While demand for the magazine, which does not feature nudity, exceeded supply, the decision to delay the second edition was based on strong protests from Muslim fundamentalist groups.
“For the moment, we will not publish the magazine," Erwin Arnada, editor-in-chief for Playboy Indonesia, said. “We are very concerned about the security and safety of our employees and the public.”
While Playboy attributes its decision to safety concerns, local police had asked Playboy to suspend publishing to determine if the magazine broke any local anti-pornography or indecency laws.
“Playboy had a meeting with the police department ... the police have yet to give the result of the investigation [regarding accusations of pornography or indecency],” Mr. Priambudhi, spokesman for Playboy, said.
Despite the controversy, copies of the first, and perhaps only, issue continue to sell well above the initial cover price.
Soon after copies of the magazine hit newsstands, reports came in that Indonesians were reselling the magazine for three and four times the cover price of about $4. However, that price has soared of late, with bids on eBay reaching as high as $75.