The Marriott reopening

Well over a month after the event it is hard to forget the deadly car bomb attack that devastated JW Marriott Hotel in the Mega Kuningan business district, Central Jakarta, on Aug. 5 this year. Twelve people were killed and 147 others injured by the blast, which was believed to be linked to global terrorism.

Apart from the grief that resulted from the violent death of so many innocent people, the precious lesson that we can learn is that an effective security system is essential, wherever and whenever.

So on Monday the Marriott, which is part of an American hotel chain, reopened, with much tighter security in place.

The new design of the main approach to the hotel makes it impossible for guests to park their cars close to the lobby, and anyone entering the establishment must be searched and go through a security gate and metal detector. That is also what Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono experienced when he visited the hotel on Wednesday.

At least 10 security personnel armed with rifles in front of the Sailendra restaurant are ready to check guests' cars. The decision to reopen the hotel, despite the serious damage that it sustained and the lingering fear of its guests and employees, deserves appreciation. It reflects the management's courage and determination not to bow to terror.

From the point of view of the investigation the resumption of business at the Marriott indicates that the police have done their job so quickly that they need not work at the site any longer. From the business point of view the hotel's reopening, directly or indirectly, assures investors that security in the capital city is improving. The other message from the Marriott reopening is the reemerging optimism in the tourism industry, after it was crippled by the devastating blasts in Bali.

But while we feel the deepest sympathy for those affected by the Marriott bomb, we regret to have to say that the Marriott attack could not have occurred if all the parties concerned, especially those in charge of the antiterrorist drive, had been alert and responsive to the terrorists' moves. The bombs at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and the House of Representatives complex, and the discovery of documents believed to belong to Jamaah Islamiyah saying that the Kuningan business complex was marked as a possible target for terrorist attack, could have awakened our antiterrorist agencies to the danger.

Something must obviously be wrong with the communications system linking those in charge of security and the public. Apparently, the early information or warning of possible terror attacks that was received by intelligence agencies was not effectively conveyed to the public, for reasons as yet unknown.

On the positive side, the Marriott blast has been a valuable lesson to owners of other high-rise buildings and office blocks, who tightened their security systems soon after the bombings.

Extra-tight security measures are now applied by several shopping malls and plazas in Jakarta -- which, incidentally, they should have brought in long before the Marriott was attacked. Drivers must now wait longer before proceeding to the parking ramps of buildings to have their cars searched. Some high-rise buildings apply even tighter measures by asking guests to leave their ID cards with the receptionist or security desk -- a system that, by the way, is considered illogical as terrorists could enter buildings with false ID cards but armed with explosives.

To be honest, though, some apprehension remains in spite of all these measures. The Indonesian public tends to be easily shocked by bomb blasts such as the one at the airport a while ago, but easily forgets that fear when no more blasts occur for some time. Obviously there is no need to turn the clock back. We just want to reiterate the lesson from the Marriott blast that security measures must be applied to everyone without exception, especially in public places, at any time, even if we hear of no more terrorist attacks.

Only in this way will the public be reassured about their safety. Only when safety is guaranteed can we all go about our legitimate business in the capital city.