Whither police reform?

Whither police reform?

From Kompas

Last month, when I was passing the railroad crossing across the police station in Palmerah, Central Jakarta, my car was blocked by a damaged crossing gate so that I stopped near the tracks. A policeman soon approached me and rudely scolded me for violating the traffic rules.

The middle-aged cop tried to extort Rp 250,000 from me, but I persistently refused -- because I had not made any mistake. After a pointless debate, I gave some money to him after negotiating the amount.

The policeman's action was unfair, because I was prevented from moving forward by the decrepit gate, as well as a horse-cart and motorcycles that were coming from the opposite direction on the one-way road -- but they were not reprimanded. In addition, I had fulfilled my vehicle tax obligations properly.

For my car, a 1996 model, I have been subject to the exorbitant vehicle tax rate of Rp 800,000 per annum, in spite of the car's depreciation, and have paid Rp 200,000 for my driver's license extension.

Whither the reform in the police and taxation?

ADE SUPRIATNA Bogor, West Java