Some nightspots to open on Ramadhan's first day

Some nightspots to open on Ramadhan's first day

JAKARTA (JP): As the capital enters the Muslim fasting month
of Ramadhan, some of the capital's favorite entertainment centers
will be closed to public on Sunday and Monday night (Nov. 26 and
Nov. 27), while some will remain open.

Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post, sales and
marketing officers of restaurants, cafes and discotheques said on
Friday that they had made the necessary arrangements to face the
coming Sunday, the day before the beginning of the Muslim holy
month of Ramadhan, and Monday.

Marketing manager of Planet Hollywood Ririn Wahyuningrum said
the restaurant will remain open on Sunday and Monday but will
close by midnight on both days.

"No alcohol will be served on Sunday and Monday until 8 p.m.
After that, the bar will be open only until midnight," Ririn
said.

She added that fortunately for them, live music is normally
played on Friday and Saturday nights.

"Alcohol will not be served at all on Idul Fitri but the
restaurant will operate as usual."

Assistant advertising and promotion manager for Hard Rock Cafe
Affi Assegaf, said the cafe would remain open on Sunday and
Monday but alcohol would not be served.

"On Monday we will have live music which will begin at 9 p.m.
and end at midnight," Affi said.

Another officer at the cafe who requested for anonymity said
the cafe would close to mark the first day of the Idul Fitri
celebrations on Dec. 27 but would reopen on Dec. 28, the second
day of Idul Fitri.

Meanwhile, Fashion Cafe marketing officer Andrew F.K. said the
restaurant would remain open on Sunday and Monday but would close
by midnight or 12:30 a.m. at the latest.

Governor Sutiyoso said on Friday that stern action would be
taken against nightspot owners who violated his decree issued on
Nov. 22 on the closing of nightspots on particular days.

The decree orders all nightspots to close on the day before
and on the first day of Ramadhan; on Christmas Eve and Christmas
Day; and on the two days of Idul Fitri and three days after the
Idul Fitri holiday, which includes New Year's Eve, a profitable
day for most hotels and nightspots.

"On other days, they can operate as usual," he said.

Retro discotheque at Crowne Plaza Hotel in South Jakarta will
abide by the decree but is still doubtful about closing on New
Year's Eve.

"How could we close on that day? The discotheque's management
is still discussing this matter," Retro public relations officer
Firia said.

Meanwhile, Jamz Cafe, which is known for its upbeat life
bands, will close on Sunday and Monday but will reopen on
Tuesday.

"It will close by midnight throughout Ramadhan," the cafe's
marketing officer, Hendro Suwarno, said.

The Jimbani restaurant and bar will be closed from Sunday
until Wednesday and reopen on Thursday, the cafe's supervisor,
Sutana, said.

"We have been told by the youths of the Kemang mosque to
respect the holy month and close on these particular days. We
respect the month," Sutana said.

The Music Room pub, disco and karaoke, better known as Musro,
at Hotel Borobudur in Central Jakarta, will also close on Sunday
and Monday.

"It will reopen on Tuesday," the pub's general secretary, Mina
Yuniati, said.

A bar owner on Jl. Blora in Central Jakarta, Adrian Maelite,
however, said the decree was "very confusing" because it did not
order for the closing of all nightspots.

Governor Sutiyoso said on Friday that some 15,000 officers
from the Jakarta Military Command, the Jakarta Police and the
public order office would be deployed to secure the capital
during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan.

Sutiyoso was leading the preparations for the deployment of
these security officers at the National Monument compound on
Friday. Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman also
attended the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Mulyono Sulaiman said the forces would be deployed
in the capital's hot spot areas, where brawls and rioting
frequently occur, from Nov. 27 through New Year's Eve.

"We'll extend this indefinitely if necessary," Mulyono told
journalists.

Under the new tripartite scheme, security affairs in the
capital will no longer be solely under the management of the city
police headquarters as the city military command and city
administration will also be involved.

To finance the first three months of the operation of the new
system, the city administration has been allocated some Rp 2
billion (US$212,766) from the city budget and its expenses will
be continuously funded from the budget.

Meanwhile, Tangerang mayor H.M. Thamrin issued on Friday a
letter urging the managements of local entertainment centers,
such as karaoke bars, music lounges, and pool halls and arcades
to temporarily cease their operations during the holy month of
Ramadhan, starting Nov. 26 until Dec. 31, an official said on
Friday.

"We will revoke their business permits should we find any
entertainment center operating during the specified period," the
mayor said. (41/dja/lup/ylt)