Beritabali.com reports that two Malaysian nationals were arrested on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, with 2 kilograms of sabu-sabu or methamphetamine taped to their torsos while trying to enter the country.
Now in police custody are Chang Cheng Weng (45) and Boo Guan Teik (38).
The two men arrived on Cathay Pacific Flight no. 785 from Hong Kong at 3:30 pm after reportedly making two earlier assessment survey visits to the airport.
Police, who were initially suspicious of the men when they passed through a security gate, resorted to a more basic tactic and had an official "accidentally" bump into one of the men. Detecting an extremely hard abdomen, the police took the too men to an examination room where they discovered plastic packets of drugs taped to their mid-sections.
Police estimate the street value of the smuggled drugs at Rp. 2 billion (US$200,000).
The two men are claiming that they were merely acting as "mules" or couriers and were to be paid HKD 5,000 after the successful delivery of the drugs to a local address.
The two men may now be charged under Indonesia's tough narcotics laws with a possible death sentence waiting at the end of the legal process.
Police are seeking the two men's Bali contact to whom they were intended to deliver the contraband drugs.

BeritaBali.com alleges that a "mafia" is attempting to illegally seize assets owned by Bali's provincial government. Hari Boedihartono, also known as, Hartono, the owner of the local Mercedes Benz dealership Hartono Raya Motor and a Kuta area hotel owner, is claimed by the paper to be part of a national "mafia" that manipulates the legal system to seize public assets, such as the Taman Festival Bali on Padang Galak in Denpasar. [See: Who Owns Taman Festival].
This claim was leveled by a senior Bali lawyer, I Gede Widiatmika, who, together with colleagues, have reported Hartono to the National Committee Against the Justice System Mafia (Satgas Antimafia Hukum) in Jakarta. Those charges portray Hartono as a part of the "mafia" in Bali and Java.
According to Widiatmika: "Through the legal system mafia that he controls, Hartono has managed to buy the land of the Taman Festival Bali which is, in fact, the property of the provincial government of Bali. Without this strong network covering several legal agencies it would not be possible for him to control the assets of Bali's provincial government."
In the days ahead, Widiatmika hopes the provincial government of Bali will be more serious in its efforts to protect its assets to prevent them falling into the hands of such a "mafia," such as they suspect was the case with Hartono.
Widiatmika continued: "The legal system mafia is not some fictional story; it truly does exists."
Widiatmika's law office represents a local retired notary, I Gusti Ngurah Oka, who claims he had been "criminalized" as the result of actions taken by Hartono.
Ngurah Oka alleges that on November 2, 2005, Rachmat Agung Leonardi and Hari Boedihartono came to his office to execute legal documents surrounding the White Rose Hotel.
Later, on November 8, 2005, Rachmat and Hartono signed an agreement changing the status of the hotel. Later, the two parties to the agreement came to a disagreement over what constitute "proper due diligence" and the respective responsibilities of each party.
At an impasse, the case eventually became a civil suit before the Denpasar District Court with Rahmat Agung Leonardi acting as the plaintiff. In keeping with local legal tradition, Hartono has filed a counter report against Rachmat with the Bali police.
In addition, Hartono has filed a report against the notary, Gusti Ngurah Oka, alleging he manufactured false documents. Oka's lawyers have called the attention of the press to the "lighting fast speed" at which Hartono's police report against Oka resulted in an indictment, contending such a rapid progress through the legal system is further indication of Hartono's mafia-like network.

