Thousands of BCA customers rush to branches, ATMs<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of customers of Bank Central Asia
\n(BCA) flocked to branches and automated teller machines (ATMs)
\nthroughout the city yesterday and queued for hours to withdraw
\ntheir money.<\/p>\n
The run on BCA trailed several days of heavy withdrawals from
\nthe country's largest private bank, which is owned by the widely
\ndiversified Salim Group and children of former president
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's run was also prompted by the government's
\nannouncement Thursday that the bank had been placed under the
\ncontrol of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post observed BCA branches in Jatinegara, East
\nJakarta; Matraman, Slipi and Sudirman, Central Jakarta and
\nMelawai in South Jakarta, which were all swamped by customers
\nfrom 8 a.m.<\/p>\n
A woman who fainted at BCA Sudirman was assisted by security
\nofficers and allowed to rest in one of the offices.<\/p>\n
Some customers admitted queuing before 6 a.m. for a head start
\non the crowds.<\/p>\n
\"I came here (to BCA Matraman) about 5:40 a.m. It was still
\nquiet. But a few minutes later people started coming and the
\nsecurity officers told us to stand in line,\" Rachmiaty. S., an
\nemployee of a private firm who skipped work yesterday, said.<\/p>\n
She said she would try to withdraw all her money and deposit
\nit in one of the state banks.<\/p>\n
\"I work hard for my money. It's about Rp 4 million in total.
\nMaybe it sounds small to other people but it's worth a lot for
\nme.\"<\/p>\n
Randita Pramudya, a customer at BCA Slipi, said he was
\ndisappointed with the service.<\/p>\n
\"They closed the doors about 10 a.m.. We were forced to wait
\noutside.\"<\/p>\n
Queues of people in front of BCA ATMs have become a daily
\nscene here over the last few days after massive student protests,
\nwhich resulted in former president Soeharto's resignation.<\/p>\n
There were people who came to terminate their accounts and
\nthere were also others who only wanted to withdraw money for
\nbasic expenses.<\/p>\n
\"I haven't paid my mobile phone bill, my credit cards ... and
\nI don't have any money left,\" Gunawan, a resident of Tegalan,
\nMatraman, said.<\/p>\n
\"If people keep on coming like this, I'm afraid BCA could
\ncollapse. I personally believe that the government would not
\nabandon BCA customers. As you know, BCA is the largest bank here.<\/p>\n
\"But the lining up and the run has started to get on my
\nnerves,\" the father of four said.<\/p>\n
Yustika Indriyani, a small vendor in Jatinegara, had a similar
\nexperience.<\/p>\n
\"I put money in the bank because I thought that it would be
\nsafe. But who would have thought about this ... Well I'd better
\njust keep the money under the bed like I used to,\" she said,
\nusing a newspaper to shade her head.<\/p>\n
She said BCA customers were no longer high-class members of
\nsociety.<\/p>\n
\"I saw all of my friends here ... they are all common people.
\nThere's Pak Trisuji, an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver near my
\nplace,\" she said, waving.<\/p>\n
BCA claimed 122 of its offices were damaged during the massive
\nrioting two weeks ago, including 17 of which where set on fire.
\nDozens of its ATM facilities were also attacked by angry mobs
\nduring the riots on May 14, dubbed Gray Thursday.<\/p>\n
In a move to bolster confidence in the bank, BCA president
\nAbdullah Ali called a snap media conference Sunday to inform the
\npublic that BCA's shareholders were still committed to the bank,
\nas was Bank Indonesia, the central bank.<\/p>\n
BCA is owned by the Salim Group, which retains a 70 percent
\nmajority stake and Soeharto's son Sigit Hardjojudanto and
\ndaughter Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, who hold the remaining 30
\npercent.<\/p>\n
\"The bank will operate normally since Bank Indonesia has
\nguaranteed all deposits, including those at BCA,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But his words did little to calm people's fears. People are
\nalready too traumatized by the chaos and simply fear they will
\nlose their money.<\/p>\n
\"We need to keep cash. This country is falling apart. What is
\nleft for little people like us?\" Yustika asked. (edt)<\/p>",
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