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New DPD to focus on tackling traffic and floods
The four elected candidates from Jakarta for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) agree the city's most urgent problems are transportation, traffic and flooding
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he four elected candidates from Jakarta for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) agree the city's most urgent problems are transportation, traffic and flooding. The council pledged to endorse better access to health care and education for poor residents.The elected candidates include two noted politicians (Dani Anwar and A.M Fatwa), an executive of the Muslim organization Nahdatul Ulama (Djan Faridz), and dark horse, Pardi. Below are their profiles.
-JP/Desy Nurhayati
PARDI
People may wonder how the little-known figure Pardi made his way into the top four in the competition for Regional representatives Council (DPD) seats, defeating prominent candidates in the April legislative election.
Some, including his competitors, claim his success relied on the lucky fact he was placed as candidate number 31 in the ballot - also the number of the ruling Democratic Party.
People can say whatever they like about the success of the 40-year-old paralegal and entrepreneur, but Pardi puts his 253,632 votes down to hard work and networking abilities.
"I was given number 31 because of the rules. People can say anything they want about my victory, I don't care. The most important thing is that I have done many things for this society although there has been little exposure of this to the public," Pardi told The Jakarta Post.
"I was elected because of my connection with voters. I believe Jakartan voters are smart, they know voting for a DPD member means they vote for an individual, not a political party representative, so it has nothing to do with a party," he said. "I interact with many people. I have friends from various social groups, ranging from tukang ojek *motorcycle taxi drivers* to former ministers. That's why I was sucessful."
Pardi, who deals with copyright issues in his job as a paralegal, said he always makes the most of his opportunities to meet and discuss issues with a wide range of people.
What contributed most to his victory, he said, was his active role in the People's Forum for Health Concerns, a community organization providing technical assistance for poor people to receive hospital treatment.
"I have been involved in the forum's activities since 2000.
"I am also a member of the Betawi Community Group," said Pardi.
"Joining Facebook also helped me win votes," he added.
Many people may doubt his competence as a council representative, but Pardi has already prepared programs for the development of the city, particularly in the area of health and education.
"I will focus on two issues: Health and education. Every citizen has equal rights to health and education services as enshrined in the Constitution."
Along with other candidates, Pardi agreed that transportation and flood mitigation are the city's two major concerns.
"We will endorse the administration to take care of premises along riverbanks," he said.
Entering the political arena for the first time, Pardi said he promised himself he would remain consistent in conducting his tasks as a DPD member.
"My family is proud of my election. They have told me to be responsible and consistent."
A.M FATWA
A former deputy speaker at the House of Representatives (from 1999 to 2004) and now a deputy speaker at the People's Consultative Assembly, Andi Mappetahang Fatwa, is now gearing up for his new duties as a member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) in the Jakarta province.
The cofounder of the National Mandate Party (PAN) finished second with close to 370,000 votes in the legislative elections.
Fatwa said he was elected because he maintained a good relationship with the public.
"I always try to attend gatherings I am invited to and never miss a chance to interact with people. I do it all the time, not just before the elections," Fatwa said.
"I did not join the DPD to runaway from the House or the assembly, but with specific goals. This is my call of duty. I aim to continue my predecessors' struggle to defend the people's rights through this representative council," he said.
He said he was also elected because of his involvement with various social organizations and his proselytism since around the 1960s.
People also know him because of his involvement in some iconic events in the city, such as the 1984 Tanjung Priok tragedy, he said.
"I was involved in the incident because I defended the victims, not because I was implicated," said the 70-year-old man, who once was a political prisoner for about 12 years during the New Order regime.
His efforts to stop the city's traditional market traders from being evicted by the administration's market management company PD Pasar Jaya also significantly contributed to his electability, he said.
"I urged the governor to dismiss Pasar Jaya's director because the company was being too tough with the traders, and the governor took on my advice," said the senior politician.
He also frequently visits traditional markets throughout the city to do advocacy work.
"The issue of traditional markets will also be one of my main programs. I aim to maintain the existence of traditional markets across the city amid the vigorous growth of modern retailers," Fatwa told The Jakarta Post.
"Traditional markets should not only exist, but also be improved to be able to compete with modern markets. At this point, cleanliness and convenience are the main issues," he said.
In his long-term program, he wants all traditional markets to be located downtown, to make them accessible to customers in lower-income brackets who can only go shopping using public transportation.
"It is the big malls that should be located on the city outskirts, because higher-income earners who own private cars will still be able to access them *malls*," he said.
