Many flocking to sex paradise Karimun

KARIMUN Island, in Indonesia's Riau province, has emerged as a sex paradise for Malaysians and Singaporeans, the Sin Chew Daily reported.

The island, which is full of brothels with about 2,000 prostitutes, received 94,422 Malaysian and 98,711 Singaporean visitors in 2007, tourism officials said.

Many of the prostitutes are from Kalimantan and Java, with the youngest about 16 years old.

Despite police raids and the arrest of a number of pimps, the paper said the brothels continue to operate and visitors continue to flock there.

Located south of Johor and Singapore, Karimun is just an hour's boat ride from the island city-state and visitors are offered a sex package the moment they land.

Many arrive on Saturday morning and return the next day.

A retired businessman said that whenever he visited Karimun, he would tell his family that he was outstation playing mahjong.