KUALA LUMPUR – 45 Malaysians were reported to be the victims of alleged extortion by Indonesian police personnel during the Djakarta Warehouse Project (DWP) festival which took place from December 13 to 15 at JIExpo Kemayoran.
The head of the Indonesian National Police’s Profession and Security Division, Abdul Karim, revealed that the seized evidence is worth IDR 2.5 billion (RM737,500)
“Two official complaints have been filed by the Malaysian nationals,” he stated during a press conference broadcast live by Metro TV, noting that their identities would be kept confidential throughout the investigation.
He emphasised that the case is under close scrutiny by external bodies, including the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), to ensure the investigation is conducted with transparency and fairness.
“We, the leadership of the National Police, are committed to addressing any violations committed by our officers, and we will take strong action against anyone, no matter who the victim is,” he added.
On Saturday, Indonesian police arrested 18 officers for allegedly extorting Malaysian nationals during the three-day DWP concert in Kemayoran, North Jakarta.
Following the arrests, Indonesia’s Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana commended the police for their swift action in addressing the alleged extortion of tourists at the event.
The ministry has been in contact with both the event organisers and the police to resolve the issue after the tourists’ concerns were made public.
“The Tourism Ministry apologises for the inconvenience and impact caused by this incident,” she said.
According to the claims, the Malaysian nationals were forced to undergo urine tests, show their passports, and pressured to pay despite their drug test results being negative.
The allegations sparked widespread outrage online, with viral posts accusing Indonesian police of extorting attendees at the event. One post from the X account @Twt_Rave claimed that over 400 Malaysian festival-goers were targeted, with the total extorted amount allegedly reaching RM9 million. – December 25, 2024