A Jakarta councilor has described the case allegedly involving four Japanese Asian Games athletes soliciting prostitutes as a “slap in the face” for the Indonesian capital.

“This reminds us that prostitution still exists in Jakarta,” the Jakarta Council's Mualif ZA said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. 

He was apparently referring to the city administration recently escalating its crackdowns on nightclubs and other establishments in tackling crime, including prostitution.

Prostitution is illegal in Indonesia.

Mualif, a National Awakening Party (PKB) politician, said that he would ask City Hall and law enforcement to reinforce measures to combat prostitution.

The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) announced on Monday that Japanese basketball players Yuya Nagayoshi, Takuya Hashimoto, Takuma Sato and Keita Imamura had been sent home after they were spotted in a Jakarta red light district in full team uniform. (nor)