'Assembly members make me sick'

'Assembly members make me sick'

Despite the ongoing Annual Session, people remain skeptical
that the 700 members of the People's Consultative Assembly will
actually be able to come up with solutions to cope with the
country's political and economic crisis. They shared their views
with The Jakarta Post.

Rino, 34, has been working as a traditional medicated oil
vendor in the city for 12 years. He comes from Southeast Maluku
and now resides in Kemanggisan, West Jakarta, with his wife and
two children:

I never ever feel the legislators represent me as a low-income
earner. They don't even help us to survive.

They claim they fight for the poor, but which poor people do
they fight for? It's just nonsense! So, tell them not to talk
about poor people because it is all just a big lie.

They only talk of their own interests and positions.

I swear that if they ever pass me by, I will throw stones at
the faces of the people's representatives.

I'm sick of them. My life is getting worse and they do nothing
to improve our fate.

Every time I see them driving their posh cars, I wonder how
they are able to earn that much money. I have been working for
many years but I can't afford to even buy a bicycle at the
moment.

Diki, 26, is a mobile vendor who sells beverages and
cigarettes. He was born in Kuningan, West Java, and now lives
with his wife and one son in Klender, East Jakarta:

The Annual Session is meaningless because the people's
representatives never side with the poor. I don't even feel they
represent our interests, just theirs.

The legislators and the country's leaders are all the same:
They are the wrong people. They are not down-to-earth people who
are willing to lower themselves to see the reality of poor
people's lives.

I'm not quite sure they can open their eyes and see how
vendors like me have to stay continuously alert for City Public
Order officers who are ready to evict us at any minute. Do they
recognize the insecurity felt by most vendors?

We face such a hard life every day. Do you think Megawati
knows what happens to us low-income people?

Windu Aji, 31, is a marketing staff of a noted publishing
company. He resides in Cibubur, East Jakarta:

Practically speaking, the people's representatives have failed
to struggle for the betterment of people's lives in general. I
have never felt they represent the people's interests at all.

In my opinion, the People's Consultative Assembly and the
House of Representatives lack qualified human resources. The
quality can be measured by their consistent commitment to the
poor and their personal capacity. Perhaps less than 2 percent of
the legislators meet that quality.

Frankly, I'm apathetic to them, because they just come, sit
and voice superficial ideas at most of the sessions. Worse still,
they don't even feel embarrassed about receiving a high salary
without working properly.

Most legislators should be replaced in an attempt to improve
the quality of the people's representatives. Otherwise, the
people's interests will always be neglected.

Tika, 31, a kindergarten teacher in Depok. She resides in
Depok with her two children and husband:

I don't think they represent all the people here. If they were
our representatives they would have done something to slow down
the rocketing prices of everyday items.

Personally, I'm reluctant to say or think about politicians or
our leaders. It drives me crazy and makes my head spin. Instead
of making our lives more comfortable, they make it more
miserable.

I just hope they can stop the price hikes. How we can live
prosperously if our income is not enough even to cover our most
basic daily needs?

--Leo Wahyudi S