Efforts quetly continue to pursue casino plan despite public objection<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Although the city administration announced on Monday that it
\nwould not pursue the idea of localizing gambling on Kepulauan
\nSeribu (Thousand Islands) due to strong objections from certain
\ngroups of people and organizations, efforts to realize the plan
\ncontinue.<\/p>\n
\"I have monitored reactions, especially from ulema who reject
\nthe idea. So, forget it,\" Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso told
\nreporters on Monday.<\/p>\n
However, Sutiyoso continued to speak of the idea of localizing
\ngambling in the context of the mushrooming illegal gambling
\ncenters here which he asserted could not be controlled and would
\nbe impossible to eradicate.<\/p>\n
He challenged the police and the military, which also rejected
\nthe idea, to be consistent and to take stern action against
\nillegal gambling here.<\/p>\n
\"If the security authorities reject the gambling plan, then
\nthey have to be consistent. They should also reject illegal
\ngambling operations in the city,\" the governor said at City Hall.<\/p>\n
A recent survey made by an institute of the University of
\nIndonesia revealed that there were at least 13 casinos operating
\nillegally in the city and certain security officers were reaping
\nhuge profits from them.<\/p>\n
It said that a casino paid at least Rp 150 million (US$15,000)
\nper night to certain police and military officers as protection
\nmoney.<\/p>\n
The survey concluded that the localization of gambling on
\nThousand Islands would be rejected by the security authorities
\nthat have profited from the illegal business, and certain hard-
\nliner groups that have special connections with certain police
\nand military officers.<\/p>\n
The current temporary closure of the illegal gambling centers
\nhere is believed to be due to press reports that the security
\nauthorities benefit from the existence of the centers.<\/p>\n
Several Muslim groups, including the Indonesian Ulemas Council
\n(MUI), have rejected the idea of localizing gambling. Vice
\nPresident Hamzah Haz who is also chairman of the Islamic-based
\nUnited Development Party (PPP) has repeatedly rejected the idea.<\/p>\n
Dozens of youths, calling themselves the Thousand Islands
\nPeople and Youth Alliance, staged a protest in front of City
\nHall, rejecting the gambling localization plan.<\/p>\n
\"Why gambling? Why doesn't the administration improve
\ntourism,\" group spokesman Syaiful Adam said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, hundreds of people, both those in favor of the plan
\nand those who reject it, staged rallies in front of Sutiyoso's
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Although Sutiyoso stated that he had given up the plan, the
\nadministration quietly continued to explore the plan by holding a
\nclosed workshop on gambling.<\/p>\n
A reliable source said the workshop, which was scheduled to be
\nheld on May 4 at a five-star hotel here, would feature former
\nGovernor Ali Sadikin, an executive of Genting Highlands gambling
\ncenter in Malaysia, a researcher from the University of
\nIndonesia, Rizal Hikmat, the rector of Syarief Hidayatullah State
\nAcademy of Islamic Studies (IAIN) Aszumardi Azra and historian
\nOnghokham.<\/p>\n
Ali is known as the only governor who had permitted gambling
\ncenters, which during his tenure had contributed significantly to
\ncity revenue in the 1970s.<\/p>\n
The Genting Highland's executive is to speak on managing a
\ngambling center while Rizal would reveal his institute's recent
\nsurvey on gambling here.<\/p>\n
The moderate Aszumardi is hoped to give a theological view on
\nthe planned casinos on Thousand Islands. He earlier stated that
\nthe plan was the best among the worst choices to handle the
\nmushrooming of gambling here.<\/p>\n
Professor Ong is expected to give a cultural and historical
\nperspective on gambling, mainly related to Chinese culture.<\/p>\n
Kepulauan Seribu Regent K. Abdul Kadir earlier said that the
\ncasinos, if they were allowed to operate on the islands, would
\ntarget Chinese Indonesians, who currently played overseas, and
\nforeigners, but Indonesian Muslims would be banned from entering
\nthe casinos.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/efforts-quetly-continue-to-pursue-casino-plan-despite-public-objection-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}