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)