Abdurrahman still silent on KONI fund-raising scheme
Abdurrahman still silent on KONI fund-raising scheme
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid has yet to issue a
response to Damura (the People's Fund for Sports), a fund-raising
program to develop sports nationwide as proposed by the National
Sports Council (KONI).
KONI chairman, Wismoyo Arismunandar, told reporters after
meeting Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, at Bina Graha
presidential office on Wednesday that the President asked KONI to
present the program's details another time in writing.
"We will submit the Damura program next time in detail. There
was not enough time today to describe the whole program," said
Wismoyo.
Wismoyo said KONI and Damura distributor PT Mutiara Mandala
Mahardhika (3M) would meet the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) to
discuss if Damura might encourage gambling, which is forbidden in
the country.
"Abdurrahman told us to follow MUI guidelines in the fund-
raising program. We have spoken to MUI on the matter, but perhaps
we need to popularize Damura with the public," he said.
Damura has sparked controversy since KONI official in charge
of media and promotion Enny Hardjanto announced the program early
this month.
Damura coupons are sold across the country at Rp 5,000 (70 US
cents) each. Each coupon consists of two parts. The first part
gives the buyer life insurance of Rp 2.5 million. If the buyer
does not have a traffic accident, he can send the coupon to the
Damura center for a chance to win a scholarship. The second part
is a scratch and win, which offers prizes of between Rp 5,000 and
Rp 25 million.
KONI will receive 6.5 percent from the sale of Damura coupons.
"(The 6.5 percent) is from the gross revenue. It takes courage
to ask businesspeople to contribute to sports development.
However, if people can't accept Damura, I won't force it,"
Wismoyo said.
KONI needs Rp 6.9 billion to finance the Indonesian contingent
to prepare and compete in the Olympic Games in Sydney in
September. The council has received Rp 2 billion from the Gelora
Senayan Management Board (BPGS) and Rp 500 million from the 1999
Southeast Asia (SEA) Games surplus. Fast food firm McDonald's
Indonesia has pledged to contribute Rp 1 billion, while the
government is expected to help with Rp 4.2 billion.
MUI said earlier that it had yet to issue an edict of whether
or not the program encourages gambling. PT 3M has tried hard to
convince the public that it does not classify as gambling by
setting up a verification team.
Ismangun Notosapoetro, a member of the House of
Representatives Commission VI for human resources and religious
affairs, said in a telephone interview later that the commission
would call KONI to discuss the matter.
"This problem is still controversial because up until today we
are still unable to decide if Damura encourages gambling. Even if
PT 3M gets permission from the government to raise funds, can it
be responsible for its actions? We don't want the public's money
to be embezzled as some distributors have done in the past," he
said.
"If Damura is officially permitted, PT 3M and KONI must also
listen to public opinion to improve how the fund-raising program
operates."
Ismangun said the commission members would give suggestions
and criticism on Damura to KONI and PT 3M when they meet in a
hearing soon.
"The commission members will study the distributor's track
record. If the man behind the scenes is not clean, it's hard to
grant permission," he said.
PT 3M general manager Mutia Farida is the wife of Dali Taher,
who in 1998 proposed the Sports Awareness Campaign which was
banned by the government as it encouraged gambling. (prb/yan)