'It's true that Jakarta is already too crowded'
Anticipating an influx of migrant workers after the Idul Fitri holiday, the Jakarta administration has banned people from entering the capital without a Jakarta identity card or documents showing that they have a permanent job and residence. The Jakarta Post asked some residents for their opinion on the issue.
Ashar Makmur, 39, is a civil servant at the Ministry of Transportation' Directorate General of Air Transportation. He lives with his wife and two children in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta:
I fully support the policy to tighten control of people entering Jakarta as the capital is already overcrowded with jobless people. The city administration simply can't deal with unemployment, even the state can't.
I think it is urgent to stop the influx of unskilled and untrained people. The increase in their number matches the increase in crime. After all, they have to earn a living in any way possible, including illegally.
For me, Jakarta has become a very dangerous place to live, especially for women and children. We see the city police often letting criminals go unpunished because they lack the resources to handle so many people and incidents every day.
Messy Purnamasari, 26, is a part-time assistant to a lecturer at the University of Indonesia in Depok. She lives with her parents in Bekasi:
It's true that Jakarta is very crowded. However, the administration can't just prohibit people from coming here altogether. They must do it in stages because all citizens have the constitutional right to go anywhere they please in Indonesia.
For example, this year allow a small number of people into Jakarta, and next year allow a smaller number and so on. In the meantime, the administration should disseminate information about the program.
Also, banning people from other regions from entering Jakarta should not be separated from the problem of unemployment. The central government should also create jobs in the regions to stop people from moving to the capital.
--The Jakarta Post