Golkar rejects La Toya Jackson

Golkar rejects La Toya Jackson

JAKARTA (JP): The ruling political group Golkar has urged the police to revoke a permit granted for performances by La Toya Jackson in Indonesia on the ground that her attitudes are at odds with the local culture.

The Merdeka daily reported yesterday that the head of Golkar's art and culture department, Ais Anantama Said, had rejected the idea of La Toya performing in Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya because her actions, including posing nude in Playboy magazine and publishing a wicked story about her family, were hard to accept in Indonesia.

"We have asked the security offices concerned to revoke the permit," Ais said, adding that letting the singer perform here would hurt the feelings of Indonesians who, he said, had higher moral standards.

Ais said that his decision was also based on the fact that La Toya, a sister of Michael and Janet Jackson, was not a singer of international quality.

La Toya Jackson is scheduled to perform at the M Club discotheque in Jakarta on May 26, Studio East in Bandung on May 27 and the Shangri La Hotel in Surabaya on May 29. The performances are sponsored by Buena Produktama. (yns)