Local News Australians Running Chiropractic Clinic Arrested in Jakarta Two Australian brothers running a chiropractic clinic in Jakarta have been arrested on suspicion of using fake credentials and working illegally. It follows a crackdown on the industry following the death of a customer who had been treated by an American chiropractor. Jakarta police said Anthony and Thomas Dawson were arrested at their chiropractic clinic in a shopping centre in south Jakarta. A police spokesman accused Thomas Dawson of treating patients using fake credentials and without proper permits. Anthony Dawson is the centre’s director. “Our team from Jakarta police and the government of Jakarta conducted an impromptu inspection at Ruko Permata where we found this chiropractic practice,” Jakarta police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal said.
“We conducted investigations there and we found some evidence that led us to suspect that there had been illegal practice.” The pair are being detained at Jakarta police headquarters and could be held for as long as 90 days while police investigate. Police said the brothers were caught as they tried to escape arrest. The arrests follow the death of local woman Siska Nadya just hours after treatment from Californian chiropractor Randall Cafferty. He fled the country before Indonesian police could question him. Earlier this month police closed down Jakarta’s popular Chiropractic First chain over numerous irregularities with working permits and paperwork. (January 28th 2016)
New Regulation: Foreigners Can Own Land & House in Indonesia Indonesia’s Cabinet Secretary announced on Tuesday (12/01) that Indonesian President Joko Widodo signed a government regulation on 22 December 2015 (Government Regulation No. 103/2015 on House Ownership of Foreigners Residing in Indonesia) that allows foreigners to own land & houses in Indonesia for a period up to 80 years. This regulation is designed by the Indonesian government in order to provide more legal certainty to foreigners regarding property ownership. Foreigners eligible to own houses in Indonesia for the designated period are those non-Indonesians who live or work in Indonesia or in other ways bring advantage to the country (for example investors). The foreigner, who needs to have a valid residence permit, will own the house under the so-called ‘right-of-use’ category (in Indonesian: hak pakai). On 28 December 2015 this new regulation came into effect according to the statement on the website of Indonesia’s Cabinet Secretary.
Based on the new regulation an expat can buy a land & house under the right-of-use category for an initial period of 30 years. After this period, the foreigner can extend the ownership twice, once by 20 years and then extend it by a further 30 years (hence ownership can reach a total of 80 years). Moreover, ownership of the house is inherited by the foreigners’ offspring. However, if the foreigner (or its heir) leaves Indonesia to reside in another country, then he/she must release or transfer the ownership rights to another person who meets all requirements to own the property in Indonesia (this can be another foreigner or an Indonesian citizen) within one year after departing from Indonesia. If ownership is not released within one year after the expat has left Indonesia, then the Indonesian government has the right to confiscate the house.
After this new regulation it means that expats can now buy either a land & house or an apartment in Indonesia. However, there are certain requirements and conditions that are important to take into consideration.
