five Pakistan skipper Azam, who balls to spare. was desperate for runs after mak- ing just 39 in five matches before “Obviously, me and Babar de- the semifinal, was dropped first cided to go after the new ball and ball by wicketkeeper Conway off the pitch was difficult,” said Riz- Trent Boult in the reply. wan, who was named player of the match. But after his nervy start he hammered a four-off Boult and “When we finished the pow- partner Rizwan also helped him- erplay, the discussion was one of self to two boundaries in a costly the guys to go deep. The guys have 15-run over for New Zealand. worked hard and we have always believed.” They plundered more boundar- ies off Tim Southee in another 15- Pakistan last claimed the ti- run over, racing to 55-0 from the tle in 2009 at Lord’s in England powerplay and bringing up their when it beat Sri Lanka by eight century stand in the 12th over. wickets, and it has been a roller- coaster ride in Australia to make Azam brought up his half- another final. century before New Zealand got a glimmer of hope when he was After agonizing last-ball loss- caught in the deep off Boult and es to India and Zimbabwe in the the same bowler then removed Rizwan. Mallorca sinks Atletico, Real Sociedad beats nine-man Sevilla Ringside duel Agence France-Presse With Atletico’s defense in dis- with the home side celebrating a Mendez, just six minutes apart. Reuters/USA TODAY Sports/Dale Zanine- array, the persistent Muriqi sent rise to 10th. Mendez punished Sevilla fur- Barcelona, Spain Mallorca ahead, finishing from Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (center) shoots over Utah Jazz for- Atletico Madrid continued its dis- close range for his eighth league “I have gained a lot of confi- ther by tucking home the second ward Lauri Markkanen (center) during the second half of their NBA mal form with a 1-0 defeat by Real goal of the season, meaning only dence here, when I arrived at goal after another perfectly weight- game at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States, Mallorca on Wednesday, leaving Barcelona striker Robert Lewan- Mallorca I knew that it was my ed through-ball from Merino. on Wednesday. it sixth in La Liga and searching dowski has scored more in La Liga. last chance,” journeyman forward for answers. Muriqi, 28, told DAZN. However, Rafa Mir nodded Alvaro Morata thought he had Alex Telles’s cross past Remiro Kosovan powerhouse Vedat put Atletico level with a sharp “I have done nothing to be an before the break to give his team Muriqi’s 16th minute strike was finish moments later but the for- idol yet, I want them to see me as a a glimmer of hope, despite its nu- enough to inflict a fourth league ward was marginally offside and [Samuel] Eto’o or a [Dani] Guiza.” merical disadvantage. defeat of the season on Diego the goal was disallowed. Simeone’s visitors, who are 13 Real deal Sorloth missed from point points behind leader Barcelona. Atletico created nothing of Jorge Sampaoli’s Sevilla, 17th, blank range after Bono deflect- note after that, while at the other ed David Silva’s low shot into his Atletico, knocked out of the end the silky Lee Kang-in caused was unable to build on its der- path at an awkward height. Champions League, is winless in problems, while Muriqi remained by point at the weekend and red five games and at its lowest ebb a menace. cards for Ivan Rakitic and Tanguy Sevilla stayed in the game but since Simeone arrived in Decem- Nianzou gave it an uphill struggle could not find an equalizer and ber 2011. The striker set up Amath Ndi- against Real Sociedad at a frus- also remains without a single aye on the break toward the end trated Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. win at home this season in the “It’s good that the league is but Jan Oblak produced a fine save top flight. stopping, it will generate a bit to deny the Senegalese winger. Alexander Sorloth sent Real more calm for us to be able to Sociedad ahead in the 20th minute “The situation is worrying, we work,” Simeone told DAZN. Mallorca goalkeeper Predrag with a well-measured chip over will have to sit down with the club Rajkovic made a stunning reac- goalkeeper Bono after being fed to see if we can solve this togeth- “I hope that after the World tion save to deny Morata near the by Mikel Merino. er,” said Sampaoli, who has only Cup we can go with the idea of end