'Jakarta a nightmare for poor migrants'

'Jakarta a nightmare for poor migrants'

Many migrants decided to move to Jakarta to pursue their dream of
a wealthy and comfortable life. However, many of those dreams
have been quashed as they try to cope with day-to-day survival in
the big city. To mark the city's 476th anniversary, some city
residents shared with The Jakarta Post how they have experienced
life in the city.

Asik, 31, is a sidewalk vendor selling hot drinks at Gambir
railway station, Central Jakarta. He comes from Tasikmalaya, West
Java, where his wife and three kids still live:

Jakarta used to be a haven for low-income earners as most of
us could earn money for easily.

Living in the city was quite comfortable at one time. That's
the reason I dared to bet my luck here.

When former President Soeharto ruled the country, there was
hardly any evictions against the vendors.

It's the opposite now since he stepped down. Jakarta has
become a miserable place due to the harder and tougher
competition of life. Let alone with Sutiyoso as the governor. The
city has become a nightmare for the poor. Sutiyoso is not at all
friendly to the poor people as evidenced by his policy to raid
regular vendors like me.

This year I have been evicted four times. The most insulting
was when the city public order officers not only confiscated all
my goods, but took all the money I had earned for weeks, which
was meant to be sent to my family. They told me that the grass in
the National Monument Park was much more valuable than me. They
are all thugs who were recruited by the city administration, I
guess.

I have reported it to the police but there has been no
response at all. I am getting sick of the city now but I have no
choice but to live here to feed my family.

Eko, a young man selling newspapers way in Kota, west Jakarta.
He resides in Pasar Ikan, North Jakarta, with his fellow friends:

The first time I came to Jakarta I thought I would be busy
working in a regular and enjoying life. So I came here after I
graduated from junior high school in West Java a few years ago.

That was my best option at the time because my parents could
not afford the school tuition for high school.

I just want to learn to be self-reliant by living in a big
city like Jakarta. I knew that it would not be that easy to
survive here.

However, I could cope with it in my first year here. I found
life was relatively easier compared to the conditions now.

It's getting worse now. The city public order officers often
treat us mercilessly and raid our house frequently looking for
illegal migrants.

I have been arrested several times and I protested and asked
why they want to harass me. I told them that there were a lot of
bad guys committing crimes and roaming all over the place and yet
the officers never did anything about them. They eventually
release me.

Many times I have to sleep on the streets if I don't have
enough money to pay rent at my friend's house.

The hustle and bustle of Jakarta now is getting dull and hard-
hearted. If I might say, actually I'm getting sick of it. But I
have no choice now as I have to continue to get by in my life
here. It's better than being jobless back in my village I guess.

Mulyadi, 28, is a crewmember on a city bus plying the Senen,
Central Jakarta -- Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta route. He lives in
Parung, West Jakarta, with his wife and son:

Jakarta is not the same as it was when I came here 15 years
ago. Life was not so tough then.

I remember the traffic was not so congested like now. The fuel
prices and staple foods were reasonably priced even for us low-
income earners.

But now the situation is totally different. Traffic congestion
and exorbitant prices haunt every city resident.

Now I am very grateful to get just Rp 20,000 a day. I cannot
imagine how hard my family life will be in the near future, let
alone with the busway project.

I wish we could go back to the Soeharto era so that I could
enjoy a comfortable life in the city.

Now Sutiyoso has made the city even worse. Jakarta is in a far
more chaotic state under his rule. I am sorry to say that
Sutiyoso's predecessors were far better in handling the city.

-- Leo Wahyudi S