Illegal nightspots in Karawaci shut down

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Tangerang residents will have to look elsewhere for entertainment on weekends, as the Tangerang municipal administration has closed down several night spots at the busy Pinangsia Office Park Center in Karawaci on Saturday.

The closure was made following public protests over the presence of the entertainment centers which have no permits.

"Mayor Wahidin Halim instructed the closure of those places because their presence has created a disturbance," Public Order Agency head Edwan Firmansyah said on Saturday.

The agency sealed the nightspots in the afternoon when they were about to open, particularly those which present strippers, he added.

Public protests reached a peak on Wednesday, when Jatiuwung Police arrested a stripper while performing in a room of the Golden Belt Karaoke lounge in Pinangsia office park.

The arrest was made during a police raid on gambling, prostitution and the sale of liquor.

The administration is striving to clean up the city of prostitution and gambling.

Councillor Abbas Sunarya, chairman of Commission B that oversees trade, industry, cooperatives and tourism issues at the municipal council said that the presence of nightspots at Pinangsia was clearly illegal because none of them had obtained permits from the administration.

"We are scheduled to discuss the matter on Monday and we will summon related agencies and all operators of the nightspots that are mostly owned by foreign nationals," he said.

Non-governmental activists also demanded that the administration take stern measures against unscrupulous officers.

"We want the head of Tangerang Trade, Industry, Cooperatives and Tourism Agency as well as the head of the Public Order Agency to resign because they have failed to do their job," said Mahdi, the chairman of the Save Tangerang Forum.

Tonny Wismantoro, coordinator of Tangerang Government Watch, added that the two agencies were responsible for controling amusement centers. "But there are many illegal nightspots allowed to operate here."

Meanwhile, Jatiuwung Police chief Adj. Insp. Adex Yudisman said that the police had summoned and questioned DN, the owner of the Golden Belt Karaoke.

"We have summoned and questioned DN but we have yet to decide his legal status in the case ... He claimed he knew nothing about the strip dance for the guests," he explained.