'The President does hear you'

'The President does hear you'

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam

Writing to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a bit like
sending a letter to Santa Claus in that no one actually expects a
reply.

Nonetheless a response from the President was received by Riau
Islands Governor Ismeth Abdullah, albeit to the letters and text
messages of hundreds of his constituents, who complained about
being forced to pay illegal fees to get identity cards made and
to enter Batam through Sekupang port.

Head of the Riau Islands administration's public relations
office Muhammad Nur told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that the
governor was so surprised by the letter he had immediately set
about relaying its contents to districts and subdistrict heads.

The collection of illegal levies in making identity cards is a
common practice in the province's regional offices.

On top of the official fee of Rp 25,000 to get an identity
card made, one regularly has to pay between Rp 200,000 and Rp
500,000, and even up to Rp 1 million for Chinese-Indonesians.
Refusal to pay up invariably leads to long delays.

Under bylaw No. 2/2001 on registration and population control
in Batam city, non-residents arriving on Batam should
have with them enough money to buy a ticket home and someone who
can guarantee them accommodation on the island.

If the newcomer fails to meet the requirements, he or she will
be forced to leave the island on the next ship.

However, in practice, the bylaw is being used by irresponsible
officials.

In reality, many non-residents coming to the island by sea can
enter the island even though they fail to meet the two
requirements -- if they pay up to Rp 100,000 per person to the
official on duty.

"We've asked Batam city administration to monitor the
implementation of the bylaw, to see whether it should be
reviewed. We've also asked the administration to restore order
and stop the collection of illegal fees," Nur said.