'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