T

he Twittersphere was abuzz as netizens rejoiced after Communications and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring announced his resignation to assume his upcoming position as a member of the House of Representatives for the
2014-2019 term.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto will take the reins of the ministry until the incoming administration of Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo takes office.

Twitter users and some Internet activists expressed hope that Tifatul'€™s departure would mark the end of the country'€™s '€œrepressive'€ Internet policy.

Tifatul, who will be sworn in as a lawmaker representing the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) on Wednesday, announced his resignation from his office via his Twitter account, @tifsembiring.

'€œToday I officially resign as communications and information minister. Please forgive me for any mistakes I may have made,'€ Tifatul wrote,

'€Today is the last day in office for @tifsembiring [You can celebrate now]. #democracy #freedomofexpression,'€ Twitter user David Michael Saga said via his account @dmsaga.

Netizens and activists have lambasted Tifatul for implementing strict and repressive Internet policy through Ministerial Decree No. 19/2014 on the handling of negative Internet content.

The decree was aimed mainly at blocking pornographic content on the Internet, but in practice, the ministry had often mistakenly identified negative content, Wahyudi Djafar of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam) said.

'€œThe ministry is not transparent about how it compiles its negative content list. It does not involve the public in determining the status of Internet content. As a result, the ministry mistakenly blocked a website promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender [LGBT] rights,'€ Wahyudi said.

On several occasions, Tifatul lauded that the ministry'€™s achievement of blocking more than 1 million pornographic websites.

Tifatul also claimed that under his leadership, the ministry has been successful in providing telephone access to 72,000 villages and Internet access to all subdistricts in the country.

Donny Budi Utoyo, Information and Communication Technology Watch (ICT Watch) co-founder, lambasted Tifatul'€™s claim.

'€œI received a report that South Buru in Ambon still has no Internet access. As a result, local residents there could not register on the civil servant recruitment website. Many regions in the eastern part of the country still lack Internet access,'€ he said.

Donny and Wahyudi hoped that Tifatul'€™s successor would support the amendment of the draconian 2008 Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE) Law, in particular Article 27 stipulating that anyone found guilty of using electronic media, including social networks, to intimidate or defame others could face six years in prison and a fine of up to Rp 1 billion (US$81,000).

'€œThe article has been used to shackle freedom of expression. More than 40 individuals have been charged under the law, some of them are Twitter users,'€ Donny said.