House of Representatives politicians have recently requested the enactment of a new law on religious harmony to replace a controversial joint ministerial decree on the establishment of houses of worship.

Lawmakers from various parties including the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Golkar Party said the existing decree lacked the legal power it needed since the Indonesian legal system does not recognize such decrees as legislation.

“We need [the decree] to be made into a law, because under the current 2004 Law and Regulation Law, ministerial decrees are not valid legal instruments,” Golkar’s Melchias Markus Melkeng said at a plenary session at the House on Tuesday.

Melchias’ colleague Anton Sihombing said around 60 Golkar legislators had signed a petition to demand a revision or revocation of the decree.

Under the decree, which was signed by the religious affairs minister and home minister in 2006, applicants hoping to build places of worship must satisfy several special requirements, including gaining approval from 90 worshippers and 60 local residents; a written recommendation from the head of the regency or municipality religious affairs office; and a written recommendation from the Inter-Religious Forum. The decree has recently been met with opposition from human rights and pluralism activists, who say it has often been used to justify the oppression of religious minority groups.

The calls for the new law have emerged following an attack on Huria Batak Christian Protestant (HKBP) church leaders in Ciketing, Bekasi, on Sept. 12.

Members of the church have continued to hold Sunday services at the site, despite a challenge from locals who claim the congregation has violated a joint decree by holding services without local government consent.

Teguh Juwarno from the National Mandate Party (PAN) said the revocation of the decree was not feasible since Indonesia still needed a regulation that governs and protects harmony between communities and religious followers who wish to build houses of worship.

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali also expressed his support for a law on religious harmony to replace the decree, which he said lacked legal grounds. “I agree that the decree should be further developed into law,” Suryadharma said.

Meanwhile, human rights group Setara Institute said a revision of the decree was not a solution to religious disharmony shrouding the country following the recent attacks on the HKBP.

Setara Institute deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos said the root cause of the problem was growing intolerance within society.

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