Dewanti A. Wardhani, Jakarta – The plan to impose a 12 a.m. closing time on Jakarta's nightclubs has been shelved after Jakarta city councilors appeared to have a change of heart just a few days before the draft bylaw was to come up for approval.

Councilor Muhammad Taufik of the Gerindra Party said that after discussions with the city administration and stakeholders, the council's legislative board had decided to maintain the current nightclub operational hours, which are until 2 a.m.

"After listening to the aspirations of citizens, including business owners, we think that 2 a.m. is ideal," Taufik told reporters at City Hall on Thursday.

Previously, the council had considered limiting the operational hours of nightclubs until 12 a.m. as a result of concerns over illegal drug activities taking place in nightclubs.

Taufik had said that drug users would have nowhere to go after the restriction in the operational hours of nightclubs came into effect. The regulation would have been included in a bylaw on tourism.

Taufik, who said the issue had also been scrutinized and criticized by foreigners living in Jakarta, said it had been decided it was best to keep the current operational hours unchanged.

Currently, nightclubs may operate from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. as stipulated by Gubernatorial Regulation No. 21/2007 on nightclubs.

"Instead of limiting the operational hours of nightclubs, we will increase security and tighten regulations regarding drug-related activities. For example, if a nightclub is caught allowing drug activities even once, it will be closed. This will be included in the bylaw," Taufik said.

He said that the City Council would hold a plenary session on Friday to officially approve the bylaw.

Previously, the plan to limit the operational hours of nightclubs had been criticized, both by Jakarta administration officials and by business owners.

Jakarta Tourism and Culture Agency head Purba Hutapea had said that such a plan was not the answer to drug problems in Jakarta, adding that "people could still do drugs elsewhere".

Purba had said that Jakarta's antidrug policy in nightclubs was clear, and was evident last year from Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's decision to close Jakarta's iconic Stadium nightclub, located in West Jakarta, which was notorious for hosting illegal drug activities.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/10/30/plan-close-nightclubs-midnight-scrapped.html