as Atletico tried and failed to managed two wins from 10 games turning this situation around.” salvage even a point. Alex Remiro made a sublime since being appointed in October. save at full stretch to stop Isco Meanwhile, Real Sociedad Axel Witsel’s 95th minute over- from equalizing, but after that Se- “We need better players who moved third with a 2-1 win at head kick looked like it could fly villa became its own worst enemy. can get at opponents and be sol- struggling Sevilla, who had two in but Rodrigo Battaglia headed id in some areas. We will see if we men sent off in the first half. it to safety in a thrilling finale, Rakitic and Nianzou were both can do it with these players, or if sent off for ugly challenges on Brais some will arrive.” Qatar has thousands of World Cup rooms available: Official Badosa leads Spain tovictoryin BJK Cup, Tim Witcher and Ecuador. US, Switzerlandwin Qatar is the smallest coun- Agence France-Presse/Doha AFP/Kirill Kudryavtsev Reuters ing tie, while Slovakia bounced Qatar World Cup organizers said try to hold the World Cup, leav- back from a tough loss to Austra- on Wednesday that there are still ing many foreign fans worrying Affordable accommodation: An employee walks past cabins at the Paula Badosa won on her Billie lia to defeat Belgium and get its thousands of rooms available for about prices and the availability Al-Emadi fan village in Doha on Wednesday, ahead of the Qatar Jean King Cup debut as she bat- campaign back on track. the tournament despite fears that of rooms. Several thousand sup- 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament which starts on Nov. 20. tled past Kazakhstan’s Elena Ry- the tiny Gulf state would be over- porters will arrive on one-day Staying at the air-conditioned container cabins costs from US$200 bakina in three sets to secure a Olympic champion Bencic, flowing with fans when the tour- shuttle flights from Dubai, Saudi per night for two people. victory for Spain in the Group C the world number 12, saw off Jas- nament starts this month. Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and other tie on Wednesday, while the Unit- mine Paolini 7-5, 6-3 to secure the regional bases. Fan Village where 6,000 air-con- a night for two people, are spread ed States got its campaign off to a Group A tie for Switzerland af- There are at least 25,000 rooms ditioned, six-meter-long con- out near one of the World Cup winning start. ter Jil Teichmann saved a match free even during the peak days of Jaber said the shuttles had not tainer cabins, costing from $200 stadiums. point en route to her thrilling 6-3, the World Cup, expected between hit demand for rooms and most Badosa, ranked 13th in the 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) win over Elisabetta Nov. 24 and Nov. 28, organizing fans want to stay “to enjoy the world, won 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 over Ry- Cocciaretto. committee accommodation di- match and after the match”. bakina, giving Spain a chance to rector Omar Al-Jaber told a press go into the semifinals if it wins Bencic returned to court half conference. Many supporters have re- over Great Britain on Thursday. an hour later to team up with served newly built, cheap but Teichmann and wrap up a flaw- Asked about fears over ho- sparsely equipped worker villag- “It was my first time and I think less day for last year’s finalist as tel shortages, Jaber said: “This is es, as well as huge fan complex- I enjoyed every minute on court,” it beat Paolini and Martina Trev- not the right message. We have es in semi-desert zones around Badosa said. isan 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 to complete a enough accommodation and peo- Doha. 3-0 sweep. ple can come and enjoy the tour- In a late Group D match on nament and choose what they are The Barwa Barahat Al Janoub Wednesday, Coco Gauff and Caty Earlier, Viktoria Kuzmova and looking for.” complex, built for migrant work- McNally beat Magda Linette and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova won ers, can hold up to 11,000 fans Alicja Rosolska 6-1, 6-2 to earn their singles ties to give Slovakia Qatar has been at the cen- paying as little as US$40 a night the US a 2-1 win over Poland, who a 2-1 victory over Belgium in their ter of widespread criticism over for a double room with just a steel is without world number