Holywings: Between The Desperation Of Promotion, IDR 1 Billion Turnover Per Night, And The Fate Of Employees

The sealing of the Holywings Senayan Jakarta by the community organization GP Ansor on June 26, 20022. (VOI/Muhammad Jehan)

JAKARTA – The controversy over the promotion of liquor (alcohol) using the names of Muhammad and Maria carried out by several Holywings outlets in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Medan is getting hotter. The promotional tips uploaded on social media on June 23, 2022 then went wild. Starting from accusations of religious harassment to demands for the closure of Holywings, they were echoed, and finally Holywings in Jakarta was actually closed.

The first report that came to Polda Metro Jaya regarding the uproarious promotion of alcohol came from a person named Feriyawansyah on Friday morning 24 June. Through his lawyer, Sunan Kalijaga, Feriyawansyah reported the promotion of Holywings as religious harassment.

"I have reported the alleged blasphemy which we suspect was carried out by one of the cafe management which is currently going viral on social media and media. We really regret that this promo is clearly displayed injuring the hearts of Muslims and also Christians," said Sunan Kalijaga as written in the Instagram account @sunankalijaga_sh on June 24.

E flyer about controversial alcohol promotion on Holywings social media account. (Instagram@holywingsindonesia)

The management of Holywings is suspected of violating Article 156 A of the Criminal Code regarding blasphemy, and Article 28 A paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 45 paragraph 2 of the ITE Law regarding the dissemination of information that can trigger hatred.

People's representatives in the DPR RI have also protested the Holywings-style alcohol promotion. A member of the DPR from the PKB faction, Lukman Hakim, urged the police to continue the polemic in the legal process.

"The police can immediately carry out legal proceedings against Holywings' use of the names Muhammad and Maria for the promotion of liquor," said Lukman, a member of Commission VIII DPR RI via Twitter account @LukmanBeeNKRI, June 24.

Action Organizations

The issue of Holywings' alcohol promotion continued to widen, after several mass organizations joined in protesting. The Ansor Youth Movement (GP) in the DKI Jakarta area was the first to move.

"We will convoy with Jakarta Ansor and Banser cadres to ensure that there is no more blasphemy or maybe we don't know, even though it has been deleted, we don't know what happened inside Holywings," said Deputy Chairperson of the DKI Ansor GP Regional Leadership. Jakarta, Sofyan Hadi told reporters on June 24.

Not only holding convoys, GP Ansor also unilaterally sealed the Holywings outlet located at Senayan Park Mall. In fact, Holywings Senayan was not listed in the e-flyer that went viral on social media as an outlet that held a free alcohol promotion program for visitors named Muhammad and Maria.

The Alumni Brotherhood Organization (PA) 212 also protested. Through his secretary general, Novel Bamukmin, PA 212 urged the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to revoke Holywings' operational permit.

"We will ask the DKI Provincial Government to take firm steps, namely both closing and operating permits," Novel told VOI on June 24.

After GP Ansor and PA 212, the Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI), Pemuda Pancasila (PP), and the Collective Regional Committee for the Multipurpose Mutual Cooperation Organization (PDK Kosgoro) also demanded the closure of Holywings.

Closing Decision

Without taking long, the Governor of DKI Jakarta Anies Baswedan on Monday 27 June 2022 issued a decision to close and revoke Holywings' operational permit in Jakarta through the DKI Jakarta Provincial Investment and One Stop Integrated Service (DPMPTSP). In total there were 12 outlets that had to be closed, although not all of them carried out the controversial alcohol promotion.

The revocation of the permit was based on the recommendation of the DKI Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Office (Disparekraf) and the DKI Jakarta Department of Industry, Trade, Cooperatives and SMEs (DPPKUKM). Interestingly, the closure of Holywings was not based on the controversy over the viral promotion of alcohol or accusations of religious harassment, but on the issue of licensing violations. Holywings is said to have not met the Indonesian Standard Classification of Business Fields (KBLI).

KBLI is a classification compiled by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), with the aim of classifying Indonesia's economic activities that produce products, both in the form of services and goods based on business fields. Holywings is said to have violated the KBLI 56301 certification, which is a bar business license related to the serving of alcoholic beverages and snacks in the place of business.

It is stated that Holywings only has a certificate of KBLI 47221. This certification is valid for the sale of alcoholic beverages by take away, or take-away instead of being consumed on the spot.

