TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Makassar Mayor Moh Ramdhan Pomanto personally leads the Public Order Agency (Satpol-PP) personnel to raid convenience stores on Valentine’s evening.

“We conduct raids for the public interest. To youngsters, the notion that Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love, that you can do anything in the name of love, is wrong,” he said in Makassar on Monday night, as quoted by Antara.

He said that the raids were conducted on convenience stores to remind clerks not to freely sell birth control items, such as condoms.

“Remember not to arbitrarily sell condoms to avoid fatal incidents. Stores caught selling [condoms] freely will have their permit revoked,” he asserted.

Antara news agency observed that some convenience stores tried to hide condoms during the raids.

The Mayor was left furious when he found dozens of condoms in a basket after he questioned a convenience store clerk who denied selling them.

“It’s not about the Valentine’s Day but about moral degradation. To sell condoms like candies, even more so because you hid them like this, we will make a report of public deception,” he explained.

The Mayor had earlier instructed sub-district heads to conduct raids and disseminate the mayor’s policy to convenience store clerks.

ANTARA