Past advice has always been to leave your KITAS or KITAP in a secure place and carry a photocopy (I use a colour copy for clarity, but it's marked "photocopy" as the quality is very good and it looks a lot like the original), but that is now in question.
It seems South Jakarta immigration is conducting raids and asking expats for immediate proof of their immigration status, including an original immigration document.
Tourists should always carry their passport, but this move suggests the need for expats to carry their KITAS/P, at least until this issue is resolved.
Whilst I'm sure there are plenty of opinions on the rights and wrongs of this move, please don't destroy the information value of the thread.
Actual experience regarding this issue is very welcome.
http://indonesiaexpat.biz/other/info-fo … patriates/
At 3am on the Sunday morning of June 5, the South Jakarta Immigration Office held another raid on the popular entertainment street of Blok M.
A total of 19 expats were arrested and taken to the Immigration office at Jl. Mampang/Buncit in South Jakarta. Among them were a few that possessed a copy of their KITAP and a KTP. So, what did these expats actually do wrong? Nothing, really!
They were only precautious and instead of carrying the original KITAP, used a laminated copy, as many expats do.
Nevertheless they were all arrested (because of not processing an original KITAP) and forced to complete a joyful evening in a depressing room at the Immigration Office – together with 18 others! As it was in the middle of the night and many were more or less in some state of lesser awareness, many fell asleep on the floor. An experience any expat will not forget easily.