Regarding apartments, foreigners were already allowed to purchase an apartment under the ‘right-of-use’ category earlier in 2015. However, this only involves luxurious apartments priced over IDR 10 billion (approx. USD $719,424.00), which is an absurd price for Indonesian standards. (January 16th 2016)
Bali Airport Installs Thermo Scanners to Monitor Zika Virus
Tigerair Australia Welcomes New Aircraft for Bali Flights
The management of Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali has installed two thermo scanners to measure body temperatures, in a bid to prevent the spread of the feared Zika virus. Arriving international passengers will be screened to determine whether they might be carrying the infection. Since the monitors were installed, the airport management has not discovered any passengers registering high body temperatures. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global emergency in acting to control the outbreak of Zika virus. Officials note that the virus has been spread by the Aedes aegepty mosquitos, causing high fevers and rashes among infected people. In Jakarta, Health Minister Nila F Moeloek warned pregnant women to place mosquito netting in their bedrooms as protection from the Zika virus. The spread of the virus-like dengue fever occurred in several countries in Africa, America, and Asia Pacific. (February 5th 2015)
Tigerair Australia has unveiled the first of three Boeing 737-800 aircraft to be based at Melbourne Airport, ahead of the airline’s new direct services to Bali. The new single-aisle jets will enable the airline to launch its new MelbourneDenpasar services on 23 March 2016, and the airline has also recently recruited more than 100 new cabin crew for the flights. “Tigerair Australia’s new services to Bali will deliver over 2,500 additional seats through Melbourne Airport weekly. As well as more jobs and additional aircraft, today’s announcement provides numerous other benefits for the Victorian economy, tourism and consumers,” said the low-cost carrier’s CEO, Rob Sharp. The new B737s come equipped with 180 economy class seats and passengers will be offered in-flight entertainment on their own electronic devices. Tigerair Australia currently operates 14 Airbus A320 aircraft, so the three new B737s will take its total fleet to 17 aircraft. (February 2nd 2016)
Bali Couple Arrested for Kidnapping 3-Month-Old A married couple in Bali desperate to have children were arrested by the Denpasar District Police on Sunday (31/1) afternoon for allegedly kidnapping a baby girl, an official has said. The couple, identified as L.S., 29, and P.B., 37, reportedly took the baby from her home on Denpasar’s Jalan Pulau Pinang on Saturday (31/1)at 1:00 p.m. local time. Police managed to track down the perpetrators’ home on Jalan Pulau Moyo just one day after the incident and swiftly arrested them at 2:30 p.m. Both are now being detained at the Denpasar Police Headquarters for further questioning while the 3-month-old has been safely returned to her parents. Police are still investigating whether the kidnappers have any possible ties to child-trafficking networks. (February 1st 2016) Bowie Asked for Ashes to be Scattered in Bali Rock legend David Bowie asked for his ashes to be spread in Bali in a will submitted following his shocking death, a report said Friday (29/1). The New York Post, citing Bowie’s will which it said was filed in a Manhattan court, said that the British rock star wanted his ashes scattered in Bali in line with Buddhist rituals. The Indonesian island, which is predominantly Hindu, is renowned for its unique musical and artistic culture and as a retreat for spirituality seekers. The newspaper said that Bowie left around half of an estimated $100 million fortune to his widow, the Somaliborn supermodel Iman, along with their home in New York’s Soho district. His two children, filmmaker Duncan Jones and his teenage daughter, Lexi, are splitting most of the rest. Court officials were not available late Friday to confirm the contents of the will. Bowie died on January 10, two days after his 69th birthday, following an 18-month battle with cancer that he revealed only to a select few. His family has kept his wishes for discretion over his death and final rites, saying only that loved ones would hold a private ceremony. (January 29th 2015) Prosecutors Demand Life Sentence in Engeline Murder Case Prosecutors at the Denpasar District Court on Thursday (04/02) demanded a life sentence for Margriet Megawe, the woman accused of murdering her foster daughter and burying the child’s body in her backyard. Margriet is charged with murder under the Criminal Code and child abuse under the 2014 Child Protection Law for the May 2015 murder of 8-year-old Engeline, in a case that gripped the nation. Prosecutor Purwanta Sudarmaji said the suspect exploited the victim for financial gain. Physical abuse led to the death of the child. In July, a Bali court rejected a pretrial motion filed by Margriet to annul her murder suspect status, saying the police had collected more than enough evidences in the case. The case captured national attention after Angeline’s body was discovered buried in the back yard of Margriet’s Denpasar home in June, a month after the family reported Engeline missing and launched online pleas for her return. The prosecution’s indictment against Margriet revolves largely around confessions from her former housekeeper, Agustinus Tay, who claims Margriet killed Engeline by slamming her head against a wall and paid him to help her dispose of the body. Prosecutors in trial earlier this week demanded 12 years imprisonment and Rp 1 billion ($73,500) in fines, or an additional six months jail time, for Agustinus. Agustinus initially confessed to the murder before later recanting, saying his statement was made under duress from the police, alleges Margriet ordered him to rape Engeline after she killed the child to stage a sex crime motive, but said he refused to do so. He did, however, agree to help dig a hole in the back yard and bury the body there, claiming that Margriet promised to pay him Rp 200 million to keep silent and take the fall if the body was discovered. (February 4th 2016)