F

ormer United Party Development (PPP) lawmaker Ahmad Yani still vividly recalls his unpleasant experience in September last year when dealing with angry protesters after a bill deliberation meeting at the legislative compound in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Yani, who then served as a deputy head of the House'€™s working committee to deliberate amendment of the 2003 Advocate Law, was about to leave the meeting room when suddenly dozens of people aggressively approached and scolded him.

Some of the protesters threw bottles of mineral water at Yani, forcing him to flee to the parking basement accompanied by several internal security (Pamdal) officers.

'€œI was shocked by the incident,'€ Yani told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

'€œHow come the building could be so easily entered by people with the potential to harm others?'€

Referring to the incident, Yani, who failed to win his reelection bid in last year'€™s legislative election, quickly lent his support to a recent House proposal for the establishment of a special police task force to secure the compound.

'€œThe current security level at the compound is relatively low as it heavily relies on Pamdal officers, most of whom are hired from outsourcing [companies],'€ he said.

Located on a 30-hectare plot of land, the Senayan legislative compound is one of the most prominent political landmarks in the country, besides the State Palace compound, also in Central Jakarta.

With eight main buildings, the compound is the venue for activities of 560 lawmakers, 132 members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and thousands of supporting staff.

The House currently employs 450 Pamdal officers to manage security at the compound, but regularly seeks support from the police to provide security during major events, like presidential inaugurations and other state ceremonies, or public protests, which are only allowed to take place outside the compound.

In an attempt to improve the level of security, the House revealed last week a plan to establish a special police task force, led by a one-star police general and comprising 1,194 personnel, to be stationed at its compound.

According to Golkar Party lawmaker Roem Kono, the leader of the House'€™s Ways and Means Committee (BURT), the proposed police task force would be similar to the Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres), which has the strength of about 2,500 military personnel and is led by a two-star military general, Maj. Gen. Andika Perkasa.

Paspampres is responsible for securing not only the president and vice president, but also any visiting foreign heads of state.

'€œ[The House] must improve all aspects to become a modern legislative body,'€ Roem said.

The proposal, however, has drawn criticism.

The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA), for example, estimates that the House would need at least Rp 800 billion (US$62.5 million) to establish and equip a police task force, much more than the House'€™s Rp 18.1 billion budget for internal security in 2015.

Uchok Sky Khadafi of the Center for Budget Analysis (CBA), also strongly criticized the proposal, saying the establishment of a police task force would potentially lead to police intervention in legislative affairs.

'€œThis is unacceptable in a democratic country,'€ he said.

From observation, the Post found that on regular days, Pamdal officers only screened visitors entering certain House buildings.

To enter the 23-story Nusantara I building, where lawmakers'€™ offices are located, visitors, for example, must leave their ID card at the screening gate. Some are also required to show a document confirming the purpose of their visit. However, those entering the Nusantara building, which houses meeting halls for four of the 11 House commissions, can walk in freely.

During plenary sessions, Pamdal officers thoroughly search visitors'€™ bags for food, drinks and dangerous materials before they are granted entry to the observation balcony in the plenary hall. The same procedure, however, is not carried out during open hearings held by commissions.