Activists have raised suspicion of what they called “foul play” in the deliberation of the controversial tobacco bill in the House of Representatives, as the bill contradicts existing regulations that stipulate that cigarette packs must carry pictorial warnings about the dangers of smoking.

Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Emerson Yuntho said Sunday that some provisions in the draft bill were “friendly” to the industry and were potentially being included by lawmakers in order to meet demands from tobacco industry players.

“If we talk about corruption in any legislation process, there must be external parties hoping for a lax regulation that accommodates their interests. Some provisions in the tobacco bill seem to only benefit the industry,” Emerson told a press conference at the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) office in Cent...