We must improve the city's image: Governor

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso urged residents of slum areas across the capital to help maintain security in Jakarta to restore the image of the city which was tarnished by the May 1998 riots and several violent incidents that followed.

"During my official trips abroad, people always ask me whether my citizens still like looting or not.

"That kind of remark is very embarrassing for me," Sutiyoso told residents living in the Rawa Bunga slum area of East Jakarta on Monday.

According to the governor, all Jakartans should work hand in hand to maintain peace in the capital so that Jakarta can quickly recover from its economic condition and improve its image in the eyes of the international community.

The retired three-star military general stressed the importance of image in the country's efforts to attract foreign investors to the capital, which would in turn boost the capital's economic engine.

"During the Inter-Parliamentary Union conference last week, many of the participating delegates praised Jakarta on the disappearance of beggars from the major streets of the capital," Sutiyoso said.

"Frankly, it's simply because I have raided those areas and removed the beggars from the streets that were to be passed through by the visiting foreign delegates.

"I had no choice but to raid those street areas simply to provide a good impression of the capital (to the visiting foreign guests)," he remarked.

Following the grim 1998 riots, when the looting and burning of dozens of buildings occurred in several parts of the capital by mobs who mostly targeted shopping and business centers, many people, including foreigners, still consider Jakarta an unsafe city to visit and invest in.

Lately, the image of Jakarta has darkened even further with the growing trend of mob violence where people prefer to kill and burn alive suspected criminals than turn them into the police.

Violent clashes between police personnel and protesters have added another gloomy tone to the city's image, further discouraging potential investors from opening new businesses which has added to the city's unemployment problem.

Sutiyoso strongly hopes that all residents would be willing to pledge not to take part in anarchic actions, such as looting and arson, if they are serious about improving the capital's image which could in turn improve their quality of life.

"If people still think that Jakarta is unsafe then they won't be willing to run businesses here and many more people will be out of work because businesses will close their offices," he said.

"I promise that the City Administration will try its best to improve the people's welfare.

"For poor Jakartans, I'll double the funds for them in next year's budget," he added.

In the city budget for the year 2000, the City Administration has allocated some Rp 45 billion (US$5 million) for 15 subdistricts in the capital to be used in the poverty eradication program.

The funds were used to provide free short courses, among other things, such as cooking or hairdressing for local communities or distributed to those who wanted to open small-scale businesses in an effort to improve their lives.

Sutiyoso urged Jakartans to help control the use of the budget to ensure a transparency in spending later.

"Ask your subdistrict chief about the funds and if something seems to have gone wrong you should report it to me," the governor said. (dja)