Firm measure needed to curb migrants

JAKARTA (JP): During his weekly tour yesterday, Governor Surjadi Soedirdja called on subdistrict chiefs to firmly enforce law on population in an effort to impede the pace of urbanization.

The governor said that, so far, the subdistrict chiefs have not been firm enough on enforcing the law and the influx of migrants into Jakarta has continued unabated.

The population law that he wants to focus on specifically states that new migrants should report to local neighborhood chiefs once every 24 hours. When reporting, they are required to submit travel documents issued by the administration offices of the regions they hail from and other papers stating that they have occupations and residences in the capital.

Surjadi said, in most cases, new migrants only pose problems to the city, as the majority of them are less-educated and unskilled. According to him, they usually end up becoming vagrants, scavengers or asongan street vendors, who sell their goods at traffic light stops.

"Besides, the migration creates new slum areas, makeshift houses on riverbanks and along railways tracks," said the governor.

The city measures approximately 650 square in width which is almost equal to Singapore. Singapore is occupied by about three million people, as compared to Jakarta's more than eight million.

Earlier this week two former Jakarta governors Ali Sadikin and Wiyogo Atmodarminto urged Surjadi to take stricter measures to curb the capital's ever growing population.

Ali Sadikin even said the city should have been declared closed to new migrants a long time ago.

However, Surjadi seems to have another idea. He said that his aggressive campaign to impede the pace of migration does not mean that he will close Jakarta's door to new migrants.

"Jakarta is an open city, but now it is closed to migrants who do not have occupations and residences in the city. We should be selective in allowing new migrants to live in the city as we do not want to see them become beggars. There are still many places where they can make a better living," said Surjadi.

Surjadi once again stressed that, in the near future, the city will have no choice but to house the majority of its residents in apartments.

"Sooner or later, we shall all live in apartments," said the governor. (jsk)