Opera aimed at discouraging migration

Opera aimed at discouraging migration

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Concerned by the vast influx of migrants to the capital, the city
administration has been financing the production of a soap opera
that aims to discourage people nationwide from migrating to
Jakarta.

"The soap opera titled Anak-Anak Teraniyaya (tortured
children) attempts to persuade against moving from
less-developed cities to Jakarta for a better living," City
Population and Civil Registration Agency head Khamil Abdul Kadir
said in a hearing with City Council Commission C for city revenue
on Wednesday.

"Hopefully, we can start screening the soap opera in
September," he added.

According to the agency, between 200,000 and 250,000 migrants
from less-developed cities in the country take up residence here
every year, causing the population density to soar to 16,000
residents per square kilometer in some areas of the capital.

This not only forces the city administration to provide more
public facilities, but also increases the crime rate in the
capital.

The soap opera, locally known as sinetron, will be aired by
private TV station RCTI. Gito Rollies, a popular rock singer, who
made his name after becoming an Islamic preacher, is among the
stars of the soap opera.

Abdul said the soap opera, produced by a production house
owned by film director Ali Shahab, would tell the story of
unfortunate migrants whose dreams of a better life in the capital
are dashed.

"The soap opera is part of our campaign to curb the massive
influx of unskilled migrants to the city, which has led to
population concerns here," he said.

According to Abdul, production of the sinetron was underway as
early as 2003.

"But, as RCTI requires us to come up with at least 14
consecutive episodes -- and we had budgetary constraints that
didn't allow us to make them all straightaway -- it became a
three-year project," he said.

The production house, he explained, has completed 11 episodes,
of which six were made in 2003 and five in 2004. The last three
episodes should be made by 2005.

The agency said it had paid the production house around Rp 2
billion, or Rp 144 million for each episode.

The cost of producing the soap opera has outraged some
councillors who claim to be familiar with the film industry.

"I think Rp 144 million an episode is far too high. According
to my estimations an episode should not cost more than Rp 100
million -- and that's if popular actors and actresses are cast,"
said Mohamad Mansur Syaerozi of the Reform Awakening faction
alliance.

Similarly, Igo Ilham, who once starred in a religious film on
the city's history, Fatahillah, claimed each episode should cost
more like Rp 80 million per 30-minute episode.

Meanwhile, commission chairman Daniel Abdullah Sani of the
National Mandate Party faction questioned the lengthy production
period.

"I am just wondering why the agency pressed ahead with the
project, regardless of how long it would take," Daniel said.