Same Alexis, Different Name

Prostitution is still taking place at Alexis Hotel even though the Jakarta government did not renew the license of that hotel and its massage parlor. The excitement of the successful shutdown has not been proven as the ‘heaven on earth’ at Alexis just moved to another floor with karaoke rooms. A Tempo investigation conducted since January showed that prostitution is not only taking place at Alexis. Similar practices are still occurring at other nightclubs, such as the Malio, Classic, Emporium, and Illigals. Nightlife businesses, which contribute Rp769.5 billion in taxes, have hardly had any legal brushes with the authorities despite many obvious violations, ranging from hours of operation to human trafficking. In fact, narcotics continue to be sold at Illigals. This investigation was conducted through the cooperation between Tempo, the Tempo Institute, and Free Press Unlimited.

January 29, 2018

Thirty minutes before midnight, a karaoke room on the third floor of the Alexis Hotel, Ancol, North Jakarta, on the second Wednesday of January, was far from empty. In the dim glow from three large flat television screens on the wall, the 3 x 6-meter room throbbed with the sound of house music. Two women with long hair nodded their heads and shook their bodies in time with the beat.

Together with four other men enjoying Jakarta's night life, Tem

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