Sutiyoso ready to build gambling infrastructure
Ahmad Junaidi The Jakarta Post Jakarta
City Governor Sutiyoso stated on Thursday that his administration was ready to build the infrastructure for gambling dens in the Seribu Islands, north of Jakarta, expressing his confidence that the plan would run smoothly.
"We're ready to build the infrastructure. But I should consult with the ulemas and get the City Council's recommendation first," Sutiyoso told reporters after attending the 41th anniversary of city-owned Bank DKI here.
He was sure that councillors would give their support to the idea, and that the ulemas would not make any objection.
The Indonesian Ulemas' Council (MUI), however, earlier rejected the idea of opening a casino here.
Sutiyoso acknowledged that gambling could not be banned completely. Therefore, it would be better to open a legal gambling center.
He referred to Malaysia, a country with a majority Muslim population, which had localized gambling because it had been unable to eradicate it.
The governor responded to a statement of the Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Islands) regent K. Abdul Kadir on Wednesday that a foundation in Jakarta had officially proposed to manage a casino in the islands.
Kadir said gamblers would be required to deposit at least Rp 10 million (US1,000) and apply for membership, so as to avoid "ordinary" people entering the gambling dens.
He added that residents of the regency, which has a population of 14,000 people, could accept the possibility of the opening of a casino in their area.
City Council chairman Edy Waluyo said the council had not yet received a report that Seribu Islands residents could accept gambling centers.
He earlier announced its support to open a gambling center in the islands, saying that it would add to the city's revenue as well as avoiding the mushrooming of gambling dens in the city.
He admitted that, in 1999, the council recommended the administration ask the central government to allow the city to open a legal casino.
Casinos are not anything new here. Former governor Ali Sadikin, who was in power from 1966 to 1977, turned gambling into one of the major sources of the city's revenue.
But the central government later opposed the policy and the gambling dens were eventually closed down early in the 1980s.
According to the Criminal Code, gambling is illegal unless it is permitted by the authorities. A presidential decree banned gambling across the country.
Edy's stance was supported by several political parties, including the largest faction, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police factions.
Several councillors, whose factions rejected the idea of gambling localization in the islands, individually supported the localization.
"I personally agreed with the suggestion (to localize) gambling dens, but do not ask me to talk openly," one of the councillors said on Thursday.
Several councillors visited the gambling dens in the Genting Highlands in Malaysia for a comparative study last year.
At least two Islamic-based parties, the Justice Party (PK) and the Crescent and Star Party (PBB), have rejected the idea openly. PK and PBB hold four and two seats respectively of the total 85 seats on the council.