Batam hotels rebuked for gambling

Batam hotels rebuked for gambling

BATAM, Riau: Local legislators, youth groups and religious
leaders on Riau's Batam Island, known for its large number of sex
workers, expressed deep concern on Saturday that star-rated
hotels there had permitted gambling.

Some of them have opened casinos, but the local administration
and police have closed their eyes to these illegal activities,
they said.

Desman Wardi, a lecturer at the Ibnu Sina Institute who chairs
the local Islamic Community Forum, slammed the authorities'
inaction against the decadence which he said had tarnished the
image of Batam as an international seaport.

"We will stage a massive rally if the local administration and
police continue to turn a blind eye to all this," he said.

Urmy Sungkar, who chairs the Batam branch of the Indonesian
Hotel and Restaurant Association, objected that hotels be held
responsible for activities of their guests as they only provided
rooms for their guests.

He said the association had no authority to warn the hotel
managements in question.

Nur Syaryadi, a local legislator, asked the authorities to ban
casinos and crack down on other gambling.

Meanwhile, Batam Mayor Nyat Kadir said all gambling and
prostitution centers would be closed during the fasting month of
Ramadhan. --Antara