Police in Bali and Jakarta have made a number of arrests in a scam that has fleeced larges sums of money from the bank accounts of people who used Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) in Bali.
The well-organized and sophisticated criminals reportedly installed an additional fake slot on an ATM Machine together with a small CCTV camera that recorded the password entered by the ATM customer. Armed with the stolen magnetic strip information and the "secret" password the thieves were able to visit the bank accounts and steal funds now estimated to total Rp. 2 billion (US$200,000) from some 200 separate accounts .
The 200 customers who have reported lost funds were customers of the following banks: Bank Central Asia (BCA), Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Mandiri, Bank Permata, Bank International and Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI).
Police have indicated that the fraud may have involved people living in Russia, Canada and Australia.
It is not clear how many ATMs were used in the fraud or if the case originates from a single machine shared by customers of the aforementioned banks.
Moves to Prevent Panic
In order to prevent widespread panic among banking customers, Bank Indonesia coordinated a meeting between the news media and Bali banks on Thursday, January 21, 2010.
At that meeting, the high tech modus operandi of the ATM thieves was explained to the press, a method which may have included hidden surveillance cameras that captured the passwords of bank customers.
A Bank Central Asia (BCA) and Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) representative attending the meeting said that it will take between 10-14 working days to reimburse the loss of their customers affected by the scam.
Steps You Can Take to Protect your ATM Account.
Banking officials are recommending the following steps to protect your ATM and credit card accounts:
• Customers should change their PIN numbers on a periodic basis.
• Cover your hand with your free hand when entering your PIN number.
• Do not disclose your PIN number to others.
• Don't respond to people posing as bank officials or emails supposedly sent from your bank asking for your PIN number.
• Pay attention to the physical condition of your ATM machine, looking for suspicious additions or changes in the machine or the surrounding environment. When in doubt, report your suspicions and take your transaction to another ATM location.
• Keep an eye on your ATM and credit card. Ask merchants that the card be swiped in your presence and beware of machines that do not resemble a standard EDC (Electronic Data Capture) machine.
• Inspect your credit cards or, if unsure, call you bank and ask if they are using embedded chips on your credit card. These are now a requirement for Indonesian credit card companies and largely prevent the illegal use of your card by "card swiping schemes."

The St. Regis Bali Resort's chefs are joining forces with Michelin Guide award-winning Marcello Fabbri, to deliver a six-course, wine matched degustation dinner over what the Resort has proclaimed as the "Valentine's Gourmet Weekend" February 13-14, 2010, centered at the resort's Kayuputi Restaurant. An a la carte menu is also on offer during this period.
Marcello Fabbri first kitchen foray began in the kitchen of his aunt's hotel in Rimini at the age of 9. Later, when he turned 13, the young Italian resolved to make a vocation of his avocation.
During a distinguished career still in full bloom, Marcello has worked under world class chefs such as Gino Angelini, widely accepted as the best Italian chef in Los Angeles; Gualtiero Marchesi in Sardinia; and Mario Gamba in Munich. Marcello has been at Weimar's historic Hotel Elephant since 1993, holding the post of head chef at the Anna Amalia Restaurant, establishing the restaurant as the top gourmet restaurant in the eastern part of the German Federation and earning inclusion in the Michelin Guide in November 2009. Some of the prominent guests who have dined on Marcello's creations include the German Chancellor Schroeder, Russian Federation President Putin and singer Jennifer Lopez.
During his brief Bali visit, Marcello will team his considerable culinary skill with menus inspired by the "love season" of Valentines.
The menu at this romantic Gourmet Weekend will also include a la carte items in addition to a sumptuous degustation menu on both 13 and 14 February 2010.
Some of the highlight from the a la carte menu include:
• Deep sea scallops ‘Au Gratin' with nuts, orange sauce and home made leek tartlet.
• Lukewarm Bali Lobster served with grilled water melon and ‘Sauce American.'
• Pan Seared Duck Foie Gras with ripe mango and king oyster mushrooms.
• Potato Gnocchi with Australian Yabbies with fresh tomatoes and Rucola leaves.
• Fine ribbons of noodles topped with Russian caviar organic chives and virgin oil.
• Pan roasted rack of rabbit from Bedugul highlands ravioli of red bell peppers drizzled with herb pesto.
• Pan Fried Fillet of Grouper set on a walnut crusted king prawn, served with Aubergine Duo and parsley emulsion.
• Slow roasted New Zealand rack of lamb coated in zucchini served with filled zucchini blossom and Mediterranean vegetables.
• Mousse of Gorgonzola cheese served and pickled pears.
• Composition of Mango light mango mousse, mango tartlet, ragout of ripe mango homemade mango sherbet.
• Ricotta-Nut-Tartlet served with mascarpone ice cream and Salpicon of exotic fruits.
• Chocolate Cruller with 24 carat gold leaf marinated pineapple and coconut milk sherbet drizzled with cocoa nibs.
For bookings and more information, contact the The St. Regis Bali at telephone ++62-(0)361-8478111.

