Some continue working through Idul Fitri

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Most Muslims look forward all year to gathering with their families to celebrate Idul Fitri, which is what drove an estimated two million people out of Jakarta and to their hometowns for this year's holiday.

But some people were unable to enjoy the holiday in the bosoms of their families because they had to work.

"This year's Idul Fitri is the fourth in a row that I have to be far from my family in Riau because I have to be on standby," train stewardess Netty Herawati said on board the Parahyangan train from Bandung to Jakarta.

"But what can I say. My duty comes first because I have to serve the passengers, although I really want to go home," she told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

Netty said that during the Idul Fitri period she could not use the three days a week she normally got off because all train stewardess were put on-call to serve additional trains.

"My days off are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. But I have to be ready to serve any available additional trains.

"Luckily, there are fewer passengers this year than during last year's Idul Fitri season, which fell closer to Christmas."

Machinist Sudrajat said he was lucky this year because he was able to spend Idul Fitri with his family due to a change in his schedule.

"I should have manned an additional train from Bandung to Kutoarjo, Central Java, on Thursday, but it was canceled (due to a lack of passengers).

"Last year, I spent Idul Fitri on board the locomotive. But it's fine with me if I have to man the locomotive during Idul Fitri. Doing my job is as important as getting together with my family."

Low-level employees were not the only ones who had to sacrifice their family time for work.

"I have been working for 30 years and I haven't spent a single Idul Fitri holiday with my family," said the chief of the Pasar Senen railway station, Sugeng Setianto.

As with many of the employees of state-owned train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia, many security personnel and medical workers also had to stay away from their families because of the call of duty.

"This is my third Idul Fitri as the chief of the Gambir rail station command post," Adj. Comr. Sudjadi said.

"I usually bring my children to the station so they can see what their father does. But this year my family went to visit my hometown in Klaten, Central Java."

Sudjadi said he left the station after the last train departed at about 10 p.m. and was there by about 7 a.m.

Idul Fitri eve, or Takbiran, is probably one of the busiest nights for surgeons in the emergency room of the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta.

"It was such a touching moment when I heard people chanting the takbir praising God while I was treating patients in the emergency room," said surgeon Ardiansyah who hails from Pariaman, West Sumatra.

"But luckily, unlike previous years, there were hardly firecracker-related accidents this year. Most were traffic accidents and none of the victims were seriously injured."

Ardiansyah said a commitment to helping people made him and his colleagues put aside their desire to gather with their families and instead serve the public.