Latest news with #RM51
New Straits Times
12-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Begging for a living: Indonesia's silvermen struggle to make ends meet
JAKARTA: On a rainy day in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, three men coated in metallic paint known as the "manusia silver", or silvermen, brave the elements at an intersection near a mall to ask drivers for change. It is an arresting act that comes with health risks, one some young Indonesians feel is necessary to make ends meet as the cost of living worsens and jobs dwindle after the Covid-19 pandemic. "I'm ashamed to earn money like this. I want to find a real, more dignified job," says Mr Ari Munandar, 25. "But the embarrassment disappears when you remember that your daughter and your wife are at home." Barefoot, dressed only in shorts and daubed head to toe by the irritating paint, Mr Ari, his brother Keris and their friend Riyan Ahmad Fazriyansah each take a lane in the road. When the cars come to a stop, they strike robotic poses in front of the drivers. "Good afternoon, have a nice drive," says Mr Ari. The poses have little meaning other than to attract cash. "I do them because one day I saw a friend earn more by doing them," he says, moving between cars, holding out a bucket for donations. On a good day, they can pocket up to 200,000 rupiah (about RM51), but they typically earn around 120,000 rupiah. That is much less than Jakarta's monthly minimum wage of five million rupiah, and barely enough to cover daily expenses. "I'm not going to eat lunch; just drink and smoke," says Mr Ari. Every cent counts in a country where prices have risen steadily in recent years. The price for a kilogram of rice, the archipelago's main staple, jumped by 27 per cent between 2015 and 2025, according to statistics agency data. And behind the paint, the friends are clearly undernourished. None are taller than 1.72m nor weigh more than 55kg. A lack of employment opportunities is the main cause of young men and women taking to the streets, they say. "Since I was made redundant in 2019, I've been begging," says Mr Ari. "Before that, I worked cleaning toilets." According to government data, the number of people living below the poverty line in metropolitan Jakarta – a megalopolis of 11 million people – was up from 362,000 in 2019 to 449,000 as at September 2024. "Many young people with few qualifications between the ages of 20 and 40 have found themselves unemployed," says Mr Bhima Yudhistira, executive director of the Centre of Economic and Law Studies. "Even though there is no national count, there has been a huge rise in begging in Jakarta after the pandemic of 2021." After five hours at the intersection, the group returns home by hitching a ride on a tuk-tuk. The three pile into the back, counting their meagre earnings and lighting a cigarette to share. Once dropped off, they walk by a polluted river and across a railway line to their Jakarta slum. Far from the capital's high-rises, children play near the tracks to the rhythm of the trains as Mr Ari makes his way back to remove the silver. The paint, similar to that used for screen-printing on fabric, is not easy to remove. Squatting in front of a well and buckets filled with water, he splashes his body before scrubbing fiercely, his one-year-old daughter Arisya watching. "At first, the paint burned and I had a blister on my neck, but now it stings only my eyes," he says. The shower reveals a new, younger man. Once dry, he heads home to play with Arisya. "As soon as I'm here, I forget all the fatigue and the hardship," he says, smiling. "But I hope she never does what I do." - AFP
The Star
09-05-2025
- The Star
Over RM4.6mil in drugs seized, four arrested in Perak
IPOH: Police have arrested four individuals, including a Vietnamese woman, and seized drugs worth over RM4.6mil in a series of coordinated raids across the Manjung district in a crackdown on a local drug syndicate. The two-day operation uncovered large quantities of cannabis, methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), ketamine and Eramin 5 pills, which police believe were carried by a syndicate that has been operating since March. Perak police chief Datuk Comm Noor Hisam Nordin said the first raid was carried out on May 5, where a 29-year-old deliveryman was arrested in a hotel room in Sitiawan. He said the suspect later led police to a car parked outside the hotel, where 16 compressed blocks of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis, weighing 16,607g and valued at RM51,500, was seized. 'We believe it was meant for local distribution throughout the state. The seized cannabis could have potentially been used by some 12,000 drug users,' he said yesterday. Comm Noor Hisam said in the second operation on the same day, police arrested a 28-year-old local man and a 24-year-old Vietnamese woman at a house in Simpang Tiga, Sitiawan. Inside the house, police found 15,342g of powdery substance believed to be MDMA, another 237g of the powder hidden in a motorcycle, and equipment believed to be used for packaging. He said on the same night, based on information provided by the couple, police raided an apartment in Taman Sejati, Sitiawan, where they arrested a 50-year-old man and seized 114g of suspected ketamine and 50 Eramin 5 pills weighing 13g. 'The next morning, based on information provided by the three suspects, police raided a house in Desa Manjung Raya, Lumut, where police seized 11,437g of suspected MDMA, 299g of ketamine and drug processing equipment.
