Council objects to gas pistol plan
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A councillor and a public lawyer questioned on Thursday the Jakarta Transportation Agency's proposal to purchase additional gas pistols worth a total of Rp 1.5 billion (US$166,666), saying that it could trigger more violence in the city.
Speaking separately to The Jakarta Post, councillor Mukhayar RM of the Justice Party and the urban division head of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute Tubagus Haryo Karbyanto suggested the agency ask for help from the police, instead of purchasing more pistols.
"We will reject the proposal if there is no clear regulation on the use of the guns and an explanation from the agency," Mukhayar who is a member of the City Council Commission D for development affairs, said.
He asserted that the guns could be misused by the agency officers, saying it could trigger more clashes between the officers and residents.
Tubagus suspected that the guns would be used by the agency in their operations against street vendors who currently crowd bus terminals.
"It would be better to use the fund to improve the transportation system, instead of purchasing more guns. A lot of the disorder found in the city public transportation system is caused by the agency officers, such as illegal levies," he said.
He deplored the plan to purchase the guns, saying that it was part of the city administration's policy to use violence against the city's poor residents, such as street vendors, newcomers and pedicab drivers.
During a meeting with Commission D on Tuesday, the agency head Rustam Effendy revealed the plan to purchase the gas pistols.
"It's also to buy bullets for the gas pistols which we already have," Rustam said without mentioning the number of pistols or bullets to be purchased.
He said earlier that his officers often face resistance from drivers and hoodlums in terminals during raids.
In 2000, the Public Order Office purchased approximately 60 German-made gas pistols and pistols that fire rubber bullets for Rp 22 million each. The city spent at least Rp 3 billion for the guns and to train the officers how to use them.