one Iga final Group B tie. its rights record, but organizers bed and a shared kitchen. Swiatek. say 2.9 million of the 3.1 million Kuzmova scored a 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) tickets have been sold. Jaber said Jaber spoke at the Free Zone The teams were level before win over Ysaline Bonaventure the country was still expecting the decisive doubles match after and Schmiedlova sealed the tie more than 1 million visitors dur- SCOREBOARD Danielle Collins’ opening victory with a tenacious 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 win ing the 29-day event that starts was canceled out by Linette’s de- over Maryna Zanevska before the on Nov. 20. Results on Wednesday LA CLIPPERS 114 LA Lakers 101 Eintracht Frankfurt 4 Hoffenheim 2 feat of Madison Keys. Belgian doubles pairing of Elise SACRAMENTO 127 Cleveland 120 0 Mertens and Kirsten Flipkens For accommodation bookings, Basketball Schalke 04 1 Mainz 05 McNally said team captain won their match. neighboring Saudi Arabia has Kathy Rinaldi had told them to been the top market, followed by NBA Ice Hockey Eredivisie enjoy the occasion. The competition, formerly the United States, Mexico, Argen- called the Fed Cup, was renamed tina, India, Britain, Brazil, Can- Home team in CAPS NHL Ajax 2 Vitesse 2 “Kathy kept reminding us to in honor of the 12-times Grand ada, Iran, Japan and France, he have fun. That’s the most impor- Slam champion and restructured told reporters. ORLANDO 94 Dallas 87 Home team in CAPS La Liga tant thing for both of us, just to into a format concluding with 12 enjoy it,” she added. nations competing over one week Jaber said the average stay was Portland 105 CHARLOTTE 95 FLORIDA 3 Carolina 0 Almería 1 Getafe 0 for the title. between five and seven nights and Belinda Bencic led Switzerland that he expected 20-30 percent of Denver 122 INDIANA 119 MONTREAL 5 Vancouver 2 Sevilla 1 Real Sociedad 2 to victory over Italy in their open- total bookings on the official por- tal to be made between now and BOSTON 128 Detroit 112 Pittsburgh 4 WASHINGTON 1 Espanyol 0 Villarreal 1 the opening game between Qatar TORONTO 116 Houston 109 Minnesota 4 ANAHEIM 1 Mallorca 1 Atlético Madrid 0 Utah 125 ATLANTA 119 Serie A BROOKLYN 112 New York 85 Soccer Lecce 2 Atalanta 1 New Orleans 115 CHICAGO 111 Bundesliga Sassuolo 1 Roma 1 Köln Milwaukee 136 OKLAHOMA CITY 132 RB Leipzig 1 Bayer Leverkusen 2 Fiorentina 2 Salernitana 1 Union Berlin Phoenix 129 MINNESOTA 117 3 Freiburg 1 Internazionale 6 Bologna 1 Memphis 124 SAN ANTONIO 122 2 Augsburg 2 Torino 2 Sampdoria 0

FEATURES 11FRIDAY November 11, 2022 BNDL Studios/Budhi Button WORK IT RIGHT Helpful? Not so… W e often think that we are being supportive by Work It Right is a weekly column that provides too soon. offering help to others. In reality, however, practical and insightful advice on navigating are we really that helpful? More importantly, the complex areas of work culture, career Being helpful is a two-way street do others find us helpful? Simply offering development and professional management. While it feels good to be help- help doesn’t necessarily translate our actions into something helpful as seen in the examples below: ful to others, we need to keep in mind that the recipients of our How can I support you? That’s a great question, but only when someone has put help must also value it. Big words, some thought to it before asking such a question. Otherwise, jargons and fancy ideas are not it’s just asking a question for the sake of asking a question, a lip service. Asking someone an open-ended question like that what lies deep within every prob- is done, everybody will be on typically helpful. What’s helpful is only shifts the burden of solutions to the counter party. Defi- nitely not too helpful. lem. When this has been identi- the same page on what is going a clear problem definition and ac- The conversation is likely going to take a different direction By Aninditta Savitry fied, the next step is to find and to happen next and what to ex- tion plan. This can be achieved by if it starts with a probe like this, “I notice a delay in the Telco tower project, do you think it would be useful if my team con- Aninditta Savitry has consulted implement effective solutions to pect. When the expected out- preparing ourselves well before- ducts a diagnostic to find out what went wrong? Or maybe