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Editorial:Thank you Jakarta
Citing the failure to enforce a prohibition on smoking in public places and the achievement of the notorious Kampung Bali in eradicating rampant drug trafficking, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo reminded his citizens on Friday that the well-being and security of Jakarta were the responsibilities of all, not just his government
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Citing the failure to enforce a prohibition on smoking in public places and the achievement of the notorious Kampung Bali in eradicating rampant drug trafficking, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo reminded his citizens on Friday that the well-being and security of Jakarta were the responsibilities of all, not just his government.
To be honest, the governor's remarks were very reasonable, and we citizens of this capital city must feel ashamed if we fall short being law-abiding.
Fauzi said that even if he deployed thousands of public order officers to every corner of Jakarta, it would be a meaningless gesture if Jakartans continued to act irresponsibly.
Speaking to reporters two days before Jakarta celebrates its 481st anniversary on Sunday, the governor pointed out that Bylaw No. 22/2005 on air pollution control -- which includes a ban on smoking in public places, including restaurants, offices and hospitals -- was toothless because Jakartans are very far from being law-abiding citizens.
Without saying it explicitly, the governor criticized those who smoked in forbidden places in spite of the bylaw, which threatens up to Rp 50 million (US$5,500) or 3 months imprisonment.
Currently, Jakarta is home to some 8.5 million people at night and 12 million in the day time. The difference is due to the large number of commuters from neighboring cities, including Bogor, Bekasi, Depok and Tangerang. And it seems that more and more people are likely to come to the city.
Those who live in Jakarta or earn their living here typically blame the city authorities for nearly all of the problems they face.
They tend to take everything for granted. Take garbage as an example. Many of us are loathe to help the government manage garbage. People riding in luxurious cars often throw junk from their windows. We often disobey the obligation to protect water-catchment areas.
The authorities are blamed for all impacts of the over exploitation of the city's resources -- acute traffic jams, worsening annual floods, land subsidence, acute air pollution, lack of sanitation and outbreaks of various contagious diseases.
Yes, Jakarta is a city that has long suffered from its own attractiveness. It remains a huge attraction for millions of Indonesians who believe Jakarta is a perfect place to realize their dreams of achieving fame, prosperity and power.
Its misery has worsened through the absence of a real rival city. While Jakarta can no longer accommodate new comers, the city has no power to say no.
In her old age, Jakarta is still considered to be a city of dreams by most Indonesians. And therefore, more and more people urbanize to Jakarta, further burdening an already overburdened capital.
Therefore, it is not easy to address various problems in the capital. The continuous flow of people from across the country adds to existing problems because the newcomers of course need jobs, transportation, houses, places to dump garbage and human waste, food, water and other resources.
Investors in the city cannot afford to allow such trends to continue.
Of course, those in the Jakarta administration and the City Legislative Council should be forming the frontline to deal with the problems because they are armed with authority and funds from tax payers' money.
But it is not fair at all that problems in the capital are shouldered only by the administration and its residents because, as the capital, Jakarta is home to many of the country's major activities and officials.
The central government, which is based in Jakarta, is also obliged to make an effort in dealing with the problems. Indeed, the neighboring cities are not clean of the blame either, because Jakarta is the city where residents from outlying cities earn their living too. Those cities must do their bit in helping to facilitate commuting into and out of Jakarta.
And finally, we have to offer an apology to Jakarta itself, which has suffered so much for so long because of us. We must not just be clever in launching criticism, but we must help solve the problems too.
Thank you Jakarta! Happy anniversary!
