a beggar old who wore a suit of Pooh tattered was considered a crook following reports that he Rp.500,000 been pocketing daily and lived in a house with seven women. But as usual, it's not quite the story.
Again, 'tis the season for giving alms - if you are a devout Muslim eager to score points to get into heaven. Remember that there are many crooks ( penipu in Indonesian) loan to help you buy penance.
The regency of Sidoarjo East Java is notorious for two reasons: 1993 rape, torture and murder of an activist for labor rights, Marsinah, whose killers have never been brought to justice; and the ongoing mudflow disaster that began in 2006 when a company linked to tycoon Aburizal Bakrie has failed to use a protective case when drilling a natural gas well.
Sidoarjo was back in the news recently about the history of geriatric beggar Suwādī, which drew attention by wearing a shabby suit Winnie Pooh. He rarely wore the bear head, but rather used as his begging bowl. He wanted people to see that he was an old man. An old, bent, crippled man with a sad expression.
Suwādī mixed pathetically along the street outside Lippo Mall Sidoarjo, dragging his right leg, while his right arm and hand were bent awkwardly. If someone asked, he told them that he had suffered a debilitating stroke two years ago. He was begging for about a year.
His wretched appearance eventually attracted the attention of the station radio Voice of Surabaya, which on June 14 ran a news article to him.
The story described how sob Suwādī lived alone but "always worked in entertaining children with his ragged Winnie the Pooh suit."
Sympathy started pouring in after the article and photos were displayed on the page of the radio station E100 . the story quickly received over 32,000 'likes', thousands of "shares" and more than a thousand oozing comments with compassion, pity, admiration and religious platitudes. Some stakeholders boasted how they had helped. further details of the miserable life Suwādī emerged online. He lived somewhere in the city of Gresik, but often had to sleep in the street when he failed to collect enough money for a bus fare from home.
the attention of social media has prompted Sidoarjo social Affairs and Manpower office to determine if the old man was sick and exploitation by parents or a begging mafia. After the officers took him in for questioning and a checkup, he confessed that he not live in Gresik but Mojokerto. He also provided further revelations about his life, which were sent to the media. The next day Suwādī made national headlines, with reports saying the 75-year-old had built himself a luxurious house with the proceeds of his begging, and had accumulated seven women and a couple of motorcycles, including a Yamaha V-Ixion worth about Rp.20 million.
Newspapers said Suwādī had been collecting at least Rp.500,000 ($ 38) a day and "working" only four days a week, which meant he was about Rp.8 million per month. Not bad when the minimum wage for Sidoarjo regency is Rp.2.7 million.
Husni Tamrin, head of the Office of Social Affairs, said Suwādī was in good health and has never suffered a stroke. The soft appearance and crippled was just an act to attract sympathy. The old man had five adult children, each living independently.
But did he really seven women? It was indeed to wife number seven, but the last six are no longer with him, having divorced over the years. And he lived in a sumptuous mansion? No, just in a beautiful house that had cost him Rp.70 million to renovate.
When Suwādī was arrested, a woman rushed to the Social Affairs Office to demand his release. She carried a bag containing another new suit. She initially claimed to be her daughter. Suwādī told officials she was his seventh wife, Karsih.
She said they collected only about Rp.150,000 to Rp.160,000 one day, although the weekend, they could receive Rp.200,000 to 250,000 when the roads were more crowded.
The couple had Rp.268,000 on them when they were interviewed. The officers sent the pair to the Office of Social Affairs in Mojokerto, where they signed an agreement promising to stop begging. To demonstrate their sincerity, they burned the Pooh suit and costume Karsih before being released. The two were then taken over by their son, Muadi.
A few days later, Suwādī journalists hunted house, located a few rice fields. Muadi Suwādī sent out to perform his evening prayers and told reporters to stop bothering his father because of his advanced age. He said the house was obviously not luxurious and claimed he had built himself.
Social media commentators had much to say about the story, but there were few calls for Indonesia to improve its tax and social security systems. The country has a pension scheme operated by the state, called Jamsostek, which manages the pension fund for private sector employees. Unfortunately it has been marred by corruption scandals in the past. A former Australian Federal Police officer who provided security services on Christmas Island when he worked as a casino for corrupt Indonesians, remembers a high roller who do not mind losing hundreds of thousands dollars on the table because he had a senior position in Jamsostek.
Although Indonesia has improved its social safety net, people continue to beg, because it is easy money in a country where religion is mandatory.
The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan brings an influx of beggars to Indonesian cities, especially around the lights and heavy traffic mosques. Begging is illegal, so beggars risk arrest, but they are usually very briefly detained by officials of public order and sent home with stern warnings not to return.
Raids against beggars have already begun in dozens of cities. On the island of Madura, East Java, official Ahmad Zubaidi Social Affairs said the raids are necessary because a local government program to help beggars become independent contractors had failed. He said people become beggars, not because of extreme economic difficulties, but because they see how easy and lucrative work begging. He said beggars in the past have received financial assistance and goats become farmers, but they had just sold goats and resumed begging.
mafias Begging often use children to pull on the heartstrings of people. The Indonesian Commission on Child Protection has urged schools, the Ministry of Education and parents to discourage children from begging independently or be recruited by begging gangs. official of the Commission Susanto said Indonesia should focus on the development of a younger generation that is creative and innovative, rather than a generation in search of documents.
Some publications have published lists of tips to help Muslims avoid giving potentially suspicious charities or fake beggars. These lists advise people to avoid almost all types of beggars, apparently pregnant women to people with disabilities, and to donate instead to charities reputable. Even then, you might be better to give someone who has never their hand as a scavenger. Otherwise, simply perpetuate begging activity.