Islamic Groups Protest Bekasi Regency's Plan to Revise Bylaw Banning Discotheques and Massage Parlours

A number of Islamic community organisations (ormas) affiliated with the Forum Ukhuwah Islamiah (Fukhis) in Bekasi Regency, West Java, have staged a demonstration rejecting the revision of Regional Regulation Number 3 of 2016 on Tourism Management, claiming it would open the door for nightlife entertainment operations. The protest was sparked by the ongoing discussion of the revision by the Bekasi Regency Legislative Council (DPRD), following a proposal from the regional government. “We firmly reject the removal of Article 47 paragraph (1) in the current bylaw. The sanctions should be strengthened, not weakened. Impose proportionate sanctions in accordance with the law,” said action coordinator Burhanudin Abdullah in Cikarang on Thursday. The demonstrators carried various banners bearing their demands and took turns voicing their aspirations. They also repeatedly chanted, “Reject the revision, dissolve the special committee,” as a form of opposition to the planned rule changes, which they believe could potentially weaken the prohibition on nightlife businesses. Burhanudin stressed that Islamic scholars and the Muslim community in Bekasi Regency do not want the existence of places considered to be dens of vice, even if they are regulated through a zoning or spatial planning system in the draft revision. “We do not want places of vice, even if they are zoned or otherwise. The Muslim community of Bekasi will never back down. We will also coordinate with all scholars in Bekasi Regency to determine the next steps,” he said. The protest was a response to a letter from the Acting Regent of Bekasi, Number 100.3.2/3902/Huk/2026 dated 5 June 2026, regarding a request for approval to discuss the revision of the Tourism Management Bylaw, which was submitted to the Bekasi DPRD during a plenary session on Thursday (2/7/2026).