MUI says planned lottery against Islamic principles

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) has issued an edict stating a planned lottery to raise funds for sports development violates Islamic principles.

In the statement signed by chairman Hasan Basri, secretary Nazri Adlani and the executive in charge of devising edicts, Ibrahim Hosen, on Tuesday, the council asked the National Sports Council to drop its plan or change the fund-raising scheme to conform to Islamic teachings.

The edict capped a two-day special meeting called by the council's board of executives. It was made public only yesterday.

The edict states the proposal is outlawed because it would foster fraudulent practices and cause financial losses to the public.

"It's a certainty that the program could play havoc with the people's mentality and the national economy which is now suffering in a crisis," the statement read as quoted by Antara.

The council said the lottery scheme was merely a repeat of the banned SDSB lottery program, itself the subject of heated public debate.

Under the new proposal, the sports council expects to collect Rp 100 billion annually from coupon sales. Each coupon, to be sold for Rp 5,000 in an appointed state bank, will also serve as a ticket to attend one sports game, except for semifinals and finals, within a year after its purchase. Lottery organizers provide cash prizes ranging from Rp 5,000 to Rp 100 million.

"The failure to set a certain date for the sports game is considered cheating," the ulemas council said.

"The fact the coupons are not redeemable for semifinals and finals confirms the fraud, because most sports enthusiasts are fond of watching semifinal and final games."

The MUI argued that prizes promised by the lottery organizers were illegal according to Islamic law because they were not presented based on merit. In case of competition, the awards would be acceptable if they were provided by a third party, it added.

It also criticized the sports council for inviting a foreign investor to participate, saying it may cause capital flight.

Both the government and the sports council have said the fund- raising program would not tempt people to gamble because the coupons would not bear numbers.

The Ministry of Social Services' special team of five top officials is studying the scheme. (yan)