Ghost town: Scores of people spend their time
at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle during Car Free Day in Jakarta on Sunday
morning. Many people were surprised to see roads in the area empty on Sunday,
which was also the first day of the fasting month Ramadhan. Usually, hundreds
of thousands of Jakartans flock to Jl. MH Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman each Sunday
for Car Free Day.
Sunday marked the first day of Ramadhan for
the majority of Indonesia’s 210 million Muslims.
During
the holy month, urban dwellers flock to the streets and malls to buy sweets or
big meals to break their fast.
Nearing
sunset on the first day, streets were crowded with vendors preparing to cater
to people breaking fast, and malls were crowded with families scrambling to
find a venue to break fast with their loved ones.
The
usually crowded Jl. Rawa Belong in West Jakarta saw an even bigger crowd on
Sunday as street vendors packed its sidewalks.
Residents
on motorcycles and in cars parked along the narrow street causing long-tailed
traffic.
Dozens
of street vendors were selling a wide variety of foods and beverages. Iced
fruit drinks proved to be popular with the many people eager to quench their
thirst with a refreshing beverage before diving into big meals.
Customers
patiently waited to be served, longingly staring at the fruit drinks being made
by the vendors.
Fruit
drinks vendor Siti Hajar said that she only sold the beverage seasonally.
“I only
do this during Ramadhan for additional income,” said the 47-year-old as she
poured servings of the beverage into transparent plastic bags.
A
similar scene could seen at Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta, where hundreds
of visitors scrambled to find tables in the mall’s restaurants.
Although
the call to maghrib prayers was still an hour away, visitors had already
started ordering food to keep tables.
One
visitor, Ratih, said that she was keeping a table to break the fast with her
friends.
“Today
is the first day of fasting. I am so excited to break fast in the mall with my
friends,” she said.
At
Istiqlal Mosque located in Central Jakarta, which is the city’s biggest mosque,
45 cooks prepared 3,000 boxes of food to distribute to the needy.
According
to kompas.com, the mosque spends roughly Rp 30 million (US$2,502) a day during
Ramadhan. The mosque’s food procurement unit head, Hassanuddin, said that
thousands of people gathered to break fast and pray at the city’s largest
mosque each day.
The
crowded streets that were seen nearing sunset, however, were a stark contrast
to the strangely deserted city streets in the early hours of the day. Many
Jakartans had slept in after sahur (pre-dawn meals), only getting out of their
homes close to sunset to scour the city with friends and family in search of
the perfect place to break the fast.
The usually crowded Car Free Day along Jl.
Sudirman in South Jakarta and Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Sunday was
exceptionally quiet. Very few runners were seen enjoying the empty streets,
Antara reported.
Despite
the fasting month, some Jakartans still insist on watching World Cup matches in
bars late at night.
Even
threats by the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI) to raid such bars did not
stop soccer fans from heading to nightspots to watch soccer matches.
The FPI
has pledged to raid bars that continue to sell alcohol, which Muslims are
banned from drinking under Islamic law, or stay open too late.
It
vowed to “monitor any sinful activities in entertainment places, cafes and bars
during Ramadhan”, said FPI Jakarta head Salim Alatas, as quoted by AFP news
agency.
However,
the AFP reported that bars that remained open in Jakarta were still packed with
locals and expatriates late Saturday and early Sunday.
One
visitor, 27-year-old Endika Setiadi Putra, said that with the World Cup now in
the knockout stages, the excitement would keep drawing people to watch the
matches in bars even during Islam’s holiest month.
“If
it’s the weekend, most people will go out [to watch the matches],” Putra said
as quoted by AFP.
Meanwhile,
the Medan Police conducted a raid early on Sunday morning to catch violent
motorcycle gangs and prevent street racing, which has caused safety concerns
among residents.
Medan
Police chief Comr. Budi Hendrawan said that the police would conduct such raids
throughout Ramadhan to maintain safety during the holy month.
“We
ticketed 455 motorists during the raid. All of the motorists were ticketed
because they did not have licenses, vehicle registrations or helmets,” Budi
told reporters after the raid. (dwa/alz)
Apriadi Gunawan contributed to this story
from Medan
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
No comments:
Post a Comment