The governor and gambling

The governor and gambling

With his mood of confidence, Jakarta City Governor Sutiyoso
said last week that his administration was ready to build the
infrastructure for casinos in the Seribu Islands, north of
Jakarta. Without taking into consideration the strong reactions
among the Muslim community the governor said he was sure that the
plan would run smoothly. So, he said he was ready to build the
infrastructure.

He added that the only party he should consult with would be
the Muslim scholars or ulemas and the City Council for
recommendations. Apparently based on his personal experience in
dealing easily with the City Council, Sutiyoso added that he was
pretty sure that councillors would give their support to the
idea, and that the "ulemas would not make any objection."

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 Indonesian Ulemas' Council (MUI), however, earlier
rejected the idea of opening a casino here. It is a public
knowledge that the Koran, the Muslim Holy Scripture, is against
gambling.

All Islamic-based parties, the United Development Party (PPP),
the Crescent and Star Party (PBB), the National Mandate Party
(PAN) and the Justice Party (PK) have rejected the proposal to
set up the center.

PPP's city chapter chairman Djafar Badjeber said that his
party would reject any proposal to legalize gambling centers in
the city.

"It's an evil project. PPP's city chapter would reject the
proposal," Djafar, who is also the council's deputy chairman,
told reporters.

Besides violating God's law, he said gambling was still
forbidden according to the current laws and regulations here.

Djafar, who is serving a second term as councillor, denied
that the council once recommended to the administration that it
allow gambling.

"As far as I know there was no such recommendation in the
past," he said.

An article in the criminal code states that gambling is not
allowed without a permit. But a 1987 presidential decree banned
gambling activities all over the country.

Gambling is a very complex problem; because for a number of
ethnic groups, gambling is part of their tradition.

Police in the past have abused the legal reality by raiding
gambling dens but have failed to charge anyone with having
committed a crime. Like prostitution, many people, official or
unofficial, have imposed illegal levies on this petty crime for
personal benefits.

Malaysia has solved the problem once and for all by
legalizing the gambling and put it up high on the mountain of
Genting Highland. Malaysian citizens of Malay origin and Muslims
are barred from entering the casino. And the supremacy of law has
been the pride of our neighboring country since its birth in
1957.

Everybody perhaps laughed heartily when Sutiyoso mentioned
Malaysia as the comparison in this case because everyone knows
that supervision is the weakest point of Indonesian bureaucracy.

What Indonesians should do next is watch the tug-of-war
between Sutiyoso and the Muslims.