Parties to take place under dark cloud

Parties to take place under dark cloud

Damar Harsanto and Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The New Year celebrations across the capital will still go ahead
amid calls from state officials that celebrations be held in a
modest way.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Wednesday during a meeting
with ambassadors at the vice presidential palace that the money
for the festivities should be donated to victims of a 9.0-
magnitude earthquake and tidal waves in Aceh and North Sumatra.

A similar call was also made by the House of Representatives
speaker Agung Laksono who called on partygoers to donate money
instead of celebrating the New Year.

Governor Sutiyoso also urged Jakartans to celebrate the New
Year's festivities "as modest as possible."

"I also urge management of entertainment centers across the
city to donate half of their profits obtained during the
festivities to the tsunami victims," he said.

Sutiyoso said he decided to cancel a Rp 500 million
(US$53,763) fireworks show at the National Monument (Monas) Park
in Central Jakarta and will channel all the fund to the victims.

Jakarta Council speaker Ade Surapriatna called on the public
to replace the jovial New Year parties with a mass prayer to show
empathy for the victims.

"Our celebration could be simpler and not glamorous. We should
hold a mass prayer for the victims instead," he said.

The management of Ancol Dreamland Park in North Jakarta and
several hotels in the city insisted to hold events as scheduled.

"We will still hold the fireworks show and music concert as
scheduled. We hope more people will come and buy tickets for the
celebrations as revenue will be donated to the tsunami victims,"
city-owned PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol president director, Budi
Karya Sumadi, told the press.

The company expects to donate at least Rp 500 million from the
event that will be channeled to the victims.

Performing at the music concert will be noted bands like
Jikustik, Dewa, Slank and Jamrud.

Pop diva Krisdayanti and jazz group The Groove will still
perform as scheduled at the Gran Melia Hotel in South Jakarta.

"We will slightly change the program. We will hold one minute
of silence to express our empathy to the victims of the natural
disaster in Aceh and North Sumatra," the hotel spokeswoman Hana
Hoed said.

She argued the hotel management would not convert the concert
into a charity program because it had already conducted charities
including fund raising and collecting clothing and packaged food
for the quake victims.

As of Wednesday, the city administration has collected
donations of Rp 6.5 billion, stemming from its coffer and city
agencies.

"As chairman of the Indonesian Association of Provincial
Administrations, I and the North Sumatra governor will decide
what the survivors need most," Sutiyoso said.

He even called on the public to channel their donations
through the governor's account at city-owned Bank DKI No.
108.16.14416. He also promised that the all donations would be
accountable.