Efforts quetly continue to pursue casino plan despite public objection
Efforts quetly continue to pursue casino plan despite public objection
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Although the city administration announced on Monday that it
would not pursue the idea of localizing gambling on Kepulauan
Seribu (Thousand Islands) due to strong objections from certain
groups of people and organizations, efforts to realize the plan
continue.
"I have monitored reactions, especially from ulema who reject
the idea. So, forget it," Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso told
reporters on Monday.
However, Sutiyoso continued to speak of the idea of localizing
gambling in the context of the mushrooming illegal gambling
centers here which he asserted could not be controlled and would
be impossible to eradicate.
He challenged the police and the military, which also rejected
the idea, to be consistent and to take stern action against
illegal gambling here.
"If the security authorities reject the gambling plan, then
they have to be consistent. They should also reject illegal
gambling operations in the city," the governor said at City Hall.
A recent survey made by an institute of the University of
Indonesia revealed that there were at least 13 casinos operating
illegally in the city and certain security officers were reaping
huge profits from them.
It said that a casino paid at least Rp 150 million (US$15,000)
per night to certain police and military officers as protection
money.
The survey concluded that the localization of gambling on
Thousand Islands would be rejected by the security authorities
that have profited from the illegal business, and certain hard-
liner groups that have special connections with certain police
and military officers.
The current temporary closure of the illegal gambling centers
here is believed to be due to press reports that the security
authorities benefit from the existence of the centers.
Several Muslim groups, including the Indonesian Ulemas Council
(MUI), have rejected the idea of localizing gambling. Vice
President Hamzah Haz who is also chairman of the Islamic-based
United Development Party (PPP) has repeatedly rejected the idea.
Dozens of youths, calling themselves the Thousand Islands
People and Youth Alliance, staged a protest in front of City
Hall, rejecting the gambling localization plan.
"Why gambling? Why doesn't the administration improve
tourism," group spokesman Syaiful Adam said.
Earlier, hundreds of people, both those in favor of the plan
and those who reject it, staged rallies in front of Sutiyoso's
office.
Although Sutiyoso stated that he had given up the plan, the
administration quietly continued to explore the plan by holding a
closed workshop on gambling.
A reliable source said the workshop, which was scheduled to be
held on May 4 at a five-star hotel here, would feature former
Governor Ali Sadikin, an executive of Genting Highlands gambling
center in Malaysia, a researcher from the University of
Indonesia, Rizal Hikmat, the rector of Syarief Hidayatullah State
Academy of Islamic Studies (IAIN) Aszumardi Azra and historian
Onghokham.
Ali is known as the only governor who had permitted gambling
centers, which during his tenure had contributed significantly to
city revenue in the 1970s.
The Genting Highland's executive is to speak on managing a
gambling center while Rizal would reveal his institute's recent
survey on gambling here.
The moderate Aszumardi is hoped to give a theological view on
the planned casinos on Thousand Islands. He earlier stated that
the plan was the best among the worst choices to handle the
mushrooming of gambling here.
Professor Ong is expected to give a cultural and historical
perspective on gambling, mainly related to Chinese culture.
Kepulauan Seribu Regent K. Abdul Kadir earlier said that the
casinos, if they were allowed to operate on the islands, would
target Chinese Indonesians, who currently played overseas, and
foreigners, but Indonesian Muslims would be banned from entering
the casinos.