MUI declares lottery 'haram'

MUI declares lottery 'haram'

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After about a month of controversy, the planned fund-raising
program proposed by PT Metropolitan Magnum Indonesia (MMI) has
been deemed to resemble gambling and should thus be forbidden,
the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) announced on Tuesday.

The MUI, at a hearing with the House of Representatives
Commission VI, concluded that the fund-raiser had the potential
to exploit people.

The program, which had previously been OK'd by the Ministry of
Social Affairs, aims at raising funds for national sports through
ticket sales at tournaments. The program was expected to start
early April.

By offering prizes through the tickets, as in a lucky draw,
the MMI has been reiterating that people would be encouraged to
attend sports events.

The National Sports Council (KONI) endorsed the program,
hoping that it would help finance its sports campaign.

Despite the MUI's edict, the MMI, a franchise of Kuala Lumpur-
based Magnum Corporation Berhad, looks set to proceed with the
fund-raiser.

"We will carry on with the program until the Ministry of
Social Affairs revokes the license," MMI director Burhan Bastaman
told The Jakarta Post.

Earlier, MMI representatives had met with the House and tried
to convince legislators that the campaign was merely a lucky
draw.

The MUI, however, sees different.

"Although no element of gambling has been found according to
the presentation from by the MMI and the Ministry of Social
Affairs, the program tends toward gambling and other similar
activities prohibited (haram) under Islam," MUI secretary-general
Din Syamsudin told the hearing, and called upon the Ministry of
Social Affairs to reevaluate its approval for the program.

The MUI also questioned the aims of the program, given that
only five percent of revenues were allocated to sports needs.

The House commission backed the MUI's edict, but, as deputy
spokesperson Anwar Arifin said, they would need to meet with the
Minister of Social Affairs and other religious community groups.

KONI secretary-general Djohar Arifin Husin told the Post that
the sports council would leave the final decision to the
government.

He said KONI, which needs about Rp 70 billion (US$8.24
million) for this year's program, would resort to another source
if the MMI fund-raiser was banned.