Official nixes casino development plan in Bintan

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam

Malaysia and Singapore might have opened casinos to lure in tourists but Indonesia says it will not set up a casino or any other gambling facility to attract foreign tourists.

Secretary of the director-general of marketing at the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Henky Hermantoro, said the country has many tourism sites and a rich culture to attract tourists.

"Although Malaysia and Singapore have gambling facilities as part of their tourism promotion efforts, Indonesia remains committed not to rely on or provide gambling facilities.

"It's against our law," Henky said at a newly opened exhibition on Indonesia tourism in Batam, Riau province.

He made the statement when asked about the Bintan regency administration's plan to issue an ordinance on an integrated and exclusive tourism area that would operate a gambling venue.

The ordinance will be issued in response to an investor's plan to set up the facility in Lagoi area in Bintan.

Henky said the country set a target of attracting six million foreign tourists this year and expressed optimism the target could yet be realized.

Last year some 4.8 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia, and next year the government hopes to reach eight million.

He said that this year the central government has disbursed Rp 70 billion to provinces outside Java, such as West Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi to help market their tourism attractions to overseas tourists.

Even without gambling, he said, Indonesia's tourism industry has developed thanks to its many tourist attractions.

"Our law strictly prohibits (gambling). We also disagree with it," Henky said.

Head of the Riau tourism office Robert Iwan Loeriux said the move to localize gambling would stir up controversy in a country which emphasizes harmonious relations between nature, God and its people.

He said stiff competition in Southeast Asia's tourism industry has led Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam to remain the only countries not providing gambling facilities.

"Gambling can't be part of the country's tourism since it's against our philosophy," he said.

He said the Lagoi tourism area in Bintan greatly contributed to foreign tourism in the province.

Every month some 300,000 foreign tourists, mostly Singaporean, visit Lagoi.

Riau province set a target of receiving 1.6 million foreign tourists this year, 100,000 higher than last year's total.

He said in the coming years Lagoi might get stale if no new attractions were introduced.

"We think it's natural for Lagoi to make a breakthrough to bring in more foreign tourists.

"Unfortunately, the idea (to set up casino) is unacceptable."

The effort to legalize gambling is not the first.

In 2003 the police questioned then-Batam mayor Nyat Kadir about a casino that had been operating within a legal amusement center on the island. Nyat had reportedly granted permission to legally operate the casino, but under public pressure he revoked the permit.

While Ali Sadikin was Jakarta governor from 1966 to 1977, gambling and prostitution were legal in designated areas in Jakarta.

According to the criminal code and a 1974 law on gambling, gambling operators and gamblers can be imprisoned for up to 10 years or receive a Rp 25,000 (US$2.63) fine if found guilty.