you on employee sustainability, already know what caused the delay and have some thoughts prevent it from happening again. comes at certain milestones are hand. When we do that, even if we on how to fix the problem?” Suddenly, the word “support” professional development and becomes tangible actions to solve issues at hand because it is business growth strategies for So, thanks for being honest not achieved, then everybody will don’t have ready solutions or an- easier to start from somewhere rather than an empty space. Thoughtfulness is key. over 20 years. about making a mistake, but to also be on alert, as opposed to just swers at hand, at least we can have Sorry, I made a big mistake that mistake? Who are impacted? be really helpful, do conduct an being clueless and going in circles. an informed conversation that Honesty is always appreciated, especially when someone How can we minimize the impact and recover from there? That’s impact analysis as well as a root Saying ASAP may convey a leads to something useful. This is has made a critical mistake. But is it helpful? Not so much if the reactive part, the firefighting. it stops at that. So what? Mistakes, big or small, happen all the It’s certainly easier to firefight cause analysis. high level of urgency, but not re- certainly better than coming emp- time. when the terrain is well-mapped. ally if the timing is a mismatch. ty-handedly to a meeting and pro- When a mistake happens, what’s more helpful than admit- Additionally, there is also the ting the mistake is the impact analysis. How big is the impact of prevention part, where we learn I’ll do it ASAP! Anything too late may not be ceeding into random talk. Help- to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Doing a root cause When is ASAP? If it is not de- workable, the same with anything fulness is all about clarity. analysis is helpful to understand fined well, how can that be help- ful? A team cannot mobilize with ASAP as the deadline. There would be different interpretations Have a question about work culture, work-life balance, on what ASAP means. management issues and career development? Send them To define what exactly ASAP to [email protected] with your name and cur- means requires somebody to be rent location! (Anonymous submissions may also be con- clear about the actions to be tak- sidered.) Please note that The Jakarta Post reserves the en and the timeline. Once this right to edit your letters for publication. CLASSIFIEDS Three things to know before buying a property in Singapore Before shopping around the offer, the buyer will then have This is the part where a prop- ADVERTISEMENT for the perfect candidate, approximately two weeks to pay erty agent’s services can shine, as it’s crucial for prospec- the BSD and ABSD if applicable. their expertise will come in handy FOR THE MOST EFFECTIVE CLADS in The Ja- tive buyers to under- in regards to the property market, karta Post Call/sms/WA : ERWAN 08170707337 stand that the purchasing process Generally, the entire process which can vary from neighbor- [email protected] classifieds. is not a process you’d want to have is expected to take around 10 to hood to neighborhood. [email protected] [email protected] any sort of trial and error. 12 weeks to finish after exercising the option to purchase. SINGAPORE With that in mind, there are three important aspects you need Searching Why many foreigners invest in Singapore to be aware of before taking the Arguably, finding the right property? is one of the safest places in plunge. the world for property investments with home may be the hardest deci- great capital gain. Political stability. Don’t Budgeting sion, as the list of options can rise miss this opportunity. Call me Azan Arifin The sky’s the limit when it and fall according to your needs. +6598399972. comes to Singapore’s prime prop- Common considerations in- Join our growing erties, but your budget is what clude location and neighborhood, pulls you back down to earth. size and amenities, as well as the family of readers and age of the property. Generally, a 20 percent down subscribe payment is the norm for a loan. The (TDSR), which stipulates a maxi- Freepik Whether you’re saving up to our newspapers loan itself can vary based on several mum of 60 percent of their gross for retirement or looking to &digital access factors, which include the