Mirror traders are witnesses to major events at the House

By A'an Suryana

JAKARTA (JP): No one passing in front of the legislator's building on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Central Jakarta can avoid the shining reflection of mirrors on display at various spots along the sidewalk.

The mirror traders, mostly relatives to each other, have been occupying the site since the early 1970s. In those days, children only realized they were approaching the House compound when they saw the mirror traders from a distance.

Between late 1997 and early 1998, when people were rallying at the House complex, seeking for democracy and a clean and legitimate government, some thought that the mirror traders were hired as spies by the authorities.

On many occasions, the traders at six or seven locations along the main road, which is prohibited to any kind of traders, have been repeatedly expelled and chased away by personnel from the city Public Order office.

Waiting until things cool down, they appear at the same location a few days later to run their business as usual. According to the traders, the spots near the House have become their favorite place to sell the mirrors even though motorists are prohibited from stopping their vehicles along the street.

"We don't sell our mirrors on other streets since customers have known our business here for many years," said Soekanta, 60, a retired elementary school headmaster who has become a "godfather" for traders at four spots in the area.

He runs the business with his children and other relatives, assembling the mirrors at his home in a Pejompongan slum area and selling the finished products at locations near the House complex.

"The daily turnover reaches around Rp 300,000 from all the locations," Soekanta told The Jakarta Post at his house on Monday.

According to him, his staff earned the difference between the price set by Soekanta and the final price paid by customers to the traders.

Judging from Soekanta's house and way of living and also the monthly income of the traders, the business is not a thriving one. The traders told the Post that they sometimes did not sell a single mirror throughout the entire day.

Suhana, 26, Soekanta's niece who sells mirrors in front of nearby Taman Ria entertainment park, said, "I sell 10 mirrors on average each month and earn Rp 300,000."

Another mirror trader, Bambang, agreed with her remarks. In a bid to earn more money, Bambang even continues his business in heavy rains.

"The quality of our varnish is fine, so we're not afraid the frames or the mirrors will become discolored," he said.

In an attempt to give equal opportunity to all of them, the traders have agreed to regularly change their trading places, Bambang said.

"The most strategic spot here is the one in front of Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), the front line of the mirror trading spots here," he added.

Based on the traffic flow in the area, motorists and pedestrians quickly spot the mirror traders on the sidewalk in front of JCC and up through the Manggala Wanabhakti building.

The traders set the price of the mirrors, which come in different sizes, models and frames, from Rp 50,000 (30 centimeters by 60 centimeters) to Rp 85,000 for the large oval mirror or regular rectangular model (1.22 m by 65 cm).

Mirrors with carved frames fetch a higher price because the traders and suppliers must buy them from a Jepara carver at Pondok Pinang in Ciputat, Tangerang.

Some of the traders, like Suhana, a former car salesman, use the time waiting for customers to cut wood for more frames.

"We usually don't close our 'shops' during protests, unless the police block off the street," he said.

Suhana, who also works for Soekanta, said that the wood and plywood for the mirrors are obtained from a shop near the "godfather's" house in Pejompongan, about 30 minutes walk from their trading sites.

The mirrors are bought from a shop at Klender market in East Jakarta, he added.

According to Suhana, the Public Order personnel have not carried out operations against them in the past few months. He was netted in a 1997 raid at the site along with all his 25 mirrors.

After paying a fine of Rp 16,000 for his wrongdoing, he was allowed to leave the Public Order office. "But I could only get two of my mirrors back," he recalled.

The mirror traders usually arrive at their appointed spots at 8 a.m. by carrying the mirrors in a small two-wheel cart. Using sticks or other material found on site, the traders display their merchandises with the mirrors facing to the oncoming flow of traffic.

House members actually could spend a few minutes of their busy days by visiting the traders. They could look at a mirror to review the "good and bad" things they have done to the people.

They could ask, "Mirror, mirror near the House, who's the best legislator of all?"