No request yet to ban La Toya Jackson shows
No request yet to ban La Toya Jackson shows
JAKARTA (JP): The Immigration Office has not received any formal request to ban a visit by American singer La Toya Jackson.
"Although many quarters have raised objections to her planned performances, we have yet to receive any official requests to ban the artist from performing here," the spokesman for the office, Hario Subayu, said here yesterday as quoted by Antara.
La Toya, a sister of mega-star Michael Jackson, is scheduled to perform in Jakarta on May 26, Bandung on May 27 and Surabaya on May 29. The performances are being sponsored by Buena Production.
La Toya's performances, however, have been under threat of cancellation since the ruling political group, Golkar, urged the police not to grant a permit on the grounds that her attitude and lifestyle are at odds with local values.
The chairman of Golkar's art and culture department, Ais Anantama, asked police on May 17 to reject La Toya's permit application due to her controversial past, which includes a nude spread in Playboy magazine and a less than flattering story that she once published about her family.
A few days later, chairman of the Golkar faction in the House of Representatives, A. Moestahid, made a similar statement, saying that the Entertainment Evaluating Committee should be very selective in permitting certain foreign artists to perform in Indonesia.
He concurred with Ais, saying that La Toya should be banned from performing because her lifestyle does not fit into the local culture.
Subayu said yesterday that his office is also waiting for the sponsor to submit a visa application for La Toya.
He said, however, that "as long as she has a legal visa and passport, there will be no problem."
He then pointed out that it is actually the commander of the Armed Forces who has the authority to issue the ban.
On May 19, National Police deputy chief in charge of operational affairs Maj. Gen. M. B. Hutagalung said police would "most likely" issue a permit for the La Toya shows.
Buena Production director, Peter Basuki claims that he has applied for permits from the Entertainment Evaluating Committee and City Police and that both have given the green light.
He said he stood to lose over Rp 120 million (US$56,000) if La Toya's performances in Indonesia were canceled. (bas)