Semarang's old city: A fading reminder of former glories

Simon Marcus Gower, Contributor The Jakarta Post, Semarang | Fri, 03/27/2009 2:27 PM

Unique design: The Marba building is a quite unique design but has only sparing usage.
(JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

Semarang, one of the oldest cities in the country, was the place of residence for a Dutch provincial governor in colonial times. As the provincial capital of Central Java, with a very active port, it grew into a major city busy with trade and administrative importance.

The city's commercial and administrative significance required a level of infrastructure that could support its role. This led to the development of what is now the "old city" of Semarang and its impressive buildings. Although many of these buildings are left now neglected and wasting away, they still remind us of the former glories of this city.

One of Semarang's most outstanding buildings and, fortunately, one of its best kept, is Gereja Blenduk. Built in 1753, this imposing building still stands shimmering brilliantly white in the hot sun. Despite being the oldest church in Central Java, it is still actively used as a Protestant Church - it is probably this continuing use that has allowed the building to survive in condition so much better than that of some of its neighbors.

The church is rather plain on the outside, but its solid design and construction have no doubt helped it survive the years. It principal outward feature is its dome - hence the name (gereja meaning church and blenduk meaning dome). Inside, plainness and simplicity remain the order of the day, meaning that, although very imposing, the church is not really captivating to the eye.

Overgrown: Fine buildings, located down narrow streets, are being left to rot.
(JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

Rather more visually interesting is the office building opposite the church, which has also been fortunate to have survived in relatively good condition. With its 1920s art-deco geometric designs and balconies, this building, now the offices of Jiwasraya Assurance, offers more to the viewer to admire.

This office building is still in active use but it has lost some of its charm to modern alterations - such a modern front entrance doorway of plate glass and aluminum that is functional but not attractive or in keeping with the original design of the building. But despite such limitations in current appearance and use, the Jiwasraya Building and the church really are doing well, considering what else may be seen in this area.

Just down the road from these two buildings is the Marba Building which, with its red bricks contrasting with stone mullions and a corner entrance that is topped by four (still intact) stone vases, is full of character. It is, however, a building sparingly used and is evidently not awarded the respect it deserves.

Street vendors clutter its sidewalk and its paintwork and woodwork obviously need maintenance. Windows are shuttered up and once attractive and useful street canopies have been shoddily replaced and are left sagging. Although the Marba Building looks bad, its partial use is at least saving it to a certain extent; elsewhere, neglect is leaving fine buildings in ruins.

What is known as the PT Perkebunan Building looks over a fairly filthy canal. This example of solid Dutch building stands empty and quite terribly neglected. The street in front of it is busy with minibuses and hawkers but it stands forlorn, its large tower so neglected that small trees grow from it.

Large and commanding though it is, daylight breaks into its rooms through broken and collapsed roofs. Its steps have become home to a peculiar gathering of traditional masseurs who offer their services in the cooling shadow of this great building, their customers lying half-naked along the sidewalk - neither an auspicious or respectful sight to adorn its great but pollution-stained walls.

Standing tall: Mighty and bold buildings are quite wretchedly ignored
(JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

These are just a few: All around this area are wretched examples of good and even great buildings just being allowed to rot and fall away. Even though many of the buildings here were originally of simple and modest use, they still consistently possessed (and possess to this day) interesting designs and high levels of quality and craftsmanship in their construction.

What would have been quite simple warehouses for storing the vast amounts of goods being traded through Semarang's busy port show inventiveness and flourishes of decorative design that can, and should, be appreciated. But tragically such excellent buildings are being left to be overrun by nature.

One of these buildings has a tree taking root all over it and those roots are literally squeezing and crushing the building's stone to such an extent that it is simply crumbling away. Elsewhere trees and shrubs grow from ledges or cornices on upper levels of buildings, stark evidence of how terribly the buildings are simply being left to the elements.

This truly sorry sight represents a terrible waste and lack of foresight and investment. The quality of the buildings here could allow the area to be a real center of attraction. It is not too difficult to imagine stylish restaurants and trendy boutiques taking up residence in these fine buildings but this would require will and investment from city planners and developers.

It is impossible to walk through the narrow streets that are created by some fine buildings in Semarang's old city and not think "if only. if only". There are such appealing and even delightful architectural details to be seen here that their gradual loss to the elements really is a great loss. Vines and moss creep and crawl all over buildings and ferns grow remarkably well where they really should not be growing - in holes and damage to the brickwork of these buildings.

