Former red-light district to become Islamic center

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration revealed on Friday its plan to convert the former Kramat Tunggak brothel area in North Jakarta into an integrated Islamic center.

Deputy Governor of social welfare affairs Djailani said the center which would be built in the 11-hectare area, would be equipped with education facilities and a bazaar.

"It will be a project of the administration although we would not reject the involvement of private investors in the project. I hope to start construction soon," he told City Hall reporters.

Djailani refused to give details on the amount of investment needed to build the center, saying that the center's design was still being developed.

He insisted that the area would not become a trading center as was planned earlier.

He said the administration had canceled its memorandum of understanding with a private investor who planned to build a shopping complex in the defunct red-light district.

"We canceled the agreement since it was out of date. The investors were also unable to implement their plan," Djailani said.

The administration signed an agreement with a consortium of investors to develop the former brothel complex in early 1999.

The consortium's leader PT Nuansa Jasa Realtindo, reportedly doubted it would earn any profit from the project because of the skyrocketing prices of building materials.

The investor said it also had difficulty obtaining credit from banks to finance the project since the country was still facing an economic crisis.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso officially closed down the largest brothel complex in Jakarta on Dec. 8, 1999, following demands from local residents.

The closure caused about 1,600 prostitutes and their 200 pimps in 650 brothels to lose their jobs. Some of them changed their trade and the others returned to their hometowns.

Since the plan to build the shopping complex was never realized, some brothels quietly started to resume operations.

Djailani urged the North Jakarta Mayoralty to take stern actions against the prostitution.

"It's illegal. We should kick them out," the deputy governor remarked.

He admitted that in an effort to restore Kramat Tunggak's image, the administration was considering changing its name but had not made a final decision because this would affect other aspects such as the legal considerations, he said.

Separately, city councillor Wasilah Sutrisno of the National Mandate Party voiced his support for the administration's plan to build the Islamic center in the former red-light district.

"If necessary, we should allocate the fund from the 2001 City Budget," Wasilah, of the council's Commission E for social welfare affairs, said.(jun)