Who's afraid of election? Expats just taking a holiday

By Mehru Jaffer

JAKARTA (JP): Now who is afraid of the first free and fair general election in the country after nearly four decades?

"It's certainly not us," chorus a group of expat housewives furiously buying up local handicrafts at the very posh Pasaraya shopping mall in South Jakarta.

Yes, they are all busy looking for gifts for people back home, they add, but they do this every summer before going on home leave at the end of the school year. Hosting garage sales, getting rid of the family car and recommending loyal members of domestic staff to families staying on in Jakarta are activities that frequently take place during this part of the year.

The one difference, perhaps, is that many more expats will leave the country for good this time round.

"But can you call that fleeing the country before the June 7 election?" questioned Danielle Surkatty, member of the organizing committee for the Living in Indonesia website for expats.

Most expats like Danielle insist that they are going away for the summer only because it is vacation time while many more are leaving this year as they don't have any business left.

At the peak of the economic boom, there were said to be over 60,000 expats all over the country. This number fell by almost half as the ongoing economic crunch has forced many to lose their jobs here and not because expats have abandoned a city that they once called home.

Ati who has a beauty parlor in the Pondok Indah area of South Jakarta says that she has already lost 75 percent of her foreign customers in recent months. The International Community and Activity Center which has functioned here as a home away from home for expats for decades had its membership drop from a healthy 3,000 to about 500. Most executive clubs and sports centers that quoted exorbitant dollar fees in the past have thrown open their doors to anyone interested in using their fancy facilities by paying a nominal fee readily accepted these days even in rupiah.

The Jakarta International School was forced to cancel its summertime activities as not enough people signed up to participate in an event that was a regular feature till today. Proof that the city is being emptied of its expat community is evident all over as sprawling houses and luxurious service apartments wear a deserted look and are up for sale and rent at tearfully low prices.

Inquiries made at apartment buildings in the Pondok Indah area reveal that accommodation often has no fixed price anymore. "Tell me your budget and I will adjust the rent especially for you," is a typical reply of most of the staff trying desperately to market accommodation to a dwindling community of tenants.

"I know somebody whose family is the only one left in a large housing complex," informed Sarwat, a Pakistani expat who wonders if the city is being deserted only because of the coming elections or because people can't afford to continue living here without a job.

In a public announcement to all its citizens, the American embassy warned that they should exercise prudence and common sense in all parts of Indonesia and avoid demonstrations and other situations that could turn violent. It is felt that the political and economic situation is unsettled and is likely to remain so leading up to the June 7 parliamentary election and the selection of a new president a few months later. The embassy also said that many Americans normally resident in Indonesia are choosing to depart the country at or prior to the completion of the school year in May and to remain out of the country through the election period and its immediate aftermath.

A long-time expat in Jakarta who didn't want his name in print said that his wife and son will leave on May 19 while he will take a break only in June. According to the voluntary evacuation plan announced by the oil company he works for, the staff is encouraged to send dependents out of the country by mid-month, before the formal campaign period begins on May 19. The company, which has 16 operations all over Indonesia, has already distributed air tickets and if staff members are unable to return to Indonesia for a longer period of time, they have been promised a daily allowance to stay away. The idea is to avoid the chaos and panic that existed last May when the company found it difficult to hire jet planes at short notice and paid through its nose to keep its employees in an expensive place like Singapore.

Many expats feel, however, that panic is also spread through reports such as the police urging residents to remain indoors during the campaign period or that the police are not responsible for the security of everyone in the city.

"The local schools took us by surprise by suddenly deciding to close down a whole month before the annual examination, creating much confusion and uncertainty among us all," complained Danielle, who has three children attending local schools. Children are expected to start vacation on May 17 and to return by mid-June to take the year-end examination.

Danielle' s worry is that the children might remember little of their studies after the long holiday period. She wished the bureaucracy at the ministry of education had planned on accelerating the school hours to complete courses and the examination in mid-May instead of closing now and examining the children after a vacation.

It is rather overwhelming for both locals and expats to see almost daily a cavalcade of election campaigners crowding major streets or thundering past on motorcycles in a city that was almost apolitical for many decades. The political rallies cause traffic congestion around the Senayan complex almost every weekend now and are looked upon with interest by some expats and considered a nuisance by others. Many are curious to see what the city will suffer once all the 48 parties contesting the coming elections will spill out onto the street.

The Australian Embassy warns of a possibility of disturbances stemming from the heightened level of political activity in the lead up to and directly following the June 7 election. The recent bombing of the Istiqlal Mosque is a reminder of the sensitivity of political and religious issues in Indonesia, said an embassy circular which also insists that citizens remain vigilant of their surroundings at all times and to keep themselves abreast of the situation by monitoring the local media.

Concerned over the increase in petty crime, thefts and assaults committed in taxis and in person over the last year, citizens are cautioned to be extremely careful. American officials also worry about demonstrations at large American firms associated with high visibility projects as well as incidents of trespass and vandalism in some parts of the country. It is pointed out that security forces have sometimes not responded effectively to incidents of unrest.

Despite all the bad news regarding the deteriorating law and order situation in the city, the British International School has decided to go ahead with a three-week summer course in August for children between the age of five and 18 years. And enough expats were found here for whom the question to stay or not to stay just did not arise.

"I may not have an Indonesian passport but this is where my work is, this is where my family is. I am not going anywhere," said Tikoo, an Indian who made Jakarta his home a long time ago. He has been around in the good times and promises to stay on even if the going threatens to be a bit rough in the coming days.