'Representatives' actions were infantile'

House of Representatives factions clashed last week over the government's decision to raise fuel prices by an average of 29 percent. What were they fighting for? The Jakarta Post asked some Jakarta residents what they thought had been at the heart of the incident.

Amir Hamzah, 26, works as a janitor in North Jakarta. He lives with his mother in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta:

I am not so surprised that they threw punches -- after all they are politicians. This is why our society is a mess, even our representatives fight with each other. Ordinary people are just following in the footsteps of their leaders when they settle issues with physical violence.

The fighting shows that in Indonesia there really is no difference between people who are educated and those who are not. It really is a shame that our representatives have resorted to violence for the first time in recent history.

Indonesians like to sit down peacefully, discuss things together and reach an amicable agreement. This has been taught to us over and over again. But I guess things have changed.

Dominikus, 34, is a security guard. He lives with his parents in Semper, North Jakarta:

Even though I support the representatives who were protesting the fuel hike, I am upset that they resorted to blows. I was shocked when I saw the fight on TV. Our representatives acted like infants.

Their behavior was not a good reflection of a democratic society.

I think that the fight was just an attempt to steal the media spotlight. That way they can claim to be representing people with all their "might and power". But in all honesty, have these people ever done anything for the greater good of the people? It would seem that they are doing a whole lot more for themselves.

Before this, I thought other countries' politicians were the only ones who fought in parliament -- and I laughed myself silly when I saw them on TV. Little did I know that someday it would happen here. I am not laughing now.