'Reform makes the rich richer, the poor poorer'

'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