Foreigners choose to stay, monitor security situation

Fitri Wulandari and Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite the massive tourist exodus from Bali, many foreign nationals in Jakarta have yet to follow suit as they said they would rather monitor the situation first.

Interviewed separately on Tuesday, they told The Jakarta Post that the security situation in general was conducive while at the same time saying they expected the government to improve efforts to ensure their safety.

Renville Almatsier of oil producer Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI), the country's largest oil producer, said that none of their expat workers were leaving or planning to leave the country.

"If there is any of our expat workers going abroad, that's because they are taking their annual leave and not because they are afraid," he said.

CPI employs 150 expats among its total 5,500 employees in Riau. There are only three expats in its Jakarta office.

"We are working closely, however, with Riau Police to safeguard the oil fields and the employees," said Renville.

Meanwhile, Stanley T. Okahara, who hails from Hawaii, said he was sure that the Indonesian government was doing its utmost to ensure security here. "I believe that the Indonesian authorities have done their best to keep Jakarta safe."

Okahara, who has a timber business here, said he and his expat colleagues would stay here despite the travel warnings issued by the U.S. Embassy.

"The travel ban was issued by the U.S. government. But we private individuals do not consider it necessary to leave Indonesia despite the bombing," he said. "My American, Australian and British friends are still here."

The Australian and British Embassies have also issued travel warnings concerning Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Ichiro Isozaki from Japan said the government should do everything to restore the feeling of security, especially among foreigners, in the aftermath of the Bali bombing.

"Foreign investors put security as their first priority before tax or other financial incentives.

"The government must work hard and prove to the public that they are doing something to solve the bombing case," said Isozaki, who owns an industrial software house here.

Despite the British travel warning, Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) has yet to evacuate its expatriate employees pending developments in the security situation here.

"We're still monitoring the situation and do not yet see the necessity of evacuating our expat employees," TPJ public relations manager Mia Korompis Dwianto said.

"We are coordinating closely with the authorities on security developments. We have increased security in our offices and water installations as well."

The UK-based TPJ is one of two foreign-owned water utilities providing water to the city in cooperation with city-owned PAM Jaya.

The other company, Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja), also said that none of its expat employees had been evacuated following the Bali bombing.

"The company has yet to order an evacuation yet. We also haven't increased our security significantly," said Palyja's public relations officer, Rina.

Similar stoicism was also shown by international schools in Jakarta.

The Korean International School on Jl. Bina Marga, East Jakarta, is on a one-week break since Monday following tests.

The school's security officer told the Post that the break did not have anything to do with the Bali bombing.

"The students will be back next Monday after the break. The vacation has got nothing to do with the bombing," a security guard, Sukasmin, said.

"You should make an appointment first with our spokesman to get more detailed information.

"We will not allow strangers to meet any of our staff without a prior appointment," he added.

Sukasmin, however, admitted that there had been additional security provided by the local police and military authorities.

Khadambary Mattu, principal of the Ichthus primary school, said no special security measures had been taken as the school was only a small, private one.

"We keep a low profile not only because we are a small school.

"But also because we do not have so many expat students. Indonesian students are the majority here. So the problem is not the same," she said.

Mattu, an Indian national, said that the school had its own way of responding to the horrific bombing. "As Indians, we have our own experiences and we take it with calmness," she said.