Permit for TV quiz deferred

Permit for TV quiz deferred

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Social Services Yustika S. Baharsyah
postponed her ministerial decree permitting PT Lintas Artha Raya
(LAR) to launch its Analisa Olahraga (Sports Analysis) television
quiz amid rising public pressure.

Yustika said on Tuesday she would review the contents of the
quiz to decide if the quiz constituted gambling or if the
possibility existed the public could misuse the quiz for
gambling.

"We earlier received an explanation and decided that the quiz
did not contain gambling. Later on, some people who don't really
know about this business said it was gambling. They also said the
quiz could be misused for gambling."

"If the quiz can be misused and produce negative impacts and
cause the public trouble, particularly during the upcoming
elections, I will decide to delay the decree," she said.

The Ministry of Social Services issued a decree on March 4
permitting PT LAR to launch the quiz. It issued another decree on
April 12 giving the company permission to market the quiz.

Prospective customers must buy products -- either pens,
pencils or postcards -- from PT LAR for about Rp 3,000 before
receiving two coupons which contain sports questions.

If customers answer four questions correctly they win Rp 6
million. Three correct answers garners Rp 750,000, while two
correctly answered questions earns customers Rp 150,000.

Yustika said she would revoke both ministerial decrees if she
discovered any irregularities during the review.

The minister's decision to issue the decrees was supported by
the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI)
through its edict dated March 25. Jakarta's MUI chapter said the
quiz fulfilled the Islamic law on trading.

But on Monday, the central MUI annulled the Jakarta branch's
recommendation, saying the venture included usury, which is
unlawful.

The ministry's spokesman, Ferry Johannes, said PT LAR could
continue to sell its products without distributing the coupons.

He also dismissed allegations the ministry received a portion
of the sales of the coupons from the company. "We don't know if
PT LAR has profited from the sales because the drawing has only
been held twice," Ferry said.

PT LAR spokesman Zulkarnain Surya was quoted by Antara as
saying his company would continue to sell its products and stop
distributing the coupons. He said the company would wait for the
results of the ministry's review. (ivy)