Tangerang to be 'religious city': Mayor

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

The Tangerang municipal administration destroyed on Thursday thousands of bottles of name-brand alcoholic drinks, pornographic pirated VCDs and six gambling machines confiscated in a string of raids this month.

"The raids were made as the introduction to the newly endorsed Bylaw No. 7/2005 that limits the sales of alcohol and includes regulations against piracy and gambling," said Mayor Wahidin Halim who presided over the destruction at his office compound.

Tangerang Police chief Sr. Comr. Raja Erizman, Council speaker Krisna Gunata, chief judge Suhadi, chief prosecutor Bambang Rajardjo and religious figures also witnessed the mayor and staff as they bulldozed at least 19,000 bottles of liquor and burned 31,061 VCDs and the gambling machines.

"The municipal administration has set out to make Tangerang a "religious city" ... therefore I have also ordered officers to seize and destroy pornographic calendars and posters sold by sidewalk vendors," Wahidin added.

Bylaw No. 7 was endorsed in one package with Bylaw No. 8/2005 that formally outlawed prostitution late in November.

To uphold the bylaws, the administration would soon form a police-backed task force to disseminate the contents of the bylaws to society and monitor their enforcement.

Violators may face imprisonment of up to three months or a fine of up to Rp 50 million (US$5,000).