A pseudo festivity

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 06/22/2006 1:29 PM  |  Opinion

June 22 holds a special significance for Jakarta, which celebrates its anniversary on this date.

The celebrations began several days ago, with the opening of the annual Jakarta Fair. Malls around the city are holding special sales to mark the anniversary, enticing Jakartans to shopping centers for what promoters call the Jakarta Great Sale.

However, amid all the festivity there are some difficult issues that deserve greater attention. One involves the economic disparities in the city, where some residents are able to go on shopping sprees to mark Jakarta's anniversary while others struggle to survive from one day to the next, and many parents cannot afford to send their children to school.

Unemployment remains high, as the central government and the Jakarta administration continue to struggle to create more jobs. While many people in the city remain out of work, new arrivals continue to pour into the capital from around the archipelago, seeking the sort of opportunities they are unable to find in their hometowns.

It would be no exaggeration to say that many of the people in the malls are window-shoppers, and that many of those at the Jakarta Fair are poor families taking advantage of the rare opportunity for some cheap entertainment.

So, it would be fair to describe the celebration of the capital's 479th anniversary as a ""pseudo festivity"".

A grand celebration for a city that has failed to improve its infrastructure and build a strong civil society could be seen as improper. Jakarta, home to around 12 million people, has been left behind by Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur in terms of infrastructure. Bangkok has a much better traffic management system than Jakarta, while Kuala Lumpur is far cleaner than our capital.

The Jakarta administration has done little to address the traffic problems in the city, where more than two million cars and nearly three million motorbikes cram the streets daily. Law enforcers appear helpless to bring some semblance of order to the streets.

There has been much discussion of a mass rapid transit (MRT) system, but little action toward this goal. The tug-of-war between the central government and the Jakarta administration over the proposed MRT indicates both sides have their own self-interests at heart. Unfortunately the interests of the public have been ignored.

So, this final year of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso's second term is unlikely to see any progress toward advancing the interests of residents. Everything remains the same. Floods remain an annual threat, and many of the myriad problems that were facing the city when Sutiyoso first came to power are still there, unresolved and largely ignored.

Closing off National Monument (Monas) Park to street vendors and building some nice fountains around the park is not enough to say city administrators have done a good job.

The continued construction of shopping malls on seemingly every remaining plot of land is more indicative of the administration's policies. While the malls have practically swallowed up the few remaining open spaces in Jakarta, they have done nothing to cut the unemployment rate.

That 25,000 people took the civil service entrance exam last March, hoping to fill one of 950 openings, is a good indication of the unemployment problem here and just how desperate people are for work.

This year also saw the rise of individuals and organizations waving the banners of religion and ethnicity. Many of these groups have taken it upon themselves to uphold the law, as they believe it should be upheld, often employing violence to enforce their will. Unfortunately, there has been little action by the police to stop them.

Sutiyoso still has the chance to build his legacy before stepping down next year. His megacity concept, which is likely meant as a monument to his career, has been discussed with other governors. However, it is likely these governors will keep the concept in the drawer.

When Sutiyoso's term ends Jakarta residents will have, for the first time, the opportunity to directly elect their governor. It is hoped this will result in a new leader with a clear vision and mission for the city. As the nation's capital, Jakarta must become a model of democracy and civil society for other cities and provinces. Happy anniversary, Jakarta.

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