Jakarta – The Islamic fasting month of Ramadan started yesterday and the Indonesian entertainment industry is grumbling over local edicts to close nightclubs, massage parlours and amusement centres for the entire period.

Jakarta masseur Rini Widowati said she would observe the fast, but grumbled about a city order that shut down her establishment. "It sucks," Ms Widowati said, adding that although she would continue to get her basic salary, she would not earn any of the tips that make up most of her pay.

During Ramadan, observant Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk. Indonesia – the world's most populous Muslim nation – maintains a secular tradition. Most of its 180 million Muslims are moderate and tolerant of other faiths.

Observance of the fast here is less widespread than in the Middle East. Restaurants can open during the day, though most hang thick curtains over their windows.

But that secular tradition has come under pressure from conservative Muslim groups since the downfall of former president Suharto, and some see moves to stop nightspots opening during Ramadan as part of this trend.

Under Jakarta's decree, issued in 2002, all of the city's thousands of massage parlours, freestanding nightclubs, bars and karaoke rooms have to close for the month. Discos in five-star hotels can stay open but with limited hours. The same curb applies to restaurants featuring live bands so long as they serve alcohol "discreetly". Administrations around the country have issued similar edicts.

Some have taken the enforcement of the ban into their own hands. In 2001, Islamic militants launched nightly raids on clubs that flouted the ban during Ramadan. But since the 2002 Bali bombings, those groups have disbanded amid a crackdown on extremists.

It is unclear how effective this year's ban will be. City officials and police, who are responsible for its enforcement, are notorious for taking bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye.

In the seedy Blora nightclub district of central Jakarta, a handwritten notice hanging on the door of one bar announces it will be closed for just three days. Aphrodite Bar and Restaurant, which is popular with foreigners, has covered up its trademark statue of the nude Greek goddess of love with a silk cloth – but plans to open as normal.

But some bar and restaurant owners say they are undaunted by the government restrictions, or the possibility of threats by militant groups. "It's a nuisance," said a cafe owner on Jaksa Street, a popular haunt of foreign backpackers. "But I refuse to change my business. Everyone has a right to his freedom."