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.