Two naked mermaid statues at an Indonesian amusement park have had their breasts covered with golden tube tops in a bid to make them more “appropriate” and appealing to families.

The nude statues have been on display for years at Jakarta’s Ancol Dreamland but a recent policy to respect “eastern values” meant the mermaids were covered up.

The statues were initially just covered with gold fabric, but were later moved to a more secluded area after visitors kept pulling the coverings down, park sources said.

Ancol Dreamland spokeswoman Rika Lestari insisted there was no pressure from any outside group. “Ancol is trying to become an amusement park and vacation spot for families,” she said.

A statue of a mermaid with a golden tube top. Photograph: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images

That didn’t stop the park’s move from being widely mocked. “Thanks Ancol. Now, no one will commit adultery of the eyes from looking at the mermaids’ breasts,” comedian Soleh Solihun wrote on Twitter.

Earlier, Lestari told the Indonesian newspaper Kompas: “We’re eastern people, we have eastern culture, so what was inappropriate we made it more appropriate. It’s just a matter of perception, because what we’ve done was the best for us. It’s a good thing, so why not.”

Indonesia is the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country and relatively conservative social values are prevalent.