Hamzah makes a good neighbor, but president?

Hamzah makes a good neighbor, but president?

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta

This is the second in a series of articles on the five
presidential candidates in the eyes of their neighbors.

To his neighbors in Tegalan, Matraman, East Jakarta, Vice
President Hamzah Haz is a down-to-earth person. He is modest,
generous and a devoted Muslim who prays five times a day.

But despite his good standing with the neighbors, they think
Hamzah has little chance of winning the presidential election.

Rani, a housewife who has lived in Tegalan for 20 years, says
that since becoming Vice President, Hamzah has still managed to
find time to jog every day after his morning prayer.

"He always smiles when he sees us. He is as friendly as ever,"
she told The Jakarta Post.

The only change has been the presence of guards in the
neighborhood since he became Vice President in 2001, but the
guards are equally friendly, Rani said while pointing to one of
the guards chatting with a shopkeeper.

Another neighbor, who sells glasses from a small shop, said
Hamzah always prayed in the mosque next to her kiosk, and his
wife made a weekly donation to poor families in the area.

Hamzah, who was born in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, lives with
Asmaniah, the first of his three wives, in a medium-sized house
with a garage and small garden on Jl. Tegalan.

The woman said the presence of Hamzah's guards gave her an
added sense of security.

Hamzah's guests occasionally drop into her shop to buy
glasses, she said.

Bernard, an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, also had nothing
but good things to say about Hamzah as a neighbor.

"Talking about hospitality, Pak Hamzah has never changed," he
said of the Vice President, who is contesting the presidential
election along with running mate Agum Gumelar, a former minister
and retired Army general.

Bernard also said that before Hamzah became Vice President,
Hamzah's wife often hired him to give her a ride to the nearby
Palmeriam market in the morning.

"But of course not now. Bu Asmaniah is still kind but I am a
bit disappointed as she never smiles at us anymore since Pak
Hamzah became Vice President," he said.

Both Rani and Bernard agreed that Hamzah had little chance to
win the presidential election.

"Most residents in this housing complex support Pak Hamzah and
his United Development Party, but we realize that his chances of
winning the presidential election are marginal," Rani said.

Bernard said, "Despite his good character, he is not Javanese
and his support in the legislative election was not strong. Being
realistic, I do not think he will win the presidential election."