Hotels to submit guests' identities to police
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Several hotels here welcomed on Thursday the order to submit the identities of their guests to police intelligence officers, saying that the security of guests and employees was the top priority.
Public relations director of the Four Seasons Hotel in South Jakarta Yudith Nurwulan said that her hotel had complete data on guests and would hand over all the information to the police intelligence unit upon written request.
"We will help the police in any way we can because security of our guests and employees is our top priority. However, we want the police to submit their request officially in a letter so that we know the objectives and legal basis," she told The Jakarta Post.
Yudith said that her hotel had always had close cooperation with the city police.
Public relations manager with JW Marriott Hotel in South Jakarta, Mellanie Solagratia, said her hotel and the nearby police station had built a good relationship as reflected in routine police patrols to check the situation around the hotel.
"But if security measures must be increased due to rising threats, then we will support more police action because we put the safety of our guests and employees as our prime concern," she told the Post.
City police announced on Wednesday that they would begin requiring all hotels in the capital to report the identities of their guests to police as soon as each checks in.
City police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said that the policy was part of security measures adopted following reports that terrorists may launch fresh attacks in the capital to avenge the killing of top terror suspect Azahari bin Husin last month.
Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism stipulates that the police have the right to get data from anyone in order to investigate terror suspects or to take necessary actions to prevent terror attacks.
It also says that anyone who fails to provide the data could be accused of helping terror suspects or obstructing a police investigation.
Public relations manager of Hilton International Hotel in Central Jakarta, Emeraldo Parengkuan, said his hotel had been giving the police information about all their guests for a long time now.
"We have been informing the police about our guests for years. We update the reports daily as we know that they will be very useful for a police investigation if a crime occurs," said Emeraldo.
He said that his hotel would continue to cooperate with the police to help secure the city during Christmas and New Year.
City police have been on full alert following intelligence reports suggesting that terrorist groups would strike this month.
Jakarta Police have deployed around 17,000 personnel to guard 2,152 churches and other strategic places across the city ahead of Christmas and New Year's Eve.