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People urged not to give money to cart-pushing beggars during Ramadan
Seasonal beggars will be told to move on or risk being taken to a shelter.
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Beggars wait for passersby to give them money in Jakarta. (Shutterstock.com/Daxiao Productions)
S
outh Jakarta Social Affairs Agency head Ahmad Dumyani has urged people not to give money to seasonal beggars who thrive in the city during Ramadan, including to those using carts to carry their families.
“I advise people not to give anything to manusia gerobak [cart-pushing beggars] who often wait on the street. Besides not being edifying, it also causes traffic congestion,” he said on Monday as reported by kompas.com.
Dumyani said the beggars were seasonal and used Ramadan to garner sympathy and get money. Cart-pushing beggars usually take their family members with them around the city to beg.
He said his office had been monitoring seasonal beggars in several areas in South Jakarta since the start of Ramadan.
“There are many of them on Jl. Raya Kemang and Jl. Raya Pasar Minggu and in Pondok Indah and Radio Dalam,” Dumyani said.
The beggars traveled from various regions, such as Bogor, Sukabumi in West Java, Pemalang, Brebes and Tegal in Central Java.
The South Jakarta Social Affairs Agency will initially use the persuasive approach and ask them to move on, Dumyani said. However, the office will detain them if they persist and interfere with public order.
“We will ask them not to wait in places that can disrupt public facilities. If they insist on staying, we will take them to shelters,” he said. (rin)