American television star Chris Noth, who plays the role of "Mr. Big" on the hit U.S. television show "Sex & The City" wants to visit Bali ever so much.
According to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle's SF Gate, Noth is stalling on signing a contract for the movie sequel to the television blockbuster, demanding the scriptwriters devise a story line that would bring "Mr. Big" to Bali.
Pressure is building as Noth continues to negotiate with producers despite the fact that the filming of the movie is already underway.
Noth is confident that he'll come to terms with filmmakers, but insists his character needs a Bali holiday. Referring to his role as Mr. Big, Noth says: "I want him to travel the world. I think he and Carrie should go to Bali." The role of Carrie Bradshaw in the TV program is played by Sarah Jessica Parker.
The 55 year-old Noth may be trying to rediscover his roots, returning to Indonesia where he starred in his first film, a low-budget feature Jakarta filmed in 1988.
Alternatively, Noth may have been inspired by Julia Roberts' recent filming of "Eat, Pray, Love" in Bali. That film, set for release in mid-2010, concludes with Elizabeth Gilbert, the role played by Roberts, getting her man at the end of the film - a 50 something Lothario living in the central Bali community of Ubud.
No matter how you see it, full marks to Chris Noth's who's got his head and his heart in the right place: Bali.

Radar Bali reports a story that again underlines the tangled web of property deals in Bali, affecting both locals and foreign nationals alike.
Hundreds of local citizens from the Petitenget area near Seminyak in Bali marched last week on the home of Irwandi Ibrahim at Jalan Klecung No. 16, Uma Alas, Kerobokan Kelod. Dressed in traditional Balinese garb, the citizens claimed that Ibrahim's home stands on village land in a pelaba pura tract set aside specifically for religious use. The villagers insist they hold a legal certificate for the land and want Ibrahim, originally from Sumatra, and his family to vacate the property.
Tens of security personnel from the Badung Police precinct were on hand during the protest to maintain public order. Village represents read their demand that Ibrahim vacate the subject parcel of land before January 25, 2010. The villages base their demand on the fact that they had purchased the land from a colleague of Ibrahim, Bayu Suka Candra.
While the protest was underway, an officer of the Petitenget Temple, Made Sudiana, told the press that the village unit had already won their case on the District Court level in Denpasar and, on that basis, wants Ibrahim to surrender the property.
Irwandi, who is an Indonesian national, together with his American wife and two children, occupy a 500 square meter parcel of land sold by Bayu Suka Candra to the local village in 2009.
Based on their land certificate the village was able to prevail in a land dispute case before the Denpasar Court. Said Sudiana: "Now, the land certificate is in the name of the Petitenget temple. With the certificate in our hands, the owner of the house must move."
Irwandi, who was interviewed by Radar Bali following the protest, said that he is in the process of appealing the decision of the Denpasar Court, seeking to prove his ownership of the small plot of land valued at Rp. 2 billion (US$200,000). "The decision is not final, so we do not want to move before the appeal process is over," said Irwandi who is the former owner of a bar in Bali.
Irwandi claims he is the victim of trickery by Bayu Suka Candra, who he describes as a "loan shark."
"I was conned by Bayu," said Ibrahim. "Because of this, the safety of my family is under threat."
At one time Ibrahim and Bayu were said to be close friends and associates. Irwandi, who needed funds for his bar venture, borrowed Rp. 200 million (US$20,000) from Bayu in 2005. The certificate on the contested piece of land was given to Bayu as collateral for the loan. Ibrahim told the press, "I paid the entire loan back to Bayu on time."
Ibrahim claims that Bayu sold the land to the local villagers, explaining: "I don't know why he sold my land to the village. This was done without my knowledge or the knowledge of my family."
Efforts by Ibrahim to track down Bayu have proven unsuccessful.