With just a modicum of imagination and effort, eye-catching shutters on windows could be repaired and painted again. Blackened white walls could be cleaned and repainted so that they shimmer and shine again in Semarang's brilliant sunlight. The damage here is considerable and time may be running out for some of these buildings, although it is not yet too late.

By the way: Safe for now: The private, pristine and pretty Lombok

Lynda Ibrahim, The Jakarta Post | Sun, 03/22/2009 9:22 AM

Lately, I’ve started feeling that nothing is sacred any more in a world where everything is as instant and as mass-produced as the ubiquitous Indomie noodles, without much regard to due process or uniqueness. Either the world is spinning too fast, or age has simply made me world-weary. So imagine my delight and surprise when I read, over the weekend, that the Lombok Megaproject had at last been unplugged.

The turquoise-colored water on the shore of white sand beach at Gili Meno,

backdropped by the vast blue sky. (JP/Prodita Sabarini)

Phew! That pretty, private heaven with its pristine white sands and almost turquoise water! My sanctuary for much-needed refuge from the hustle and bustle of life, where, on the three Gilis, there are no motor-powered vehicles and often no cell phone signal (a great cold-turkey rehab for those Crackberrys, I’d say). Where reasonably-priced, yellow-toned natural pearls can still be found, if you know where to look, though riot-caused supply disruptions of Ambon’s grey-toned pearls have jacked up the prices a bit lately. Perfect for visiting alone or with your best friend, and paradise if you come with The One. The place I first landed on in summer 1992 and have kept revisiting since, the place I’ve prayed should never to turn into another Bali.

Wait, I’m no Bali basher. I love the beautiful island, and years-long Balinese dance training gave me a lot of respect towards their unique culture. But to me, for the last decade it has become way too commercialized, often without due care, especially in the Kuta-Legian area where the beaches are more often cluttered with trash (in all its meanings), than not. Unless accompanying first-timer foreign friends with a list of must-see tourist spots, my Bali trips for the past few years have mostly consisted of a straight-to-Ubud ride, with a stop by the chic Seminyak shops on my way to the airport at the last day.

I first heard of the Lombok Megaproject during a long lunch with a high-flying PR person prior to the official announcement. Knowing of my love for Lombok, our PR friend filled me in with hush-hush details of how a massive sum of oil money would fund multiple resorts, an international airport and perhaps a possible highway, mistaking my stunned silence as a sign of awe.

Jaw dropping, I started having horrible images of Senggigi becoming a 24/7 boisterous strip where it would be too loud for fishes to swim close by, too dirty for young children to play sandcastles, or too risqué for a sedate holiday as drunken beach bums openly trade illicit chemicals. I thought of the charming Sasak villages and artisan communities becoming the commission-based mandatory stops of large tourist buses. I shuddered as I pictured hawkers outnumbering vacationers on the peaceful triangle of the Gilis, or noisy Jet Skis obstructing the direct view from Gili Terawangan’s main beach to Gili Air, where now divers or strong swimmers can swim the short distance of clear, shallow water between the two islets. And I almost wept as a glimpse of motorcycles roaming the Gilis entered my mind.

Stilted open art wooden huts are the perfect spots to enjoy the beach of Gili Meno.
(JP/Prodita Sabarini)

It’s not that I don’t want Lombok people’s livelihood to be improved by tourism, and I’m sincerely looking forward to the gradual development of Lombok as a holiday destination. But the Megaproject just seemed to aim to whip Lombok into some one-stop-shopping for island vacationing in a slapdash stroke. I’m sure promises were pledged to preserve nature and culture during the process, yet I suspect keeping those promises would be harder than keeping a six-pack belly after babies. Why? Because being a developing country with prevalent poverty and income gaps, the lure of easy money would be too much to resist for both the locals and government, and sensibility would be nudged aside, and eventually thrown out of the window, until it’s too late. I’m grateful that the Ubud royal family uses their cultural power to ban clubs, but nobody was there to rein in Kuta or Legian.

And somehow, the Dubai-based fund didn’t make it any more encouraging to me. Yes, we all have seen how the rising petrodollar has turned the sleepy desert town into a bustling, ultra-modern city with architectural wonders competing to outdo each other. It’s been great for Dubai and I don’t mind enjoying it while I’m there, yet I would seriously object if the serene Lombok should suddenly be bedecked in shiny, 24K-gold-gilded columns, supersized branded boutiques, or other in-your-face, ostentatious facades of opulence that have become Dubai’s pride. How soon before someone would think of constructing a series of man-made islets to flank the Gilis?

