TANGERANG: A total of 113 couples, including some grandparents, gathered together for a mass wedding on Tuesday in Cisoka district of Tangerang. The event was organized by Dian Mitra, a local social foundation.
The residents of five villages across the district: Sukatani, Sukareo, Cikasuka, Cikuya and Cempaka participated.
The oldest couple at the mass wedding Mamat, 60, and Sukirnah, 56, have three children and several grandchildren.
"We feel like a new bride and groom," said Mamat.
Both Mamat and Sukirnah said they did not remember how many years they had been together. Also, they did not apply for the marriage certificate as they could not afford the fees.
The foundation held the mass wedding to help the poor people obtain the legal documents for their marriage, according to Toto, one of the organizers. --JP
;JP;MLT; ANPAj..r.. Greater-burn Angry residents burn down house JP/8/GREAT
TANGERANG: Some 200 residents of Leuwi Halu village in Tigaraksa district of Tangerang burned down a house which was believed to have been used to spread misleading religious teaching practices on Monday evening.
Tigaraksa subprecinct police chief Adj. Comr. Purwadi said on Tuesday that the angry residents arrived at 8:30 p.m., when some 50 people were reading wirid (religious prayer) led by Haitami, 40, the house owner.
The residents yelled. They scolded Haitami and his congregation and threw stones at the house. Minutes later, some shouted "burn the house," so they immediately torched the house which was leveled to the ground. A motorcyle was also burned in the incident.
The congregation, comprising of married couples and their children, as well as Haitami, managed to escape.
Purwadi said the police regretted the incident, but no one has been arrested.--JP
;JP;ANTARA; ANPAj..r.. Greater-Bekasi Renovation of Pondok Gede market sought JP/8/GREAT
BEKASI: Hundreds of garment vendors from Pondok Gede market urged the local administration to renovate the market, which is now in poor condition.
The traders, grouped in the Association of Pondok Gede Market Vendors, complained that the market was badly in need of renovation as it was damaged by fire three years ago.
They said that they were afraid that if it rained hard, the water would pour down through the leaks in the roof.
"People would be reluctant to visit the market and worse, the water would damage our merchandise," Sarmada, one of the vendors told Antara on Tuesday.
He hoped that the Bekasi administration would immediately renovate the market so that the work would be finished by the Ramadhan fasting month in November.
Garment vendors always enjoy a brisk business during Ramadhan as people want to celebrate Idul Fitri with new clothes.--JP