Ulemas demand order in Puncak

BOGOR:Suspicious of growing prostitution in the Puncak resort, certain ulemas and religious leaders from Bogor regency have asked councillors to draft a regulation on the presence of entertainment spots and inns along the road to the resort.

Hidayatullah, a Muslim preacher, told visiting councillors in Banjarwaru, Ciawi district, on Saturday that the administration should close down the businesses as residents often held violent protests and destroyed the premises.

"Since I joined Public Order Ulemas in 1993, we have raided at least 100 sex workers every night from Ciawi, Megamendung, Cisarua, Parung and Cileungsi areas. But the businesses are still there," he said.

Although some of the entertainment spots had closed when the ulemas joined the riots in 1998 and 2001, burning down the area, the most popular Gang Semen area, formerly an alley of kiosks selling cement, was still operational, according to Hidayatullah.

Council speaker Rahmat Yasin said that councillors had never approved the operation of entertainment spots along the road to Puncak Pass. -- JP