Street brawls affect business in Matraman

JAKARTA (JP): Continuous clashes between neighboring residents of Kebon Manggis and Palmeriam in the Matraman district of East Jakarta have badly affected business in the area.

Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post on Monday, several offices and owners of hotels, car showrooms, a bookstore and a pharmacy said the fate of their business was unknown.

Some have planned to leave the area and run their business in a safer place.

They said the area was strategic for their business, but since fights between the two neighborhoods had significantly increased, particularly since April this year, businessmen could not find buyers for their property.

"Even insurance companies refuse to insure us here," said Iwan Aminuddin, a manager of timber company PT Multi Wahana Wijaya, which has been set on fire three times during the clashes.

Iwan and other businessmen in the area said they were not only suffering financial losses but also had to dismiss employees. In total, they estimated that the brawls had caused unemployment among hundreds of people.

David Widjaja, the manager of Lautan Berlian in the Mitsubishi Motors showroom, said the building was gutted by fire during a recent Matraman clash, leaving only the workshop in operation.

The showroom was still under renovation on Monday.

The number of customers bringing their cars in for servicing at the workshop remained low due to tension and the unpredictability of the area.

The workshop has so far serviced 15 cars this month, compared to 18 in May and 10 the previous month, David said.

The brawls, which have taken place between the two warring neighborhoods since the 70s, involve adults, teenagers and children who usually use sharp weapons, air rifles, molotov cocktails and bricks to attack one another. In most cases, the clashes are sparked by small disputes between teenagers from the two areas.

Iwan, whose office was located at the top of Jl. Palmeriam, temporarily moved to another location in April.

Early this month, he and his staff returned to the renovated building but last week's brawls revived their skepticism.

"We are planning to move permanently to another location in a short time," said Iwan.

The company has spent some Rp 60 million to renovate its office and another Rp 30 million for equipment. All the files were lost in the fire, he said.

Iwan said frightened visitors who came to the office often abruptly canceled transactions.

"We can't even monitor our operation in Sorong (Irian Jaya) by using the radio to communicate since we often close the office when the mob starts fighting," he said.

Those in the tourism business, such as hotels and a bus ticketing agent, said they regretted their plunging income.

"Our rooms used to be fully booked on the weekends, but since the recent brawls, the occupancy rate has dropped 60 percent," said Bambang Prasetyabudi, a member of the front office staff at Mega Matra Hotel.

Harini, the owner of the nearby Continental, a bus ticketing agent, said business had dropped drastically. The remaining few customers ask the agent to deliver the tickets to their residences, he said.

"We sold about 175 tickets in March, but we have only booked about 25 tickets so far this month," he said.

Kimia Farma pharmacy has also suffered losses. Most customers, who come from Petamburan Hospital, Pasar Rebo Hospital and Polri Hospital of East Jakarta, have found another way to purchase drugs.

Most businessmen regretted the law enforcers who they said did not take stiff measures against the brawling residents.

Filise Kunaryanto, a staff member of Gramedia bookstore, said law enforcers always arrived late and failed to settle the dispute.

He suggested that the authorities deploy a greater number of security personnel to face the mobs, which were becoming more adept at fighting. (07)