Gambling den plan opposed

Gambling den plan opposed

JAKARTA: Secretary of City Council Commission E for social
affairs Audi Zulkarnaen Tambunan and founder of the Chinese-
Indonesian Social Association (PSMTI) Ernawati Soegondo called on
the city administration to stop the plan to change the Toko Merah
building on Jl. Kali Besar Barat, West Jakarta, into a gambling
den.

"The administration should take tough action if the building
is turned into a gambling den," Audi said, as quoted by
BeritaJakarta.com on Friday.

Ernawati said that the building should be maintained as part
of the city's heritage but should not be used for gambling
activities.

Head of the City Museum and Restoration Agency Nurhadi
Sastrapraja said that the Toko Merah building, which was built in
1730 as a luxury mansion on a 2,455-square-meter site, should be
protected. He also said that he had yet to receive reports on the
plan but would check them soon.

Agency supervision head Candrian Attahiyat said that one of
his staff had checked reports saying that the interior of the
building had been altered but he had not yet received the result.

He said that Toko Merah was included in class A, meaning that
neither the exterior nor interior could be changed by the
property owner, regardless of the purpose. -- JP