You can disagree with me, but what’s more important now is for us all to participate in developing Lombok tourism lest another mega-fund arrives. Divers have steadily been supportive, but more can be achieved if bridegrooms start considering Lombok for honeymoons, if ladies start collecting Lombok pearls they way they do Mikimoto’s, or when interior designers start giving room to Lombok crafts for high-profile projects. Pretty, pristine, somewhat private, yet prosperous Lombok? I have hopes.

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City welcomes 900 cruise ship tourists for a day

The Jakarta Post, Wed, 03/18/2009 2:34 PM

JAKARTA: The Costa Allegra cruise ship was docked at Tanjung Priok seaport in North Jakarta recently, carrying 900 tourists from Europe and Asia, an official said Tuesday.

The tourists were welcomed by by Betawi Dancers and as well as a Welcome Dance by children from Delima Studio, in Tebet, South Jakarta.

About 400 of the tourists got off the ship to tour the capital, riding 16 buses to the National Monument in Central Jakarta, the Indonesian Miniature Park (TMII) in East Jakarta, the Old Town area in North and West Jakarta and several shopping centers. They were accompanied by 20 guides.

"I hope the tourists get a positive impression of Jakarta and return here," Arie Budhiman, head of the city's tourism agency said, as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

Museum shows how Jakarta started

Mariani Dewi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 12/13/2008 11:06 AM  

The Maritime Museum's exhibition "Jakarta: Built by sea trade and ports" showcases hundreds of years of trading activity at the port that started the city's history. 

The organizer hoped the exhibition would draw the government's attention to the site's historical value. 

"Jakarta started with the presence of Sunda Kelapa Port, where the traders stopped. Then the city got bigger until today," said Ida Subaedah, head of the administration office at the 9,700-square-meter museum, Thursday. 

"The museum, the old spice warehouse, was an integral part of the port and its history should not be neglected." 

For the event, there are displays in two rooms providing visitors with evidence of trading. Posters containing the letters of the Ottoman Empire rulers in Turkey show spice relations as early as 1567. 

One of the letters tells how the empire took some native plant seeds from the Botanical Gardens in Batavia (the old name for Jakarta) to Turkey. 

Replicas of ships from Greece, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden are on show, along with replica Indonesian vessels. 

The exhibition will also hold a replica-ship making competition Saturday, with around 200 secondary school students participating. The Swedish Embassy have provided a video presentation about merchant ship Gothenburg. 

Although it will draw a crowd, Ida said it was more important to reach out to the government and trade companies. 

"We hope this event will impact decision makers to pay more attention to revitalization of the area," she said. 

She said the museum had proposed a major redevelopment plan, with the help of a private company. The plan is under the scrutiny of the City Planning office. 

"There are a lot of things we can do if there is cross-office cooperation, including cultural tourism, shopping tourism and food tourism. We can have a joint tour with the Luar Batang mosque or Sunda Kelapa Port," she said. 

The Jakarta administration will sign a memorandum of understanding with the transportation department early next year to allow the start of cooperation with the port. 

Ida said the museum also hoped the event would increase interest among shipping companies and members of the public who had maritime collections to donate or lend their collections to the museum. 

"We have a limited budget to acquire new items so we hope the public can share their collection with us," she said. 

Volunteers are also welcome to help out the 10 members of the museum, as interpreters or tour guides. As a start, the museum plans to train the boy scouts to be tour guides. 

The exhibition ends Dec. 24. Entrance cost to the museum, located on Jl. Pasar Ikan, is Rp 2,000 (17 US cents) for adults, Rp 1,500 for students and Rp 600 for children.

Kota museum tells of past tortures

Warief Djajanto Basorie, The Jakarta Post, Tue, 05/06/2008 9:40

Picture Jakarta during the Dutch colonial era and imagine how people were tried and punished at the time. You can visualize it from the balcony of the Jakarta History Museum in Kota Tua, the Old Town quarter, in West Jakarta.

The building was originally the Stadhuis, or the City Hall, of the colonial period. Today, if you stand on the balcony and face north, you will see the gray stone square below you, known as Taman Fatahillah. The square honors Fatahillah, the commander of the Muslim Demak army which conquered Sunda Kalapa on June 22, 1527.

He renamed the coastal Sunda kingdom Jayakarta, or Town of Triumph, after defeating its king. When the Dutch eventually took control, they renamed the area Batavia.

At the square's center is the town fountain; not the original, but a remake. The square was not just the prime meeting point for the town folk, it was also where public executions were held.