borrow- income including other loans. tal, as the purchasing process is get some extra income, a er’s age and employment, as well as rather lengthy. If you end up hav- smart investment is crucial Contact: the property’s age and value. At the same time, other impor- ing to move out before the pro- to get the ball rolling. [email protected] tant aspects can and will affect cess can be completed, you may For Housing Development your budget, including the Buy- need to find another location to Azan Arifin +65 98399972 Board (HDB) flats and executive er’s Stamp Duty (BSD), Addition- stay, which can significantly affect propertyagentsg.com condominiums, the Mortgage Ser- al Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD), your budget. vice Ratio (MSR) allows owners to Resale Levy and Seller’s Stamp pay back a maximum of 30 percent Duty (SSD), among many others. For resale executive condos, af- of their gross total income. ter finding a property and nego- Timing tiating prices with the owner, the Meanwhile, private property Timing your purchase is vi- buyer can pay 1 percent of the pur- owners will need to comply with chase price for an option to pur- the Total Debt Servicing Ratio chase. Should the owner accept LOCAL BEAT Four-day SIAL Interfood 2022 opens JCO RUN 2022 runs Tangerang with vigor at JIEXPO Kemayoran The JCO RUN event is back and better The 20th Salon International de L’alimentation 600 contestants. than ever as it marks the brand’s 16th well as the 10K and 5K groups. (SIAL Interfood) is open now, starting from SIAL Interfood 2022 will be open to the public anniversary. After the cancellation of The 2022 JCO RUN was supported by Wednesday. The event is being held together the event in 2020 due to the coronavirus with the F&B License Franchise, SeaFood Show of from Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to pandemic, runners were enthusiastic to learn its partners: the Official Venue Sinarmas Asia, INAShop Expo for four days until Saturday at 7 p.m. with a registration fee of Rp 150,000 that JCO RUN had set a new date for this year, Land and ICE BSD Tangerang, Racepack the Jakarta International Expo (JIEXPO) center in (US$9.59). For further information, contact Krista which was on Nov. 6. This year’s event was Collection Venue Gandaria City, Bank Mandiri, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. Exhibitions at +6221 634 5861 or +6221 634 5862 inaugurated by Charlie Ernawan, director of Hotel Santika ICE BSD, Telkom Indonesia, or by email at [email protected], or visit the JCO Indonesia. Cleo, Garmin and Golds Gym Indonesia in This year, the exhibition has attracted 750 website sialinterfood.com. presenting the 2022 JCO RUN event. companies in the culinary and horeca (hotel, Apart from running in the 10K and 5K restaurant and café) industry from 27 countries individual and group categories, JCO also in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle added \"Fun Run” categories: the 5K Senior for East. It showcases a variety of food and beverage 45 year olds and over, the 5k Couple for those products and their packaging, as well as the who do not want to run alone and the 5K tools and appliances for culinary and horeca Parents & Child for some family-fun with kids businesses. aged 12 and over. Coffee lovers can also engage in a coffee Moreover, this year was made more market, coffee competitions and a coffee village. fun with prizes for participants who were Meanwhile, there will also be various culinary selected for the \"Best Costume\". There were competitions with over 22 categories and over also medals and monetary prices for several first finishers in the individual category, as

12 FRIDAY November 11, 2022 FEATURES ‘The Poz Says OK’ A moving memoir about having HIV and fighting its stigma Both confessional Radhiyya Indra and educational, Amahl S. Azwar’s The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Moving memoir: The cover Courtesy of Buku Mojok deeply personal If modern medicine has proven of Amahl S. Azwar’s The Poz Says OK memoir lays bare one thing, it is that almost no dis- illustrates the love and support he his experience ease is a death sentence, and it is gets from other people online. living with HIV. this knowledge that Amahl wishes to spread in his memoir about liv- ‘Poz’: ing with HIV. Amahl understands Amahl S. well that in recent times, the