Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Governor Fauzi Bowo said Friday that the administration should proceed with enforcing the 2007 Bylaw on Public Order because it had been passed by the City Council.

"We have taken note of the objections, but we must implement the bylaw because it is valid and has been approved by the council," Fauzi said.

"If people disagreed with the bylaw, why did they not protest earlier (before the bylaw came into effect)?," he told reporters at City Hall.

The controversial bylaw stipulates that anybody who gives alms to beggars in public places can face a maximum sentence of 60 days in prison or a maximum fine of Rp 20 million (US$2,000).

The administration considered this move a way to improve public order in the city and clampdown on rampant begging, much of which is believed to be organized and controlled by individuals who exploit the poor.

Several NGOs claimed the bylaw was a violation of human rights, as it infringed on an individual's right to choose where their money or possessions go.

On Monday, the city punished 12 people under the bylaw for giving money to beggars, administering them with on-the-spot fines of between Rp 20,000 and Rp 70,000.

The Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) said recently that the bylaw only created new problems instead of addressing public order issues in the capital, and should have been annulled from the outset.

Controversy surrounding the 2007 bylaw has emerged since vast numbers of seasonal beggars descended on the city for the holy month of Ramadan. During the fasting season, many Muslims consider Ramadan the best time to give alms to one another, with many preferring to give donations to beggars on the street instead.

The bylaw faced protest even during its drafting period, with a number of organizations declaring their objection to the measure, such as the National Commission of Human Rights, UPC and the Alliance for the Poor (ARM). The organizations claimed the bylaw denied the poor access to a better livelihood.