Most of city’s beggars are from East, Central Java

JAKARTA: The capital receives a massive influx of beggars every year, with most coming from East and Central Java, an official says.

Public Order Agency head Effendi Anas said 10 percent of the city’s beggars came from Jakarta and the remaining 90 percent from other parts of Java.

“Fifty percent come from West Java and 40 percent from Central Java,” he said Wednesday, as reported by kompas.com.

Most of the beggars from outside Jakarta came from Cirebon, Indramayu, Subang, Bogor, Karawang, Cianjur and Sukabumi, he said.

Tegal, Semarang, Brebes and Pekalongan were the source of most of the city’s beggars from Central Java, he added.

Every year people from these areas come to the city and become beggars during Ramadan, when Muslims are required to give alms.

Jakarta had 11,338 beggars in 2009, according to an official report. The administration has recorded 1,507 beggars in the city to date this year.

Efendi said public order officers would try to catch those organizing and manipulating street beggars and bring them to justice. — JP