Leadership needed on gambling issue

The discourse on the likelihood of controversial gambling activities being legalized in the Thousand islands has become heated.

Some realities show us, at present, that in many places, particularly in Jakarta's version of Chinatown, or Kota, gambling has become commonplace and is carried out blatantly despite its disguised name (most are referred to as "amusement centers"). For 24 hours a day, such places are visited by gambling buffs. It is difficult to accurately account for the turnover but, on average, it is said to amount to billions of rupiah per day.

Under the circumstances, those who profit are officials and various mass organizations. Money enters the pockets of some in large amounts, to the tune of hundreds of millions of rupiah. The taxes that the government obtains are relatively minuscule, as the permits issued are for certain types of games, although their activities deal with gambling. Taxes on gambling will be greatly increased with legalization. The city administration is currently powerless to crackdown on gambling, as the establishments involved enjoy strong support from security apparatuses of various uniforms.

Former Jakarta governor, Ali Sadikin, due to his openness and his attitude, was, during his tenure, able to obtain religious leaders' approval on gambling issues, its legalization, and even the land-saving practice of burying corpses on top of one another in cemeteries. He was trusted because he clearly explained his programs and plainly specified the benefits.

It is difficult to compare Ali Sadikin with leaders in the Jakarta administration today as none of them commands the same respect. Yet, if they want to make their programs successful, they have to be brave enough to hold talks with their people. Today's leaders need to emulate Ali Sadikin.

-- Warta Kota, Jakarta