Jakarta slows down in first day of Ramadhan
Jakarta slows down in first day of Ramadhan
JAKARTA (JP): The capital was quiet on the first day of the
Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan on Thursday as people seemed to
reduce their routine activities.
Unlike other working days, almost all of the city's major
thoroughfares and main streets were left deserted. No traffic
jams were to be found. Many public buses plying the normally busy
routes had few passengers. Crowded buses were rare.
Similar moods were also evident in many business and shopping
centers.
People seemed to reluctantly carry out their activities
even though their offices opened as usual.
Thomas M. Flohr, chief security officer of Wisma GKBI's
management on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta, said all of the
building's tenants continued their business activities as usual,
but with flexibility.
"Most of them shortened their working hours between half an
hour to one hour earlier than usual to allow Muslims to break
their fasting," he said.
Sluggish activities were also witnessed at other office
complexes along the central business district of the capital,
such as that at the Wisma Nusantara building on Jl. Thamrin and
the Plaza Sentral building on Jl. Sudirman.
A customer service officer of PT Wisma Nusantara
International's management, Hari Budi, admitted that employees at
the tower preferred to subdue their activities during the first
day of Ramadhan.
"That's why traffic along the thoroughfares here is smooth,"
he said.
His company, itself, reduced its employees' lunchtime period
from one hour to only half an hour in a bid to close earlier.
The annual month-long Ramadhan obliges Muslims the world over
to fast and refrain from indulging in worldly acts from dawn to
dusk. The end of the fasting month is marked by Idul Fitri, where
Muslim Indonesians traditionally visit relatives and friends to
ask for forgiveness for any possible mistakes in the past. During
that time, adults and children usually wear new clothes to
celebrate the festive season.
Although Idul Fitri is still a month away, traders have
started preparing in order to take advantage of it.
In the popular Blok M business district in South Jakarta, for
example, scores of kiosks and tents have been erected in many
parts of the area, such as at the parking lots and the Blok M
underground mall.
A temporary kiosk tenant at Blok M underground mall, Alex,
said that the rental fee for a six square meter kiosk was Rp 5
million for the whole month.
"The rental fee is actually too expensive but I hope that I
will have a big turnover in the run-up to the holiday," the
seller of woman underwear said.
Large stores in the area have begun to offer up to 70 percent
in discounts to attract buyers. (ind)