'Better to die in a blast than die softly'

'Better to die in a blast than die softly'

Job seekers find Jakarta the right place to try their luck.
Unfortunately, in an effort to control the flow of newcomers,
Governor Sutiyoso intends to close the city to unskilled, poor
migrants. The Jakarta Post talked to migrants about the issue.

Sun'an, a mobile vendor selling noodles in Grogol, West
Jakarta. He lives on Jl. Satria in West Jakarta with his wife. He
comes from Gresik, East Java:

It's impossible to implement the would-be policy. Say it's
true, it would not be that easy to drive the migrants back to
their hometowns.

The city leaders are only good at talking because they have
power. Unfortunately, they never help us, the low-income people,
to get by.

The poor have suffered too much. I'm afraid that the new
regulations will spark chaos around the city.

It's better that all poor migrants are murdered in a bomb
blast like in Bali rather than softly killed by such regulations.
I'm sick of the selfish leaders who rule the country.

They don't realize that it is the low-income people who make
the roofs for their luxury homes. The poor laborers have also
prepared the asphalt for the roads used by their posh sedans.
Without poor migrants, the rich city residents could do nothing.

Warsa, 62, a construction worker. He shares a rented house
with his friends in Juraganan, South Jakarta. His wife and six
children live in Kuningan, West Java:

I disagree with the policy. As a migrant I came here just for
our daily food. Why is it prohibited?

All migrants here can earn money as long as they are willing
to work hard or do odd jobs. Jakarta is the right place for
hardworking migrants. But for those who dislike doing odd jobs,
the city is not recommended.

Meanwhile, if I work hard as a farmer in my region, I could
also survive. But, the income depends much on natural factors
such as the rain and irrigation. So, I prefer to stay in Jakarta
in order to be able to support my family.

I think the government cannot just impose the regulations
without considering the poor people's lives. What will we eat if
we are banned from entering the city?

Walim, 30, a newspaperboy in West Jakarta. He lives with his
boss in Petamburan, Central Jakarta. His son and wife live in
Cikampek, West Java:

I think it would not be that easy to impose the regulations to
ban unskilled migrants. I only earn around Rp 300,000 a month.
So, what can I do to survive if Jakarta is closed to unskilled
people like me?

I wonder why the recent city government always does whatever
it wants, regardless of the real condition. In this case, the
low-income people are commonly victimized.

Luckily, most of the low-income people are accustomed to
living in poverty and under pressure.

But, should the regulations be implemented, we should
protest ... (but) the top leaders never listen to, let alone
accommodate, the voices of the poor.

--Leo Wahyudi S