Viral Sate Taichan Traders Extorted Rp5 Million For Selling On The Tanah Abang Sidewalk, Central Jakarta City Government Officials Silence

JAKARTA - The function of the sidewalk at night has turned into a commercial business area that is misused by street vendors. Worse, traders are willing to pay a sum of money to thugs who control the sidewalk area to be able to sell.

As happened on Jalan KH Mas Mansyur, precisely across from Citywalk Sudirman, Karet Tengsin Village, Tanah Abang District, Central Jakarta.

In this area, a number of satay thaican traders began to fill it at night. They admitted that they were charged a fee to sell by a number of thugs in order to set up tents and carts on the sidewalk.

In fact, the illegal levies (extortion) reached Rp. 5 million from each trader. The incident also resulted in a commotion between traders and unscrupulous people who were suspected of selling sidewalk stalls. Traders feel cheated because they are evicted by other extortion groups who have also received payment for the sidewalk rental.

The commotion was caught on an amateur camera and uploaded to the Instagram account @kameraperistiwa. In the recording, there was a commotion between two groups suspected of being traders and thugs.

"That means the money is not back, right?" said one of the traders in the video recording.

From the recording, traders have given Rp5 million to the three different parties ( thugs) but they were actually expelled by the first party. Traders were expelled and ordered to close. According to the trader on the tape, the first party had received around Rp3 million for a trade permit.

"We have issued 5 million and 500 thousand carts for sales permits in this place (across the Citywalk Sudirman, Karet Tengsin Village). Selling around 10 million bivoke rubber," said the trader.

Responding to a viral video of the practice of buying and selling sidewalks to traders, the Central Jakarta City Government said it was not aware of any information that went viral on social media.

Deputy Mayor of Central Jakarta, Chaidir said, his party did not know the information circulating about the conversion of the sidewalk at night.

"Ask Asbang Bakwan Ginting, assistant. I did not follow (the information)," he briefly confirmed by VOI, Monday, October 30.

Meanwhile, when confirmed separately, the Central Jakarta City Government Asekbang Bakwan Ferizan Ginting also did not respond when confirmed by VOI.

Central Jakarta Head of Central Jakarta Satpol PP Tumbur Parluhutan Purba also did not respond when confirmed by VOI through the WhatsApp application regarding the conversion of the sidewalk fasum function to street vendors at night.