Damura not gambling, says Mutiara Mandala
Damura not gambling, says Mutiara Mandala
JAKARTA (JP): PT Mutiara Mandala Mahardhika (3M) has set up a
verification team which claims the Damura (the People's Fund for
Sports) coupons will not encourage people to gamble.
Acin Yasin, the chairman of PT 3M verification team, said in a
meeting with the media on Friday that buying Damura coupons was
not gambling because the proceeds are meant to help sports
development in the country.
"Damura is not gambling because we intend to help the National
Sports Council (KONI) to develop sports nationwide. This
absolutely will not encourage gambling and it's good for the
sports community," he said.
Yasin said the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) would not issue
an edict on Damura if it encouraged gambling.
"MUI will only issue guidelines describing rules on fund-
raising systems which will not encourage gambling. MUI is only to
facilitate, not to regulate something," he said.
Earlier, KONI acknowledged that MUI had not issued an edict on
Damura and PT 3M had only received guidelines.
Yasin said he did not know if Damura would raise people's
hopes of winning the highest cash prize of Rp 25 million
(US$3,470).
"I don't know if people will dream of winning the prize but I
personally think it's not a dream. We cannot refer to a Koranic
verse for something insubstantial. Gambling is definitely
forbidden but it still has social benefit," he said.
Yasin said his duty in PT 3M was to supervise the sales of
Damura coupons and to listen to suggestions on its distribution.
"The first thing I do is ensure that Damura was not invented
to encourage people to gamble. If there is dishonesty in the
application, we must evaluate Damura," he said.
KONI signed a deal with PT 3M to produce Damura in cooperation
with Scientific Games International. Damura, which is sold for Rp
5,000, offers three advantages: first, buyers get life insurance
worth Rp 2.5 million; second, buyers have a chance to win
scholarships of Rp 750,000 and third, buyers have an opportunity
to win a cash prize between Rp 5,000 and Rp 25 million.
PT 3M, which will launch 10 million Damura coupons in April,
will give 6.5 percent of its sales to KONI to help sports
development.
Some KONI provincial chapters have asked for a small
percentage for sports development.
KONI official in charge of media and promotion Enny Hardjanto
said the council could not ask for more of a percentage.
"If we ask too much, I'm afraid KONI will be considered
greedy. By getting a small percentage allows the process to go on
continuously. I hope many businesspeople want to donate their
profits to KONI," she said.
PT 3M general manager Mutia Farida said her company was still
trying to learn people's reactions to Damura.
"We hope that it will take off, but that doesn't mean we don't
have any risks in investing in Damura," said the wife of Dali
Taher, who in 1998 introduced a coupon drive called the Sports
Awareness Campaign (TPO), which was banned.
Enny said KONI had scheduled to meet the House of
Representatives Commission VI on Religion and Human Resources on
March 14 to discuss Damura. There are also plans to meet with MUI
soon.
"If Damura is banned, it means Indonesia will likely skip the
2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur because KONI
cannot afford to finance the training program and send its
contingents," she said. (yan)