'Jakarta could be next target'

'Jakarta could be next target'

The bomb attacks in Bali have sparked anger and horror around the
world. In Jakarta, a number of people shared their reactions with
The Jakarta Post.

Holger, a German expatriate who works as a technical adviser
to a private company in Senen, Central Jakarta. He resides in
Kemang, South Jakarta, with his daughter and wife. He has been in
Indonesia for 12 years:

The tragedy in Bali was a disaster for the affected families,
to the nation and, worse still, to the economy of the country.

Personally I've never had such uncomfortable feelings before.
I feel more cautious. There should be serious investigations into
many bomb blasts in the country. I can see that there are still
many dangerous places in Jakarta.

But, to my surprise, I have not yet seen any tighter security
at leading hotels or public places like the Hard Rock Cafe.

I would avoid crowded places with dangerous atmospheres, as
they are prone to unexpected incidents.

Dina, 25, a saleswoman at the Sarinah department store on Jl.
Thamrin, Central Jakarta. She lives in Pasar Minggu, South
Jakarta, with her parents:

I worry about possible terrorist attacks. What about if it
happens here in Jakarta? Sarinah had received a bomb threat this
year.

But I worry more about losing my job here as a saleswoman.
It's not impossible that it could happen. You can see now that
there are only a few visitors here.

If I lost my job I would be very sad, because then I would not
be able to support my parents and my (younger) brothers.

Above all, I worry about the future of the country. It's not
getting better, but continues to worsen.

I will be more watchful in the near future. That's all I can
do, but I know that terrorists are cowards and can attack us
anytime, anywhere.

Safrudin, 60, a retired civil servant who lives in Pancoran,
South Jakarta, with his wife and daughter:

It's normal to worry about the possibility of other bomb
attacks in the city.

That is the consequence of the stance of the government, which
has never been serious about dealing with the issue of terrorism.

Perhaps the next target after Bali will be Jakarta due to the
lack of security. Who knows?

All we can do is be more careful and try to avoid public
places that could be targeted by terrorists. I don't think that
the police and military will be able to arrest the bombers, as
the terrorists are much more professional than them.

Buanawati Dewi K., 31, a stewardess for Garuda Airways for
more than 11 years. She resides in Pamulang, Tangerang, with her
husband and daughter:

Of course I worry about the effects of the Bali tragedy. The
incident will badly influence my job as a stewardess.

I am sure that in the immediate future, the Australian
passengers will be gone. As a result, the planes serving that
route (to Australia) will drop drastically.

I'm just afraid that there will be layoffs due to a decline in
flights, especially Bali-based flights.

I myself don't worry too much about going out to public places
in Jakarta following the tragedy. But it would be better not to
go to shopping malls.

-- Leo Wahyudi S