Governor urged to panish PD Pasar Jaya

Governor urged to panish PD Pasar Jaya

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City councillors asked Governor Sutiyoso on Monday to punish
the management of city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya for
its negligence which "had contributed" to the fire of the
country's largest textile market in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta,
last Wednesday.

"The governor should dismiss PD Pasar Jaya president Syahril
Tanjung because the building management is very poor," councillor
Ugiek Sugihardjo of the council's commission B for economic
affairs, told reporters.

Ugiek of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) blamed part of the problem on weak fire safety and a
lack of fire hydrants, fire extinguishers and water pumps, none
of which could be used effectively to put out the fire which
erupted last Wednesday. He accused PD Pasar Jaya for failing to
maintain the equipment.

Councillor Agus Dermawan of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
supported Ugiek's statement, saying that if the fire equipment
could not be used, PD Pasar Jaya should have decided the market
was not safe, until it made the necessary changes.

"It (the fire equipment) should be regularly checked and Pasar
Jaya should have declared whether the market was safe or not,"
Agus, who also sits on the council's commission B, told
reporters.

The councillors also were upset with the management of PD
Pasar Jaya for their "irresponsible behavior" after the fire, in
which they claimed it was a just a normal accident.

One day after the fire broke out, Syahril rejected demands
that his company take full responsibility for the fire, saying
that it was a merely natural disaster.

In addition to the angry councillors, the public and several
lawyers, including those from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute
also were disappointed by Syahril's statement, and added that
they would represent the fire victims if the latter chose to sue
the market firm for its negligence that caused the fire.

Council commission B would grill Syahril Tanjung and officials
from the City Planning Agency in a hearing on Tuesday on the fire
incident which caused hundreds of billions of rupiah in losses.

However, the councillors doubted on Monday that the governor
would punish Syahril Tanjung. Sutiyoso earlier called on the
public not to blame the market management.

It has been widely suggested that Pasar Jaya is a "cash cow"
for certain officials and councillors.

The councillors from certain political parties are known to
have several kiosks in the city's markets, such as in Tanah Abang
market, Glodok market in West Jakarta and Kenari market in
Central Jakarta.

The kiosks are rented to businessmen and the rental fees have
been used for the party's operational costs and private use, all
in violation of city-owned business regulations.

Syahril revealed on Thursday that his firm's annual income
reached Rp 100 billion a year and one-third of the income was
from Tanah Abang market.

Councillor Agus Dermawan questioned the income of PD Pasar
Jaya since the latter only contributed Rp 3 billion to the 2002
city budget.

"Where did the money go? I wonder why Syahril is so difficult
to replace?" Agus queried.