The judges would stand on the balcony to witness their verdicts carried out. Behind the balcony on the wall is an oil panel depicting King Solomon's trial.

The painting portrays Solomon wearing a crown and a red cape, sitting on his throne passing judgment on two women arguing over a baby.

The artwork was presumably created to imbue judges with a sense of fairness and humanity. However, what the painting tried to inspire and the reality of the judicial system were worlds apart.

The most infamous execution was perhaps that of Pieter Erberveld on April 22, 1722. Erberveld was the son of a German landowner and Asian mother. Erberveld became one of the richest men in Batavia but could not get into the milieu of the powerful because he was Eurasian.

Erberveld got into a property row with the then governor general Zwaardecroon. The governor general owned two lots of land separated by a parcel belonging to Erberveld. Despite numerous acts of intimidation, Erberveld refused to sell his property to Zwaardecroon.

The account is detailed in a book on the history of the museum, Dari Stadhuis Sampai Museum, (From City Hall to Museum), by Hans Bonke and Anne Handojo. As you turn the pages, the story becomes more grim, even gruesome.

In December, 1721, the governor general received a report from a slave that Erberveld was purportedly plotting with a Javanese prince, Raden Kartadria, to murder the Dutch on the first day of the New Year.

The plan was that Erberveld would become the overlord of Batavia and Kartadria to rule the outskirts.

Both men were arrested and tortured at City Hall. The governor general had them tried before a tribunal of his own executives, bypassing the normal court process. The tribunal could not find hard evidence of a planned uprising.

Despite finding no smoking gun, the accused were declared guilty based on their torture-inflicted confessions. Erberveld was pinned to a cross with meat cleavers. His gut was ripped open and his heart torn out.

As if that were not enough, Erberveld was quartered, mirroring the fate of Guy Fawkes, the Englishman convicted of conspiring to blow up parliament houses in London in 1606.

Erberveld's four body parts were left to the birds to feast on.

The authorities did not stop there. They demolished Erberveld's house and erected a stone slab placing a skull on top. The slab carried a chilling message in block letters chiseled into the stone in Dutch and in Javanese script.

It warned the public not to commit what "traitor Pieter Erberveld" did. Visitors can see the two-meter-high slab in the grassy back court of the museum today.

One foot on sea, one on shore

The Jakarta Post, P.J. Leo

Many writers have used references to the vital energy of ports, where workers scramble up masts as ships lie at anchor, taking on and discharging cargo.

Sunda Kelapa Port in northern Jakarta is part of the Old Town heritage site. It was built between 1634 and 1645 by the Dutch governor general J.P. Coen, whose ambition was to recreate Amsterdam in Batavia (Jakarta).

However, long before the Dutch administration reigned the East Indies (Indonesia then), the port had become the docking point for early European merchants, largely the Portuguese.

Now the port is home to inter-city trade, with ships departing and arriving from destinations in Java, as well as Kalimantan and Sulawesi islands, around the clock.

Traditional Bugis schooners or phinisi are a fixture at Sunda Kelapa, their silhouettes creating a distinctive image, from dawn until dusk.

Maritime Museum set to officially reopen

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jakartans and tourists alike will once again be able to enjoy the city's Maritime Museum when it officially reopens Friday.

Located next to Sunda Kelapa port, the museum was forced to close its doors when a series of high tides hit the area in November.

Floodwaters reached as high as 60 centimeters, forcing the museum's management team to move relics to the second floor of the building.

Museum head Dewi Rudiati said a series of renovations were undertaken at the museum while it was temporarily closed.

"We made minor changes, such as repainting the walls. Now we are rearranging our displays," she said.

Built in the 17th century, the museum originally served as a Dutch spice warehouse. The museum is now home to about 1,800 relics.

Several Japanese cargo ship replicas are also due to arrive at the museum in a few months.

"Previously we had on average between 1,000 and 1,500 visitors per month. We hope we can continue to attract visitors despite our limited budget," said Dewi.

She said museum staff were currently creating information labels in Indonesian and English to attract more foreign visitors.

She said in June, the museum will hold an exhibition titled "Jakarta, a city that started as a port", which will feature replicas of various ships that have docked in the Sunda Kelapa port over the years.

Lili, a visitor to the museum Wednesday, said she wanted to learn more about the museum after she heard about a wedding ceremony held there.

"This is the first time I've visited the museum," she said.

