"I stop going to malls so often"

In response to the recent bomb attack at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)/House of Representatives (DPR) compound in Senayan, Central Jakarta, the government has urged the public to stay calm, but vigilant against any potential acts of terror. In addition, the government has also ordered that the National Police beef up security at many public places, such as shopping malls, which are reportedly on the list of terrorist targets. The Jakarta Post spoke to city residents on the issue.

Laksana, 32, is a job seeker who resides in Rawamangun, East Jakarta with his wife and daughter:

Frankly, I was a little worried when I heard about the minor blast at the MPR/DPR complex recently.

Perhaps I will stop going to shopping centers so frequently in case of a possible bomb attack. Suspects who were earlier arrested revealed some of their bombing targets, which included shopping malls.

I just wonder why our police always fail to detect bomb attacks.

The performances of our intelligence officers are rather questionable. What about the sophisticated military and police devices that they boasted?

Taking the bombing or terrorism suspects to court only wastes time and energy, while the root of the problems remain unsolved thus far.

It would be better shoot them to death or punish them with a death sentence. This would be an effective way to curb the alarming terrorists threats here.

Otherwise, the terrorists remain free to continue with their horrendous threats against innocent people.

In the end, though, I think life and death are the in the hands of God.

Sadiah, 48, is a street cleaner who lives in Kemanggisan, West Jakarta, with her husband and six children:

As a street sweeper, I usually go to the House building to clean up the rubbish there.

I have never worried about a possible bomb threat before the recent explosion. I was so innocent.

After I heard about the incident, I started asking security officers or personnel to accompany me when taking the garbage, just in case there might be an explosive or something. It could harm me too, right?

Even though I'm just a poor person, I'm wondering how the police couldn't anticipate the attach.

I'm thinking that it's not impossible that the bombing here has something to do with Tommy's case (the son of former president Soeharto, who was jailed for graft and for plotting the assassination of a Supreme Court justice). He is rich and can obviously afford explosives, regardless of the fact that he's behind bars.

Anyway, the attack won't stop me working there, because it's my responsibility to work there ... even if I worry sometimes.

Topik, 25, is a street hawker who sells candies on public transportation vehicles on the routed from Grogol in West Jakarta to Cawang, East Jakarta. He lives in Kalimalang, East Jakarta, with his wife and daughter:

I wonder why our security forces -- mainly the police -- are never able to detect potential attacks like the recent bombing?

It seems that there are always new cases popping up, while the previous cases are left unsolved. It seems the previous cases simply disappear into the background when new ones come up.

And so it is the case with bomb attacks. So many cases remain unexplained, partly due to their poor handling by authorities.

Still, I don't have too much to worry about, even with possible bomb threats in the city, since I work on the streets.

Besides, bomb threats and other similar incidents have occurred so many times and, of course, threatened the city residents -- there's nothing new or shocking about this recent incident, if you ask me.

Maybe I would feel differently if I happened to be where the incidents took place. If I thought I was safe there and then a bomb exploded, I would probably be traumatized, too.

The only thing we can do to protect ourselves is to keep our eyes open wherever we are, especially in public places with huge crowds, like shopping centers.

-- Leo Wahyudi S