22 August 2013
It’s a public secret that Tanah Abang Market is controlled by thugs. During a halal bihalal gathering with students and lecturers of the Islamic State University in Jakarta on Thursday (20/8/2013), President Jokowi said he received many reports of thugs in Tanah Abang Market.
“When I tried to manage the market, many people warned me. There was this problem, that problem, this person, that person and so on,” said Jokowi.
During the planning to re-organize the market, Jokowi had not been allowed by the Jakarta Police to visit the market as the police anticipated the security around the area.
Jokowi said his visit was once postponed due to security threats. “I said, ‘If it continues like this, when will I able to go there?’ I eventually forced myself to go there. Thank God nothing happened. I shook hands with merchants and even thugs, whom I identified from their tattoos,” he said.
Jokowi said the key to restructure Tanah Abang Market is openness. On one hand, Jokowi is open in gathering aspirations from vendors and local figures there so that the restructuring can proceed. On the other hand, the restructuring process is carried out openly.
“No one will protest as long as we are open. No merchant protested to me,” he said.
The relocation of merchants to Block G Tanah Abang is currently ongoing. Around 601 merchants will have a new kiosk in the new place. Some of them have received their kiosk number.
Source: Kompas.com