JAKARTA (JP): One can never foresee what is going to happen in

JAKARTA (JP): One can never foresee what is going to happen in one's life. Neither could Matsani, who died on Tuesday after being mobbed by pedicab (becak) drivers in Roxy area, Central Jakarta.

Matsani, a civilian guard (Hansip), usually worked as a guard at the Petamburan subdistrict office. But on Tuesday, according to his son, Mochtar, he insisted on joining the becak crackdown, which was carried out by the city administration's public order office.

Mochtar said that his father wanted to get the Rp 20,000 (US$2.4) that he usually got for joining such a crackdown.

The administration often employs civilian guards in crackdowns on becak drivers and street vendors in the city.

Matsani was badly beaten on Tuesday by the angry rioters during the becak crackdown in Ketapang area in West Jakarta.

He was sent to Sumber Waras Hospital in West Jakarta but he died later on Tuesday.

Matsani was an elderly man but his precise age was unknown. The morgue of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, recorded his age as 52, while the city's center for monitoring social disorder said that he was 60.

Matsani became a Hansip of the Petamburan subdistrict in 1964. He was dedicated to his job even though he only received a salary of Rp 350,000 a month; relatively low for Jakarta.

He never complained about his low salary. He would give some money every month to his children, although they were already married.

His colleagues knew him as a brave and experienced security guard. Husin, his friend, added that Matsani used to stand in the front line during a crackdown.

Matsani was married to Sukiah, who died five years ago. They had five children and eleven grandchildren. All the children are married and no longer live at home.

Mochtar said that after his wife died five years ago, Matsani rarely came home. He used to sleep in a room in the Petamburan subdistrict office.

Meanwhile, Governor Sutiyoso told reporters on Wednesday that the administration and the City Council would give Rp 10 million and Rp 9 million respectively to the Matsani family.

Sutiyoso also noted that the administration would make a regulation that civilian guards, who are over 50 years of age, would be tasked with less risky jobs. (04)