NusaBali.com reports that the Atlas Supper Club (PT Kreasi Bali Prima) has conducted Guru Piduka and Bendu Pidulka religious ceremonies seeking spiritual forgiveness and public reconciliation after offending a broad cross-section of Balinese society through the improper use of Bali-Hindu symbolism in the decorative elements of the Club’s entertainment program.
The sacred ceremonies were conducted on Saturday, 08 February 2025, Saraswati Day, at Pura Desa lan Puseh, Berawa, in North Kuta.
The ceremonies followed Atlas Supper Club’s use of the image of Lord Shiva as a stage backdrop for the Club’s DJ. Jero Mangku conducted the ceremony, accompanied by community leaders, and attended by the Atlas Club Management, club employees, and regional legislators.
Tommy Dimas, a public relations official of Atlas, acknowledged that the Club had unintentionally provoked public disquiet among the Balinese Hindu community. “We express our deepest apologies to the community, especially the Balinese Hindu community,” said Dimas.
Dimas continued: “What is certain is that we will make improvements from the internal side. We will also provide a written statement to related agencies that ask and require us to be able to have a better commitment in the future, such as the Bali DPRD, Badung DPRD, and other agencies and associations,”
Traditional Village Chief (Kelian/Petjahu), I Wayan Kumarayasa, said that the Guru Piduka and Bendu Piduka Ceremonies were held to issue an apology to the Almighty – Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa. Kumarayasa hoped that the unfortunate incident would serve as a valuable lesson. “We hope that in the future, the improper use of religious symbolism will not happen again,” he said.
The improper display of the image of Lord Shiva for a DJ music performance at the Atlas Super Club has precipitated angry responses from organizations and individuals across Bali, culminating in a formal summon from the Badung Regency Prepople Representative Council (DPRD).
The special hearing held on 07 February was led by the DPRD Badung Chairman I Gusti Anom Gumanti, and attended by local government officials and members of the Club’s management and staff.
The Atlas Super Club admitted before the DPRD that they were negligent in showing representations of Lord Shiva. Members of the Badung DPRD attending the hearing sternly questioned why the Club decided to show representations of the Lord Shiva.
Some in attendance, comprising DPRD legislators and members of the public, recommended the Atlas Suppler Club be closed, at least temporarily.
Bali Keris Foundation
On Friday, 07 February 2025, a group known as the Bali Keris Knight Foundation held a peaceful demonstration at the Bali DPRD. The demonstration protested against using Lord Siva’s image as part of a DJ music performance at the Atlas Super Club.
The peaceful demonstrators were received by the Deputy Chairman of the Bali DPRD, I Wayan Disel Astawa, and Deputy Chairman III of the Bali DPRD, I Komang Nova Sewi Putra, together with the Chairman of Commission, I Nyoman Budi Utam, and members of Commission I and members of Commission IV of the Bali DPRD. Also present were executive representatives from the Bali Provincial Investment and One-Stop Integrated Service Office (PMPTSP), Bali Satpol PP, Bali Tourism Office, and Bali Culture Office.
During the demonstration, the General Chairman of the Bali Keris Knight Foundation, Ketut Putra Ismaya Jaya (Jero Bima) made seven demands to the Bali DPRD. He requested that the Atlas Super Club be sanctioned for the blasphemous incident. The foundation also demanded a direct apology from Atlas, which would be made publicly and through the nightclub’s social media. He also demanded the Bali DPRD immediately create a regional regulation (Perda) regarding the use of Hindu religious symbols so that similar incidents do not happen again in the future.
Jero Bima also threatened that if the Bali DPRD did not act immediately, his party would come directly to the Atlas Beach Club with a larger mass of demonstrators. He emphasized that this action was not just demanding an apology but also demanding affirmative action so that there would be no more misuse of religious symbols in the nightlife industry in Bali.
Responding to this demand, the Head of the PDIP Faction of the Bali DPRD, I Made Supartha, expressed his support. He emphasized that his party was ready to fight alongside the Balinese people and help voice their aspirations.
“I am ready to move forward and fight with the Balinese people. Cases like this cannot be left alone. We echo the voice of the Balinese people,” he said. He told how the PDIP Faction of the Bali DPRD remains committed and has agreed to close the nightclub so that it could provide a deterrent effect. When asked about the impact on workers at the Supper Club if it was indeed closed, Supartha said that this was another separate consideration. However, the peaceful demonstrations are focused on the present dangers and the need for consequences of the Club’s deviant behavior.
