Glitter and Litter - The juxtaposition between the rich and poor

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is a bustling metropolis which is home to around 8.8 million people.⁵ However, with every city, there are contradictions and contrasts like the juxtaposition of the rich and poor. Jakarta, a economically thriving hub, is not without beggars or squatters. Interestingly, there have been observations that showed that there is no distinct neighbourhood in where the rich and the poor live.⁶ It is interesting to explore why we have this mindset of segregating the rich and poor. What are the factors that shape our mindset? Is it due to our complacency as a product of our comfortable lifestyle, or that the poor are automatically deemed as inferior? Do we distinct ourselves from others by the amount of education one has received? However, one key point from this observation is that though spaces are created for various communities, boundaries are getting increasingly blurred.

Much of Indonesia's capital flow and investments are diverted into Jakarta even though now the government is trying to divert the capital flow to the outer islands. This inward flow of capital has resulted in a huge income disparity and a widening income gap between the rich and poor of Indonesia. The rich will grow richer and the poor will get poorer. Although Jakarta is a place for investments and development, this contrast between the rich and the poor is especially stark in the rural areas of Indonesia.

The problem of the widening income gap between the rich and poor is further intensified by the irrigation project. Originally, the rich, who owned the land, would rent the plots of land to the poor. After land reform laws took effect, the rich took back the land that they rented to the poor because they felt that it was more profitable for them to harvest the land by improving the machinery (as they could easily afford it, as compared to the poorer farmers) and hence get a better harvest. We can see that social inequalities exist as the poor are left defenseless and the rich exploit them for their own benefit. The poor, left with nothing, are unable to get jobs elsewhere as their have little skills and the poverty cycle continues.

This idea of wealth and power has various consequences on social and economic issues as well as urban problems. Such issues are not just confined to Indonesia, but also in many other cities like Manila. We can see that Southeast Asian cities are sites of struggles and inequalities as well as wealth and opportunities. Though many may have a superficial and myopic view of these cities, the larger picture is that there are many facets to a society and that we should look beyond the surface of the grandeur and glitz of these cities.

Another interesting observation is about the minorities and marginal communities in Indonesia. Minority communities like Indonesian-Chinese only make up 6% of the population⁷, but why is it so that many have the impression that Indonesian-Chinese are very affluent? Indonesian-Chinese are usually the ones who can afford to send their children abroad for education and live lavishly, as compared to the poorer indigenous Indonesians.

One question to ponder about: why is it that these Indonesian-Chinese are the ones who are flourishing in their business? Is their success attributed to very "Chinese" traits like diligence and a shrewd business mind? If with wealth comes power, does this mean that the Indonesian-Chinese are the ones who have greater control over the country and the economy? If they are the ones who have a perceived dominance in the economy, does this mean that the majority, who are not Chinese, are marginalized?

Why is it so that as Singaporeans, we also view Indonesian-Chinese as the more affluent minority? Does this stem from the fact that we hardly see Indonesian-Chinese maids coming to Singapore to work, but we do see many Indonesian-Chinese studying in tertiary institutions all around the world? For a country where few can afford to study overseas, this is a luxury that few can afford.