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December 26, 2024 | 06:58 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - On December 17, 2024, a post on X account @Twt_Rave said that as many as 400 Malaysian attendees of the Djakarta Warehouse Project (DWP) have fallen victim to extortion by Indonesian police members.
The rave music fan account said police members arrested and conducted surprise urine tests on more than 400 Malaysian spectators.
“The police also allegedly extorted their money, which amounted to around RM9 million, the equivalent of Rp32 billion. In fact, there are claims that the audience was forced to pay despite their urine tests coming back negative,” the account was quoted as saying by Antara on Tuesday, December 24.
The Propam division of the Indonesian police has responded by detaining 18 personnel suspected of being involved in the alleged extortion.
“Propam Division has detained 18 personnel from Jakarta Metro Police, Central Jakarta Metro Police, and Kemayoran Metro Police,” said Head of the Public Information Bureau of the National Police Public Relations Division Brigadier General Pol. Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko in a statement received on Saturday.
Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardhana regretted the incident, as it not only harmed tourists but marred Indonesia’s image on the global stage.
“The Ministry of Tourism apologizes for the inconvenience and impact caused by this incident. We are ready to strengthen collaboration [with stakeholders] and make improvements going forward,” said the minister.
According to @Twt_Rave's post, a number of Malaysian spectators were dragged from the DWP arena and asked for a urine test and a sum of money.
The Minister of Tourism ensures her ministry will support the National Police’s efforts to battle drug abuse and enforce the law without disturbing the safety and comfort of tourists and communities.
History of Djakarta Warehouse Project
Djakarta Warehouse Project (DWP) is one of the largest annual dance music festivals in Asia, featuring various artists from around the world.
The festival began as a nightclub event in 2008 called Blowfish Warehouse Project at Jakarta's famous nightclub Blowfish. Featuring 3 arenas around the club, the first edition of the festival was attended by more than 5,000 spectators.
The second edition of the festival was slated for April 24, 2010, but the plan was crushed as a fight broke out three weeks before D-day, damaging parts of the venue. The organizers moved the festival to Carnaval Beach in Ancol and renamed the festival Djakarta Warehouse Project.
The event proceeded to become an annual event in Jakarta, with some exceptions. In 2018 and 2023, specifically, the festival was held at Garuda Wisnu Kencana in Bali.
The festival now attracts a significant number of dance music enthusiasts, or ravers, garnering up to 90,000 spectators each year, including those from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
The term rave originated in the late 1950s in London’s West End to describe the “wild bohemian parties” of the Soho beatnik set. Jazz musician Mick Mulligan, known for indulging in such excesses, earned the nickname “king of the ravers.”
The word “rave” was later used in the burgeoning mod youth culture of the early 1960s as a way to describe wild parties in general. People who were sociable party maniacs were described as "ravers." Pop musicians such as Steve Marriott of the Small Faces and Keith Moon of the Who described themselves as "ravers.”.
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