Yuli Tri Suwarni and Indra Harsaputra, Bandung/Surabaya – Government employees have been told to dispense office cars and uniforms in order to avoid possible public wrath in the wake of intensifying protests against the planned fuel-price hike.
In Bandung, West Java, Mayor Dada Rosada and Deputy Mayor Ayi Vivananda said that they had abandoned their office cars temporarily. Government vehicles are readily recognizable with their red-painted license plates.
They also called other officials in their municipal administration to do the same to avoid possible acts of vandalism by anti-government protesters.
"The mayor disseminated the call yesterday. We just follow up for security reasons, although my own political party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle [PDI-P] is siding with the protesters over the fuel-price hike," Ayi said in Bandung, Tuesday.
Ayi said the mayor also recommended against the use of luxury cars to avoid escalating public frustration, as people are already annoyed by facing the fuel-price hike plan, which has triggered an increase in staple foods prices.
Government employees have also been advised not to wear uniforms to work to avoid being a target of angry protesters.
"This is not a call that is given structurally. As civil servants, we can be easily recognized by our uniforms. We are just afraid of being a target of mass amok, especially because Monday's protest turned into chaos," Viky Edya, a staffer at the West Java gubernatorial office, said.
In Surabaya, East Java, head of the municipal administration's public relation division, Nanis Chairani, said that all the police plates of the official vehicles had been replaced with the black ones in anticipation of possible attacks during the fuel-price hike protests in the city.
"The instruction was not given in writing but through text messaging spread among the 72 heads of municipal apparatus working units [SKPD], including district heads and division heads using official cars," Nanis said.
Nanis added that the replacement of the car license plates was temporary and would be returned to their original plates when the fuel-price hike protests were over.
"If they have no time to change the plates, then they are advised to park the cars in the yard of the Taman Surya Park, across from City Hall, for security reasons," she said.