'Reform makes the rich richer, the poor poorer'

On May 21, 1998, then president Soeharto yielded to demands to step down during the bloody rallies that followed the earlier May riots. Five years have passed since then and the country has seen three presidents. Yet, many people have voiced the same criticism: The country's leaders have failed to make things better. Some city residents told The Jakarta Post that the reform movement has been useless.

Si Kar, 28, sells backpacks on the sidewalks of Ciputat, Tangerang. He lives in Ulujami, South Jakarta, with his wife and son and other relatives:

In terms of my life, things were much better under former president Soeharto. At that time, I did not have much trouble in trying to survive. I could sell my goods anywhere in the city.

I didn't have to worry so much about raids by the city public order officials as I do now. I could earn up to Rp 2 million in a week by selling bags.

But since his resignation, I have had a far tougher life. I have been shut down three times in raids. It seems that new vendors are not allowed to run a business in this city.

The price of staple food and other daily needs went up so high that low-income earners were hardly able to afford them.

Even now, I try not to use the (public) toilet so I can save the Rp 700 fee. However, I usually have to use it three times a day when I'm at work.

It's been real tough scraping together the Rp 50,000 a day I need to cover my family's expenses, which include food, transportation and daily rent.

It's been a much tougher life since the beginning of the so- called reform era. It hasn't reformed anything. It's nonsense. Rich people keep getting richer and corrupt officials keep getting more corrupt. Meanwhile, the poor just keep getting poorer.

Natsir, 33, is a parking attendant working in Blok M, South Jakarta. He lives in Mampang, South Jakarta, with his fellow employees:

With all the talk about unity these days, to be honest, I have got to hand it to former president Soeharto, who kept the country together with the strict way he ran it.

The situation in the country was far safer back then. And it helped low-income earners be able to make ends meet. Prices were also controllable, despite rampant corruption during his dictatorship.

But I'll tell you the truth: Nobody deserves any credit for being a good leader other than first president Sukarno.

So, in general I can't really single out one president from the last four who is worthy of praise. They have not made the country any better.

They are all typical politicians who do not take the people's side. They are too busy enriching themselves. Reform has meant nothing at all!

Dedi, 23, sells newspapers along Jl. Melawai, South Jakarta. He lives in Kreo, South Jakarta, with his friends:

I think all of the country's leaders are capable of ruling the nation, but their image has been tainted by corrupt administrators.

People were far better off under Soeharto, despite all the corruption and collusion, which was out of control at the time.

As a capable leader, the President should make every effort to help the poor survive by providing them with rice, for example.

I have never seen any rice being handed out in my village in West Java. Most of it gets taken before it is distributed. Officials are so corrupt that the aid never reaches the people it is targeted for.

Nonetheless, the public should not just blame the leaders. It would be better if they criticize themselves first before criticizing others.

If people keep on blaming the leaders, I don't think anyone can be regarded as the right person to lead this country. What's worse is that in the name of reform, people tend to protest and criticize others without taking a look at themselves.

-- Leo Wahyudi S