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.