PRESIDENT BEGINS RAMADAN SAFARI IN WEST, CENTRAL JAVA

Jakarta, Sept 17 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his entourage left Jakarta by train at 8:00 on Wednesday morning for a Ramadan safari in West and Central Java.

The head of state boarded a train at Gambir railway station and headed to Cirebon on West Java's northern coast from where he is scheduled to proceed to Purwokerto and Majenang in Central Java, and later to Tasikmalaya and Bandung in West Java.

Yudhoyono's Ramadan safari in Central and West Java would last until Friday, September 19, 2008.

Last Wednesday (Sept 10), the president left the capital for a Ramadan safari in East Java where he, among other things, visited state rolling stock making company PT INKA in Madiun.

There the president was briefed on matters relating to the company by PT INKA President Director Roos Diatmoko and then inspected the company's railway coach manufacturing plant.

President Yudhoyono also visited the Darussalam Modern Islamic Boarding School at Gontor village in Ponorogo district and attended fast-breaking get-together with local people at Jami Gontor Mosque.

He also went to Jombang and Surabaya to visit petrochemical industry PT Petrokimia in Gresik district before returning to Jakarta.