Development starts for Islamic center<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso laid on Saturday the first stone of
\nan Islamic center on a 10.9-hectare plot of land at the former
\nKramat Tunggak brothel complex in North Jakarta, amid an ongoing
\ndispute between the administration and the landowners.<\/p>\n
Witnessed by local Islamic leaders, some ambassadors from
\nIslamic countries and hundreds of guests, Sutiyoso laid a stone
\nin the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a grand
\nmosque, planned to be the main part of the center.<\/p>\n
\"We hope Kramat Tunggak, which was once infamous as \"black
\nland\" can be given a new image as \"white land\" with the
\ndevelopment of the center,\" Sutiyoso said in the ceremony.<\/p>\n
He said Kramat Tunggak, which has been known as a
\nrehabilitation center for prostitutes for about 30 years, would
\nbe developed as an integrated Islamic center.<\/p>\n
He said, besides the mosque, a cultural and education center,
\na lodging house or hotel, offices, a multi-function room and an
\nexhibition hall would be built as part of the center.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso officially shut down the red-light complex, which
\nused to be home for about 1,600 prostitutes and 260 pimps, on
\nDec. 8, 1999.<\/p>\n
Most of the prostitutes returned to their hometowns, but some
\nof them reportedly resumed operations in the street along Jl.
\nKramat Jaya, especially at some herbal drink stalls (locally
\ncalled Warung Ginseng) near the Keramat Tunggak complex.<\/p>\n
City administration had earlier allocated Rp 74 billion
\n(US$8.2 million), taken from the 2001 City Budget, for the
\nacquisition of land for the center.<\/p>\n
But the North Jakarta Mayoralty, which acted as the center's
\nproject chairman, recently asked for an additional Rp 9 billion
\nin the revised 2001 city budget for the clearance of 12 remaining
\nbrothels.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso denied on Saturday that his subordinates had stolen
\nthe Rp 9 billion for the land clearance, saying that there had
\nbeen an increase in the cost of land clearance.<\/p>\n
\"I ordered the city inspector to investigate it, and no
\nirregularities were discovered. So the public should not make
\naccusations without evidence,\" he said, adding that by the end of
\nthis year, the one remaining brothel would have been dealt with
\nand cleared.<\/p>\n
But some city councillors found only one brothel remained when
\nthey inspected the area as all other buildings had been cleared.
\nThey doubted that all land owners in the complex had received the
\nfinancial compensation that they were owed.<\/p>\n
The remaining brothel owner, Mustopha, said that he would
\nreceive Rp 200 million in compensation, although he had heard
\nthat the mayoralty had allocated Rp 700 million for his building.<\/p>\n
\"I hope that the mayoralty will be more transparent over the
\ncompensation allocated,\" Mustopha told reporters after the
\nceremony.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/development-starts-for-islamic-center-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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