'Ministry has no problem with Gaga work permit'

The Manpower and Transmigration Ministry says it has no problem issuing a work permit for Lady Gaga under the condition that she goes through the required legal procedures.

"The ministry will issue its permit for foreign workers (TKA) according to procedure. It will not discriminate, so long as the proper procedure was followed," Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

"Every one is treated equally, regardless of whether the TKA is a famous artist, a soccer player or a regular worker."

Nevertheless, Muhaimin said that he hoped Gaga would respect Indonesian culture, by making sure that her lyrics, clothes and stage actions will not offend.

Meanwhile, ministry representative Reyna Usman said that the work-permit issuing process for Gaga had so far run smoothly and was currently entering its final phase.

After initially rejecting Lady Gaga's concert permit last week, the police have agreed to reevaluate their stance on the artist.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Untung S. Rajab said on Tuesday that the show might be allowed to go on if the promoter submitted all the necessary documents on time. The deadline for Gaga's concert promoter, Big Daddy Entertainment, is Sunday.

Over 50,000 tickets for Lady Gaga's concert have been sold. Her concert is due to be performed on June 3 at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.(png)