President Abdurrahman defends ban on 'becak'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid defended on Saturday
\nthe city administration's decision to ban becak (pedicabs) from
\noperating in the city due to humanitarian grounds.<\/p>\n
Addressing a gathering of 10,000 of the city's poor residents
\nat the Senayan main stadium, South Jakarta, the President said
\npedicab drivers should not misunderstand the administration's
\npolicy.<\/p>\n
"The ban on becak operating in the city was indeed meant as a
\nmeasure to eradicate poverty.<\/p>\n
"We cannot let becak drivers continue their operations here as
\nthey've been working like horses," he said.<\/p>\n
"Jakarta is the capital city. It's not supposed to have becak
\non its streets anymore," he said.<\/p>\n
In May, Governor Sutiyoso upheld a 1988 bylaw that prohibits
\nbecak from operating in the city, saying that Jakarta was a
\npedicab-free area.<\/p>\n
Earlier last year, Sutiyoso allowed the pedicab drivers into
\nthe city due to the prolonged economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Since then the number of pedicabs has increased significantly.
\nSutiyoso then revoked his statement, ordering city public order
\nofficials to conduct raids on pedicabs.<\/p>\n
The President admitted that there have been procedural
\nviolations by city officials, but suggested that raids on becak
\nwere positive for both the drivers and the administration.<\/p>\n
"The most important thing is how to provide new jobs for the
\nbecak drivers," he said.<\/p>\n
The gathering, organized by the Urban Poor Consortium, was
\nattended by poor city residents, including 1,000 becak drivers
\nwho went to the stadium on their decorated becak.<\/p>\n
Also present at the gathering were Abdurrahman's wife Sinta
\nNuriyah, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Coordinating
\nMinister of People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Hamzah Haz,
\nMinister of Settlement and Territorial Development Erna Witoelar,
\nand Sutiyoso.<\/p>\n
The President's statement was opposed by most of the drivers,
\nwho said that driving becak was the only skill they had.<\/p>\n
"What can we do then? That's the only thing we can do for a
\nliving," becak driver Sarnap said after the gathering.<\/p>\n
Rasdullah, who has been working as a pedicab driver for 33
\nyears, earlier expressed hope that the government would not ban
\nbecak in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"That's the only thing we can do to support our family," he
\ntold the President.<\/p>\n
The poor people came to the stadium on rented buses and
\ntrucks. Some pedicab drivers even spent an evening around the
\nstadium.<\/p>\n
"We left at about 2 a.m. from our homes in Muara Baru, West
\nJakarta, to get here," said becak driver Sunardi.<\/p>\n
Poverty eradication<\/p>\n
The President then called on the Indonesian people's active
\nparticipation in the country's campaign for poverty eradication.<\/p>\n
"Poverty eradication is not the sole responsibility of the
\ngovernment, but also the people and the business community," said
\nAbdurrahman.<\/p>\n
"People should not be dependent on the government as they have
\nto learn how to solve their own problems."<\/p>\n
He said giving excessive authority to the government would be
\ndangerous. "A powerful government is dangerous for the people."<\/p>\n
He praised several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for
\ntheir active involvement in poverty eradication campaigns
\nnationwide.<\/p>\n
"I myself was an NGO activist. I respect the works of Cathy
\nLengkong, Romo Sandyawan and Wardah Hafidz," the President said,
\nreferring to several well-known names in the poverty eradication
\ncampaign.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman maintained that poverty eradication was his
\ngovernment's main agenda.<\/p>\n
"If we can't solve this problem, we will be a pariah nation,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Hamzah Haz said his office was now working on
\nseveral programs for poverty eradication.<\/p>\n
"The programs, which will include the distribution of credit
\nplans for the poor, will be coordinated with related ministries,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, a representative for factory workers, Setiyono, asked
\nthe President to increase the minimum regional wage (UMR) for
\nfactory workers.<\/p>\n
"The current UMR is no longer enough to cover our spending,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Mariah, a housewife, aired her concern over the continuing
\neconomic crisis.<\/p>\n
"If we don't have anything left, we may have to turn to
\nselling drugs to support our family," she said.<\/p>\n
She also criticized the government's social safety net
\nprogram, saying that the fund seldom reached the rightful
\nrecipients, but fell into the hands of unauthorized persons," she
\nsaid. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-abdurrahman-defends-ban-on-becak-1447893297",
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