The resident of Kampung Baru in North Jakarta said she was very satisfied with her visit, despite the fact renovations were still continuing. (tif)

Bali to build new cruise ship port

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

The Bali provincial administration plans to build a special port for cruise ships at Labuan Amuk in Karangasem in a bid to help boost tourism on the resort island, an official says.

Putu Ardana, head of the Bali Transportation Office, said the infrastructure costs for the port project would be covered by funds from the state budget amounting to Rp 130 billion (US$14,400).

The project is expected to be completed in 2009, he said, adding the port would be designed to accommodate large-scale single or double-deck cruise ships measuring 360 meters by 50 meters.

"The completion and operation of the port will constitute the first cruise ship port in Indonesia," said Karangasem's transportation office head, Nengah Parwata.

The first stage of the project is currently underway, he said.

Putu said Labuan Amuk was considered to be the best location for the construction of the new port as it was near a deep sea lane.

Ardana compared it with Benoa harbor, another alternative location.

"In Benoa, the water is too shallow and it would be too difficult to dredge. In Labuan Amuk, there is no need to dredge," he added.

He added the infrastructure currently being built included office buildings, a berth, terminal, health and security posts, immigration office and other supporting facilities.

According to Karangasem Tourism Office data, a number of cruise ships frequently made stops at Padang Bai Port, near Labuan Amuk Port, en route to Lembar Port in Lombok.

One such cruise ship is the Costa Marina, which berthed there on Feb. 4 and 5, 2007, transporting about 772 passengers.

Next month, a cruise ship with as many as 2,000 passengers and another with 684 passengers is expected to berth there, while next year three other cruise ships - the Amsterdam, Black Watch and Silver Whisperalso plan to berth in Bali.

Parwata said cruise ship passengers were usually senior citizens. Using small boats they land at Karangasem for one or two days.

"Some of them visit Karangasem and surrounding areas, including Besakih, Candidasa and others. Several others go to Ubud or Kuta," he said.

Parwata said in order to support the port project, the Karangasem regency administration had cleared a 1.5-hectare plot of land. The surrounding areas, which consisted mostly of agricultural land, had also been blocked to prevent any alterations, he said.

Compensation was still being negotiated, he added.

The Bali Tourism Alliance has hailed the project.

"We support it because it will diversify our tourist arrivals," said the alliance's coordinator Gusti Kade Sutawa. He urged the provincial administration to carefully prepare its spatial planning to avoid unexpected impacts.

Kade Sutawa also proposed the preparation of professional human resources to help introduce Bali to the passengers.

"Local people will be appropriate in these positions as they know a lot about Bali."

Parwata added the many cruise ships that berth in Padang Bai or Benoa usually did so to refuel or get supplies. With the operation of the new port, the cruise ships would be able to drop off and pick up passengers from Bali. Travel agents would be able to arrange travel arrangements from the port as well, he said.

Up until now, passengers wishing to enjoy the beauty of the eastern parts of Indonesia have been forced to board cruise ships in other countries, like Singapore.

"With the operation of the port, tourists can fly to Bali and enjoy Balinese culture before boarding the cruise ships or vice versa," Parwata said.

With the completion of the port project, Bali will be able to obtain additional income. The use of transportation services and accommodation will surely increase too, he said.

From Bali the cruise ships could go eastward, for example to Lombok, Fores, Alor, Sulawesi and Papua, Parwata said, adding the port would also benefit these other regions.

Travellers leave island en masse after break

Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Cesilia, 25, flew into Bali on a one-way ticket for a relaxing vacation over the long Idul Fitri holiday. She assumed it wouldn't be too difficult to get a ticket back to Jakarta so she could be back at work Monday. She was wrong.

After some serious scrambling and numerous phone calls, Cesilia was finally able to book a seat on a Lion Air flight on Saturday for Rp 1,149,000, or almost three times as much as she paid to fly to Bali with the same airline.

Still, she was glad for the ticket. Cesilia, who works as a journalist for a daily newspaper, had already been told by several airlines that there were no seats available on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the last three days of the Idul Fitri holiday.

"I have had my holiday, which was quite long, so I have no excuse whatsoever to prolong it. I have no choice," she said.

With the end of the national holiday, probably the longest "joint-leave" in the country's history, people who left Bali to celebrate Idul Fitri in Java have begun to return.

And all the holidaymakers who packed Kuta Beach and filled the island's hotels are now crowding Ngurah Rai airport to fly home.

An official at the airport's Idul Fitri post, I Ketut Gusti Arsana, said the number of passengers leaving Bali on Friday -- the fifth day after Idul Fitri -- was 9,625 on 73 flights.

The number of arriving passengers was 6,341 on 67 flights.

