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Idul Fitri preparations not affected by vote tally announcement
Deserted:: Vehicles travel along Jl
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Deserted:: Vehicles travel along Jl. S. Parman, part of the Jakarta Inner Ring Road, in West Jakarta on Tuesday. Many roads in Jakarta were deserted as residents chose to stay inside their homes or offices in anticipation of chaotic conditions following the announcement by the General Elections Commission (KPU) of the president-elect and vice president-elect. However, despite the spread of rumors of potential rioting, many other residents packed shopping malls as they prepared to celebrate the Idul Fitri holiday. (JP/P.J. Leo) (KPU) of the president-elect and vice president-elect. However, despite the spread of rumors of potential rioting, many other residents packed shopping malls as they prepared to celebrate the Idul Fitri holiday. (JP/P.J. Leo)
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span class="inline inline-center">Deserted:: Vehicles travel along Jl. S. Parman, part of the Jakarta Inner Ring Road, in West Jakarta on Tuesday. Many roads in Jakarta were deserted as residents chose to stay inside their homes or offices in anticipation of chaotic conditions following the announcement by the General Elections Commission (KPU) of the president-elect and vice president-elect. However, despite the spread of rumors of potential rioting, many other residents packed shopping malls as they prepared to celebrate the Idul Fitri holiday. (JP/P.J. Leo)
The capital city saw a relatively peaceful day on Tuesday despite rumors that thousands of protesters would take to the streets on the day of the General Elections Commission's (KPU) presidential election result announcement.
Idul Fitri preparations were not affected by the rumors, as thousands of residents continued to flock to shopping centers, as well as to mobile banking services to exchange money.
Tanah Abang shopping center in Central Jakarta saw heavy traffic gridlock on the day, with thousands of buyers making their final preparations for the holiday.
'Well, someone needs to make money,' a female vendor said while lifting a huge bag of clothes onto a public Kopaja minibus.
Bank Indonesia (BI) officer Helmi Achmad said that the current political environment had not stopped residents from coming to the IRTI parking lot in the National Monument (Monas) compound, where nine banks provided mobile services for customers wanting to change money into small-denomination banknotes. Indonesians traditionally give away cash to children during the Idul Fitri holiday.
Helmi said that there were no additional security personnel deployed on the day.
'We are guarded by 10 Mobile Brigade personnel every day and there were no extra security measures today,' he said.
Muhlisin, who went to the IRTI on Tuesday to exchange money, said that he was not bothered by the protest rumors.
'I only had the time to exchange money today so I decided to go anyway. I am not really worried about the rumors,' said Muhlisin, who was preparing to leave Jakarta for Semarang, Central Java, to celebrate Idul Fitri with his family.
Transactions made at the IRTI field on Tuesday amounted to hundreds of millions of rupiah.
Jakarta's thoroughfares were relatively empty throughout the day, with most foreign and local companies, including international organizations with offices in Indonesia, encouraging their employees to work from home or to go home early. Some employees took the initiative to take leave and stay at home for the day.
'I took leave as a precaution. I was worried that the streets would be chaotic due to protests on Tuesday,' Eunike Santosa, a PR manager working on Jl. MH Thamrin, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
Copy editor Devishanty, who works in Menteng, Central Jakarta, returned home early on the day.
'My office management called on all employees to leave the office after lunchtime so I left and continued to work at home,' she said.
Security measures were beefed up on Tuesday, with the city police deploying thousands of personnel to guard key locations across the city, including the KPU office and City Hall.
The increased security measures at City Hall were also applied in response to a bomb threat received over the weekend.
'Someone sent us bomb threat via fax on Saturday. The threat was aimed at Pak Jokowi [non-active governor Joko Widodo]. We immediately reported the threat to the police and a bomb squad checked the whole building and it was clear,' acting governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama told reporters.
Since Monday, security personnel have asked visitors to show their IDs before entering City Hall.
