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)