Polls give more than promises to scavengers
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Despite the lackluster political campaign, with the majority of people fed up with parties and their unkept promises, euphoria survives among hundreds of scavengers in Tangerang municipality.
The scavengers have become regulars at gathering points of campaigners such as Benteng Football Stadium, Achmad Yani Sports Hall, the compounds of the women's and men's penitentiaries and the Juvenile Detention Center during the last three weeks.
But they came motivated by reasons other than politics.
"I don't care whatever he says up there. What I need is just the plastic trash left by the crowd," said Sunarji, busily picking up plastic cups and bottles at the Benteng stadium on Saturday while National Awakening Party (PKB) top man Alwi Shihab delivered a speech in front of a noisy crowd.
The 60-year-old Sunarji, who comes from Pekalongan, Central Java, said that during the campaign season, he enjoyed a 50 percent increase in his daily income.
Sunarji said he was usually able to collect between 10 kilograms and 15 kilograms of plastic a day and sell it at Rp 1,200 (less than 15 US cents) per kilogram.
But in the last 21 days, he managed to collect at least 30 kilograms of trash a day and earned an average of Rp 40,000 a day.
Living in a small hut made of carton he constructed on vacant land belonging to the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Sunarji took the trash home to clean and sort it.
He said that if he could remove the labels from the plastic cups of mineral water, buyers were willing to pay Rp 1,500 for each kilogram.
"But I don't have enough time to do all that. Rp 1,200 per kilogram is not bad," he said.
Sambas, 25, and some 200 fellow scavengers who usually pick up saleable trash at the municipality's Rawa Kucing dump in Kedaung Wetan subdistrict, Neglasari, also benefited from the campaign rallies.
"We share information on the time and venue of the rallies and later decide who will go where," he said.
Sambas claimed he and his friends could earn between Rp 30,000 and Rp 50,000 a day, a whooping increase from his usual income of between Rp 10,000 and Rp 20,000.
"I have saved Rp 1 million ... I will marry a woman from my village," said Sambas, who is from Cirebon, West Java.
Another scavenger, Nursimah, 45, from Malingping, Banten, said she was happy with the campaign period.
"I can earn some Rp 2.5 million from picking up the scattered plastic and papers left by the party supporters. Now I can send my youngest daughter to school," said the woman who collected trash along with her husband and four children.
The rallies which have caused traffic congestion in many parts of Greater Jakarta have at least brought a wide smile to Sunarji.
"I wish there was a rally every day. Unfortunately, the campaign only lasts for 21 days," he quipped.