virus Azwar is is not the thing that kills, it’s the pictured in stigma. an Insta- gram post Being open about his HIV sta- on Sept. 4, tus is not something new for 2020. Amahl S. Azwar, an established In- donesian journalist and managing editor of Coconuts Media in Bali. Known for his incisive articles and advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) causes, Amahl has been vocal in his struggles and acceptance of being a “poz”—a term for and em- braced by HIV-positive people. Instagram/Amahl S. Azwar ‘Cautionary tale’ The Poz Says OK Staying alive “I’m not proud of my HIV sta- By Amahl S. Azwar This is Amahl’s story first and fore- tus,” the 35-year-old says early on Published by EA Books most—a personal tale of hitting rock in the book. bottom and getting back up again. 109 pages The Poz Says OK, first published Beyond the eye-opening statistics in October of last year by EA Books, Language: Indonesian and information about the virus, read- makes it clear that Amahl is not ers get a private, honest glimpse into looking for a pity party; he wants iar with, from antiretroviral medicines Amahl’s life. He finds love, becomes a his life to be a “cautionary tale” for (ARVs), to ODHIV, the Indonesian ac- drag queen and enjoys life. His happi- others—be mindful of your sex life, ronym for HIV-positive people. ness is satisfying to see because we also and if you test positive, remember see him during his slip into depres- that these three letters are not the As an openly gay man, Amahl has sion, from losing his job to losing his end of everything for you. seen how—even among his gay peers— loved ones—perhaps a relatable story HIV status is still considered a gross se- for other HIV-positive or LGBTQ peo- Amahl’s stories—everything he cret; just advising someone to get test- ple. learned during his 8 years of being ed even sounds like an insult. The book a poz—make for a heart-wrench- provides data from various health orga- On one occasion, Amahl talks about ing, deeply personal read. These nizations to fight the fear, including fig- giving a radio interview on his HIV sta- are the ups and downs of hav- ures that show that HIV is, in fact, not tus. The radio announcer asked if he was ing HIV, and he shows that some- that uncommon among Indonesians. afraid of the negative image he might times—despite all the healthy have, on top of the rampant homopho- routines he follows and the medi- Such information, sprinkled across bia in the country. cations he is taking—it can be a the memoir, helps emphasize the im- hellish, Sisyphean journey to take portance of getting tested before it is too “If I get one person with HIV to want on. However strong you are physi- late and to help us understand the mul- to get their medical treatments routine- cally, deciding to stay alive can be a tifaceted nature of HIV and the people ly, or one person to get tested for HIV, rough daily mission. who have it. They are not helpless, and then that’s good enough for me,” Amahl Amahl’s life proof of it. replied. Thankfully, the silver lining in this book is shiny. Amahl’s insight- The book is also a fun self-help ac- Amahl never claims the moral high ful writing shows that people with count and even a how-to guide on being ground. He fully accepts his missteps HIV can live a “normal” lives if safe in your sex life. Presenting different and ignorance prior to getting HIV, they want to. And that single fact, scenarios like rom-coms do, Amahl talks which, in the end, places himself both as he believes, can break the stigma about dating and listening to your heart a cautionary tale and also a shoulder to the disease has brought on for just like the character Olivia Pope does in lean on if you are in the same boat. years, and it might well save some- the TV series Scandal. He then describes one’s life. the many “sharks” you can find on a date, “My only goal [for this book] is for from the Dorian Gray reader on the train anyone who is struggling with HIV to But to break that stigma, Amahl or the hunky personal trainer at the gym. not only be able to survive but also grow feels everyone needs to be aware It is this balance of seriousness and play- and bloom,” he writes. and educated too. The Poz Says OK fulness that allows his memoir to be an opens with a glossary of terms that enjoyable reading for all. By packaging this heavy subject in many