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Lenteng Agung protest rumbles on

A large group of residents again petitioned for the removal of Susan Jasmine Zulkifli from her post as head of Lenteng Agung subdistrict in South Jakarta on Wednesday, due to her being a Christian in a Muslim-majority community

Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, September 26, 2013

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Lenteng Agung protest rumbles on

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large group of residents again petitioned for the removal of Susan Jasmine Zulkifli from her post as head of Lenteng Agung subdistrict in South Jakarta on Wednesday, due to her being a Christian in a Muslim-majority community.

At least 700 people assembled from 9 a.m. outside the subdistrict office in Jagakarsa, carrying yellow flags, a bier shrouded in white with a sign saying '€œThe Death of Democracy in Lenteng Agung'€, and a 50-meter-long petition signed by residents opposed to Susan'€™s appointment.

One demonstrator, Naseri Nasrullah, was quoted by tribunnews.com as saying that the rally was in protest at Governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo and Deputy Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama'€™s lack of response to a letter that the residents had sent to them opposing the subdistrict head'€™s appointment.

'€œWe object to the city administration'€™s decision to appoint a subdistrict head without taking into consideration local residents'€™ cultural needs and aspirations,'€ he said.

Meeting the representatives of the protesters, Susan said she hoped that they would judge her based on her performance and give her a chance to prove her competence as a local leader.

'€œAt least give me six months to complete the priority tasks mandated by the governor,'€ she said.

She added that her appointment would not hinder any religious activities in the subdistrict.

The police deployed 236 personnel to secure the protest. Due to the rally, the police had to close Jl. Agung Raya I in Jagakarsa, a main thoroughfare that leads to the subdistrict office, for more than two hours, causing serious congestion.

After the meeting ended, the protesters demanded that Susan receive the bier that they had brought. When she refused to do so, the rally almost turned violent as the protesters tried to force their way into the subdistrict office to insist she receive the symbol.

Police personnel, however, managed to prevent the protesters from gaining access to the office. They dispersed at approximately 11:15 a.m. and left the bier at the Jagakarsa police subprecinct office.

South Jakarta Mayor Syamsuddin Noor said he had met with the protesters as well as religious and community leaders in Lenteng Agung after the previous protest but they had yet to come to any sort of compromise.

'€œThe older residents approve Susan'€™s appointment but the youngsters seem to be resistant,'€ he said, adding that he had already identified the initiators of the protest.

'€œWe are still trying to get them to understand why she can'€™t be removed as they demand,'€ he said.

Syamsuddin said the majority of Lenteng Agung residents had no problem with Susan and that many of the protesters were not even Lenteng Agung residents.

Jokowi reiterated on Wednesday that he would neither transfer nor demote any official because of his or her religion. '€œI judge them based on their ability to deal with the issues, whether they can complete the tasks I set them or not.'€

Jokowi said he had yet to evaluate the performance of Susan and he had received no complaint about her performance so far.

'€œWe will see in six months'€™ time from her government service index,'€ he said. '€œSo, I will not transfer her although some residents keep urging the city administration to do so.'€ (ogi)

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