According to Beritabali.com, the January 1, 2010, introduction of free medical care for all Bali residents under Governor Pastika's Jaminan Kesehatan Bali Mandara (JKBM) program has resulted in a ten-fold increase in poor people seeking medical assistance from Bali's already over-burdened public hospital system.
The JKBM Program promises free medical care and hospitalization in class III wards at all public hospitals.
The head of the Bali Health Service, Dr. Nyoman Sutedja, told the press that, in the past, the average number of poor patients seeking treatment at a single public hospital in Bali averaged around 100 patients per month. However, since the introduction of the JKBM Program on January 1st, that average looks to increase to 1,000 patients per month.
In order to deal with the sudden upsurge in patients at regency hospitals, the Bali Health service is urging public hospitals to form alliances with private hospitals in Bali. A number of local community health centers normally reserved only for outpatient treatments are being considered for upgrades to allow the warding overnight of the sick and injured. Of the 108 community health centers (puskesmas) enlisted in the JKBM Program 20 are equipped to admit overnight patients.
Some officials are hopeful that the current high demand for free medical service may reduce over coming weeks as the backlog of chronically ill patients seeking initial treatment gradually subsides.

Kompas.com confirms that customs officers at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport have arrested a French national, Virgille Luc Arthur Sidione Barnay (34) after discovering two syringes and 0.78 grams of heroin concealed in the man's underwear.
The head of the custom's office for Bali, West and East Nusa Tenggara, Faried Sibly Barchea, told the press that his officials became suspicious of the behavior of the man who arrived on AirAsia from Bangkok at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, January 22, 2010.
When a narcotics dog approached the man it detected drug traces on the man's hands which led to a more detailed physical search which revealed the drugs and syringes concealed in the front of his briefs.
The Frenchman admitted to police that he has been using heroin for the past six months and his cache was intended only for his personal consumption while visiting Bali.
The Capture of the Frenchman was the second drug bust made by airport authorities since Wednesday, January 20, 2010.
Related Article
[Two Malaysians Arrested for Drug Smuggling at Bali Airport]

The National News Agency Antara reports that mature shade trees are continuing to disappear in the Kuta area of Bali. While trees in the past were cut down by unnamed individuals, the recent removal of three decades old trees along Jalan Double Six was done by the Hotel Ramada Camakila with the permission of the Village Chief (Lurah) of Kuta.
The chairman of a local community organization, Wayan Suata, said: "We see that the Lurah of Kuta is playing games with the hotel. The proof is that the hotel with only the permission of the village administration is emboldened to removed trees in the Legian region."
In the past, the Bupati (Regent) of Badung, Anak Agung Gde Agung, has urged the greening of Bali and outlawed the reckless destruction of shade trees.
Suata added: "I regret the felling of these shade trees only on the authorization of the village administration. This means the lurah has ignored the directives of his superior, the Bupati."
Suata and other local residents are claiming that the felling of the shade trees has increased the temperature in the area.
"The trees are older than those who built the hotel; it doesn't make sense that they be cut merely on the request of the hotel," said Suata.
Meanwhile, the hotel is defending the destruction of the trees, saying guests staying at the hotel now have a better view that the trees have been cut down.
"Come on," protested a local resident quoted by Antara, "established trees have to be sacrificed just for a better view? It appears the concept of the hotel is to abandon the preservation of the environment."
Officials from the village administration have defended the trees' removal, saying Hotel Ramada has every right to cut down tree that interfere with their guests view. The permit to cut down the shade tree also contained the requirement for the hotel to plant 10 coconut trees as replacements trees.
Similar felling of aged shade trees have also taken place recently near the Ramayana Hotel on Jalan Kartika Plaza, Kuta.
The head of the Hygiene and Public Parks Department (KPK) for Badung, Wayan Suteja, claims that trees can only be cut down with the written permission of his department.

The Badung Regency government is working to remove the garbage and waste accumulating along Kuta beach over the past two weeks through the deployment of three pieces of heavy equipment along the popular seaside.
The head of the Hygiene and Public Parks Division (DKP) for Badung, Wayan Suteja, was quoted by the National News Agency Antara, saying: "Through the addition of heavy equipment we hope to remove the garbage that has gathered along the famous tourist beach of Kuta. Hopefully in two days the garbage will be a thing of the past."
He also praised the assistance to clean the beach being extended by local traders and security officials who are helping to gather the garbage into large piles for eventual removal to the public dump of Bali.
The head of the DKP was certain the beach would soon be clean, but warned: "Because the westerly winds are still blowing the possibility still exists that more garbage will wash ashore on this beach. But, if the sun shines and there's no strong wind, we can continue to clean the beach.
The garbage washed ashore in recent weeks has caused many vacationers to abandon their plans for a day on the sandy beach.

