'No other nation dared mess with us before'

Many people deem that the resignation of president Soeharto on May 21, 1998, had changed many things in the country, but not all for the better. Some say the nation owes Soeharto for the glorious old days, but others blame him for three decades of neglecting democratization, a legacy that led to the failure of the reform movement. The Jakarta Post asked a few residents what changes affect them most.

Evi Yulia Kurniawati, 28, is a mother of one who lives in Gading Serpong, Tangerang. She is a media relations officer at a public relations company in South Jakarta:

I think the reform process has failed because the condition is now worse compared to six years ago. The price of basic commodities are skyrocketing disproportionately to the incomes of minimum wage workers. As a mother of a baby the high price of formula milk is of great concern to me.

I am also concerned about the security condition. Armed robberies, rape, drug abuse, student brawls appear in the media every day. I don't feel safe going out alone at night.

Education is also more expensive now, even though many politicians offer free education as part of their campaigns. They are busy fighting for their own interests, not the people's interests.

Irfan, 42, is a taxi driver. He lives with his family in Bekasi, Greater Jakarta:

Indonesia was much better under Soeharto. No, I'm not talking about the corruption and the unscrupulous businesspeople. I'm talking about this country's sovereignty -- no other nation dared to mess with us. It was just after he had vacated his post that we lost East Timor and the Sipadan-Ligitan islands.

I think that was because he was from the military so no one would question our territorial integrity.

That's why I prefer a military man, rather than a civilian, for president.

-- The Jakarta Post