Borneo Post
08-05-2025
- General
- Borneo Post
Welfare Dept distributes over RM51 mln in aid to 21,604 recipients as of April
Gira (third right) hands over a hamper to a recipient, witnessed by Mohamad Razi (centre). SIBU (May 8): The Sarawak Welfare Department has disbursed approximately RM51 million in assistance to 21,604 monthly aid recipients across the state as of April this year, said Datuk Mohamad Razi Sitam. The Deputy Minister for Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Development said the government remains committed to channelling appropriate assistance to targeted groups and eligible individuals. 'This assistance is not only aimed at easing the burden of recipients but also serves as moral support, encouraging them to continue striving for a better life,' he said during the Sejambak Kasih Hari Gawai 2025 event at the Selangau Multipurpose Hall today. Elaborating, he said there are currently eight aid schemes in Sarawak, namely Elderly Assistance, Children's Assistance, General Assistance, Allowance for Disabled Workers, Assistance for Non-Working Disabled Persons, Care Assistance for Bedridden Disabled Persons/Chronic Patients, Foster Child Assistance, and Youth and Young Women Assistance. 'We also have a 'top-up' system from the Sarawak government, which means the state does not rely entirely on federal government allocations but supplements the assistance provided,' he said. Mohamad Razi urged parents and community members to be aware of the available government aid schemes, especially for children born with disabilities or those categorised as Persons with Disabilities (PwD). 'Please go for check-ups at hospitals and obtain specialist confirmation to classify them as PwD. Then apply for the PwD card through the Welfare Department or the nearest welfare office. 'Do not hide the fact if you have family members who qualify as a PwD. Similarly, those who become disabled later in life, for example due to an accident and are unable to work, should also obtain a doctor's certification and apply for the PwD card to qualify for assistance.' On the Sejambak Kasih Hari Gawai 2025 programme, the deputy minister said the Welfare Department has been providing RM100 in cash contributions and RM80 worth of festive hampers to recipients for over 20 years. He explained that the contribution aims to ease the financial burden of recipients as they prepare for festive celebrations. 'We want to ensure disadvantaged groups can also experience the festive atmosphere, especially with the upcoming Gawai celebration. Most importantly, this programme strengthens the bond between implementing agencies such as the Welfare Department and the aid recipients,' he said. He also advised recipients to use the assistance wisely and take it as motivation to improve their quality of life. 'Let this assistance remind us of the importance of gratitude and mutual support. Life's challenges may be difficult, but every sincere effort we make will bear fruit.' Also present at the event was Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang. razi sitam Sibu Welfare Department
The Star
08-05-2025
- The Star
Perak cops nab four, including Vietnamese woman for drug trafficking
Perak police narcotic in Manjung apprehended four suspects for possession of drugs. IPOH: Police have arrested four people, including a Vietnamese woman, and seized drugs worth more than RM4.6mil in four separate raids at the Manjung district. State police chief Datuk Comm Noor Hisam Nordin said in the first raid on May 5 at about 5am inside a hotel room in Sitiawan, a 39-year-old delivery man was arrested for drug trafficking. He said based on initial questioning, the suspect led the raiding team to a car parked in front of the hotel, and upon inspection, police seized 16 compressed blocks of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis (ganja) weighing 16,607g, worth RM51,500. 'A preliminary urine screening test showed the suspect positive for cannabis. Background checks revealed the suspect also has prior criminal and drug-related records. 'Based on the investigation, this syndicate is believed to have been active in drug distribution since March this year, and the drugs seized were intended for distribution in the local area and within the state. 'It is estimated that the amount of drugs seized could be used by approximately 12,000 drug addicts,' he told a press conference at the Perak police contingent headquarters here Thursday (May 8). Comm Noor Hisam said the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, and the suspect has been remanded for seven days until May 11. He said in the second raid also carried out on May 5 at about 7.30pm, a team of police officers arrested a couple, a 28-year-old man, and a 24-year-year-old Vietnamese woman at a house in Simpang Tiga, Sitiawan, on suspicion of being involved in drug trafficking activities. He said that upon inspection of the house, police seized a powdery substance suspected to be methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) weighing 15,342g, an additional 237g of MDMA drugs were also found in a motorcycle parked in front of the house, as well as equipment believed to be used for drug packaging. 'Subsequently, on the same day at about 8.55pm, after receiving more information from both suspects, a follow-up operation was conducted at an apartment in Taman Sejati, Sitiawan, where a 50-year-old man was arrested. 'Upon inspecting the premises, police seized powdery substance suspected to be ketamine weighing 114g, and 50 Eramin 5 pills weighing 13g,' he said. Comm Noor Hisam said the next day (May 6) at about 7.19am, all three suspects revealed information about a drug packaging and storage site located at a house in Desa Manjung Raya in Lumut. He said inside the storage site, police found powdery substance suspected to be MDMA weighing 11,437g, ketamine weighing 299g, and equipment believed to be used for drug packaging. He added that urine tests showed all three suspects tested positive for benzodiazepine (eramin 5), and background checks revealed that all of them have previous criminal and drug-related records. 'Based on investigations, this syndicate is also believed to have been active in drug trafficking since March this year, and the drugs seized could be used by 90,516 drug addicts. 'This case is also being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, and all three suspects have been remanded for seven days as well,' he said.
