FPI executives hail Sutiyoso for closing nightspots
JAKARTA (JP): Executives from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) expressed their satisfaction on Friday over Governor Sutiyoso's decision to temporarily close all nightspots during the Ramadhan fasting month.
"We are 75 percent happy with the closing," FPI's commander Muhsin Alattas told reporters after a meeting with Sutiyoso and representatives from the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI).
"It's impossible to be 100 percent satisfied. We have to compromise on such things," he added.
According to Muhsin, the most important thing to come from the governor's ruling is that the city administration has started accommodating the demands of the Muslim community.
Sutiyoso announced on Thursday evening the closing of all discotheques, billiard centers, night clubs and sauna parlors during the Muslim holy month.
Other types of nighttime entertainment centers, such as massage parlors run by the blind, pubs, and live music halls, have to follow the existing rules on opening hours.
"The closure was a good step and the governor had expressed his intention to cooperate further with us," said Muhsin.
"But this (the nightspot victory) is not the end of everything. We will also keep on monitoring and observing the nighttime entertainments that are still operating," Muhsin said.
FPI, which claims to have 30,000 members in Jakarta alone and branches already established in 15 provinces across the country, broke into the City Hall on Monday and blockaded the building for more than nine hours to press their demands.
Governor Sutiyoso said the city administration could ask the FPI to help in the monitoring of drug-dealing and prostitution in nightspots.
"We can have them as partners but their actions must be proportional and they must coordinate with those of the city authorities," the governor said after Friday's meeting.
"They (FPI) will help by providing information to us," he added.
Regular efforts
According to Muhsin, the front had regularly informed the city administration by letter about any vice its members had encountered at nightspots.
"We had even given a deadline of two weeks to the authorities to solve the problems. The physical actions taken were only as a last resort," he said.
Muhsin insisted the front was an independent organization and had nothing to do with the Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman.
"We're independent and open to any parties wishing to cooperate with us in upholding justice," he said.
"One thing for sure, it was Noegroho who approached us and we've never been served by the city police," Muhsin said.
Commenting on Wednesday's arson attack on the Christian-run Doulos complex in East Jakarta, Muhsin said FPI had nothing to do with the incident.
"There have been no instructions to our members to attack and burn the complex," he said.
He said such groundless allegations were probably based on the clothing worn by the attackers.
"They were reportedly wearing masks and black robes. Those are not our uniforms," Muhsin insisted.
However, he admitted there had been cases where people wearing FPI's uniform had behaved illegally.
"We have received reports that several discotheques have been blackmailed by individuals wearing our uniforms," he said.
"They were simply an effort to discredit FPI." (05)