"Last year, the number of departing flights on the fifth day after Idul Fitri was only 59 with 5,903 passengers," he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He said he was pleased by the situation.

"This is a clear sign that Bali is now considered safe, while more domestic tourists now have the money to spend on a holiday in Bali," he said.

On Friday, he said, the airport served 5,438 passengers on international flights arriving on the island.

Arsana predicted Saturday would be the peak day for holidaymakers flying out of Bali.

An official at the Ubung bus station, Agus Juliantara, said Thursday was the peak day for people returning to Bali after celebrating Idul Fitri in their hometowns, mostly on Java.

"On Thursday, the number of buses entering Bali was 100 with 3,752 passengers. The figures declined to 90 buses and 3,099 passengers on Friday," he said.

Gede Putrawan, head of Gilimanuk Port in Jembrana regency, said he expected the number of people returning to and leaving Bali to peach its peak Saturday.

"Domestic tourists will check out of their hotels on Saturday afternoon and they will crowd the port on Saturday evening," he said.

"Motorcycles are already lining up at Ketapang Port, waiting for their turn to board the ferry to Bali," he said

Ketapang Port is in East Java.

Authorities have said the number of people, particularly jobseekers from Java and Lombok, entering Bali after Idul Fitri is expected to go up this year from past years.

In 2006, the busiest post-Idul Fitri day for Ubung bus station saw 99 buses carrying 3,605 passengers enter the island.

Those figures have already been surpassed this year.

Authorities have begun to take measure to prevent jobseekers from entering the province.

Security officials at Gilimanuk seaport, which links Bali to Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi, East Java, have turned away 600 people who were unable to show valid identity cards.

A sociologist from Udayana University in Denpasar, Gde Made Suarjana, said he supported administration efforts to tighten controls on arriving jobseekers, but warned the policy could be interpreted as discriminatory.

"The policy has to be seen as an effort to maintain social order as the issue of rising population has long been a problem for any city. It is not aimed at preventing the movement of people," he said.

However, he said if people saw the issue as one of ethnicity, it could aggravate social problems.

Aceh teams up with Irish firm to develop Sabang port

Andi Haswidi, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The Sabang Free Trade Zone Management Board (BPKS) in Aceh province will team up with Ireland's Dublin Port Company (DPC) to develop Sabang into a world-class port at a cost of some Rp 4 trillion (about US$445 million).

BPKS deputy president Nasruddin Daud said Tuesday in Aceh's capital, Banda Aceh, that the two bodies would set up a joint venture company, to be called PT Sabang Hub International Port, in June to develop the port.

The construction of the port, which is expected to begin soon after the establishment of the joint venture company, is scheduled for completion in five years.

Sabang is an island located at the most western tip of the archipelago within the boundaries of Aceh province.

"The total investment, which it is estimated will come to about Rp 4 trillion, will be shared fifty-fifty between Dublin Port and us," he said. "Right now, we are still at the pre-qualification stage for consultants to design the port," he explained.

Nasruddin said that the contract between the BPKS and DPC, which would be signed in June, would run for 50 years.

After the long conflict in Aceh ended following the tsunami disaster in 2004, both the central and provincial governments have agreed to afford Sabang special treatment as the island is believed to have the potential to serve as an import-export hub.

Sabang will now be developed as a free-trade zone, a status that it also held back in the 1960s, and will have the capacity to accommodate ocean-going vessels.

Financing for the development of the port, Nasruddin said, would come from the central government, but would be separate from the funds allocated to the province for reconstruction work, which, in Sabang's case, was being funded by the BRR, provincial government and central government.

"We received Rp 100 billion out of last year's national budget, and Rp 195 billion from this year's budget. In addition, we received Rp 3 billion from the provincial budget in 2006, and will receive another Rp 1.5 billion this year," he said.

"As for the BRR, this year they are going to spend Rp 45 billion on rehabilitating local infrastructure, including the water purification plant and water mains," he said.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post earlier, the director of the Aceh Provincial Investment Coordinating Board, Teuku Zainal Arifin Panglima Polem, said that a "world-class resort" would also be built on Sabang.

"Sabang is an excellent place for eco tourism with its beautiful beaches. It's also the perfect spot for divers. We plan to develop the island as an exclusive resort so as to attract big-spending tourists," he said.

According to a recent BKPS report, some 70 to 80 foreign tourists visit Sabang every weekend, with many of them being NGO officers working in Aceh. Tourists also come from German and other parts of Europe for the excellent diving around the island.