A TELEPHONE ring in one afternoon in 1973 took Ali Sadikin away from the newspaper he was reading. The Jakarta governor in 1966-1977 put his newspaper down to receive news on the plan to close various gambling dens in the capital city. This meant that Jakarta would have less income from gaming tax.

Ali’s eldest son, Boy Bernadi Sadikin, said his father’s voice thundered. “He asked, why shut down gambling? He spoke loudly and in