Apartments should

Apartments should replace slums

From Warta Kota

The eviction of fishermen in Kali Adem, North Jakarta, has made these poor people homeless. This problem will only be solved by the building of low-cost apartments, something that should have been planned by the Jakarta city administration before the demolition of the slums.

Densely populated districts in Jakarta should be rejuvenated by building low-cost apartments so that the city's down-at-heel neighborhoods can be gradually improved.

For example, the slums of Tanah Tinggi, Central Jakarta, particularly the decrepit shanties along both sides of the railroad tracks from Pasar Gaplok to Kota railway station, should be prioritized for rehabilitation. This can be done by providing apartments before pulling down the shacks.

Perhaps Jakarta's governor, Sutiyoso, should go by train to see for himself what the slum areas really look like. In fact, President Megawati should visit the city's many slum districts.

ABDUL WAHID Jakarta