Beritabali.com reports that the Provincial Tourism Office for Bali has set a target of 2.3 million foreign tourists to the island for 2010. This number is higher than the 2.2 million achieved in 2009 and is a substantial improvement over the 1.8 million recorded in 2008.
The head of the Bali Tourism Office, Ida Bagus Subhisku, told the press on January 25, 2009, that he is optimistic the 2010 target can be achieved when seen from the current trends of increasing arrivals to Bali. Early figures from Bali's airport are showing around 6,220 foreign tourist arrivals per day in January 2010 as compared to 4,000 daily arrivals for the same month in 2009. Also serving to buoy his optimism are several important international conventions slated to be held on the island in 2010.
Subhisku also boasted that some 40 cruise ships are expected to visit Bali in 2010 carry a total of 45,000 visitors.

Anak Agung Gde Agung is one of Indonesia's most distinguished and well-informed senior statesmen. He is a graduate of Harvard and Leiden universities. He as attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in the United States and served as social services minister during the administration of President Abdurrahman Wahid.
The following article is reprinted from The Jakarta Post.
Indonesian Tourism - a National Tragedy
Government officials at all levels claim that Indonesia's tourism is doing well, with each year seeing robust advancements. On the contrary, however, all the data indicate how dismally Indonesia's tourism has done this past decade.
In the last 12 years to 2007, tourist numbers fluctuated between 4 million and 5 million visitors. The average length of stay has declined, from 10 days in 1997 to barely 8.5 days in 2008. Worst yet is how Indonesia compares with neighboring Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, which last year attracted 10 million, 15 million and 22 million visitors respectively.
How can such a huge discrepancy occur? How is it that Indonesia, brimming with such wealth in culture and natural beauty, attracts only a quarter of the tourists that basically barren Malaysia does?
This tragedy seems to have its source in the early 1980s, when Indonesia, strapped for funds, pointed to already world-famous Bali as its tourist cash cow. Since then, little has changed. As a result, Indonesia's tourist attraction has been practically limited to Bali, with devastating consequences. Tourists overflow in quantum leaps to Bali, creating an explosion of infrastructure requirements that visibly erode the natural environment.
The over-concentration of tourists in Bali has not only brought an unmanageable overflow of visitors to the island - often the wrong types who cannot appreciate the unique local culture and natural environment - but has also led to an utter neglect of the other many equally attractive tourist spots throughout the archipelago.
Fabulous sites such as Borobudur, Yogyakarta, Toraja, Bunaken and Ujung Kulon, for instance, have been practically left unheeded. Such complacency has a high price, as can been seen from the destructive erosion that the overcrowding of tourists has brought to Bali's culture and environment, and how it has stagnated Indonesia's other richly diverse tourist destinations.
How bad have these other destinations stagnated? Here are a few horrifying statistics:
Borobudur, that World Cultural Heritage icon, was only able to muster about 85,000 foreign tourists last year, compared to more than 1 million by the more recently discovered Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Toraja these last few years has only attracted an average of about 5,000 overseas tourists a year.
Bunaken averaged only about 10,000 foreign visitors a year for as long as one can remember, versus more than 4 million for the similar Pattaya in Thailand.
Ujung Kulon, with its rare one-horned rhino, can only claim an average of 6,000 combined domestic and foreign tourists a year.
A fast recovery is imperative here and the condition for this is a complete change in mind-set. The first order of the day is for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to declare tourism a national priority and for central and regional authorities as well as the government and the private sector to work hand in hand in this effort. This needs to be followed by a preliminary phase of quick-win activities rejuvenating tourist destinations that have so far languished but need only small improvements to boost them back.
Borobudur, for instance, can be brought back to full splendor by relocating the street vendors who have been encroaching on the temple grounds and harassed visitors from fully enjoying this beautiful temple/monastery. Toraja can also attract far more tourists by repairing its forsaken airfield so that visitors can arrive there within 45 minutes from Makassar and avoid the perilous 10-hour journey through steep mountains.
As for Ujung Kulon, tourist numbers can easily rise to more than a million there within a very short time if regular and safe sea transportation is made available from Jakarta. There are other fabulous places besides those mentioned above currently suffering from lack of attention, such as Mount Bromo, Yogyakarta and Komodo Island, which only need small touches to turn them quickly into major tourist destinations while easing the pressure on overcrowded Bali.
The quick-win phase should be followed by a longer-term buildup of other tourist sites nationwide, which will require more infrastructure investment to put them on the travel map. These sites are currently still relatively unfamiliar places, but have the potential to offer inherently unique attractions and help sustain the long-term development of Indonesia's tourist industry.
Such places include Trowulan and Kota Gede for historical interests, Banda Naira and Raja Ampat for spectacular surfing, and the Baliem Valley and Waikabubak for unparalleled ethnic experiences. There are many other such tourist sites and they can be offered in clusters of similar attractions to make the trip for tourists richer and more diverse.
Both during the quick-win and long-term phases, the tourism recovery effort has to be supported by appropriately directed promotional campaigns with a common national branding. Malaysia has its "Truly Asia", India its "Incredible" claim while Singapore and Thailand have respectively dubbed themselves "Uniquely Singapore" and "Amazing Thailand". Branding is important to position the country concerned at the top of mind of would-be tourists while also filtering the right tourists who can appreciate what that country offers.
Increased arrivals of tourists, who show their appreciation of the local specialties, will make the local people proud of their heritage and motivate them to strengthen it further, which in turn will bring even more like-minded tourists. This will result in an upward spiral of tourists and local people hand in hand strengthening the traditional inheritance of the land.
A successful tourism program can have many priceless benefits for Indonesia, including making it the most diverse tourist destination in the world, providing it with a sustainable and environmentally clean source of revenue larger than any of its current ones, and bringing overall prosperity to the people throughout the archipelago (and not just Bali) through grassroots empowerment and self-sustenance.
These are huge potentials that Indonesia should strive its best to realize, as the rewards for their successes are just too great to forgo.

