Government finally rejects controversial lottery plan
Government finally rejects controversial lottery plan
JAKARTA (JP): The government asked the National Sports Council
yesterday to drop its controversial lottery plan and find another
fund-raising scheme that complies with both the law and religious
teachings.
Minister of Social Services Justika S. Baharsyah told a media
conference yesterday that the proposal would tempt people to
gamble due to the whopping cash prizes it offered.
"The concept itself is more advanced than the old scheme which
was an obvious form of gambling. But the new plan could still
encourage gambling because of the nonproportional ratio of the
coupons' price and the value of the prizes," Justika said.
The decision came just one day after the Indonesian Ulemas
Council announced an edict stating the planned lottery violated
Islamic principles.
Gambling is also unlawful in this predominantly Moslem
country.
The ministry, which is entitled to issue a license to organize
a lottery, formed a team of five to study the scheme after it was
first mooted three weeks ago.
Promoted by sports businessman Dali Taher, the lottery was
aiming to replace the now-defunct SDSB which contributed huge
funds to the sporting community. The new lottery was expected to
net Rp 100 billion (US$7.75 million) annually through coupons
sales.
Half of the funds collected would have been used to provide
prizes, 30 percent to finance sports development and the rest
would have gone to the council and the ministry.
Costing Rp 5,000 each, the coupons would give buyers the
chance to win up to Rp 100 million.
The sports council planned to involve an American company to
organize the lottery.
Despite growing opposition, both the sports council and the
government dismissed fears that the new fund-raising program
would encourage gambling, simply because the coupons would not
carry numbers.
Justika suggested yesterday the sports council reduce the size
of the prizes in order to minimize people's desire to buy the
coupons for money. She also said the largest portion of the funds
raised should go toward sports development.
National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar said
yesterday that he hoped to meet the ulemas council to discuss the
scheme more fully.
"We are going to set a date (to meet the ulemas council). I
think we still need to explain it to those who don't understand
the scheme clearly," he said.
"The proposal is being studied. We never intended to burden
society or to violate religious and societal norms," he said.
(yan)