Minister to suspend multimedia content regulation

Communication and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring said Wednesday he would suspend the controversial draft ministerial regulation on multimedia content and wait for a calmer time to discuss it.

"Apparently, this draft regulation is very sensitive. There will be a ‘cooling down’ period first while we are analyzing all the input from the public," Tifatul told a hearing with House of Representatives Commission I on defense, foreign affairs, communication and information.

He did not elaborate when the "cooling down" period would end. "Until everything is calm. We will meet again with legislators when we are ready [to discuss the draft regulation again]," Tifatul said.

Tifatul said the draft regulation had been made in 2006, before he became a minister.

"So the draft had existed for a while, but the controversy only appeared recently," he said.