Although well into the first month of 2010, the officials count on December 2009 visitors to Bali and, by extension, the final count of foreign visitors for the year, won't be in hand until sometime in February.

However, the tally of visitors traveling to Bali through the end of November is now in demonstrating that Bali has sailed past the 2 million visitor mark, safely on the way to the 2.2 million visitors for the entire year projected by www.balidiscovery.com.
Here's what Bali's arrival numbers through November have to say:
• November arrivals equaled 163,531 an increase of 15.2% over the same month in 2009 (142,014).
• Total Bali arrivals through the end of November 2009 stood at 2,047,389 - an improvement of 13.62% over 2008 (1,802,037).
• Australia has completely displaced Japan as Bali's top in-bound market. Through the end of November 2009, Australia claimed a 19.48% market share totaling 398,809 visitors. Year on year, the Australian market grew 41.25% in 2009.
• By comparison, Japan's market share has dropped to 14.67%, achieving 300,454 through the end of November 2009. Japanese arrivals year on year are down -9.78% .
• Benefiting from better air access and visas on arrival facilities, visitors from the People's Republic of China grew 60.55% through the end of November 2009. Chinese visitors totaled 189,990.
• South Korea arrivals have dropped -3.89% through the end of November 2009 with a total of 117.034.
• Malaysia visitors continued to grow to Bali in 2009, increasing 5.79% with a total through the end of November of 119,915.
• French visitors to Bali increased an impressive 48.27% , reaching 104,509. through the end of November 2009.
• Reflecting a troubled economy at home, Russian visitors through the end of November 2009 decreased -3.09% at 52,032.
• Dutch visitors are on the increase. A total of 67,813 through the end of November represent a 14.24% improvement over the previous year.
• U.S.A. arrivals through the end of November 2009 stood at 67,220 - up 8.37% over the same period in 2008.
• The German economy is going through a rough patch reflected in a -8.32% decline in visitors ex that country year to date for November 2009 (70,049).
• The U.K. market remains robust, improving 13.47% at 85,278 at the end of November 2009.