Makassar Mayor Danny Pomanto Supports MUI Fatwa On Street Children And Beggars

Makassar Mayor Moh Ramdhan Pomanto (Danny Pomanto)/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

MAKASSAR - Mayor of Makassar Moh Ramdhan Pomanto (Danny Pomanto) supports the Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of South Sulawesi regarding street children, homeless people and beggars, buskers, to the organized exploitation of children.

"This MUI fatwa is extraordinary. Now, beggars and street vendors have become professions. Because there is income in them (begging on the streets)," he said in Makassar, quoted by Antara, Thursday, November 4.

Danny Pomanto revealed, the income of the homeless comes from people who pass or stop at red lights or at restaurants and coffee shops giving them money, so this is then turned into a profession, because there is a large income there by begging.

In addition, the modus operandi of these individuals is to exploit by using school-age children begging on the streets and in stalls, in order to earn income.

"Why is there income? Because people give money on the streets. If we want to eliminate beggars from becoming a profession, we decide that there should be no income there. This MUI fatwa is extraordinary," Danny Pomanto emphasized.

For this reason, the Makassar City Government fully supports and will implement the implementation of the fatwa, including enforcing Regional Regulation Number 2 of 2008 concerning the Guidance of Street Children, Homeless and Beggars and Singers. The sanction is that the giver is subject to a fine of Rp. 1.5 million or imprisonment for three months.

"I will build a social institution next year. I will immediately build a social system. There are already containers prepared in each kelurahan to be used as a central complaint. We have already made social handling, so we must act to enforce the regulation earlier," he explained.

But Danny Pomanto admits that previous Social Service officials were weak in terms of policing. Thus, in the near future the new officials are required to be firm in carrying out their duties, assisted by the Civil Service Police Unit, to bring them into order.

Previously, the MUI of South Sulawesi, had issued a fatwa related to the exploitation of beggars on roads and public spaces carried out by students of school age. The fatwa was issued following the rise of organized human exploitation to beg on the streets.

This is because, it is common knowledge that these beggars are deliberately scattered in a number of crowded areas to red lights in Makassar City, and at certain times they are picked up by people who exploit them and then submit the resulting deposit that day.

"Perhaps, beggars carrying babies when begging do not know the person concerned. This is exploiting small children who do not know anything. Then it is used as a means to obtain material things," said Secretary of the MUI Sulsel Muammar Bakri.