OT Group Management Apologises After Office Protested Over Alcohol Challenge

A crowd from several community organisations descended on the Orang Tua Building in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, to protest a challenge that offered a bottle of alcoholic drink as a prize for memorising Quranic verses. The mass organisations involved included the Islamic Brotherhood Front, Bang Japar, the Banten Extended Family Potential Development Agency, and the Betawi Rempug Forum. FPI representative Syahrul Ahadi stated that the crowd’s demand was an apology from OT Group, saying that Muslim anger would subside once the apology was delivered directly. The demonstration caused traffic congestion on the Outer Ring Road heading towards the OT Building, with vehicles reduced to a single lane towards Kembangan during the action. The crowd began dispersing around 4 p.m. local time, after which traffic flow returned to normal. OT Group management, represented by Newport Director Handoko Sasongko, met the protesters and offered a profound apology to the Muslim community for the alleged religious blasphemy. Handoko confirmed that the case regarding the Quran memorisation challenge with an alcohol prize has entered the legal domain and urged all parties to await the outcome of the legal process. Previously, the Metro Jaya Regional Police named four suspects in connection with the challenge that occurred during The Sounds Project music concert in Ancol, North Jakarta. Two suspects, the master of ceremonies and the challenge creator, were arrested and detained for 20 days. Police detailed that the suspects allegedly interacted with the audience and offered rewards of alcoholic beverages for reciting specific Quranic chapters. The suspects are charged under articles concerning criminal offences in the revised Indonesian Criminal Code.