Job seekers flood Jakarta after break

Job seekers flood Jakarta after break

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Pipit Subakir, 40, holds his two children tightly by the hand
while his wife, Tuti, 35, and his brother-in-law, Sofyan, 19,
follow behind as the family walk out of the Senen railway station
in Central Jakarta on Friday.

"I brought Sofyan to Jakarta because he has had nothing to do
back there in our village in Kendal, Central Java after he
graduated from senior high school several months ago. I want him
to help me sell vegetables here," Pipit told The Jakarta Post.

He said that he and his wife had been earning a good profit
selling vegetables door to door in a pushcart around Pasar Minggu
in South Jakarta for the last five years.

"I think Sofyan will be able to have his own cart after
helping me push the cart for a year. Meanwhile, he can live with
us in our rented room in Pasar Minggu," said Pipit.

Like Sofyan, thousands of other newcomers can freely enter
Jakarta through several entrance points in the city as no one is
monitoring their arrival at bus and railway stations.

"It is impossible to check whether they are newcomers or old-
timers upon their arrival. We simply let them walk out of the
station without restriction as checking them would be time
consuming," Kosim, an employee at Senen railway station told the
Post.

He said that the number of people arriving at the station on
the third and fourth day after Idul Fitri had reached 40,000, or
a 60 percent jump, with only 25,000 passengers more expected to
arrive.

To improve services for holidaymakers, the railway station is
only serving people who are returning from their hometowns in
Central and East Java after celebrating Idul Fitri, which was on
Nov. 14 and Nov. 15. Regular city train services have been
temporarily suspended.

Similar figures were also seen at Pulo Gadung bus terminal.
Officials recorded 150,000 arrivals at the terminal since Tuesday
while the number of people leaving Jakarta during the last four
days before Idul Fitri, which were the peak of exodus, reached
only 71,000.

"We are still expecting the peak of the influx tonight or
tomorrow," said Muhammad Said, an employee at the bus terminal.

It seemed that the recent warning of Governor Sutiyoso to
strictly apply the new bylaw as well as the plan of the City
Population and Civil Registration Agency to launch identity
checks in enclaves for unskilled workers did not deter people
from other regions from coming to Jakarta.

According to the new bylaw, residents must possess a Jakarta
identity card or documents showing that they have a permanent job
and residence here. If they are unable to produce these
documents, they face a Rp 5 million (US$555) fine.

Pipit, however, played down the warning, saying that nobody in
his family had a Jakarta identity card and no one in his
neighborhood ever made a fuss about it as long as he submitted
the copy of his village identity card to the neighborhood chief.

"No subdistrict officials have come to check our status during
our stay here. So, why should I worry about bringing my relatives
here. Besides, I can make an identity card in three days for Rp
150,000," Pipit said.

Number of people entering and exiting Pulo Gadung bus terminal
and Senen railway station

Pulo Gadung bus station Senen railway station

Days Exodus Days Influx Days Exodus Days Influx

H-4 18,957 H+1 14,938 H-4 12,102 H+4 25,200

H-3 27,186 H+2 25,964 H-3 13,003 H+3 15,302

H-2 25,914 H+3 48,738 Total 24,105 40,502

H-1 18,261 H+4 60,122

Total 90,318 149,762

Sources: Pulo Gadung and Senen station offices