Streets, shopping centers deserted during mass prayer
<p>Streets, shopping centers deserted during mass prayer</p><p> JAKARTA (JP): Most of the city's main streets were deserted
and shopping centers quiet on Sunday as thousands of followers of
the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization conducted
istighotsah (mass prayer) on Sunday.</p><p>The bustling downtown business district turned into a ghost
town, with shops along Jl. Gajah Mada, Jl. Hayam Wuruk and
shopping centers in Glodok area, West Jakarta closed amid fears
of possible riots.</p><p>Only a few private cars traveled the streets while many public
transportation vehicles, such as buses and vans, carried no
passengers.</p><p>The traffic was much clearer than it usually is on Sundays.</p><p>The city's main thoroughfares, such as Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Jl.
MH. Thamrin, Jl. Gatot Subroto, all in Central Jakarta and Jl.
Rasuna Said, Jl. MT. Haryono, Jl. Fatmawati and Pondok Indah area
in South Jakarta were also quiet.</p><p>A bus driver complained of fewer passengers than usual.</p><p>He said the situation on Sunday reminded him of the Muslim
holiday Idul Fitri.</p><p>"I should not have operated my bus but taken a rest at home,"
Suparjo, who drives a bus plying Bekasi-Blok M, was quoted by
Antara as saying.</p><p>The shortage of buses forced people to wait for a long time.</p><p>A woman complained that she only found a bus from Tangerang to
Kampung Melayu after almost an hour's wait.</p><p>"I just came out of Tangerang hospital after medical
treatment. The politicians never think that their actions could
cause us ordinary people to suffer," she said.</p><p>The bus, which usually took the city toll road, took a regular
road when it reached Tomang junction due to the lack of
congestion on the streets.</p><p>Slight tension marked the day as dozens of police officers
were seen standing on alert at road junctions -- which on a
normal day are usually crowded -- such as in Slipi, West Jakarta,
Cawang, in East Jakarta and Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.</p><p>Some shops in Gajah Mada Plaza and in Glodok electronic market
and nearby street traders defied the order of the day by staying
open, although only a small number of visitors were seen.</p><p>"People were apparently afraid of possible riots so they were
reluctant to go out, although we knew that it was just a prayer,"
one of the traders said.</p><p>A similar scene was visible in Pasar Pagi Mangga Dua, Lokasari
shopping center and some entertainment spots in Mangga Besar, all
in West Jakarta.</p><p>Some shop owners said it would be business as usual on Monday,
although they expected a low turn-out of visitors. The House of
Representatives will decide on that day whether to issue a
censure motion against President Abdurrahman Wahid for a second
time.</p><p>Many NU followers decided to stay in the city longer to
witness the result of the House's plenary session, defying their
leaders' order to return home as soon as the mass prayer
finished.</p><p>Besides shops owners who wished to keep their shops open on
Monday, some taxi drivers promised that they would operate on
that day.</p><p>"I don't care what will happen and I will just drive down the
streets. Hopefully there will no chaos," one of the taxi drivers,
Soeharto, said.</p><p>Quoting some media reports, he predicted the situation on
Monday would remain calm.</p><p>He blamed the media for the quiet but tense atmosphere on
Sunday and, perhaps on Monday, which he said had blown out of
proportion the peaceful intention of the mass prayer.</p><p>"If I look at the television and newspapers, the situation
here was distorted," he remarked.</p><p>He admitted, however, that political uncertainty resulting
from bickering among political leaders had contributed to the
slump in the number of passengers and increase in prices of basic
goods.</p><p>"I get bored with all the political news, now I only care
about economic survival," he remarked. (jun)</p>
and shopping centers quiet on Sunday as thousands of followers of
the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization conducted
istighotsah (mass prayer) on Sunday.</p><p>The bustling downtown business district turned into a ghost
town, with shops along Jl. Gajah Mada, Jl. Hayam Wuruk and
shopping centers in Glodok area, West Jakarta closed amid fears
of possible riots.</p><p>Only a few private cars traveled the streets while many public
transportation vehicles, such as buses and vans, carried no
passengers.</p><p>The traffic was much clearer than it usually is on Sundays.</p><p>The city's main thoroughfares, such as Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Jl.
MH. Thamrin, Jl. Gatot Subroto, all in Central Jakarta and Jl.
Rasuna Said, Jl. MT. Haryono, Jl. Fatmawati and Pondok Indah area
in South Jakarta were also quiet.</p><p>A bus driver complained of fewer passengers than usual.</p><p>He said the situation on Sunday reminded him of the Muslim
holiday Idul Fitri.</p><p>"I should not have operated my bus but taken a rest at home,"
Suparjo, who drives a bus plying Bekasi-Blok M, was quoted by
Antara as saying.</p><p>The shortage of buses forced people to wait for a long time.</p><p>A woman complained that she only found a bus from Tangerang to
Kampung Melayu after almost an hour's wait.</p><p>"I just came out of Tangerang hospital after medical
treatment. The politicians never think that their actions could
cause us ordinary people to suffer," she said.</p><p>The bus, which usually took the city toll road, took a regular
road when it reached Tomang junction due to the lack of
congestion on the streets.</p><p>Slight tension marked the day as dozens of police officers
were seen standing on alert at road junctions -- which on a
normal day are usually crowded -- such as in Slipi, West Jakarta,
Cawang, in East Jakarta and Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.</p><p>Some shops in Gajah Mada Plaza and in Glodok electronic market
and nearby street traders defied the order of the day by staying
open, although only a small number of visitors were seen.</p><p>"People were apparently afraid of possible riots so they were
reluctant to go out, although we knew that it was just a prayer,"
one of the traders said.</p><p>A similar scene was visible in Pasar Pagi Mangga Dua, Lokasari
shopping center and some entertainment spots in Mangga Besar, all
in West Jakarta.</p><p>Some shop owners said it would be business as usual on Monday,
although they expected a low turn-out of visitors. The House of
Representatives will decide on that day whether to issue a
censure motion against President Abdurrahman Wahid for a second
time.</p><p>Many NU followers decided to stay in the city longer to
witness the result of the House's plenary session, defying their
leaders' order to return home as soon as the mass prayer
finished.</p><p>Besides shops owners who wished to keep their shops open on
Monday, some taxi drivers promised that they would operate on
that day.</p><p>"I don't care what will happen and I will just drive down the
streets. Hopefully there will no chaos," one of the taxi drivers,
Soeharto, said.</p><p>Quoting some media reports, he predicted the situation on
Monday would remain calm.</p><p>He blamed the media for the quiet but tense atmosphere on
Sunday and, perhaps on Monday, which he said had blown out of
proportion the peaceful intention of the mass prayer.</p><p>"If I look at the television and newspapers, the situation
here was distorted," he remarked.</p><p>He admitted, however, that political uncertainty resulting
from bickering among political leaders had contributed to the
slump in the number of passengers and increase in prices of basic
goods.</p><p>"I get bored with all the political news, now I only care
about economic survival," he remarked. (jun)</p>