Holywings Dragon at Pantai Indah Kapuk, North Jakarta was hit as one of 12 outlets in Jakarta that was closed. (Facebook Holywings Dragon))

"Meanwhile, the results of field supervision show that Holywings Group's business is selling alcoholic beverages for drinking in places that legally should have a Direct Sales Certificate (SKPL) class B and C with PB-UMKU KBLI 56301. Of the seven outlets, they have a KBLI Retailer Certificate. 47221, even the other five outlets do not have the letter,” said the Head of DKI Jakarta DPPKUKM, Elisabeth Ratu Rante Allo.

The twelve Holywings outlets in Jakarta that Anies Baswedan eventually closed were: Tanjung Duren, Kalideres, Kelapa Gading, Pantai Indah Kapuk (three outlets: Dragon, Tiger, and Holywings), Senayan, Epicentrum, Mega Kuningan, Garrison Kemang, Gunawarman, Gatot Subroto (Pancoran). Before Jakarta, Holywings Bogor which has changed its name to Elvis Cafe which is located on Jl. Pajajaran, was also closed by the Mayor of Bima Arya Sugiarto for two weeks starting June 26.

There has been no statement from Holywings' management regarding the closure of their 12 businesses in Jakarta and Bogor, which may spread to other outlets in Indonesia. The Holywings management's attempt to apologize via social media, plus the efforts of Hotman Paris Hutapea as one of the investors in the Holywings Group by facing the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) did not produce any results. Holywings remains closed, without going through the litigation as originally demanded. The Holywings Group site is also no longer open.

Growing Up Thanks to Controversy

Holywings is actually not in trouble this time. In September 2021 the Holywings Kemang outlet in South Jakarta was closed because it was deemed to have violated the COVID-19 health protocol while in Jakarta the Level 3 Implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) was still being applied. come back busy.

Controversy seems to always stick with the development of Holywings, which was initiated in 2014. Last March, promotion through a boxing event called Holywings Sports Show (HSS) I exploded after one of the boxers who appeared died after a fight. Boxer from Malang, Hero Tito died after being in a coma for five days, after losing by knockout to James Mokoginta in the HSS I match at Holywings Gatot Subroto on 27 February.

Despite the tragedy of the boxer's death, Holywings' promotion through HSS was a huge success. The event was then continued with HSS II, which was also held at the Gatot Subroto outlet on 12 June. The event featured fist fights of artists and figures that went viral on social media, such as Nikita Mirzani to the son of former DKI Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok, Nicholas Sean.

According to a VOI source who did not want to be named, the HSS II at Holywings Gatot Subroto on June 12 increased its turnover to IDR 1.2 billion overnight. Not to mention the sale of broadcasting rights, which was reportedly purchased by a streaming channel publisher for Rp. 1.4 billion. According to the source, Holywings Gatot Subroto's average turnover overnight was around Rp. 500 million. There is an unwritten law in the food and beverage business, that the minimum net profit from turnover is 70 percent.

The duel of Hero Tito (left) vs James Mokoginta in Holywings Sports Show I at Holywings Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta on 27 February 2022 which ended tragically with Hero's death. (Armin Tan Promotions)

“Holywings' turnover is different for each outlet, not the same. But indeed the biggest one is in Jakarta. So the closing of Holywings in Jakarta will definitely make everyone dizzy," said the VOI source.

Of course, the closure of Holywings has had a significant impact on the workforce. In the @holywingsindonesia Instagram account on June 26, the management of Holywings stated that there are 3,000 employees plus their families who depend on work as employees of the company.

“Employees at our place are temporarily furloughed, until a definite decision is made. This condition is clearly confusing for us,” said one of the investors of Holywings Bogor to VOI.

As a business under the banner of PT Aneka Bintang Gading, Holywings carries the motto "Never Stop Flying". There are four types of businesses under the Holywings banner: Holywings Bar, Holywings Club, Holywings Records, and Holywings Store. Currently, the business, which is funded by 65 people, has 27 outlets spread throughout Indonesia.

Holywings Kemang, South Jakarta, which changed its name to The Garrison after it was closed due to a violation of PPKM level 3 in September 2021. (Antara)

When the Indonesian economy begins to rise from adversity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of Holywings certainly invites the consequences of the emergence of new unemployment. In addition, the reason for the closure due to improper licensing is also odd, because it only became a problem after the business developed into 27 outlets, not when there were only one or two.

However, there are also those who analyze that the closure of Holywings was triggered by competition in the night entertainment business in Jakarta. When the nightlife center in the Jakarta City area is not yet fully open, Holywings continues to expand its wings with the crowds of visitors. According to the plan, Holywings will open their newest outlet which is claimed to be the largest nightclub in Southeast Asia, namely Holywings Bali in the Canggu area in September.