Jakarta to have subdued revelry

JAKARTA: New Year's celebrations in Jakarta may be muted this year as there is an obvious drop in the number of events being organized around the city, City Public Order Office head Harianto Badjoeri said on Friday.

He was quoted by beritajakarta.com as saying that there was a 25 percent drop in the number of events being held for the New Year due to people's lower purchasing power following the fuel price increase in October.

Harianto said his office would deploy 1,850 officers to help secure entertainment venues in five areas around Jakarta to allay fears of bomb blasts. His office requires entertainment centers to close their doors by 3 a.m. on New Year's Day.

"Beyond that time, we will penalize the centers," he said.

There are 695 entertainment centers in the city according to the Jakarta Tourism Agency, comprising 220 massage parlors, seven spas, 101 discotheques, 184 live music pubs, 174 karaoke bars and nine nightclubs. --JP