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View all search resultsSecrecy surrounding asset forfeiture bill raises alarm
The coalition urged lawmakers to publish the latest draft of the asset forfeiture bill, accusing the House of “keeping the public in the dark” over the bill’s contents.
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Hundreds of people crowd the gate of the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta on Aug. 27, 2026, during a mass demonstration that demanded passage of the long-delayed asset forfeiture bill and tougher punishment for corrupt officials. (JP/Iqro Rinaldi)
C
ivil society groups have demanded greater transparency from the House of Representatives on the long-delayed asset forfeiture bill, warning that a lack of access to its draft threatens meaningful public participation as the bill’s deliberations gain momentum.
A coalition of antigraft and human rights groups, including Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), sent a legal notice on Friday to the House leadership and Commission III, which oversees legal affairs and is deliberating the bill.
The coalition urged lawmakers to publish the latest draft of the bill, its academic paper and the government’s accompanying problem inventory list, accusing the House of “keeping the public in the dark” over the bill’s contents.
“How can we talk about meaningful public participation when the bill’s documents aren’t even made available?” ICW lawyer Ibrahim Puteh told reporters at the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta on Friday.
First proposed in 2008, the bill would allow authorities to confiscate assets suspected of being obtained through criminal activities, including through a process that does not require a criminal conviction. It has previously stalled due to a lack of political will from policymakers.
While many have championed the bill as a potential tool to bolster the country’s fight against corruption, experts warn that it could be misused to target political opponents or enable extortion without clearly defined safeguards.
Read also: House presses on with asset forfeiture bill during recess
