The government has long been aware that certain mosques have been used to convey radical teachings, but it can do nothing to stop it because of the absence of laws prohibiting such activities, says Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung.

"What they have been preaching includes [radical] elements, but our law does not explicitly provide a space for us to take actions against them," Pramono said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.

Pramono was responding to questions about what the government would do about preachers in certain mosques in Jakarta who allegedly advised Muslims to go to Syria to join the Islamic State (IS) movement, as reported by Australia-based media ABC and released on YouTube.

Certain preachers have clearly disseminated radicalism and terrorist propaganda deliberately. Unfortunately, Indonesia still has no legal framework to prevent their activities, said Pramono.

Therefore, he demanded the House of Representative immediately complete the revision of the 2003 Terrorism Law, so that the government would have a legal basis to stop the radicalization movement.

Separately, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan said the recruitment in mosques was still relatively small and citizens should not worry since the security personnel had moved to investigate the report.

"I think [the issue] is still under control and [the officials] have been able to address it," Luhut said.

Earlier, reporters from Australia-based TV station ABC attended a sermon at As-Syuhada Mosque in a secluded part of Jakarta. They were given permission to attend but asked not to record, a request they ignored.

In the video, which had been uploaded to YouTube, a number of preachers were heard encouraging the congregation to travel to Syria for "a better life", while a black IS flag hangs visibly inside the mosque.

One of the preachers, who had once been arrested for disseminating IS propaganda, said that every Muslim who stayed in Syria would get food, monthly payments and free health insurance, adding that interracial marriage would also be allowed.

"The infidels don't recognize the Islamic State, the UN doesn't recognize it, but we Muslims don't need their recognition," the preacher stated.

When the ABC team reported the radical preaching to the mosque management, the management professed ignorance. ABC reported it had also received information that at least five mosques in Jakarta were similarly attempting to recruit IS members.

One is located in Menteng, Central Jakarta, where most of the capital's foreign diplomats reside. (afr/bbn)(+)

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