“We are not getting into the workers’ affairs; that is another consideration. First, the Club must suffer sanctions, then apologize. That will make things easier. As in a police case, if the police make an arrest, there must be a court decision. Other matters are for later. This is very urgent, this is a demonstration related to law enforcement for blasphemy against religious symbols,” Supartha said.
In response, the Deputy Chairman III of the Bali DPRD, I Komang Nova Sewi Putra, said that the Bali Keris Knight Foundation could bring this matter to the Bali Police if a law has been violated.
Meanwhile, the Bali DPRD remains committed to encouraging the birth of a regional regulation regarding blasphemy so that there is a stronger legal basis for handling similar cases in the future.
An Inconsistent Application of the Law?
The decision of the Bali DPRD to temporarily close the operations of the Atlas Beach Club has received attention from various parties, including the Bali Chapter of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (BPD HIPMI Bali), which claims the DPRD has an inconsistent approach in dealing with cases of blasphemy.
The Head of Organization, Membership, and Cadre Development of BPD HIPMI Bali, Dewa Gede Dwi Mahayana Putra Nida or “Dewa Wiwin,” questions the urgency of the DPRD’s actions in proposing the closure of Atlas Beach Club. He compared the DPRD’s attitude to the more lenient treatment of Finns Beach Club in a case some time ago when the entertainment venue continued to operate despite holding a fireworks display that disrupted a religious ceremony on Berawa Beach.
“We all agree that a mistake has occurred and corrective steps must be taken. But why, in the Finn’s case, which also caused unrest, was the resolution only to issue a warning? Why, in the Atlas case, is the only available option to close the Club immediately? Is this a double standard?” asked Dewa Wiwin on Saturday, 08 February 2025.
Dewa warned that the closure of the Beach Club will impact the business owners and hundreds of employees who depend on the tourism industry for their livelihood. He said Bali could lose its appeal to investors if this kind of policy continues.
“Bali lives from tourism and investment. If there are mistakes, fix them with education and clear rules. If every mistake is handled by immediate closure, who will dare to invest in Bali?” Dewa said.
Dewa continued: “Today Atlas is closed. Tomorrow, who’s next? If every case is punished with the maximum sanction, the business world will feel that there is no legal certainty. If investors start to be afraid, the impact will not only be on big businessmen, but also on local workers.”
He reminded the DPRD to be more careful when issuing recommendations that have a broad impact. Moreover, Bali’s tourism sector has not fully recovered after being hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dewa Wiwin asked the Bali DPRD to be more transparent in making decisions. If the main goal is to maintain the sanctity of Balinese religion and culture, then sanctions must be applied fairly and equally to all business actors who commit similar violations.
“The DPRD must explain to the public the basis for its decision. If it is a matter of respecting religious symbols, why can other cases be resolved with only a warning? Don’t let the public think other factors are at play,” he said.
Dewa Wiwin assessed that a dialogue and education-based approach is more appropriate. Dewa Wiwin suggested more explicit regulations regarding the use of cultural and religious symbols in the entertainment industry so that similar incidents do not happen again.
Alternative to Closure?
Meanwhile, Tribun-Bali-com quotes Nyoman Satria, a member of the DPRD Kabupaten Badung, recommending that, instead of closure, the Atlas Beach Club be punished by being compelled to start paying the maximum tax rates.
The Atlas Beach Club has enjoyed substantial discounts from the applicable Goods and Service Tax (PBJT) under the Badung Regency’s preferential tax rate.
Satria explained that the PBJT tax can be charged at the Regency’s discretion in a range from 40% to a high of 75%. The Regency now extends a discount of 75% from the lowest tax level, resulting in the Atlas Beach Club only paying a 15% tax after the discount.
Nyoman Satria is recommending that Atlas Beach Club be compelled to pay a 75% tax rate as a severe sanction for its poor behavior. Satria urges that the higher tax rate apply for a period of one year until December 2025. During this period, officials can observe to determine if the Atlas Beach Club is genuinely repentant and has learned the error of its way.
Related Links
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