Deserted markets greet Chinese New Year

JAKARTA (JP): The Year of the Tiger is just a few days away, and the city's Chinatown of Kota is festooned with red and gold, traditional colors of the Chinese New Year.

Behind all the gaudy decorations, business is gray.

"The market is weak, and the number of buyers has decreased drastically by up to 50 percent," said Elly, a store owner in Kota, the city's Chinatown. "My usual customers have not yet come even though the celebration is coming soon." The Chinese New Year falls Wednesday.

Even when they do visit, customers are keeping a tight hold on to their wallets, she said.

"Now people are very selective in spending their money. If they come here, they only buy a small tiger ornament to decorate their home."

Many accessories for Imlek are available at her store, such as the typical paper lamp, firecracker-shaped ornaments, statues of deities, small paper dolls and, of course, the plastic flower of the Meihwa, or plum.

"Usually in the Chinese mainland or Taiwan when Sin Cia (New Year) comes, the flower is blooming because it is spring," Elly said.

But as the flowers do not grow here, plastic ones have to suffice.

She also sells the traditional Imlek cake, kue keranjang, and manisan preserved fruits.

Except for cakes, all the store's items are imported from Taiwan.

And the plummeting rupiah translates into soaring prices for the goods.

"The price is increasing by up to 100 percent. Last year one paper tiger only cost Rp 4,000, now it is Rp 8,000. Can you imagine?" asked Elly, who has run her father's store for the past 15 years.

Why not produce the items here?

"Those ornaments are only needed once a year, and for a one- day celebration," she said. "Even in our calender, Imlek is not a holiday, so it is better to import."

This lack of enthusiasm may also be related to the subdued nature of celebrations here. Imlek must be marked by people in their homes as public celebrations are banned.

This prohibition is based on Presidential Instruction No. 14/1967 on Chinese religion, beliefs and culture, and a letter from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which stated the New Year was not a Buddhist holiday and was not celebrated at Buddhist temples.

City administration officials said last weekend the ban was enforced to prevent ethnic riots which could erupt at any time this year.

Political and economic uncertainty have seemingly dealt a double blow to the Imlek business.

One month before the holiday, traders usually set their Imlek wares out. Elly said celebrants would shop for their needs in the two weeks before Imlek, especially on Saturdays.

This year has been different. Many sidewalk vendors have failed to show up because they cannot pay the steep wholesale prices for their wares.

Udin Siregar is one of those who has survived. A veteran of the business since the 1980s, the Medan native buys Imlek cards and ang pao (gift) envelopes from an agent in Pasar Pagi.

He is still feeling the pinch.

"Last year, in one day I could make around Rp 200,000, but today it is really difficult to get Rp 100,000 per day," said the father of two.

The banks and offices which bought his products last year are no longer placing orders.

"They bought at least 500 cards, but now nobody comes to my stall," he said sadly.

Despite the slowdown, Udin is staying put in the card business because job openings are so scarce. He sells Imlek cards, Idul Fitri cards and Christmas cards according to the season. He also sells vegetables at Pasar Jelambar, West Jakarta.

"We are just common people, what can we say, there is nothing we can do. It is up to those who are in charge. At the moment I don't think about pleasure, I only think about how to survive from day to day."

Amin, from a store selling incense and religious items used by adherents of Chinese religions, said prices of local products produced in the capital and Medan had increased by between 25 percent and 30 percent.

This is still below the 40 percent rise for imports from Malaysia, Singapore, China and Taiwan.

"The number of buyers is decreasing by 23 percent to 30 percent," Amin said. "People still buy prayer items because they want to preserve their Chinese traditions, but they are now looking for cheaper ones.

"Customers spend about Rp 40,000 each at the most. Not more than that."

For seamstress Hediana, a sixth generation Chinese-Indonesian, the event is no big deal.

"We never celebrate it in a special way. Well, we only prepare some food for prayers in order to maintain our tradition, but it is not expensive food."

After prayers, a spread of dishes which includes kue keranjang is served for the family.

Economic woes have had no impact on her simple way of celebrating Imlek. The mother of six said her family does not devoutly maintain Chinese traditions and she never decorated her house with Imlek ornaments.

"It is a waste of money, no use," she said.