`I fear bomb attacks when I visit public places'

`I fear bomb attacks when I visit public places'

The police have increased security at airports nationwide following the bombing on Sunday at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The investigators have not made public any significant evidence or clues. Consequently, the series of bombings in the capital have made many city residents fearful of going out. Some of them shared their feelings on the issue with The Jakarta Post.

Suparni, 24, is a second year student at a private university in Blok M, South Jakarta. She resides in Radio Dalam, South Jakarta with her family: I feel a little anxious that public places now are prone to bomb attacks, particularly in the wake of the Sunday blast at the airport.

To be cautious, I will limit my visits to shopping centers in the city. Staying at home is probably the best choice now.

I think that the perpetrators were members of the separatists group in Aceh who infiltrated the capital. Or, they might activists of the political parties in response to the upcoming general election.

Perhaps the bomb incidents were meant to tarnish the image of President Megawati so she would fail in the general election next year. Many motives are possible now to terrorize the public.

In response to the string of bombings, particularly in the capital, I'm sad to say that I don't trust the police.

They are prone to bribery and will readily find a scapegoat for such cases. Frankly, I feel indifferent as they always fail to solve the bombings here, except for the Bali bomb.

Most of the time they don't dare solve the cases transparently because it would reveal the real masterminds behind such incidents.

Zubaidah, not her real name, 40, is an employee with a private company in Kuningan, South Jakarta. She resides in Tebet, South Jakarta:

I cannot deny that I feel afraid of a possible bomb attack, particularly when I go to public places.

It seems that I have no confidence at all to go outside since there is no guarantee of safety from the government for us citizens.

But in response to the bombing, I wonder whether the security officers were lacking alertness and thus unable to deter the bombing, or the terrorists were just much smarter than them.

I don't have any idea whether the series of bomb blasts in the capital could have been a result of political interests. I don't know about politics because I'm not interested. It makes me sick.

Worse still, I think the police performance remains poor because they don't have the proper mentality and are not seriously committed to safeguarding the public.

As a precautionary measure, I will not go to the shopping malls in the city if it's not necessary. I would rather go to the traditional markets or sidewalk vendors to buy what I need. I think such places are much safer and funnier with less expensive stuff.

Dewi, 30, is an employee with a private company in Cikini, Central Jakarta. She lives in Jatibening, Bekasi with her family:

Honestly speaking, I feel really scared after Sunday's bomb at the airport.

It makes me think that if the airport, with tight security, could be susceptible to a bombing, then the other public places, such as shopping centers in the city, will be more susceptible to such attacks.

However, I try not to let it worry me too much, despite the real possibility that the next bombing will happen in the city.

It is very possible because the police officers, most of the time, fail to detect such crimes.

I won't stop going to the shopping malls, however. But I will be more careful and observant. I will try to trust my own instincts.

I realize that public places like shopping centers are prone to bomb attacks. Maybe for the time being I will go less frequently to the malls as I usually go once a week.

-- Leo Wahyudi S