Police set to issue permit for La Toya performances
Police set to issue permit for La Toya performances
JAKARTA (JP): National Police deputy chief in charge of
operational affairs Maj. Gen. M.B. Hutagalung said yesterday that
police would "most likely" grant a permit for performances in
Indonesia by American singer La Toya Jackson.
Answering questions from reporters as to whether the police
would issue a permit for the La Toya shows, Hutagalung said,
"Yes, most likely." But he added, that so far police have yet to
receive the organizers' application for a permit of the shows.
He said police have not received any objections from the
ruling political group, Golkar, about the planned shows as well.
La Toya 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 Produktama.
La Toya's planned performances, however, are under threat of
cancellation after Golkar urged the police not to grant a permit
for the performances on the grounds that her attitudes are at
odds with the local culture.
Golkar's chairperson for the Culture and Art Department, Ais
Anantama Said, had asked police to reject the application for a
permit for performances by La Toya because her controversial
actions, including posing nude in Playboy magazine and publishing
a wicked story about her family, were hard to accept in
Indonesia.
Ais said that his decision was also based on the fact that La
Toya, a sister of Michael and Janet Jackson, was not a singer of
international quality.
Director of Buena Produktama, Peter Basuki, said that he had
applied for permits for La Toya's performances from the
Entertainment Evaluating Committee and City Police, adding that
both had given the green light.
He said that he would lose over Rp 120 million (US$56,000) if
La Toya's performances in Indonesia were canceled.
"Well, it is really difficult if politics is involved in show
business," Basuki complained.
In a related development, chairman of the Golkar faction at
the House of Representatives, A. Moestahid, said yesterday that
the Entertainment Evaluating Committee should be very selective
in permitting musical performances by foreign artists in
Indonesia.
He concurred with Ais, saying that the American artist should
be banned from performing in the country because her lifestyle is
not in conformity with the local culture. (29/bas)