The Star
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Silvermen beg to make ends meet
Scraping by: Street performers (from left) Ari, Riyan, and Keris, hitching a ride on the back of a container truck to reach an intersection in Jakarta. — AFP On a rainy day in Jakarta, three men coated in metallic paint known as the 'manusia silver', or silvermen, brave the elements at an intersection near a mall to ask drivers for change. It is an arresting act that comes with health risks, one some young Indonesians feel is necessary to make ends meet as the cost of living worsens and jobs dwindle after the Covid-19 pandemic. 'I'm ashamed to earn money like this. I want to find a real, more dignified job,' said Ari Munandar, 25. 'But the embarrassment disappears when you remember that your daughter and your wife are at home,' he added. Barefoot, dressed only in shorts and daubed head to toe by the irritating paint, Ari, his brother Keris and their friend Riyan Ahmad Fazriyansah each take a lane in the road. When the cars come to a stop they strike robotic poses in front of the drivers. 'Good afternoon, have a nice drive,' says Ari. The poses have little meaning other than to attract cash. 'I do them because one day I saw a friend earn more by doing them,' he said, moving between cars, holding out a donation bucket. On a good day they can pocket up to 200,000 rupiah (RM51), but typically earn around 120,000 (RM31). That's much less than Jakarta's monthly minimum wage of five million rupiah (RM1,285) and barely enough to cover daily expenses. 'I'm not going to eat lunch, just drink and smoke,' said Ari. Every penny counts in a country where prices have risen steadily in recent years. A kilogramme of rice, the archipelago's main staple, jumped by 27% between 2015 and 2025, according to statistics agency data. Behind the paint, the friends are clearly undernourished. None are taller than 172cm nor weigh more than 55kg. A lack of employment opportunity is the main cause of young men and women taking to the streets, they say. 'Since I was made redundant in 2019 I've been begging,' said Ari. 'Before that, I worked cleaning toilets.' According to government data, the number of people living below the poverty line in metropolitan Jakarta – a megalopolis of 11 million people – was up from 362,000 in 2019 to 449,000 as of September 2024. 'Many young people with few qualifications between the ages of 20 and 40 have found themselves unemployed,' said Bhima Yudistira, executive director of the Center of Economic and Law Studies. 'Even though there is no national count, there has been a huge rise in begging in Jakarta after the pandemic of 2021.' After five hours at the intersection, the group returns home by hitch-hiking a ride from a tuk-tuk. The three pile into the back, counting their meagre earnings and lighting a cigarette to share. Once dropped off, they walk by a polluted river and across a railway line to their Jakarta slum. Far from the capital's high-rises, Ari makes his way back to remove the silver. The paint, similar to that used for screen-printing on fabric, is not easy to remove. Squatting in front of a well and buckets filled with water, he splashes his body before scrubbing fiercely, his one-year-old daughter Arisya watching. 'At first the paint burned and I had a blister on my neck, but now it only stings my eyes,' he said. Once dry, he heads home to play with Arisya. 'As soon as I'm here I forget all the fatigue and the hardship,' he said, smiling. 'But I hope she never does what I do.' — AFP
