Gambling dens flourishing

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council says gambling den operators are belittling the government's efforts to wipe out gambling.

Vice speaker of the City Council, Ismunandar, said that the flourishing gambling dens in the Mangga Besar business district, Central Jakarta, are evidence of the operators' attitude.

"Don't let the business district become a fertile place for crime, drug trafficking and prostitution," he was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday.

Ismunandar, of the Indonesian Democratic Party faction, made his remarks after an impromptu visit to some of the illegal gambling dens. Many of the operations in Mangga Dua and Lokasari reportedly have daily turnovers of hundreds of millions of rupiah.

The vice speaker spent more than three hours visiting the area, known as the heart of the city's nightlife.

"If the existing laws are inadequate to prosecute the gamblers and the operators a prompt review is needed," he said.

He said he supported the city military's plan to wage war on all kinds of gambling. "The military plan needs following up and deserves serious consideration."

If the authorities believed that gambling was increasing, integrated steps involving the military, the police, the prosecutor's office, the courts, the tourism office and the public order office should be taken soon, he said.

Ismunandar said he was afraid that certain people would take advantage of the existence of the illicit gambling dens. "Officials could be tempted to take bribe money from the gambling den operators if prompt steps are not taken by the government," he said. (sur)