Sat, 08 Aug 1998

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)