He will also be focusing on transportation and flood control .
"I will be working closely with the administration and the city council to settle the transportation problems. We cannot keep building roads to overcome traffic congestion."
He urged the administration to accelerate public transportation projects, saying the Transjakarta bus service had yet to improve public transportation in the city.
On flood mitigation, he said the most critical issue was river dredging and garbage treatment.
"What we should do now is minimize the impact of floods because it is hard to prevent them."
He said he would also endorse the so-called Megapolitan concept, merging Jakarta with surrounding cities.
Djan Faridz
Securing the most votes from Muslim organization Nahdatul Ulama (NU) supporters, businessman Djan Faridz finished third in the DPD contest with close to 260,000 votes.
The President Director of PT Priamanaya Djan International - and developer of Tanah Abang shopping center' Blok A building - said he also received support from colleagues in business associations, including the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi).
"I have been engaging with the NU on various occasions over the last five years," said the treasurer at Jakarta's NU branch.
The 58-year-old businessman said even though he had long mingled with political figures, he had never thought about a legislative career until last year, when he was encouraged to nominate himself as a DPD candidate.
Djan said he would focus on economic issues, especially improving the city's economy.
"I choose to work on economic issues as it is my area of expertise," he said, adding he also agreed public transportation, traffic management and flood control were the city's most crucial challenges.
On economic issues, he said he would prioritize revitalizing traditional markets throughout the city.
"We used to have some 150 traditional markets in the city. Reviving the markets means helping many small vendors improve their livelihoods and creating a significant number of jobs."
He strongly recommended traditional market traders be given free kiosks and only pay a daily rental fee. "They should be given appropriate places to run their business, without the burden of expensive rental fees."
He said he would also encourage street vendors to move to the renovated markets.
"Once the markets are renovated, we just have to promote them. Then people will enjoy shopping at traditional markets. They will prefer to go there than to modern retailers because they will be able to shop comfortably and benefit from lower prices," he said, citing several old markets that had been renovated.
Easy access to loan facilities for small entrepreneurs will also be one of his economic platforms, not only for retailers, but also for fishermen and those in the husbandry business.
DANI ANWAR
It seems Dani Anwar, currently deputy speaker at the city council, ran for the DPD seat at the perfect time, as he managed to secure more votes than any other candidate.
Dani, who is also known as a Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) prominent figure, garnered over 450,000 votes.
Dani said being governor candidate Adang Darajatun's running mate in the 2007 gubernatorial elections helped him win the DPD seat.
"Maybe most voters still recognize me because I contested the gubernatorial elections," Dani told The Jakarta Post.
"I also captured votes from PKS party supporters," he said.
Dani was elected as the city council member for the first time in 1999, becoming the secretary of Commission B for economic issues.
In October 2004, he took up the position of chairman of Commission E for welfare issues.
Last year, he was appointed as the city council's deputy speaker replacing Ahmad Heryawan, who was elected as the West Java Governor.
His 10-year career at the city council and his candidacy as vice governor have made the 41-year-old Jakartan knowledgeable about the city's problems, mainly transportation and flood mitigation.
"We will join forces with other DPD members to fix transportation and traffic problems."
"The construction plans for public transportation are ready, and we have secured commitments for the loans. What we should do now is accelerate them *construction plans*," he said.
On the issue of flood management, he said he would supervise the much-delayed completion of the East Flood Canal.
Anwar will also prioritize education and health care for the low-income earners.
"We will push the administration and the city council to offer cheap and quality health services for low-income earners," he said, adding policies in all fields should focus more on lower-income earners.
"We should make it easier for small entrepreneurs to get loans."
"It is also necessary to fix investment regulations, so the city is able to attract more investors."
Dani said he would also urge the city to improve its budget allocation by giving a greater share to municipal, district and subdistrict administrations, in order to spur and balance the city's growth.
In this era of regional autonomy where regional administrations have more control over their respective region's development, the Jakarta administration should be given the rights to develop the central government's assets in the city.
The assets include the areas of Senayan and Kemayoran in Central Jakarta, as well as the airport and seaport.
Commenting on the performance of his predecessors in the DPD, Dani noted several significant improvements in the role of the representative council.
"They have fought to strengthen the DPD, which is still overlooked. Therefore, we will build synergies with all DPD members nationwide to improve what our predecessors have achieved."
"People should pay more attention to the DPD. The DPD intensified communications with the city council and administration to strengthen its role."
