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Government stands firm on omnibus bill amid outcry
Airlangga Hartarto (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)Despite the growing public outcry surrounding the much-touted omnibus bill on job creation, the government is standing firm on its plan to pass the bill amid demands from experts to withdraw it over problematic provisions
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Airlangga Hartarto (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
Despite the growing public outcry surrounding the much-touted omnibus bill on job creation, the government is standing firm on its plan to pass the bill amid demands from experts to withdraw it over problematic provisions.
Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the government acknowledged the debate in the public sphere over the bill. But he said that any protests should be addressed to the House of Representatives and not to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration as the government had submitted the draft bill to the lawmakers.
“The House’s task is to deliberate the bill and to engage in public participation, which will occur during hearing sessions. So please, go to the House if you are looking for any compromise,” Airlangga said during an exclusive interview with The Jakarta Post in Jakarta on Monday.
Separately, Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah echoed similar sentiments saying that the government would not back down on the bill arguing that it was a public document that was open for discussion.
Concerns have been raised about the bill, which is aimed at improving the ease of doing business in, and attracting investment to, Indonesia. Labor unions, analysts and the general public have pointed out contentious articles in the bill that may threaten labor rights, the environment and the country’s democracy, among other concerns.
On Monday, experts urged Jokowi to withdraw the omnibus bill on job creation on the grounds of its problematical substance and legal aspects.
“[The current omnibus bill] is a backward move. If the President is not careful, we’re going into an era of darkness,” lecturer and researcher at Andalas University’s Center for Constitutional Studies, Charles Simabura said in a public discussion held by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Monday.
“The scope is too large. What has job creation to do with revoking regional and national regulations and revising the Press Law?” Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University legal expert Andi Syafrani said.
“Withdraw the bill. If the government wants to make an omnibus bill about investment and permit issuance, then make one about that and only about that, take out all the irrelevant subjects. And don’t make 'job creation' the title,” he said.
They also highlighted the lack public participation in the drafting of the bill and the time frame given for the passing of the bill. With his ruling coalition of six political parties controlling 75 percent of the seats in the House, Jokowi declared that he wanted the legislation in place within 100 days after it was submitted to the House on Feb. 12.
Charles further said that an omnibus bill was not a solution to Indonesia’s legislative problems. The problem was not found in specific laws but rather in the whole system of legislation in which derivative regulations were rampant due to over-delegation and over-attribution, Charles said. There are a total of 14,000 ministerial regulations, for example, far exceeding the number of laws passed since 2004, with some 1,600 laws.
Further, Andi said the omnibus bill only talked about investment convenience and did not actually attempt to solve the problem of complex legislative arrangements.
He further warned that the bill would also endanger the nation’s democracy. “If passed, we’re one step closer to authoritarianism,” he said.
House Speaker Puan Maharani said the House had only learned that there were some contentious articles in the bill, saying the government needed to be more active in promoting it to alleviate any misunderstanding.
"The House and the government have agreed to raise public awareness [on the bill] together. The House is also forming a team to look over the urgent provisions in the bill, as well as the contentious articles,” the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician said on Monday.
Puan claimed that the House would take part in promoting the bill among the public in conjunction with the deliberation process.
"But we don't have to rush. The most important thing is the quality of the bill,” she added.
The Ombudsman has sent a letter summoning Airlangga and Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly to discuss the growing public concerns about the omnibus bill on job creation. (aly)
