Friday, April 04, 2008
Indonesia
Last week I flew into Jakarta using AirAsia. I had brought along my printed ticket from the computer to check-in at LCCT but forgot to ask for it back.
On arrival, the immigration officer wanted to look at my itinerary. He said I can only be allowed in if I had an itinerary. I was just in Hong Kong flying in with Cathay Pacific and all I needed was my passport to check-in at the e-ticket counter and on arrival the immigration officer didn't ask for my itinerary. Anyhow, the Indonesian immigration officer wanted money. I offered RM10 .00 but he wanted RM50.00 which I refused. It really makes you sick to enter this country. Last year when I went to Jarkarta, the officer also gave me such a hard time and I had to pay RM10.00.
In Jakarta, we went for drinks and on the way back we took a taxi back to the hotel and met a police roadblock. We gave them our passports and he told us it was law for foreigners to go back to the police station for questioning. This is even worse than the communist! Anyhow we didn't want any trouble and gave the police Rupiah50,000. The police officer gave Rupiah5,000 to the taxi driver so that the driver will not make a report.
I wanted to start a trading company to register my health products. The requirement was US$100,000 paid up capital, 51% local equity and we can only have 49%. The system really doesn't attract FDIs and create jobs for their people. It just protects the already rich as we have to partner them. Passing the immigration already makes me feel unwanted, let alone doing business there.
The system of corruption, unemployment and mismanagement is really unbelievable. I ask God what about the poor, helpless and forsaken there.
On arrival, the immigration officer wanted to look at my itinerary. He said I can only be allowed in if I had an itinerary. I was just in Hong Kong flying in with Cathay Pacific and all I needed was my passport to check-in at the e-ticket counter and on arrival the immigration officer didn't ask for my itinerary. Anyhow, the Indonesian immigration officer wanted money. I offered RM10 .00 but he wanted RM50.00 which I refused. It really makes you sick to enter this country. Last year when I went to Jarkarta, the officer also gave me such a hard time and I had to pay RM10.00.
In Jakarta, we went for drinks and on the way back we took a taxi back to the hotel and met a police roadblock. We gave them our passports and he told us it was law for foreigners to go back to the police station for questioning. This is even worse than the communist! Anyhow we didn't want any trouble and gave the police Rupiah50,000. The police officer gave Rupiah5,000 to the taxi driver so that the driver will not make a report.
I wanted to start a trading company to register my health products. The requirement was US$100,000 paid up capital, 51% local equity and we can only have 49%. The system really doesn't attract FDIs and create jobs for their people. It just protects the already rich as we have to partner them. Passing the immigration already makes me feel unwanted, let alone doing business there.
The system of corruption, unemployment and mismanagement is really unbelievable. I ask God what about the poor, helpless and forsaken there.
