Muhadjir Asks PPATK To Track 5 Thousand Accounts Related To Blocked Online Gambling: Could There Be Social Assistance Recipients

Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture Muhadjir Effendy/PHOTO BETWEEN/DOK

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy asked the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to follow up on thousands of accounts related to online gambling. Muhadjir warned that there should be no recipients of social assistance (bansos) in it.

"There are 5,000 account numbers that will be blocked later I will also ask for PPATK, maybe among the blocked account numbers there will be social assistance recipients," Muhadjir told reporters in Jakarta, Monday, June 17.

Muhadjir said that recipients of social assistance should not use the money they get to play online gambling. "If there is, yes, we will handle it. Because after all they cannot receive social assistance," he said.

In addition, later the government will try to help online gambling addicts by carrying out rehabilitation. Muhadjir said this step would be the duty of his ministry together with the Minister of Social Affairs, the Minister of Health, and the Minister of Women and Children Empowerment (PPA).

"So my job is actually the last task. We'll just have to wait for the prevention, what will be the outcome of the action, who will be the victim of the action. That will be my business later," explained Muhadjir.

As previously reported, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized that the government is serious about eradicating and fighting online gambling. He said millions of sites had been closed and the Online Judi Eradication Task Force would be formed.

"Until now, more than 2.1 million online gambling sites have been closed and the Online Judi Task Force will also soon be completed, which we hope can accelerate the eradication of online gambling," Jokowi said as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, June 12.

Even so, Jokowi asked the public to fortify themselves from online gambling. This is because the government is limited to handling it because usually this site is cross-border, border, and authorization.

"It's better if there is money that is saved or used as business capital. Gambling is not just risking money, not just games or playing games with prizes, but gambling is risking the future, both the future of oneself, the future of our families and the future of our children," he said.