ID card operation comes under fire from councilors

ID card operation comes under fire from councilors

JAKARTA (JP): City councilors, whose term of office ends
today, city officials and the public have criticized the City
Population Agency's identification (ID) card inspection operation
launched Monday.

Strong objections have been expressed about the operation in
which population office staff fine people not carrying Jakarta ID
cards.

People from outside Jakarta must have travel documents while
in Jakarta or they are liable to be fined.

City Council Speaker M.H. Ritonga questioned this requirement.

"By asking for travel documents, there is an impression that
the capital isn't safe," Ritonga said Wednesday.

Councilor Saud Rachman of the United Development Party said,
"The population agency has to be careful in conducting the
operation. There's no regulation on the need to carry travel
documents."

Deputy Governor of Administrative Affairs Idroes said he had
ordered the head of the City Population Agency to check whether
his officials were really asking for travel documents during the
ID inspection operation.

"Jakarta isn't a closed city. People who have ID cards from
other cities can visit Jakarta. It's no problem. People don't
need to bring travel documents to enter Jakarta and an ID card is
enough," Idroes told reporters at his office.

He said that, if the reports were true, the officials should
be disciplined.

"I've asked the head of the population agency to check the
reports and to investigate if there were officials, who acted
recklessly," Idroes said.

When asked whether the agency should return the money from
fines, Idroes said that he had to wait for the agency's report
before he could make such a decision.

"I have told the agency to report to me soon," he said.

He said the operation was intended to find out whether people
were abiding by population regulations.

"An ID card is necessary to know a person's identity in
unexpected circumstances," Idroes said.

Sociologist Sardjono Jatiman of the University of Indonesia
told The Jakarta Post yesterday that modern people were highly
mobile.

"It is common that someone in Ujungpandang asked to go to
Jakarta immediately to do business would go the next day. He
would go the capital without time to gain the travel documents,"
he said.

"If everyone coming to Jakarta is fined, who actually owns
Jakarta?" he asked. Every citizen has the right to enter the
capital, he said, adding that this was not the colonial era.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said Wednesday night that the ID
card checks were in line with city population regulations.

"The operation was conducted based on the regulations. What's
wrong?" the governor asked.

When asked about the need for travel documents, he asked:
"What kind of travel documents?"

Another 141

In an on-the-spot hearing at West Jakarta's Kapuk subdistrict
office, 141 people were fined Wednesday for not having Jakarta ID
cards.

The 141 were among the more than 1,600 people checked by
population agency staff and police in an ID inspection operation
on Jl. Kapuk Raya.

Another 182 people were fined in a similar operation Wednesday
in Palmerah, West Jakarta.

The officers stopped traffic and inspected the ID of motorists
and passengers on public buses and mikrolet minivans. The
officers also distributed brochures on application procedures for
ID cards.

"The operation is also aimed at showing people how to get ID
cards," said Sugiyanto, an official at West Jakarta's population
agency.

Sugiyanto said the fines of between Rp 5,000 (US$2.08) and Rp
20,000 were to remind people without ID cards to apply as soon as
possible.

The hearing in West Jakarta was led by a district court judge,
Bagus Sugiri. Two defense lawyers from the court's Legal Aid Unit
were also present.

The people, who mostly had ID cards from other cities, looked
confused and disappointed about being fined.

A food vendor, Nani, who was fined Rp 10,600, said the fine
was more than her and her family could afford.

"I've tried to apply for an ID here. But it's too
complicated," said the mother of three who has an ID card from
Serang, West Java.

Most of the people fined were poor because Kapuk is a slum
area. Kapuk borders with other slum areas in North Jakarta.

The people became more disappointed when police from the
Cengkareng Police subprecinct began a driving license inspection
operation on the same road Wednesday.

Witnesses said that at least 10 motorists were given traffic
tickets.

The city population agency also conducted checks on Jl. Meruya
Ilir, Kembangan, Monday and on Jl. KH. Taisir, Palmerah, Tuesday.
The inspections are to continue in Tegal Alur subdistrict next
Monday. All areas are in West Jakarta.

Rp 1.7 million was collected in fines in Kembangan, and Rp 1.6
million was collected in Palmerah. (jun/ste)