people might not be famil- such light reading, he might just have achieved that. WARREN BEATTY SUED OVER Drake, 21 Savage blocked ALLEGED SEX WITH MINOR IN 1973 from using ‘Vogue’ covers to Lawsuit filed: American actor AFP/Chris Delmas promote album, judge rules Reuters/Mark Blinch/File Photo Warren Beatty arrives to receive the 36th Annual AFI Life Achievement Jonathan Stempel Award at the Kodak Theatre, in Holly- wood, California, the United States, on Reuters/New York, United States June 12, 2008. A woman who claims ac- A United States judge on Wednesday has blocked the rappers tor Warren Beatty coerced her into sex Drake and 21 Savage from using fake copies of Vogue magazine with him almost 50 years ago when she to promote their new album. was a young teenager has filed a lawsuit against him seeking damages. US District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan issued a tempo- rary restraining order less than two days after the duo was sued Agence France-Presse he later invited her to the hotel the submission says. by Conde Nast, the magazine’s publisher. in which he was living and took Hirsch, who now lives in Loui- Los Angeles, United States her for car rides. Conde Nast said Drake and 21 Savage had no permission to A woman who claims actor War- siana, is seeking compensation create the counterfeit magazine, which features them on the ren Beatty coerced her into sex It did not name the movie for psychological, mental and cover, to promote their album Her Loss, or suggest Vogue’s long- with him almost 50 years ago Beatty was filming at the time, emotional distress, in a suit that time editor-in-chief Anna Wintour supported them. when she was a young teenager but the successful social satire does not name Beatty, but refers has filed a lawsuit against him Shampoo, in which Beatty played to him as the actor who had been Rakoff said Conde Nast had demonstrated a “likelihood of seeking damages. a priapic hairstylist, was released nominated for an Oscar for play- success” on its trademark infringement and false advertising in the mid-1970s. ing Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde, claims. He also found sufficient proof that consumers were be- The suit, lodged in Los Ange- released in 1967. ing confused and the publisher had been “irreparably harmed”. les, the United States, is the lat- Beatty—who would have been est effort to claim compensation aged around 35 at the time— Beatty’s legal representatives Wednesday’s order requires Drake, a Toronto native, and 21 for abuses that are alleged to have ”used his position and status as did not immediately return AFP Savage, from Atlanta, to stop distributing the fake magazine and happened decades ago, under an adult and a Hollywood mov- requests for comment. cover, including on social media. They also cannot use Wintour’s a California law allowing com- ie star to coerce sexual contact name or likeness. plaints that would otherwise have with the plaintiff on multiple oc- Beatty, now 85, has long had passed the statute of limitations. casions, including oral sex, simu- a reputation as a lothario whose Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond to lated sex and finally coerced sex- romantic entanglements have at requests for comment. Kristina Charlotte Hirsch al- ual intercourse with the minor times overshadowed his acting leges in the suit that she met the child,” the suit says. career. Rakoff scheduled a Nov. 22 hearing to consider a longer in- Bonnie and Clyde actor on a movie junction. set when she was 14 or 15 years old. Hirsch was “initially thrilled” He has in the past been linked by the situation and understood to names including Jane Fonda, Conde Nast said the defendants distributed the bogus Vogue The suit, filed on Monday, says it to be a romantic relationship, Brigitte Bardot, Diane Keaton issue in major metropolitan areas, with posters plastered on and Britt Ekland. streets and buildings. The publisher, also known as Advance Magazine Publishers Inc, is seeking at least US$4 million in damages. Infringement: Rapper Drake arrives on the red carpet for the film The Carter Effect at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Canada, on Sept. 9, 2017. Drake and rapper 21 Savage are blocked from using fake copies of Vogue magazine to promote their new album, Her Loss, a United States judge ruled on Wednesday.