President Abdurrahman defends ban on 'becak'

President Abdurrahman defends ban on 'becak'

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid defended on Saturday
the city administration's decision to ban becak (pedicabs) from
operating in the city due to humanitarian grounds.

Addressing a gathering of 10,000 of the city's poor residents
at the Senayan main stadium, South Jakarta, the President said
pedicab drivers should not misunderstand the administration's
policy.

"The ban on becak operating in the city was indeed meant as a
measure to eradicate poverty.

"We cannot let becak drivers continue their operations here as
they've been working like horses," he said.

"Jakarta is the capital city. It's not supposed to have becak
on its streets anymore," he said.

In May, Governor Sutiyoso upheld a 1988 bylaw that prohibits
becak from operating in the city, saying that Jakarta was a
pedicab-free area.

Earlier last year, Sutiyoso allowed the pedicab drivers into
the city due to the prolonged economic crisis.

Since then the number of pedicabs has increased significantly.
Sutiyoso then revoked his statement, ordering city public order
officials to conduct raids on pedicabs.

The President admitted that there have been procedural
violations by city officials, but suggested that raids on becak
were positive for both the drivers and the administration.

"The most important thing is how to provide new jobs for the
becak drivers," he said.

The gathering, organized by the Urban Poor Consortium, was
attended by poor city residents, including 1,000 becak drivers
who went to the stadium on their decorated becak.

Also present at the gathering were Abdurrahman's wife Sinta
Nuriyah, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Coordinating
Minister of People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Hamzah Haz,
Minister of Settlement and Territorial Development Erna Witoelar,
and Sutiyoso.

The President's statement was opposed by most of the drivers,
who said that driving becak was the only skill they had.

"What can we do then? That's the only thing we can do for a
living," becak driver Sarnap said after the gathering.

Rasdullah, who has been working as a pedicab driver for 33
years, earlier expressed hope that the government would not ban
becak in Jakarta.

"That's the only thing we can do to support our family," he
told the President.

The poor people came to the stadium on rented buses and
trucks. Some pedicab drivers even spent an evening around the
stadium.

"We left at about 2 a.m. from our homes in Muara Baru, West
Jakarta, to get here," said becak driver Sunardi.

Poverty eradication

The President then called on the Indonesian people's active
participation in the country's campaign for poverty eradication.

"Poverty eradication is not the sole responsibility of the
government, but also the people and the business community," said
Abdurrahman.

"People should not be dependent on the government as they have
to learn how to solve their own problems."

He said giving excessive authority to the government would be
dangerous. "A powerful government is dangerous for the people."

He praised several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for
their active involvement in poverty eradication campaigns
nationwide.

"I myself was an NGO activist. I respect the works of Cathy
Lengkong, Romo Sandyawan and Wardah Hafidz," the President said,
referring to several well-known names in the poverty eradication
campaign.

Abdurrahman maintained that poverty eradication was his
government's main agenda.

"If we can't solve this problem, we will be a pariah nation,"
he said.

Separately, Hamzah Haz said his office was now working on
several programs for poverty eradication.

"The programs, which will include the distribution of credit
plans for the poor, will be coordinated with related ministries,"
he said.

Earlier, a representative for factory workers, Setiyono, asked
the President to increase the minimum regional wage (UMR) for
factory workers.

"The current UMR is no longer enough to cover our spending,"
he said.

Mariah, a housewife, aired her concern over the continuing
economic crisis.

"If we don't have anything left, we may have to turn to
selling drugs to support our family," she said.

She also criticized the government's social safety net
program, saying that the fund seldom reached the rightful
recipients, but fell into the hands of unauthorized persons," she
said. (05)