'Bonus, salary spent on Idul Fitri'
As Idul Fitri approaches, many people are planning how they will use their holiday bonuses. There are family gatherings, new clothes and presents to pay for. However, some people, contract employees and those who have not been with their companies for long, there will be no Idul Fitri bonus. The Jakarta Post asked some residents what they were going to do with their extra money.
Comr. Junaedi, 39, is a police officer with the public relations division at the National Police Headquarters. He lives with his wife and two children in Ciputat, South Jakarta:
Officially, a police officer does not get any bonus from the state budget. However, each immediate superior has his or her own policy regarding how much of a bonus they will give to their Muslim subordinates. So, different divisions will get different bonuses.
This year, I got a quarter of my salary as a bonus from my boss. Of course, this is not enough. But a police officer should not demand more than his commander has given to him. Besides, I realize that it is only because of my commander that I get any bonus. Even if we don't get a bonus, we should be satisfied with our monthly salary.
Lenny, 24, works at a telecommunications company. She lives in Depok:
I received a holiday bonus, but my fiancee, Gege, 25, who works for the same group but at a different subsidiary, did not.
I spent most of the bonus buying plane tickets to Surabaya for the two of us. We can barely afford to buy something for my family back home. The bonus wasn't enough to celebrate Idul Fitri in my hometown because everything is very expensive.
Luckily, I received the bonus at the same time I received my salary. So I spent both on my Idul Fitri celebrations. But that means there is nothing left to save for our wedding.
I hope the company will increase my bonus next year so I can save most of my salary for my wedding reception. Hopefully, Gege will get a bonus next year so that by the end of next year we will have enough money for our wedding.
-- The Jakarta Post